TAMMY Beaumont struck injury plagued Southern Vipers’ second highest individual Kia Super League score to hand her side a 16-run win over fellow strugglers Yorkshire Diamonds.

The England opener set up her team’s second win in 2018 with a fantastic 64, before Suzie Bates’ 4-26 helped bowl Diamonds out.

Katherine Brunt, who was deputising for food poisoning victim Lauren Winfield as Diamonds captain, won the toss and stuck Vipers into bat.

Beaumont and skipper Bates got the hosts off to a flying start reaching 64 off the powerplay, but with only two further runs added, Bates was run out.

Beaumont’s 28-ball fifty, the second of her Super League career, was brought up when she smashed Katie Levick over mid-off for six.

Amelia Kerr, having been elevated up the order in Dani Wyatt’s absence, was caught on the slog sweep playing her first shot in anger.

Beaumont then departed for 64, Vipers’ highest individual score of the season.

Having scored 105 in the opening 12 overs, Vipers only managed 52 from the last eight, with regular wickets and miserly bowling from Delissa Kimmince, Alice Davidson-Richards and Levick stunting the rocketing start.

Sara McGlashan was run out after a mix-up with Mignon Du Preez, the South African was then bowled off her pads, Maia Bouchier was stumped and Fi Morris was bowled as Vipers finished on 159-7.

In the chase, Bates elected to open the bowling with a pair of 17-year-olds, fast bowler Lauren Bell on her debut and Kerr – who had Beth Mooney caught behind off her first ball.

Bates kept the pressure on Diamonds when Chamari Athapaththu drilled the New Zealand medium pacer’s full toss straight to Bouchier.

Thea Brookes was flung up the order to bat at No.4 and upped the ante with 45 off 36 balls, including hitting Bates back over her head for six, before holing out to long off.

Davidson-Richards had held the innings together with 29, but Carla Rudd pulled off some quick glove-work to stump her.

Brunt blasted Charlie Dean for a six, but was stumped with three overs still to go, and then Kimmince was run out and Langston bowled by Morris.

With 21 needed from the last over, Bates held her nerve as she had Bess Heath and Levick caught and Gwenan Davies run out to bowl out Diamonds for 143 with a ball to spare.

The two sides are now level on six points at the bottom of the Super League.