Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy roundup: Beth Langston stars in low-scoring round

The Cricketer reviews the best of the action from the latest round of the 50-over competition in 2024

York: Sunrisers 109, Northern Diamonds 111-6 - Northern Diamonds win by four wickets

Six-time England fast bowler Beth Langston made a dream return from her injury nightmare with a stunning 6 for 24 as Northern Diamonds continued their march towards the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy semi-finals with an enthralling four-wicket win over Sunrisers at York.

Langston had – prior to this fixture – only played once for the Diamonds since the end of July 2022 and hadn't take a 50-over wicket since the previous September following a ruptured ACL and resulting complications.

However, she returned at Clifton Park to put the skids under the Sunrisers, who were bowled out for 109 inside 31 overs to pave the way for a home victory which saw Diamonds slip to 32 for 4 chasing. Australian overseas Erin Burns sealed the win with an unbeaten 35.

Diamonds leapfrogged their fellow contenders into second place in the table with a seventh win in nine to all but seal a semi-final place with five games still to play.

Sunrisers lost their third game in nine but remain handily placed inside the top four.

^{The Blaze won the highest-scoring contest of the round (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)}

Worcester: Central Sparks 144, Thunder 147-2 - Thunder win by eight wickets

Thunder kept alive their slender hopes of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy qualification with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Central Sparks at Worcester.

The win was set up by the excellent bowling of left-armers Tara Norris (4 for 18) and Sophie Morris (3 for 31) as Sparks were bowled out for 144 in 42.4 overs. Only captain Eve Jones (38 from 62 balls) threatened to play a match-shaping innings for the home side in an error-strewn team batting display.

Thunder then cruised to 147 for 2 with a whopping 21 overs to spare as third-wicket pair Emma Lamb (71 not out) and Katie Mack (52 not out) added an unbroken 122 from 134 balls.

Falkland: South East Stars 120, Southern Vipers 121-3 - Southern Vipers win by seven wickets

Freya Davies' impeccable four-for set up Southern Vipers' no-nonsense seven-wicket bonus point victory over South East Stars to cement their place at the top of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy table.

Former Stars fast bowler Davies hadn't taken four in an innings since taking 4 for 23 in a T20I for England against New Zealand in March 2021, and her previously sized haul in 50-over cricket was a six-fer for Sussex Women in 2018.

But she extracted great pace to take 4 for 14 at Falkland Cricket Club, to restrict Stars to 120 – with hometown hero Ava Lee and Charli Knott both grabbing two wickets a piece.

Knott – on her penultimate appearance – then made sure the chase was straightforward with a classy 57, as holders Vipers avenged their Charlotte Edwards Cup semi-final defeat to Stars in style.

^{Charli Knott starred in her penultimate appearance for Vipers (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)}

Cheltenham: Western Storm 217, The Blaze 220-5 - The Blaze win by five wickets

Lucy Higham and Ella Claridge staged a superb unbroken match-winning partnership of 105 in 22.3 overs to guide The Blaze to a five-wicket success over Western Storm in a hard-fought Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy contest at Cheltenham.

Pursuing a modest victory target of 218, the visitors made a great start to their chase, courtesy of a hard-hitting 61 in 54 balls from opener Sarah Bryce. But the outcome was in doubt when The Blaze slipped to 115 for 5, and they were ultimately indebted to their sixth wicket pair, Higham and Claridge raising unbeaten knocks of 62 and 43 respectively to seal the win with 7.3 overs remaining.

Fran Wilson had earlier top-scored with 67 and added 62 for the third wicket with Sophie Luff after Storm had been inserted on a flat pitch. But Luff's dismissal, run out by Kathryn Bryce for 31, sparked a collapse in which the home side went from 133 for 2 to 217 all out in 16.2 overs, their last eight wickets realising just 84 runs. Kathryn Bryce finished with 4 for 20 from 8.5 overs as Storm were dismissed inside 47 overs.

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