Northern Diamonds Explained

Northern Diamonds
Colours:	Dark blue
Coach:	Danielle Hazell
Captain:	Hollie Armitage
Established:	2020
Ground:	Headingley Cricket Ground Riverside Ground North Marine Road Ground Clifton Park Ground
Title1:	RHFT
Title1wins:	1
Title2:	CEC
Title2wins:	0
Website:	Northern Diamonds
A Pattern La:	_skyblueborder
A Pattern B:	_aqua_right_half
A Pattern Ra:	_skyblueborder
A Leftarm:	000050
A Body:	000050
A Rightarm:	06C
A Pants:	000050
A Title:	One-day
T Pattern La:	_skyblueborder
T Pattern B:	_bluediagonals
T Pattern Ra:	_skyblueborder
T Leftarm:	00BFFF
T Body:	00BFFF
T Rightarm:	00BFFF
T Pants:	000050
T Title:	T20

Northern Diamonds were a women's cricket team that represented the traditional areas of the North East and Yorkshire, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They primarily played their home matches at Headingley and the Riverside.^{[1] [2]} They were captained by Hollie Armitage and coached by former England cricketer Danielle Hazell.^[3]

The team carried over elements of the WCSL team Yorkshire Diamonds, and were partnered with Yorkshire and North East Warriors.^[4] The Diamonds reached the final of the first three tournaments that they competed in, but lost each time.^[5] They won their first title in 2022, winning the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.^[6]

At the end of the 2024 season, following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket, the team was effectively replaced by a professionalised Durham team.

History

In 2020, women's cricket in England was restructured, creating eight new 'regional hub' teams, with the intention of playing both 50-over and 20-over cricket.^[7] Northern Diamonds were one of the sides created under this structure, effectively replacing the Women's Cricket Super League team Yorkshire Diamonds and representing the North East and Yorkshire, partnering with Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland.^[4] The side was to be captained by Hollie Armitage and coached by Danielle Hazell.^[8] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was truncated, and only 50-over cricket was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.^[9] Northern Diamonds won the North Group in the competition, winning five of their six matches to progress to the final.^[10] In the final, they faced Southern Vipers, who scored 231 batting first. However, Charlotte Taylor's 6/34 helped bowl out the Diamonds for 193, meaning they finished as runners-up.^[11] At the end of the season, five Diamonds players were given full-time domestic contracts, the first of their kind in England: Hollie Armitage, Beth Langston, Linsey Smith, Phoebe Graham and Jenny Gunn.^[12]

The following season, 2021, Northern Diamonds competed in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the newly formed Twenty20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, the side topped Group B with four wins from their six matches, just edging out Western Storm on Net Run Rate to qualify for the play-off on Finals Day.^[13] In the play-off, Diamonds beat Southern Vipers by 18 runs to qualify for the final, where they faced South East Stars.^[14] Batting first, Northern Diamonds made 138/4 with captain Armitage making 59. However, Stars chased the target down with 2 overs to spare to win by 5 wickets.^[15] In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Northern Diamonds again qualified for the knockout stages, finishing second in the group with five wins from their seven matches.^[16] They faced Central Sparks in the play-off, and beat them by 6 wickets thanks to Ami Campbell's 76 to progress to the final, where they again faced Southern Vipers.^[17] Batting first in the final, the Diamonds made 183, with Campbell again top-scoring with 60. However, despite reducing Vipers to 109/7, the side went on to lose the final by 3 wickets with 2 balls to spare.^[18]

In 2022, the side finished second in their Charlotte Edwards Cup group, with three wins from their six games, missing out on qualifying for Finals Day as the worst second-placed team.^[19] The side topped the group in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, however, going unbeaten.^[20] They faced Southern Vipers in the final, for the third consecutive time in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, but this time emerged victorious by two runs.^[6] Diamonds batter Lauren Winfield-Hill was the leading run-scorer in the competition, and bowler Linsey Smith was the joint leading wicket-taker.^{[21] [22]}

