Controversial Winfield run out sparks Diamonds collapse

Loughborough Lightning 128 for 9 (Devine 52) beat Yorkshire Diamonds 85 (Grundy 3-21)
Scorecard

Yorkshire Diamonds were struck down by Loughborough Lightning who beat them by 43 runs with 17 balls remaining at Headingley in the first match in the new Kia Super League.

In front of a crowd approaching 1,000, Lightning had to work hard for their 128 for 9 but it was easily defended after Diamonds' captain, Lauren Winfield was controversially run out for a rapid 23 from 13 balls with five fiercely struck boundaries.

It appeared that if she may have been impeded by the bowler, Ellyse Perry, when turning for a second run and she was unable to make her ground in time. Winfield spoke to the umpires but they were happy that she had been fairly dismissed.

"I felt I may have been obstructed by the bowler when going for a second run and I had a word with the umpires but it was just one of those things," Winfield said. "Perhaps if there had been the chance to see it again I may not have been given out but it was a situation which couldn't be changed."

Diamonds were 37 for 2 in only the fourth over when Winfield left the field but they were never able to regain their early momentum against tight bowling, Rebecca Grundy finishing with 3 for 21 from her four overs while Sophie Devine and Georgia Elwiss had two apiece.

The experienced Katherine Brunt managed 16 before being fifth out, bowled by Elwiss, and Danielle Hazell hit a couple of boundaries in her 15 but her dismissal off Devine brought the game to an early conclusion.

Four of the wickets fell to lbw decisions and there were two stumpings late in the innings for Amy Jones.

Winning the toss, Lightning chose to bat first on a green tinged pitch and captain Elwiss got her side off to a perfect start by delicately cutting Shabnim Ishmail's first ball for four.

But Brunt's first delivery from the Kirkstall Lane end brought her a wicket as she found the edge of Dane van Nierkerk's bat and Hollie Armitage held a splendid catch at slip, Brunt going on to complete a wicket maiden.

Devine helped Elwiss take the score to 29 in the seventh over before Elwiss took a step down the pitch to the spin of Hazell and was smartly stumped by Beth Mooney but Perry responded positively in the same over by on-driving the first six of the match.

Devine hit a big six over midwicket off Katie Levick and Lightning were well placed at 66 for 2 with half their overs gone. Perry then produced one of the shots of the day with a glorious straight drive off Ishmail.

It was Devine, however, who was playing the major innings and she reached her 50 off 35 balls with five fours and two sixes but the 55 stand for the third wicket ended at 85 with the running out of Perry for 17 from 20 balls with two fours.

Without addition, Amy Jones was lbw to Hazell and Gunn took a hard return catch to send back Sonia Odredra before Levick captured the important wicket of Devine who was well caught by Gunn running in from long on for 52.

Lightning's progress was slowed down by Jenny Gunn who was hard to combat and she well deserved figures of 2 for 20 from her four overs.

Thea Brookes was run out as Lightning dipped to 96 for 7, five wickets going down in three overs for 11 runs, but in the end they had sufficient runs on the board to complete an easy win.

New Zealand's vice-captain, Devine, said: "I was really nervous after a winter in New Zealand and a bit scratchy at the start but it was nice to be able to get some runs on the board.

"I thought we may have been 15-20 runs short of the score we needed and Yorkshire came out really hard at us and the run out probably helped us. It was a great team win and our bowling performance was very good. Our fielders did well on the big outfield and we took a couple of great catches."

Winfield said: "It was very disappointing to lose because I thought we did a lot right and we were in a good place at half time. I was not too unhappy with their total and we got a decent start but fell away in the middle. It is important that we learn from today's performance. We probably hit the self-destruct button after losing a few early wickets."