Diamonds seal final spot with a thumping of Thunder

NORTHERN Diamonds secured a convincing win over cross-pennine rivals North West Thunder to qualify for next Sunday’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final.

Beth Langston and Sterre Kalis were the heroines at Headingley with the ball and bat respectively.

The result means the Diamonds will face Southern Vipers in the final next weekend at Edgbaston.

Former England fast bowler Langston returned an excellent three for 18 from 8.5 overs as the Thunder, who elected to bat, were bowled out for 143.

The Diamonds then secured their fifth win from six to top the North Group by chasing down their target for the loss of only four wickets with 20.2 overs to spare. Netherlands international Kalis topscored with an unbeaten 55 off 67 balls, including nine fours.

The Thunder were hurt by the loss of two wickets in the first 20 balls, including Langston bowling Laura Marshall, and later five wickets for 18 runs as they slipped from 91 for three to 109 for eight.

Langston returned in the latter stages of the innings to bowl Liberty Heap and Rebecca Duckworth (19), picking the ideal time to return her best figures of the competition.

Her new ball partner Phoebe Graham also struck twice, as did Jenny Gunn and Katie Levick. Leftarm spinner Linsey Smith also added a wicket.

The inexperienced Thunder were eyeing a recovery from 31 for three in 10th over as opener Georgie Boyce and Nat Brown were sharing 60 for the fourth wicket.

They hit 29 and 32 respectively, uniting for 11 overs.

In that period, the Diamonds looked a touch ragged with the ball but with the bat, it was an altogether different tale.

Having already beaten the Thunder twice this summer, they wobbled only briefly as they lost two wickets in the 21st over to slip to 90 for four before Kalis steered them home.

Rachel Hopkins was bowled around her legs in the seventh over by left-arm spinner Hannah Jones, but captain Hollie Armitage hit six boundaries in a 50-ball 36.

Armitage offered a sharp return catch to Thunder skipper Alex Hartley in the 16th over, taking the score to 62 for two.

In the 21st, off-spinner Heap then had Ami Campbell stumped before Alex Macdonald was run out three balls later.

But 21-year-old Kalis found an ally in former England Ashes and World Cup winner Gunn.

The latter was the aggressor with five fours in 35 balls as the pair shared 54 inside nine overs, while Kalis reached 50 off 64 balls in a bonus-point win.