England trio available to get Diamonds off to a flying start
THE Northern Diamonds are planning to have England trio Katherine Brunt, Nat Sciver and Lauren Winfield-Hill available to them for the first half of this summer’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
That represents a quartet of 50-over games, starting against Central Sparks at Emerald Headingley a week on Saturday. That will be the first first-team fixture at Headingley with a crowd present.
The Diamonds play four Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy games between May 29 and June 12 before the start of the women’s Regional T20 competition later in the month.
England’s first summer commitment is a four-day Test
Match against India at Bristol between June 16 and 19.
“The girls join us next week – Katherine, Nat and Lauren – and are available for the first four games,” confirmed Diamonds director of cricket James Carr.
“Some of them could be withdrawn depending on preparations for the Test Match against India. We’ll just have to see how that plays out.
“All the England players are allocated and spread out across the regions, and our girls give us so much value, quality and experience.
“I guess we get lucky with the dynamic that Katherine and Nat almost come together as a package. Nat is a gun bat – one of the best in world.”
Amongst that quartet of fixtures are two at Emerald Headingley. The Sparks game on May 29 is then followed by a meeting with the South East Stars on Saturday June 12.
Diamonds travel to Lightning at Kibworth (May 31) and Sunrisers at Cambridge (June 5).