Western Storm v Northern Diamonds – Leah Dobson makes the most of her opening opportunity

Dobson’s second game for the Diamonds yielded a measured innings in pursuit of 117 at Chelmsford to help her side recover from an opening round Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 defeat against the Thunder the previous weekend.

A 20-year-old from Scarborough, she once scored 161 off only 81 balls playing for Yorkshire Under-17s.

Dobson’s 44 came as she shared an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 87 with England legend Sarah Taylor, an experience which will have done wonders for her development.

Captain Armitage said: “Leah’s definitely one to watch out for because she strikes the ball so cleanly.

“That is the main thing which stands out for me - that she’s a really clean striker of the ball and hits it hard.

“Not lots of people can find the boundary consistently, which is what she can do.

“On top of that, she’s a magnificent fielder.

“She’s always going to be someone on the boundary wazzing the ball into the keeper and keeping batters on their toes. That’s great to have.

“The other day just proved she’s so deserving of that opening spot, which is fantastic for her and for us.”

All four teams in Group B have won one and lost one, making today’s clash with Western Storm at Taunton a key fixture, especially given it is the last one before the mid-season break for the Hundred.