Northern Diamonds win Heyhoe Flint Trophy by two runs

NICK FRIEND AT LORD'S: Diamonds had reached the finals in 2020 and 2021 but finished as runners-up to Southern Vipers on both occasions, but they broke their duck at the third attempt

Lord's: Northern Diamonds 215-9, Southern Vipers 213-9 - Northern Diamonds win by two runs

Scorecard

Northern Diamonds broke their hoodoo in regional finals, beating Southern Vipers for the first time at the third attempt to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy by just two runs.

Diamonds had reached the finals in 2020 and 2021 but finished as runners-up to Vipers on both occasions – first at Edgbaston, then at Wantage Road – before coming out on top at Lord's, in no small part thanks to Lauren Winfield-Hill.

The former England opener top-scored for Diamonds, making 65 before a collapse that featured four wickets in 15 balls threatened to derail the hopes of Hollie Armitage's side after Vipers had won the toss and elected to field.

That looked a rash move when Diamonds' first-wicket stand contributed 83 runs in 19.2 overs, but the dismissal of Linsey Smith, the ex-England spinner, opened the floodgates for a mad half-hour that saw Hollie Armitage and Sterre Kalis fall in consecutive deliveries to Paige Scholfield and Phoebe Turner get trapped in front by Charlotte Taylor. In the next over, Winfield-Hill – who has enjoyed a remarkable year since being dropped by England – was run out following a mix-up with Bess Heath.

Heath, though, ensured Diamonds scrambled to a competitive total, reaching 44 and withdrawing from some of her most attacking instincts in order to marshal a partnership with Leah Dobson past 200.

Dobson ended unbeaten on 34 as scoring became tougher against the softer ball, with Heath trapped by Georgia Adams for 44 for the first of the Vipers captain's three wickets as the innings subsided for a second time, finishing on 214 for 9.

^{Georgia Adams almost guided Vipers home (Paul Harding/Getty Images)}

In reply, the two-time champions never got away from Diamonds, but both sides were aware of the history between them. Diamonds ought to have won a similar game last year at Northampton, only for Charlotte Edwards' charges to clamber over the line.

Diamonds bowled just five overs of seam in the shape of Lizzie Scott, who was equally economical and cleaned up Georgia Elwiss cheaply, as they made their plans clear.

Smith was exceptional, accounting for Ella McCaughan and returning at the death to dismiss Scholfield. Before then, Vipers had recovered from the shock of losing two early wickets and scoring just 18 runs in the first 10 overs, with Adams (70) and Maia Bouchier (48) combining to take Vipers to 98 for 2, at which point Bouchier clothed a slog-sweep at midwicket – an error that Charlie Dean would make 15 overs later.

That was Dean's second dismissal of the weekend at Lord's, albeit by far the least controversial of the two. Until then, she had looked like guiding her team home. With the ball, she had gone wicketless but broke the ice ahead of her second delivery, pausing in her delivery stride and warning Smith not to leave her ground.

Before then, she had helped to put back together a faltering chase, with Emily Windsor – so good through the competition for Vipers – edging behind for 12. The required run rate never got out of hand, but it always felt as though losing Adams might signal chaos. When she was stumped by Winfield-Hill off Katie Levick's leg-spin, the panic set in: Scholfield was bowled shortly afterwards, Chloe Hill was caught in the ring and Lauren Bell was run out with a single delivery remaining after Vipers entered the final over needing 13 more runs.

Bell had provided her team with a glimmer of hope in the final over, cutting Levick for four with three balls remaining, but her departure left Taylor – who had left the field injured earlier – needing to hit a four off the last delivery to force a super over. She could only scramble two, leaving Diamonds to celebrate emphatically in the Lord's sunset.