JAMES CARR is expecting a wide open summer of regional women’s cricket following the release of the Northern Diamonds fixtures.

The dates for both an expanded 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Regional Twenty20 competition have been released by the ECB.

Last summer, Carr, the director of women’s cricket for Yorkshire and the North East, oversaw the Diamonds run to the final of the shortened 50-over Trophy. He is confident of going one step further and claiming silverware.

“There will be expectation on us because of how things went,” he said.

“But I also think anyone can still win the competitions because everything is so embryonic in terms of the set-up.

“If you have a bad couple of games, which anyone can have, it puts you under pressure.

“I’m not saying that’s what will happen to us, but what I am saying is, ‘Don’t be surprised if the North West Thunder come good or Sunrisers come good on the back of a full winter to train’.

“But I’m very hopeful we will do well."

Northern Diamonds' Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures:

May 29: Central Sparks (Headingley)

May 31: Lightning (A, Venue TBC)

June 5: Sunrisers (A, TBC)

June 12: South East Stars (Headingley)

September 10: Western Storm (Riverside)

September 12: North West Thunder (Riverside)

September 18: Southern Vipers (A, TBC)

September 22: 2nd vs 3rd play-off (TBC)

September 25: Final (TBC)

Northern Diamonds' Women's Regional T20 fixtures:

June 26: North West Thunder (Headingley)

July 2: Sunrisers (Chelmsford)

July 10: Western Storm (Taunton)

August 25: Sunrisers (H, TBC)

August 28: Western Storm (Riverside)

August 30: North West Thunder (A, TBC)

September 5: Finals Day (TBC)