Guha flogs Diamonds

Isa Guha was in fine form with both bat and ball during Rubies' narrow win

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The weather played havoc with the weekend's Super 4s fixtures as the rain forced the two 50-over games to be reduced to Twenty20 matches - only one of which was completed.

Plans for Rubies v Diamonds and Emeralds v Sapphires to start at the same time were scuppered due to the incessant rain forcing organisers to alter the schedule after one pitch was deemed unfit for play.

It was decided to play two Twenty20 games on the same pitch, although only one game - Rubies narrowly edged out Diamonds - was played to a finish.

After being inserted, Rubies struggled on a wet wicket and were soon two wickets down with just three runs on the board.

However, with Caroline Atkins to the rescue - she was the only one of the top six to score more than six runs - the batting side edged towards a modest total.

All-rounder Isa Guha's quickfire 31, which came from just 29 balls, ensured Rubies would have something to bowl at. Their 52-run partnership, out of 97 for six, would prove crucial.

For Diamonds, young spinner Georgia Elwiss again impressed with the ball, taking 2-13 from four overs, while Lynsey Askew was a model of accuracy.

Guha was the chief tormentor as Diamonds made an awful start to their chase. She took 2-4 from four overs as the batting side slipped to 19 for three.

Rosalie Birch, with 30, staged a recovery and with captain Beth Morgan must have felt victory was in sight when they reached 64 for four. But disaster struck.

Once Birch perished, bowled by Gill Richards, Diamonds collapsed in stunning fashion to 65 for eight, Amanda Potgieter chipping in with two wickets.

Morgan found a useful ally in Izzy Westbury but the skipper would eventually run out of partners in the last over, agonisingly just seven runs short of the Rubies total.

The second match was abandoned after just 15 overs with Emeralds on 93 for four thanks to useful knocks from Nicky Shaw, Sarah Taylor and Jenny Gunn. For Sapphires, Katie Cross took two wickets.

Click here (58 KB) to see this season's Super 4s scorecards.

Click here (44 KB) to see forthcoming Super 4s fixtures.