Yorkshire diamonds - australian star healy can lift the new-look diamonds

Danni Hazell says her Yorkshire Diamonds are relishing the challenge of being thrown in at the deep end with tonight’s opening encounter with Kia Women’s Super League champions Surrey Stars.

New coach Hazell and her players will host Nat Sciver and the Stars in a televised floodlit fixture at Emerald Headingley, starting at 7pm. The Diamonds are chasing their maiden Finals Day

appearance in the fourth and final edition of the KSL and believe they have every chance of success, given some notable personnel changes, highlighted by the signing of Australian star

Alyssa Healy. The experienced wicketkeeper is set to open alongside captain Lauren Winfield, a recent Ashes opponent. Healy has been joined by teenage India batting star Jemimah Rodrigues

and Edinburgh-born New Zealand all-rounder Leigh Kasperek, who has been playing regular county cricket for Yorkshire for the past two seasons. Kasperek is a late replacement for South

African Chloe Tryon, who requires surgery on a knee problem. “Surrey were the champions last year, and you might as well test yourself against the best first up,” said Hazell. “We’re looking

forward to getting underway.” Last season, whilst captaining Lancashire, Hazell suffered disappointment at the hands of Surrey, with them denying the Thunder a place at Finals Day during a

hectic final day of games. They then went on to win the competition. “Being involved with Lancashire, we thought we’d done enough to get ourselves through to Finals Day,” she reflected.

“Surrey snuck in the back door and did a great job of going on to win it. But it’s a new year with plenty of new players. We’ll see what they’ve got. It should be fun.” Katherine Brunt’s

availability remains up in the air after playing a full part in the recent Ashes defeat. England’s star all-rounder is managing a long-standing back injury. “We’re hopeful of having

Katherine as much as we can,” said Hazell, who knows more responsibility will fall on the likes of Alice Davidson-Richards and new signing Katie George should Brunt’s availability be

stymied. “We’ll just have to see how it goes. Those girls will get their opportunities to stand up. As much as we’d love to have Katherine around for the whole competition, we might not see

her as much as that. So the other girls have to take responsibility and step up to the plate.” Whilst Brunt will be frustrated at the way the recent Ashes panned out, with the Australians

retaining the trophy with a crushing 12-4 success, Healy will be riding the crest of a wave. Across the series, she scored 266 runs with three half-centuries in seven matches and claimed

nine dismissalss. Surrey have retained South African overseas trio Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp and Lizelle Lee.