I was present at the finish of an exciting match on Sunday, no, not that one, for I was one of the 9000+ optimists who had bought tickets for a fifth day at Headingley; instead I was at Clifton Park, York where a last ball single gave Yorkshire Diamonds a win over Southern Vipers. The win came too late for Diamonds to qualify for finals day but it provided an excellent afternoon's entertainment for those of us who were content to receive the news from Headingley by text, via a second party or simply the oohs and ahs of those who after three o'clock jammed the clubhouse to watch Sir Benjamin on TV.
The toss was won by Diamonds skipper Lauren Winfield who asked the visitors to bat and thanks to Bates, Wyatt and Beaumont they built a position from which a formidable total looked achievable, 125 for 2 in the fifteenth. Diamonds fielding had not been more than modest to that point but a succession of outstanding catches, particularly one by Winfield that saw Suzie Bates on her way, revived our hopes. An unbeaten stand of 43 between Maia Bouchier and Amanda Wellington restored Vipers as favourites and the innings closed on 184 for 4, and my companion for the afternoon, Graham Sykes, and I agreed a likely winning total.
Diamonds began their reply in the worst possible way with Winfield dismissed by Tash Farrant second ball, but enter the diminutive Mumbai born Jemimah Rodrigues who proceeded to bat through the innings playing shots of exquisite elegance hitting 17 fours and a six to finish on 112 not out, as good an innings as I have seen in women's cricket. She received good support from Healy and Armitage but when Heath and Davison-Richards went for ducks, 121 for 5 in the fourteenth over looked distinctly precarious. Leigh Kasparek then helped Rodrigues to add 49 for the sixth wicket assisted by two free hits until she was out for 12. Linsey Smith then assumed the Jack Leach role as Rodrigues stoked the boiler to leave just one needed from the last ball which was only the second Smith had faced and she duly hit the single that was needed to gain victory by four wickets.
Finally I must mark an unusual event which occurred on Saturday while I was watching Ouseburn v Dacre Banks in a Nidderdale Division 1 game. A wedding reception was being held in the village hall which forms part of the same building as the club room and dressing rooms and on a lovely afternoon they took their drinks outside oblivious it seemed to the dangers of being hit by the ball. During the drinks interval the whole party spilled onto the outfield where they were photographed by the official photographer and me. This caused the drinks interval to be extended and 'wedding stops play' entered cricket's lexicon.
The match was won by Ouseburn which significantly eases their relegation fears but leaves acre in the relegation zone with Masham. These two meet at Dacre on Saturday, interesting.
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