In 2023, they finished fourth out of eight in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and sixth out of eight in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.^{[23] [24]} Diamonds batter Lauren Winfield-Hill was again the leading run-scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 663 runs including one century.^[25] In 2024, the side finished sixth in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and finished top of the group in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, before losing to Sunrisers in the semi-finals.^{[26] [27]} Diamonds bowler Phoebe Turner was the leading wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 23 wickets.^[28]

2024 was the side's final season, with reforms to the structure of domestic cricket in England meaning that the side was effectively replaced by a professionalised Durham team.^[29]

Home grounds

Venue	Games hosted by season
20	21	22	23	24	Total
Riverside Ground	1	3	3	3	4	14
Headingley Cricket Ground	2	3	3	5	6	19
South Northumberland Cricket Club	–	1	–	1	–	2
North Marine Road Ground	–	1	–	1	2	4
Clifton Park Ground	–	–	–	1	1	2

Players

Current squad

Final squad, 2024 season.^[30]

• No. denotes the player's squad number, as worn on the back of their shirt.
• denotes players with international caps.

No.	Name	Nationality	Birth date	Batting style	Bowling style	Notes
Batters
10			6 October 2001	Right-handed
17			8 August 2003	Right-handed
18			30 October 2000	Right-handed	–
22	Sterre Kalis		30 August 1999	Right-handed
All-rounders
15			2 April 2001	Right-handed
57	Hollie Armitage		14 June 1997	Right-handed		Club captain
70	Katherine Fraser		9 April 2005	Right-handed
Wicket-keepers
25	Bess Heath		20 August 2001	Right-handed	—
58	Lauren Winfield-Hill		16 August 1990	Right-handed
89			19 January 2005	Right-handed	–
Bowlers
2			1 September 2004	Right-handed
7			12 April 2004	Right-handed
12			24 December 2002	Right-handed
19			25 February 2003	Right-handed
23			17 July 1991	Right-handed
42	Beth Langston		6 September 1992	Right-handed
48			23 April 2003	Right-handed
72	Rachel Slater		20 November 2001	Right-handed

Academy

The Northern Diamonds Academy team played against other regional academies in friendly and festival matches across various formats. The academy selected players from across the North East region. Players in the 2024 Academy are listed below:^[31]

Name	County
Mary Butler	North East Warriors
Trudy Johnson	North East Warriors
Lucy Lindley	Yorkshire
Frances Lonsdale	Yorkshire
Olivia Miller	North East Warriors
Ellie Nightingale	Yorkshire
Amelia Oliver	Yorkshire
Elicia Pollard	Yorkshire
Lucy Randle-Bissell	Yorkshire
Harriet Robson	North East Warriors
Freya Rook	North East Warriors
Bethany Slater	Yorkshire
Erin Thomas	Yorkshire
Grace Thompson	North East Warriors
	Nottinghamshire
Emily Whiting	North East Warriors

Overseas players

• Leigh Kasperek – New Zealand (2022)
• Chloe Tryon – South Africa (2023)
• Erin Burns – Australia (2024)

Coaching staff

• Head Coach: Danielle Hazell
• Regional Director: James Carr
• Assistant Coach: Kyle Coetzer
• Cricket Operations Manager: Cecilia Allen
• Head Strength & Conditioning Coach: Isaac Leung
• Head Physio: Jo Knowles
• Head Academy Coach: Courtney Winfield-Hill
• Sports Psychologist: Phill Lee
• Sports Nutritionist: Sarah Chantler
• Team Analyst: Harrison Allen
• Performance Coach: Richard Waite

As of the 2024 season.^[32]

Seasons

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Season	Final standing	League standings^[33]									Notes
		P	W	L	T	NR	BP	Pts	NRR	Pos
2020		6	5	1	0	0	3	23	+1.000	1st	Lost to Southern Vipers in the final
2021		7	5	2	0	0	3	23	+1.182	2nd	Lost to Southern Vipers in the final
2022		7	6	0	0	1	2	28	+0.851	1st	Won against Southern Vipers in the final
2023		14	6	7	0	1	4	30	–0.034	6th	DNQ
2024		14	9	4	0	1	3	41	+0.097	1st	Lost to Sunrisers in the semi-finals

