Bowling is the key factor for Diamonds’ title hopes
HEADINGLEY is gearing up for a sparkling day’s cricket tomorrow when Yorkshire Diamonds raise the curtain on the inaugural season of the Kia Women’s Cricket League by taking on Loughborough Lightning.
The first match in this Twenty20 competition has a 2.30pm start and Diamonds captain Lauren Winfield and head coach Richard Pyrah are both urging spectators to turn up in large numbers to support their star-studded team comprised of Yorkshire, England and overseas players.
Preparations for the new league have been going on since early in the new year, but the waiting is now over and Diamonds are keen to get started.
York-born Winfield is part of a Diamonds squad of 15, which comprises four England players, three overseas stars, two academy players and six players selected through a county talent identification process.
The trio of top international cricketers who have now joined Diamonds for the campaign are Beth Mooney and Alex Blackwell from Australia and Shabnim Ismail from South Africa.
All-rounder Blackwell, aged 32, is a vastly experienced allrounder, having played in 11 Tests for her country as well as 122 one-day internationals and 91 T20 internationals.
Mooney, 22, has represented Australia in three one-day internationals and nine T20s while Shabnim Ismail, 27, has played for South Africa in one Test match and made over 100 limited overs appearances since her debut in 2007.
Homegrown Diamonds talent includes 2005 Ashes winner Laura Spragg and Katie Levick, the country’s leading wickettaker in last season’s women’s county championship.
Yorkshire’s England fast bowler Katherine Brunt, from Barnsley, who has played in 10 Tests, 87 one-day internationals and 57 T20s, said: “It has been a massive build-up over the last six months and we want to give this league everything we’ve got.
“It is better that you watch it live because you can then see how much skill is involved and I am sure every game will go down to the wire and be very competitive. This new format is exciting.”