Match Preview: Northern Diamonds v Southern Vipers, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Final

Northern Diamonds v Southern Vipers
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Final (50-over)
Sunday 25th September (10:30am Start)
Lord's, London

Southern Vipers meet Northern Diamonds yet again in the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, as the women's domestic 50-over tournament heads to the Home of Cricket for the first time.

The Diamonds came off the better of the two sides when they met in the group stage at Headingley this year, the northern side's first victory against the Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, thanks to a run-a-ball 125 from England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill.

Georgia Adams' side go in to the game full of confidence after a six-wicket win at Beckenham against South East Stars in the eliminator, as they look to win their third Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in as many years.

The previous final was a low-scoring thriller at Northampton, where the skipper took 4-35 before a gutsy 47* from Emily Windsor and 40* from Tara Norris saw the Vipers over the line with three wickets and just two balls to spare.

Southern Vipers Squad

Charlotte Edwards has named one change to the 13-player squad which completed a resounding victory in the eliminator against South East Stars.

Maia Bouchier will link up with the England ODI squad at Lord's, with Carla Rudd rejoining the squad after recovering from illness.

A decision will be confirmed as to whether players featuring in England's ODI squad will be permitted to feature in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final, with a provisional squad named.

UPDATE: Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, and Charlie Dean have been cleared by the ECB to play in the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and are subsequently added to the matchday squad.

Full Squad

Head-to-Head

Southern Vipers record in Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches v Northern Diamonds:

P: 4 W: 3, T: 0, L: 1

Recent meetings:

• September 17th 2022 | Headingley | Diamonds won by 4 wickets (42 balls remaining)
• September 25th 2021 | Northampton | Vipers won by 3 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)
• September 18th 2021 | The Ageas Bowl | Vipers won by 5 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)
• September 27th 2020 | Edgbaston | Vipers won by 38 runs

Tickets

Tickets for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Final start from £15 for adults and £5 for Under 16s, and can be purchased by clicking here.

Match Coverage

The match will be broadcast on the Sky Sports Cricket channel with live ball-by-ball radio commentary available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Both the Hampshire Cricket App and www.ageasbowl.com/cricket will also host a live match centre with scorecard, statistics and insight available throughout the match.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Lord's: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2638768.