Top Performers:
Jemimah Rodrigues – Maiden KSL Century!
1) The 18-year sensation from India played a Sensational and a Mind-blowing inning of 112 runs in just 58 balls which helped Diamonds to win against Vipers by 4 wickets. She becomes a second Indian to score a Century in Kia Super League after Smriti Mandhana. This innings from her did not include any big hitting or power-hitting, it was all about timing and class from the young champion from India. It was One Woman Show as no other player scored more than 25 runs.
Hello Twitter,
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 25, 2019
Please take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate this gutsy knock by India's Gem – Jemimah Rodrigues 🇮🇳😍😍
Scored 112 in just 58 balls for @YorksDiamonds pic.twitter.com/RsTqNHKq3l
2) Suzie Bates – The veteran played a handy knock of 47 runs and had a good partnership with other batters which helped Vipers to set a target of 185 for Diamonds.
Match Summary:
The One Woman Show!!
Jemimah Rodrigues, the young Diamond from India played a Mind-Boggling and unbeaten inning of 112, which helped Yorkshire Diamonds to win on the very last ball of the match by 4 wickets at York on Sunday.
Fastest hundreds in Kia Super League:
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 25, 2019
Balls faced:
51 Rodrigues (DIA) v VIP today
55 Lee (STA) v LIG, 2018
56 Wyatt (VIP) v STA, 2019
60 Mandhana (STO) v THU, 2018
63 Bates (VIP) v LIG, 2017
64 Priest (STO) v DIA, 2017#KSL#KSL2019 pic.twitter.com/raEks2uwii
On winning the toss, Yorkshire skipper opted to field on a batting-friendly surface. Opening the innings for Vipers, Bates and Wyatt got off to a dynamic start. Wyatt started to smash all over the park from ball number 1. Both had a partnership of 49 in just 28 balls, the majority of the runs were scored by Wyatt.
Once Wyatt got out, the veteran Suzie Bates took the responsibility of building the inning, she was well supported by Vipers team skipper Beaumont who played a cameo, both had a partnership of 76 runs. In 14th over of the match, both the batters got dismissed on the bowling of Alice Richards. A couple of quick wickets restricted Vipers from reaching a target of 200. In the end, Vipers completed their innings on 184 for 4 in 20 overs.
The Allrounder Alice Richards was the best among the bowlers for Diamonds on the day with three wickets.
Also Read: The Journey of Jemimah Rodrigues?
Chasing this mammoth total of 185, Diamonds were off to a bad start, the Skipper Winfield was out for a Silver duck in the bowling of Farrant. With the dismissal of her, it started the beginning of one of the greatest T20 innings by an Indian Cricketer. The Young Diamond from India, Jemimah Rodrigues entered the crease at the third ball of the inning. She started her innings carefully. On another side, the dashing player Alyssa Healy started to play her natural game. Healy after hitting four boundaries, she was out caught by Morris. With her departure, all the responsibility was on the shoulders of young 18 years old from India.
To be honest, no one would have expected that, Diamonds would chase this huge target from the tough position they were in. The girl from Mumbai did not lose hope, she believed in herself and started playing a calculative inning, she did not play any rash shot, it was all about pure timing and class from Rodrigues. She scored 17 boundaries and almost all of them were perfect textbook shots. she proved people that T20 is not about just hard-hitting. Sadly, on another side, she kept losing her partners. Jemimah without giving up she neatly build the inning and she got to her first KSL 100 in just 51 balls in 19th over of the match.
When the two teams met last time, she failed to finish the game for her team. This time she was in almost the same position, Diamonds required 10 balls in the last 6 balls. The veteran and the most experienced player Suzie Bates took the ball in hand to defend. But she failed to defend this time as the young player Jemimah won over the senior pro.
Rodrigues played sensibly without smashing hard, she took a couple on the first ball, followed by a dot, boundary, two and took a single on the fifth ball, scoring 9 of first balls. On the last ball of the match, it was one run required. The young left-arm spinner Linsey Smith successfully placed the ball in the gap for a single, which helped Diamonds to a sensational and unbelievable win over Vipers. Players from both the teams and crowd appreciated Jemimah for her mind-blowing innings. One can say, this is her best innings of life at a higher level of cricket.
In the end, though Diamonds won they failed to qualify for finals day. The first three spots are decided. The winner between Vipers and Lightning will take on Western Storm in the final.
Brief Score: Yorkshire Diamonds 185 for 6 ( Rodrigues 112*, Farrant 2 for 27) defeated Southern Vipers 184 for 4 ( Bates 47, Richards 3 for 21).