Southern Stars and Northern Diamonds Boost Semi-Final Hopes in Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

In a rain-affected encounter, Northern Diamonds climbed to second place in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy standings after a six-wicket victory over bottom-placed Western Storm. Hollie Armitage’s brilliant unbeaten 101 off just 76 balls guided Diamonds to their target of 199 in 29 overs, following a competitive 200-5 posted by Storm in the initial 30-over innings.

Meanwhile, South East Stars secured an 82-run win over struggling Lancashire Thunder in Blackpool. Captain Bryony Smith (67) and Paige Scholfield (56) led Stars to a formidable 283 in their 50 overs, a total that proved too much for Thunder, who were dismissed for 201.

Elsewhere, persistent rain forced the abandonment of the match between Sunrisers and Central Sparks, with the former missing out on the opportunity to overtake Southern Vipers at the top of the table. In the limited 6.3 overs possible, Sparks had reached 27 without loss.

“The results mean that Northern Diamonds have leapfrogged Sunrisers into second place, while fourth-placed South East Stars have extended their advantage over fifth-placed The Blaze. With six group-stage matches remaining, the top four teams will advance to the semi-finals in September.”

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