Charlotte Edwards Cup

Season	Final standing	League standings									Notes
		P	W	L	T	NR	BP	Pts	NRR	Pos
2021		6	4	2	0	0	1	17	+0.655	1st	Lost to South East Stars in the final
2022		6	3	3	0	0	2	14	–0.102	2nd	DNQ
2023		7	4	3	0	0	1	17	–0.129	4th	DNQ
2024		10	3	7	0	0	1	13	–0.067	6th	DNQ

Statistics

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - summary of results

Year	Played	Wins	Losses	Tied	NR	Win %
2020	7	5	2	0	0	71.43
2021	9	6	3	0	0	66.67
2022	8	7	0	0	1	87.50
2023	14	6	7	0	1	42.86
2024	15	9	5	0	1	60.00
Total	53	33	17	0	3	62.26

• Abandoned matches are counted as NR (no result)
• Win or loss by super over or boundary count are counted as tied.

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - teamwise result summary^[34]

Opposition	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win %
	9	5	4	0	0	55.55
	8	7	1	0	0	87.50
	6	4	1	0	1	66.67
	9	3	5	0	1	33.33
	7	4	3	0	0	57.14
	8	4	3	0	1	50.00
	6	6	0	0	0	100.00

Charlotte Edwards Cup

Charlotte Edwards Cup - summary of results

Year	Played	Wins	Losses	Tied	NR	Win %
2021	8	5	3	0	0	62.50
2022	6	3	3	0	0	50.00
2023	7	4	3	0	0	57.14
2024	10	3	7	0	0	30.00
Total	31	15	16	0	0	48.39

• Abandoned matches are counted as NR (no result)
• Win or loss by super over or boundary count are counted as tied.

Charlotte Edwards Cup - teamwise result summary

Opposition	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win %
	3	2	1	0	0	66.67
	7	3	4	0	0	42.86
	3	1	2	0	0	33.33
	5	1	4	0	0	20.00
	4	3	1	0	0	75.00
	5	2	3	0	0	40.00
	4	3	1	0	0	75.00

Records

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

• Highest team total: 334/6, v Western Storm on 11 September 2022.^{[35] [36] [37] [38] [39]}
• Lowest (completed) team total: 62 v The Blaze on 6 May 2023.^{[35] [36] [37] [38] [39]}
• Highest individual score: 131, Hollie Armitage v Western Storm on 11 September 2022.^{[40] [41] [42] [43] [44]}
• Best individual bowling analysis: 6/20, Phoebe Turner v North West Thunder on 1 September 2024.^{[45] [46] [47] [48] [49]}
• Most runs: 1,722 runs in 42 matches, Lauren Winfield-Hill.^{[50] [51] [52] [53] [54]}
• Most wickets: 79 wickets in 51 matches, Katie Levick.^{[55] [56] [57] [58] [59]}

Charlotte Edwards Cup

• Highest team total: 218/3, v Western Storm on 19 May 2023.^{[60] [61] [62] [63]}
• Lowest (completed) team total: 92 v North West Thunder on 18 May 2022.^{[60] [61] [62] [63]}
• Highest individual score: 98, Lauren Winfield-Hill v Western Storm on 19 May 2023.^{[64] [65] [66] [67]}
• Best individual bowling analysis: 5/15, Katie Levick v Southern Vipers on 21 May 2022.^{[68] [69] [70] [71]}
• Most runs: 831 runs in 31 matches, Hollie Armitage.^{[72] [73] [74] [75]}
• Most wickets: 51 wickets in 31 matches, Katie Levick.^{[76] [77] [78] [79]}

Honours

• Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy:
  • Champions (1) – 2022

See also

• Durham Women cricket team
  • North East Warriors Northumberland Women cricket team
• Yorkshire Women cricket team
• Yorkshire Diamonds

