Charlie Dean’s smash-and-grab swipes the contest for Vipers

(18.5/20 ov, T:146) 146/5

Southern Vipers 146 for 5 (Dean 64) beat Northern Diamonds 145 for 4 (Armitage 69*) by five wickets

Charlie Dean produced a fine smash-and-grab to put Southern Vipers in prime position to qualify for the Charlotte Edwards Cup finals day next week – while ending Northern Diamond’s hopes.

Dean strode to the wicket with Vipers struggling on 29 for four, chasing 146 to win, but showcased a masterclass of attacking batting to score 64 off 38 – her Vipers best.

Birthday girl Hollie Armitage‘s classy 69 had provided the glue for a solid Diamonds total, before the early burst of wickets put the visitors on course for a second win of the competition.

But Dean’s Vipers best saw her side over the line to win by five wickets and make it five victories this season for the defending champions.

Armitage, on her 27th birthday, underpinned Diamonds’ innings as she scored an unbeaten 69, with help with half-century stands with Sterre Kalis and Bess Heath.

Having chosen to bat first, Lauren Winfield-Hill’s opening replacement Emma Marlow was bowled by Lauren Bell in the first over.

Armitage and Kalis then set the platform with a mixture of power and cricket-smarts in the first half of the innings – with the duo adding 66 together.

Kalis and Erin Burns fell within 13 deliveries of each other as Georgia Adams caught and bowled the former before the latter was stunning caught behind by Rhianna Southby.

But it proved a minor blip as Bess Heath showed off her inventive shot-making with a switch-hit and a powerful six over midwicket as she provided the momentum in the 58-run alliance with Armitage.

Armitage had never seemed to get out of first gear at any point of her innings and reached her second half-century of the competition in 46 balls.

Double-run overs off the final three overs, despite Heath departing, got Diamonds up to around par.

Vipers were garnished with eight players who have played for England, plus possibly the best domestic player not to in Georgia Adams, and potential future internationals in Rhianna Southby and Charli Knott.

But they struggled in the response.

Maia Bouchier was bowled third ball by Rachel Slater before the Scotland international repeated the trick by ripping through Knott. Seamer Slater would end up with two for 23 after bowling her four overs straight through.

Australian Erin Burns was also causing Vipers problems with her spin as she cast her spell over Adams and Freya Kemp.

Danni Wyatt had been smoothly guiding the chase in her first appearance of the cup but fell for 28 as Armitage’s golden arm struck fourth ball.

But Dean put things back on track, with Elwiss playing the support.

The Portsmouth-raised star struck nine boundaries, including three in a row off Katherine Fraser in an innings-defining spell, to reach her maiden Charlotte Edwards Cup fifty in 29 balls.

It was inevitable that she would take the curtain call by hitting the winning runs with seven balls to spare – as she overtook her previous best of 60 for the region.

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