Northern Diamonds 135 for 6 (Winfield-Hill 65) beat Southern Vipers 117 (Gunn 4-26) by 18 runs
Northern Diamonds gained revenge for their 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final defeat by beating Southern Vipers to reach the Charlotte Edwards Cup final. England international Lauren Winfield-Hill's 65 laid the foundation for a competitive total of 135 before veteran seamer Jenny Gunn's 4 for 26 capped a magnificent all-round bowling display.
Vipers, who were without key batters Danni Wyatt, Maia Bouchier and Charlie Dean due to international call-ups, fell 18 runs short - leaving them unable to win the trophy bearing their head coach's name. Diamonds will next face South East Stars in the final at the Ageas Bowl.
After Diamonds had won the toss, opening batter Leah Dobson and mid-off Ella McCaughan engaged in an early battle. McCaughan first spilt a catch before running out Dobson an over later. Bess Heath had her middle stump knocked back by Lauren Bell, as Diamonds recorded their lowest Powerplay score of the tournament - 30 for 2 -but Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage provided the backbone of a competitive total with a 59-run stand.
Runs never came by the bucketload on a hybrid pitch but they ticked along at six an over - with both batters' strike rates teetering around 100. Armitage fell for a season-high 25 when she chipped to mid-off, before Sterre Kalis was bowled attempting a ramp.
Winfield-Hill reached a 41-ball half-century with a ramped four and exploded with a six and a four before Georgia Adams bounced back to bowl her. Veteran Gunn led a late flurry of runs with two sixes, and although Linsey Smith departed in the last over, Diamonds reached a strong score.
In response, Vipers lost both openers in the Powerplay, with McCaughan stumped after hitting the ball into her foot and failing to get back and Adams clothing a pull to short midwicket. Paige Scholfield hammered Alex MacDonald down the ground but was undone by a perfect leg cutter next ball and Georgia Elwiss top-edged to deep midwicket.
A spell of 43 barren balls without a boundary meant running between the wickets needed to be exemplary, something Emily Windsor led. Windsor had been dropped on 3 but made the most of her life with an energetic 32 - although her team-mates were largely unable to assist with the run-scoring as the required rate skyrocketed.
Tara Norris holed out to wide long-on before Gunn had Alice Monaghan lbw and Bell bowled in successive balls; Windsor was then caught and bowled by Smith and Ella Chander was run out. Carla Rudd whacked the last delivery straight to deep midwicket as Vipers were bowled out for 117.