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Fixtures . England and Wales Cricket Board . 6 June 2021.
2. Web site: Women's Regional T20 2021 - Fixtures . England and Wales Cricket Board . 6 June 2021.
3. Web site: Northern Diamonds Team Preview . the Cricketer . 1 January 2021.
4. Web site: Northern Diamonds . Yorkshire CCC . 1 January 2021.
5. Web site: Emily Windsor, Tara Norris rally Vipers to title defence . ESPN Cricinfo . 26 September 2021.
6. Web site: Lauren Winfield-Hill, Linsey Smith to the fore as Northern Diamonds break duck in thrilling final . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
7. Web site: ECB launches new plan to transform women's and girls' cricket . England and Wales Cricket Board . 26 September 2021.
8. Web site: Northern Diamonds: 2022 team guide . the Cricketer . 12 May 2022.
9. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained . the Cricketer . 11 August 2020 . 26 September 2021.
10. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020/Table. ESPNCricinfo . 26 September 2021.
11. Web site: Charlotte Taylor spins Southern Vipers to victory on back of Georgia Adams' 80 . ESPN Cricinfo . 26 September 2021.
12. Web site: Forty-one female players sign full-time domestic contracts . England and Wales Cricket Board . 26 September 2021.
13. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2021/Table . ESPNCricinfo . 26 September 2021.
14. Web site: Lauren Winfield-Hill, Jenny Gunn ensure Diamonds edge out Vipers for final spot . ESPN Cricinfo . 26 September 2021.
15. Web site: Alice Capsey stars as South East Stars claim inaugural Charlotte Edwards Cup . ESPN Cricinfo . 26 September 2021.
16. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021/Table . ESPNCricinfo . 26 September 2021.
17. Web site: Northern Diamonds ease into final with win over Central Sparks . ESPN Cricinfo . 26 September 2021.
18. Web site: Emily Windsor, Tara Norris rally Vipers to title defence . ESPN Cricinfo . 26 September 2021.
19. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022/Table . ESPNcricinfo . 5 June 2022.
20. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022/Table . ESPNcricinfo . 27 September 2022.
21. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022/Most Runs . ESPNCricinfo. 27 September 2022.
22. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022/Most Wickets . ESPNCricinfo. 27 September 2022.
23. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2023/Tables . England and Wales Cricket Board . 27 September 2023.
24. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 . England and Wales Cricket Board . 27 September 2023.
25. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023/Most Runs . ESPNCricinfo. 27 September 2023.
26. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2024 - Points Table . ESPNcricinfo . 28 September 2024.
27. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2024 - Points Table . ESPNcricinfo . 28 September 2024.
28. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024/Most Wickets . ESPNCricinfo. 28 September 2024.
29. Web site: Eight Tier 1 Counties confirmed for 2025 and plans unveiled for four more women's professional domestic teams by 2029 . England and Wales Cricket Board . 17 April 2024 . 28 September 2024.
30. Web site: Teams: Northern Diamonds . Yorkshire County Cricket Club . 21 April 2023.
31. Web site: Diamonds Announce 2024 Academy and EPP Squads . Yorkshire County Cricket Club . 10 November 2023 . 10 November 2023.
32. Web site: Meet the Squad . Northern Diamonds . 27 September 2022.
33. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Tables . ESPN Cricinfo . 1 January 2021.
34. Web site: Northern Diamonds Match Results . ESPN Cricinfo . 1 January 2021.
35. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Northern Diamonds/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
36. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
37. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
38. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
39. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
40. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Northern Diamonds/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
41. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
42. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
43. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
44. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
45. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Northern Diamonds/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
46. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
47. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
48. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
49. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
50. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
51. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
52. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
53. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
54. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
55. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
56. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
57. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
58. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
59. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
60. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
61. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 June 2022.
62. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
63. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
64. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
65. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 June 2022.
66. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
67. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
68. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
69. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 June 2022.
70. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
71. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
72. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
73. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 June 2022.
74. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
75. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.
76. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
77. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 June 2022.
78. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
79. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Northern Diamonds/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 28 September 2024.