Top Performers:
1) Alyssa Healy – The Southern Stars Keeper finally back to her best by playing an amazing inning of 77 runs in just 38 balls including 12 fours and 3 sixes. Though she didn’t have a great to the season, she is peaking at the right time. with two matches left and as there is a tough fight for the third position, Healy coming back to her form is what Yorkshire Diamonds needed the most.
2) Jemimah Rodrigues – The young sensation from India continued to shine in her maiden season of KSL. Diamonds got off to a great start but they were almost on the verge of repeating the same mistake which they had failed to finish the match against Vipers. In this match, though the scenario was almost the same, the result was different. The young Indian took responsibility and successfully helped the team to reach the target in 18.5 overs. She played a match-winning of 43 not out.
3) Eleanor Threlkeld – The young wicket-keeper from Lancashire played a matured knock of 52 when her team was in trouble. This innings of her helped Lancashire Thunder to reach a respectable score of 164 for 5 in 20 overs.
Match Summary:
Alyssa Healy back to her best and Rodrigues with responsible innings helped Yorkshire Diamonds to defeat Lancashire Thunder by 4 wickets at Scarborough on Friday.
Lancashire Thunder who does not have a single win in the tournament, on winning the toss opted to bat on a good batting surface and ground with slightly short boundaries. Opening the innings for Thunder, the opening pair of McGrath and Luus had a better start this time. But they failed to convert it into a big one as their partnership ended with 32 runs, as the Proteas allrounder got out for 15. Following her, McGrath and Brown got out in quick succession. Thunder was struggling at 58 for 3.
Then the duo of Harmanpreet Kaur and Threlkeld took the responsibility of building the innings and were successful by having a partnership of 74 runs. Sadly, Kaur failed to convert her innings into a big one, as she got out in 17th over for 38. On the other side, the young keeper from Lancashire Threlkeld scored 52 in 37 balls. Thunders ended their innings on 164 for 5 in 20 overs, with the bowl Katie Levick continued to do well for Diamonds as she closed her spell with the figures of 2 for 18 in four overs.
Chasing this target of 165, Diamonds were off to a flying start with a partnership of 103 runs. All credits to the dashing wicket keeping batter Alyssa Healy who scored a breezy inning of 77 runs in just 38 balls, her innings included 12 fours and 3 sixes. The partnership was completely dominated by her. Out of 103, she scored 77 runs and her partner Winfield scored just 16. Alyssa Healy who was in the mood of striking big got out on 77 in the bowling of left-arm spinner Ecclestone.
As soon as Healy got out, Captain and her opening partner Winfield followed her in the next ball itself. She was cleaned up by Ecclestone for 16. In a matter of three more balls, they lost one more wicket of in form player Hollie in a mix up between her and Rodrigues. In the next two overs, Diamonds lost two more wickets that are of Griffith and Heath. Now, the diamonds fell down from 103 for 1 to 115 for 5 and they were in serious trouble. It looked like they might repeat the same mistake they did in the previous match.
The young batter Jemimah Rodrigues did not allow that to happen, she took the responsibility on her shoulder, though wickets kept falling on one side, Jemimah did not give up, she handled the pressure very well and was successful in taking her team home by scoring a match-winning knock of 42, which helped Diamonds with a secured win of 4 wickets by chasing the target in 18.5 overs.
Hats off to the young 18-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a great knock under pressure. She has all the talent of playing the role of a finisher, which an Indian team requires at the moment along with Kaur.
With this win, competition for 3rd spot is getting tougher and tighter. On the other side, Surrey Stars and Lancashire Thunder are almost out of the tournament.
Brief Scores: Thunder 164 for 5 ( Threlkeld 52 and Levick 2 for 19 )
lost to
Diamonds 168 for 6 ( Healy 77, Rodrigues 42 and Ecclestone 2 for 18) by 4 wickets.
