Thunder 168 for 4 (Dottin 54*, Dattani 46) beat Northern Diamonds 167 (Winfield-Hill 33, Dattani 4-16) by six wickets With a six-wicket victory over the Northern Diamonds in York, Naomi Dattani shone with both bat and ball as the Thunder won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the first time this year.
With Deandra Dottin scoring 54 not out and Dattani scoring 46, the Thunder finished their run chase with 12.2 overs to spare. Dattani took four wickets to assist in bowling the Diamonds out for 167.
The leading Diamonds scorer was Lauren Winfield-Hill with 33 points, but the defending champions were defeated for the fourth time in a row.
The Diamonds’ innings were a tale of wickets dropping frequently as Thunder put on an outstanding performance with the ball and in the field.
Winfield-Hill and Sterre Kalis, who were asked to bat first, got off to a patient but steady start and reached 37 without loss after 10 overs.
As she progressed through the gears, Winfield-Hill appeared to be headed for her fifth half-century of the match, but she was the first wicket to fall, expertly caught behind by Ellie Threlkeld to give Dattani her first catch.
After 14.1 overs, the Diamonds were 58 for 2 when Kalis left the field, bowled by Laura Jackson for 21.
After that, the hosts found it difficult to gain any momentum as Thunder consistently made progress toward its goal.
Before Emma Marlow was thoroughly run out for nine runs by Liberty Heap to make it 88 for four, Hollie Armitage fell for six runs, bowled by Dattani.
Bess Heath and Chloe Tryon both started out well, as Diamonds reached the halfway point with 102 for 4.
However, Thunder were strong in the field, as Dottin caught Heath trying to make a second run as she fell for 17 before Fi Morris dismissed Tryon for 14.
Leah Dobson also got off to a fast start, hitting a few wonderful boundaries, but Heap struck twice in the 36th over to get rid of her for 13 and Lizzie Scott for 6, leaving Diamonds struggling on 136 for 8.
Morris bowled 10 superb overs in a row, recording a strike rate of 1 for 27.
Despite Katie Levick’s two late-inning boundaries from Dottin, Morris caught Levick for 11 before Grace Hall edged behind for 13, and the Diamonds were all out in the 44th over when Dattani returned to end the innings.
One delivery earlier, Scott bowled Seren Smale for a quick 15. Thunder started their pursuit of a small mark with purpose, reaching 32 for one after five overs.
Diamonds dropped 13 extras in the first seven overs due to careless bowling, which gave Thunder control at 52 for just 10 overs.
The success of Thunder’s team depended on England opener Emma Lamb, who was left out of the ODI Ashes squad on Monday but still appeared in terrific shape. Levick, a spinner, though, shifted the balance in the Diamonds’ favor. Morris went for a duck three balls after the first ball when Thunder were suddenly 58 for 3. Then Lamb was stranded for 21.
Before a 12-minute rain break, Thunder’s Dattani and Dottin combo had their team on 85 for 3 after 20 overs, despite having a difficult time finding runs. The Thunder were 93 for 3 and still needed 75 at the midway point.
India
