DIAMONDS SPARKLE TO OVERCOME SUNRISERS

26th Aug 2021

NORTHERN DIAMONDS OVERCOME SUNRISERS IN FIRST EVER WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL GAME AT ROSEWORTH TERRACE.

SNCC were delighted to welcome Northern Diamonds & Sunrisers on Wed 25th August 2021, for the first ever women's professional match at Roseworth Terrace, for the first game in Group B of the Charlotte Edwards T20 Cup.

Sunrisers are based at Chelmsford & incorporate the best players from London & the eastern counties.... Essex, Middlesex, Northants, Herts, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Beds, Huntingdonshire & the MCC, with a little help from Berkshire, Warwickshire & Kent. England international Laura Marsh is a part of their coaching team.

Northern Diamonds are based at Headingley, their hosts are Yorkshire CCC & they take the best players from Northumberland, Durham & Yorkshire featuring England international Jenny Gunn, but sadly without Ami Campbell on her home ground. They are coached by Dani Hazell, who played 3rd team cricket at SN as a junior, & 5 time NEPL Player of the Year, Richard Waite.

Northern Diamonds 120-6 (20o) Linsey Smith 30, Beth Langston 46*: Kate Coppack 2-10, Naomi Dattani 2-24, Grace Scrivens 1-14.

Sunrisers 101-7 (20o) Jo Gardner 31, Grace Scrivens 11, Katherine Speed 17 *,Gaya Gole 11*: Beth Langston 2-19, Katie Levick 1-6, Alex Macdonald 2-11, Hollie Armitage 2-18.

Northern Diamonds won by 19 runs.

On a bright, breezy day, Sunrisers Kelly Castle won the toss & chose to field. Accurate seam bowling from Kate Coppack (2), Grace Scrivens (1) & Naomi Dattani (2), very good fielding & sure catching, restricted the Diamonds, who limped to 32-5 in 9.5 overs, with only Leah Dobson (13) showing permanence.

Therafter the Diamonds were indebted to an excellent partnership of 78 between Lynsey Smith (30) & Beth Langston (46*) which featured very good rotation of the strike, seeking to put pressure back onto the fielding side. Smith was unfortunate to be  run out from the last ball of the 19th over. Langston cracked 6 boundaries in her unbeaten 46. The innings closed at 120-7, Rachel Hopkins 4*.

Naomi Dattani & Cordelia Griffith faced the left arm spin of Lynsey Smith & seam of Beth Langston. Dattani took 10 from Langston's first 4 balls but perished skying to Hollie Armitage at extra cover from ball 5. Could she have waited ? Griffith was lbw from ball 6, 10-2 after 2 overs.

Grace Scrivens & Jo Gardner put together a good partnership of 34 before Scrivens (11) was bowled by a Katie Levick leg break, 44-3 in the 9th. Gardner continued to bat well, driving pleasingly, before she was caught by w/k Bess Heath off Alex Macdonald's seam for 31, 63-4 after 11.2o. Two more wickets fell at 64, Flo Miller(6) was bowled by Alex Macdonald & Kelly Castle (0) by Hollie Armitage's leg spin.

The task was becoming difficult for the Sunrisers. Mia Rogers (6) was caught at deep mid wicket by Lynsey Smith, 79-7 in the 17th & despite a stand of 21* for the 8th wicket between Katherine Speed (17*) & Gaya Gole (11*) their innings closed at 101-7.

Match referee, ex England international Dean Headley wrote, " Excellent to see pro women's cricket played at South North CC. Beautiful set up & what cricket needs everywhere". Richard Waite added, " It's great to be back at South North & to be promotong women's cricket". An enthusiastic crowd of c200 agreed. A most convivial, inaugural day. SNCC would welcome the opportunity to host similar occasions in the future,

We offer very best wishes to both teams for their remaining games in the Charlotte Edwards T20 Cup.

Duncan D Stephen.

(SNCC 1971- present)