Chase master Charlie Dean hit an unbeaten 64 from just 38 balls as the Vipers win three in a row and qualify for the semi-finals of the Charlotte Edwards Cup with two games to spare.

Georgia Elwiss finished on 27 not out alongside Dean’s fifty as the Vipers completed the chase with seven balls remaining and five wickets in hand.

Dani Wyatt made 28 in her first CEC appearance this season as the Vipers made the tricky chase look comfortable in the end, despite being 36 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.

The victory means that the Vipers secure a place at Finals Day as fifth place Thunder mathematically can’t overtake the current title holders.

Lauren Bell started proceedings as she took the new ball and was quickly into her work as she castled Emma Marlow on the final ball of the opening over.

The early wicket had stemmed the flow of runs for the Diamonds who ended the powerplay on 32 for 1 with Sterre Kalis and Hollie Armitage rebuilding the innings. The pair then brought up their 50 partnership at the eight over mark.

Eventually the partnership was broken by the introduction of skipper Georgia Adams as she took a simple return catch off her own bowling in the 11^th over to dismiss the well set Sterre Kalis.

As the Vipers looked to make further inroads, Lauren Bell was brought back for her second spell and once again provided the breakthrough when a scoop from Erin Burns was excellently caught down the legside by Rhianna Southby.

Charli Knott then closed out the innings with the wicket of Bess Heath in the final over as the Northern Diamonds finished on 145 for 4.

Facing up first in the run chase was Maia Bouchier who was bowled without scoring whilst trying to hit Rachel Slater through the legside.

Following a couple of boundaries from Charli Knott, Slater struck once again as an excellent delivery from the left armer knocked back the off stump of the Vipers number three to reduce the home side to 16 for 2.

Georgia Adams came out to the middle and found the gap at cow corner to collect an early boundary but a repeat of the same shot three balls later was caught by Emma Marlow.

It went from bad to worse for the Vipers with Freya Kemp trying to clear the inner ring but was caught at mid-on by Kalis as Australian spinner Burns claimed her second wicket.

Finishing the powerplay on 36 for 4 meant that it was Charlie Dean and the returning Danni Wyatt who had to lead the rebuild as the Vipers still needed 83 runs to reach the target midway through the innings.

In attempt to increase the scoring rate, Wyatt was out caught at cover following a cut off the bowling of Hollie Armitage in the 11^th over.

The home side were well behind the rate before Dean stepped up by hitting 18 runs including three consecutive boundaries in the 16^th over and reached her fifty just balls later. The Vipers then comfortably reached the target and secured qualification for the semi-finals.