NOR (Northern Diamonds) vs LIG (The Blaze) Match Prediction

NOR

44%

Chance of Winning

LIG

56%

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May 06, 202312:30 PM

Great Britain

Seat Unique Riverside

After three rounds of matches, defending champions Northern Diamonds are not exactly where they want to be. They started the tournament with a resounding 105-run win over Western Storm and looked confident to continue their undefeated streak of 11 matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. However, the streak came to an end in the next match when they lost by a big margin of seven wickets to Central Sparks. They bounced with a five-wicket over fifth-placed Sunrisers but are in third with nine points from three matches.

They will face table toppers The Blaze, who started off the campaign with an impressive 59-run win over Central Sparks and maintained that good form by going past Sunrisers by three wickets in their second match. Fortunately, for them they gained crucial points from an abandoned game against Thunder which took them to 12 points after three matches. They will be aiming to keep their playoffs chances strong when they face Northern Diamonds on May 6, 2023 at 10.30 AM BST at the Seat Unique Riverside in Chester-le-Street.

Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Chance of Winning

Northern Diamonds have an excellent bowling lineup which has the ability to dispatch their opponents for lowly totals while also stepping up their game to defend low totals. Last year, they restricted Lightning to 199 all out and then managed to get over the line with just one wicket hand and two balls remaining. They might’ve faltered in their second game which feels like a blip looking at their five-wicket against Sunrisers. They are well aware of the conditions in Chester-le-Street.

The Blaze’s chance of winning - 56%

ND’s chance of winning - 44%

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Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Betting Tips

Expect a big innings from Tammy Beaumont

Tammy Beaumont has been in excellent form in this season having missed out last season after just two games, but she has been the anchor for The Blaze at the top. Twice she lost her opening partner Sarah Bryce for a duck but held everything together until the middle of the innings and scored two half centuries. The England batter is hungry for runs and looking to re-establish her place in the national team where there is heavy competition.

Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Match Toss Prediction

The last three Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches and the last two women’s ODI matches played at the Seat Unique Riverside in Chester-le-Street have been won by teams batting first. It is a better option to set a target if you win the toss and try to bowl thrifty spells in the powerplay. Given that the rains have been incessant in the region, batting first in a readjusted match will be key.

Weather Report

If the weather forecast is to be deemed 100% reliable, the match in Chester-le-Street might be heavily affected by rain. Curtailed match means there is a lot more excitement for the audiences and more improvisation to do for the players. A wash-out is more advantageous to The Blaze as they are currently two points clear off South East Stars who have a loss against their name.

Northern Diamonds Player List

Hollie Armitage, Leah Dobson, Rebecca Duckworth, Abi Glen, Yvonne Graves, Grace Hall, Bess Heath, Sterre Kalis, Beth Langston, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Lizzie Scott, Rachel Slater, Phoebe Turner, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Jessica Woolston

Predicted Playing XI

Northern Diamonds Team Form

Diamonds were the best team in last year’s edition with seven wins from eight matches, including the final. It seemed as if they were going to continue that form in this season when they dispatched Western Storm by 105 runs in the first match. But their middle order failed terribly in the second match against Central Sparks as they went from 121/4 to 161 all out.They bounced back effectively with a five-wicket win over Sunrisers, but they also wickets at regular intervals in chase of 158.

The Blaze Player List

Kathryn Bryce, Grace Ballinger, Tammy Beaumont, Georgie Boyce, Sarah Bryce, Ella Claridge, Nadine de Klerk, Sarah Glenn, Kirstie Gordon, Teresa Graves, Josie Groves, Beth Harmer, Lucy Higham, Marie Kelly, Michaela Kirk, Cassidy McCarthy, Sophie Munro, Nat Sciver-Brunt

Predicted Playing XI

The Blaze Team Form

As Lightning until last season, The Blaze have put in middling or poor performances across three seasons of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. They had a lackluster 2022 as they finished sixth in the eight-team table with two wins and four defeats and one No Result. This year they have shown that they are desperate to buck the previous trend under their new name by beating Central Sparks by 59 runs in the season opener followed by a three-wicket win over Sunrisers. They will be raring to go out on the pitch against Diamonds after their previous match against Thunder was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Head-To-Head

Northern Diamonds faced Lightning, The Blaze’s previous name, twice in the two seasons

Last season, Diamonds got away with a one-wicket win with just two balls remaining in a low-scoring thriller. In the 2021 edition, it was another low-scoring thriller where Diamonds managed to defend a score of 151 and dispatched Lightning for 145. In the inaugural edition in 2020, they were grouped together and Diamonds came out winners on both occasions. Diamonds edged past Lightning by nine runs and then by two wickets in the second clash.

Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Betting Odds

Diamonds have two of the most crafty batters in the tournaments. At the top, they have Lauren Winfield-Hill whose half centuries have been vital to their two wins on either side of a defeat. Then there is 21-year old Bess Heath who can stem the tide in case of a collapse and also accelerate when there is a good foundation. Her presence in the middle order has kept Diamonds from falling apart. The home team’s fortunes will depend on how Winfield-Hill and Heath execute their respective plans.

Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Best Batters

Bess Heath to be Diamonds’ best batter

The young keeper-batter has been key in the lower middle order as she is evolving into a reliable finisher for the Diamonds. While Lauren Winfield-Hill is raking numbers at the top, Heath has calmly made sure that the starts are not wasted. Her scores of 71 off 38 balls against Western Storm and 32 not out off 25 balls against Sunrisers ensured Diamonds were on their way to wins.

Tammy Beaumont to be The Blaze’s best batter

Experienced opener Tammy Beaumond wasn’t available for the majority of the tournament last season as she played just two games. This year, however, she has been pivotal to The Blaze’s starts as she stabilized the innings despite two rough starts against Sunrisers and Central Sparks. Her opening partner Sarah Bryce was out for a duck twice but Beaumont’s two half centuries made sure The Blaze didn't suffer big collapses.

Northern Diamonds vs The Blaze Best Bowlers

Katie Levick to be Diamonds’ best bowler

After finishing joint-second in wicket takers’ list last season with 12 scalps to her name, Katie Levick picked up where she left off. The 31-year old claimed seven wickets from three games with bowling figures of 4-36, 0-21 and 3-23. The game where she went wicketless resulted in a massive defeat for Diamonds which underlines the legspinner’s importance as their strike bowler.

Sarah Glenn to be The Blaze’s best bowler

Even though Lucy Higham starred with a fifer in the first match win, it was Sarah Glenn’s allround performance that set up the victory against Western Storm. She followed up her economical 1-28 from nine overs in that match with a superb 4-22 from 10 overs in the win against Sunrisers.

Our Prediction

Favorites to win: The Blaze

Northern Diamonds have resilience in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 by bouncing back from a demoralizing defeat with an equally resounding victory against Sunrisers and kept their head-to-head record intact. They have never lost to the The Blaze’s previous incarnation Lightning since the inaugural 2020 season. They have an excellent bowling contingent who can defend low totals with their knack of chipping away wickets at regular intervals. Blaze have a problem of capitulating at the top and Diamonds’ bowling prowess might just prevent them from rebuilding in the middle overs like they did in their last two matches.

ND to win @1.96 (Parimatch)

The Blaze to win @ 1.78 (Parimatch)

Shankar Shekh

Sportscafe's author

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