Hollie Armitage hundred rescues Diamonds, sees off Storm

Northern Diamonds 275 for 9 (Armitage 103, Glen 53*, Wellington 3-30) beat Western Storm 265 (Glen 3-42, P Turner 3-46) by 10 runs

A fabulous 103 from new England star Hollie Armitage led Northern Diamonds to a come-from-behind 10-run victory over Western Storm in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Headingley.

Inserted, the Diamonds slipped to 89 for 5 in the 21st over before captain Armitage led the fightback to 275 for 9 during her 114-ball innings with 13 fours.

Allrounder Abi Glen also crashed a late 53 not out off 46 – her maiden regional fifty – during the first half of an engaging contest and later claimed three wickets with her seamers.

Dani Gibson struck twice with the new ball and finished with 3 for 44 for Storm. But it was Armitage who won the battle of the England team-mates, leading her side to a second successive victory after Saturday’s win over Thunder.

In reply, Storm were well placed at 127 for 2 in the 23rd over, only to fall to 265 all out in the last over when they needed 12 to win. Armitage will take the headlines, but Phoebe Turner also impressed with three wickets following 32 with the bat.

Storm suffered a heavy opening day defeat, by eight wickets against Sunrisers when they were bowled out for 114. So this performance was much improved.

Storm made an eye-catching start, led by Gibson’s dismissals of openers Sterre Kalis and Lauren Winfield-Hill. Both had stumps uprooted as the hosts fell to 50 for 2 after 10 overs.

Spinners Sophia Smale and Amanda-Jade Wellington claimed three wickets like Gibson, but it was Australian overseas legspinner Wellington who was the pick of the Storm attack with 3 for 30 from 10 overs bowled on the reel through the middle of the innings.

She had Bess Heath caught at point, fellow Aussie overseas Burns bowled trying to cut a ball too close to her and Leah Dobson caught brilliantly by a diving Niamh Holland coming in from deep midwicket.

That left the Diamonds five down and still short of 100. But Armitage was outstanding.

Last month, the 26-year-old made her senior England debut as a concussion substitute in a T20I against New Zealand in Nelson. Western Storm’s Gibson was in the same team.

Armitage, who has scored two of her three regional centuries against the Storm, pulled with authority and drove with grace, supported well by Phoebe Turner’s 32 and Glen’s late fifty.

She shared half-century stands with both for the sixth and eighth wickets, whilst reaching her century off 112 balls. She was caught at long-on two balls later off Smale as the innings drew to a close.

Glen hit three fours off Lauren Filer in the innings’ last over, which went for 15. But the damage had already been done.

Storm did, however, start their chase of 276 positively. Openers Smale and Alex Griffiths shared 59 inside 13 overs before the latter pulled Phoebe Turner out to deep midwicket to fall for 26.

Turner then bowled Smale for 35, only for Fran Wilson and captain Sophie Luff to steady once more. They shared 47 and were well set at the crease when the off-spin of Aussie Erin Burns was introduced into the attack.

And after eight balls, she had bowled both Wilson for 32 and Gibson for 5, leaving the score at 140 for 4 in the 25th over.

When legspinner Katie Levick had Luff caught at mid-off for 25 shortly afterwards, Storm were 160 for 5 in the 30th having lost three wickets for 33.

Natasha Wraith kept hopes alive with 27, only to be bowled by Phoebe Turner – one of two Turners in the Diamonds team along with Sophia. At 192 for 6 in the 38th, it felt like the decisive moment. So it proved.

Wellington hit an aggressive 28 and Niamh Holland a laboured 29, and both were bowled by Glen and Sophia Turner before the former bowled Mollie Robbins. The Storm then needed 12 off the last with one wicket remaining. But Glen had Filer stumped to seal the win.

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy