Northern Diamonds 124ao, South East Stars 127/4
A remarkable spell of bowling from teenager Tilly Corteen-Coleman propelled South East Stars to a six-wicket win over the winless Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Having elected to bat first, the Diamonds, who were 88-0 at one point, collapsed to 124 all out at the Seat Unique Riverside despite a well made 55 from opener Leah Dobson.
After the opening pair departed it was the Corteen-Coleman show, with the 16-year-old picking up career best figures of five for 19 including four consecutive wickets, setting a platform for the Stars to grab their third win of the competition, with Briony Smith getting her side home with an unbeaten 60.
Corteen-Coleman, who turns 17 in August, was only called up to the Stars’ senior squad in April and paid back the faith her coaches have shown in her here.
The teenager produced a magical spell of bowling, one which all bowlers would even dream of, and picked up the key wickets of Sterre Kalis and Erin Burns.
The Diamonds won the toss and opted to bat first, with the hosts getting off to a good start as Lauren Winfield-Hill cut the first ball of the innings for four.
Dobson then started taking the game to the Stars, with the opener hitting three fours from a Ryana MacDonald-Gay over.
Dobson continued to find the boundaries, with a lovely cover drive for four off the bowling of Kalea Moore.
The pair reached their 50 partnership inside the powerplay with Dobson the aggressor and Winfield-Hill playing the anchor role.
Dobson then reached her 50 with a four, with the half-century coming from 42 balls and including eight fours.
However, just four balls later her opening partner Winfield-Hill was out, with the impressive Dani Gregory bowling her for 30.
The wickets came like buses for the Stars with England all-rounder Sophia Dunkley claiming the key scalp of Dobson for 55.
Then Diamonds skipper Hollie Armitage and Burns fell to continue the Diamonds’ collapse.
Diamonds wickets kept on falling, with Bess Heath pulling a Tash Farrant ball into the safe hands of Dunkley for nine.
Sterre Kalis then departed for nine, before Emma Marlow was bowled by Farrant for four.
Then a remarkable over from Corteen-Coleman saw her pick off the Diamonds tail by getting wickets in the first three balls of the final over, which saw her get wickets from four consecutive balls, having removed Kalis in the final ball of her last over.
A collapse for the Diamonds left them 124 all out, losing all 10 wickets for 36 runs.
The Stars started nicely in their chase with Dunkley smashing a Katie Levick ball for six in the third over.
A bad day got worse for the Diamonds when Smith was dropped in the deep, then Dunkley was dropped a few minutes later, adding to the home side’s woe in Chester-le-Street.
The Diamonds made their first breakthrough moments later with Rachel Slater removing Dunkley for 25.
Despite the wicket, the Diamonds continued to toil and their fielding was poor with many more dropped catches aiding the Stars’ chase.
They did get a second wicket when Phoebe Franklin departed for 14 after Levick struck, with Armitage then getting Paige Scholfield for five and Tash Farrant for 16.
Stars skipper Smith then anchored the chase and finished unbeaten on 60 as her side won with four overs to spare.