Bethan Gammon digs in to help The Blaze secure season's first win

Wales international Bethan Gammon's 39 from No. 7 helped last year's finalists The Blaze win their first Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match of the season at the fourth attempt as they chased 189 to beat Northern Diamonds by two wickets with two balls remaining at Scarborough.

Blaze were boosted by a number of valuable contributions in this thriller, including captain Kirstie Gordon, who claimed two wickets, two catches and added 19 opening the batting.

But Gammon's 52-ball effort was the most important in only her second appearance for the region where she is also the Pathway Talent Manager and has been called upon partly due to injury and unavailability.

Despite failing to reach 200, Diamonds would still have been confident at halfway given the Blaze had been bowled out for 135, 126 and 87 in losing their first three matches of 2024. But Scarborough native Leah Dobson's recovering 54 from 82 for 5 wasn't enough for the hosts.

No doubt The Blaze had the better of the batting conditions, despite the pitch being used. Morning mist was replaced by afternoon sunshine. Having said that, they played the much better cricket throughout, with Gammon and Ella Claridge - 26 not out - sharing 61 from 105 for 6.

Halifax-born Blaze all-rounder Teresa Graves also had a good day back in her birth county. Having struck once with her seamers, she opened the batting and hit 33. Diamonds have now won two and lost two of their first four games.

Diamonds elected to bat first, looking down at the pitch rather than up at the sky. But they stumbled badly from 32 without loss, losing four for 22, including star duo Lauren Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage for single-figure scores.

Left-arm spinner Gordon had a hand in three of the first four wickets. She caught Winfield-Hill running back from mid-off as new-ball seamer Grace Ballinger struck before bowling Armitage with a beauty that pitched on middle and leg and clipped off-stump. She then had Emma Marlow stumped for 29.

Dobson curbed her natural attacking instincts during her 85-ball innings to drag the Diamonds up to a defendable target. This was her second regional fifty. She shared 62 for the eighth wicket with in-form allrounder Abi Glen, whose 38 off 31 balls recovered things from 120 for 7 after 36 overs.

Six of the seven bowlers employed by skipper Gordon struck on a pitch showing signs of uneven bounce and turn.

Seamer Sophie Munro was excellent with 3 for 28 from 8.4 overs - the pick of the figures, while off-spinner Lucy Higham claimed two wickets.

Munro bowled Erin Burns, Glen and Jess Woolston, the latter two as part of a late Diamonds collapse of their last three wickets to fall for only 11 runs.

Graves and Gordon shared 43 inside 11 overs for the first Blaze wicket to provide a solid foundation for the chase.

Spin was always likely to be the biggest weapon for the Diamonds, and the fabulous Katie Levick with 1 for 13 from 10 overs of leg-spin and the wily off-spin of Burns with 3 for 40 gave them hope.

Levick made the breakthrough with her second ball when he she had Gordon caught behind down leg before Burns bowled Gordon and had Daisy Mullan caught and bowled off the leading edge as the score fell to 74 for 3 in the 22nd over.

And when Phoebe Turner had Marie Kelly caught behind for 20 with 98 on the board, the nerves were jangling for Blaze.

Those heightened further when Munro was run out and Nadine de Klerk was caught at short fine-leg off Woolston.

But Gammon and Claridge calmly picked off the runs. When Gammon, aged 23, fell caught at cover off Sophia Turner's seam at 166 for 7 in the 47th over, the hard work had seemingly been done.

But Burns struck again, and the target became five off the last over from Sophia Turner with two wickets left. Higham hit the winning run.