Dunkley confirms return to form but Stars fall just short of record chase

Northern Diamonds 311 for 9 (Armitage 66, Heath 63, Kalis 52, Franklin 3-49) beat South East Stars 308 for 9 (Dunkley 130) by three runs

Northern Diamonds beat the South East Stars by three runs in a final-over thriller in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham, despite a stunning century from Sophia Dunkley.

But she was run out by the bowler Erin Burns in an excruciatingly tense final over, after inexplicably failing to ground her bat after a single from the fourth delivery.

Bethan Miles was then unable to hit a boundary off the last delivery, meaning the Stars fell agonisingly short of what would have been a List A world-record run chase.

The visitors chose to bat on what looked like a typical Beckenham road and despite the early loss of Lauren Winfield-Hill, who was bowled by Tash Farrant for 19, they built an ominous platform. The first five wickets all yielded hefty partnerships, taking advantage of a Stars’ attack weakened by the loss of Alice Davidson-Richards, who went off injured after bowling two overs.

Armitage and Emma Marlow put on 65 for the second wicket before the latter was brilliantly run for 32 by a direct hit from Miles. Kalea Moore then had Armitage caught by Bryony Smith, before Danni Gregory bowled Burns for 23 in the final over of her spell.

A stand of 63 between Heath and Kalis was broken when the former was stumped by Chloe Hill off Miles, but the Diamonds then stuttered. Leah Dobson was the first of Franklin’s victims when she went for six, caught by the sub fielder Claudie Cooper.

Kalis went to Franklin’s next delivery, caught on the boundary by Dunkley, and Phoebe Turner followed in almost identical fashion when she holed out to the last ball of the over.

When Sophia Turner was caught by Aylish Cranstone off Stonehouse for 4 the Diamonds were 290 for 9, but an aggressive, unbeaten 23 from Jess Woolston that included a huge six of Stonehouse took them past the 300 mark.

The Stars suffered an early blow when Farrant went for just 7, victim of a sharp, diving catch by Dobson off Woolston and Smith had made 19 when she got a leading edge to Phoebe Turner and was caught by Burns.

Dunkley and Stonehouse steadied things with a stand of 52, but the latter was caught behind off Sophia Turner for 21, victim of a smart take by Heath who was standing up to the stumps.

Phoebe Franklin made 24 at a run a ball, but she fell in Armitage’s first over, slicing her to Woolston at backward point. Hill was looking useful until she was caught by Kalis off Sophia Turner for 23 but with the run rate steepening Cranstone’s 41 dragged the Stars backed into the contest with some calculated aggression that brought up the Stars’ highest ever sixth wicket partnership.

When Dunkley reached three figures with a single off Sophia Turner the tie was right back in the balance, but Cranstone fell in the 46th over, chipping Burns to Armitage and Davidson-Richards was forced to bat with Farrant as a runner. Turner’s 47th over went for just four, leaving the Stars needing 33 from the last 18 balls.

The equation titled back in the Diamonds favour when Heath stumped Davidson-Richards off Katie Levick for 2. Moore hit the first ball off the penultimate over, bowled by Sophia Turner for four, took a bye of the next and watched as Dunkley smashed a six over long on. The next went for four and two singles left the Stars needing 11 from the last over.

Burns limited them to singles off the first three balls and then ran Dunkley out after she failed to ground her bat, after apparently giving up on a second run. Moore hit the fifth ball for three, leaving Miles needing four off the final delivery, but she was caught at cow corner by Sophia Turner, ending an exhilarating contest.