Southern Vipers’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy defence began at Edgbaston Foundation ground, where the rain was the constant enemy of both sides.
Fortunately, enough overs were played for a result, and it was the Vipers who claimed the four points, thanks to Danni Wyatt’s quickfire 36*.
Needing 70 off 10 overs thanks to the DLS method, Wyatt launched an attack on the Sparks bowlers, smashing four fours and a six before Georgia Elwiss finished things off with a maximum off her first ball in the final over.
At Hove against South East Stars, several players stood out in what was arguably the Vipers’ best win of the RHFT season.
Georgia Elwiss and Emily Windsor put on a partnership worth 160 as they took the score from 74-4 to 234-5 when the latter was dismissed just ten runs shy of a maiden century having clattered 13 deliveries to the boundary rope.
Elwiss though kept batting, and finished on a run-a-ball 115 with nine fours and a whipped six off her legs.
With the fall of Windsor came Freya Kemp, who blitzed her way to 40 off just 23 balls, with five fours and a six as the Vipers went past the 300 mark.
Former Vipers all-rounder Paige Scholfield then starred with the ball as she took 3-29, including two in two to round of the innings, as the Stars were bowled out for 173.
A trip to Derby was next up for the Vipers, and Georgia Adams and Ella McCaughan got stuck in to the Lightning bowling attack.
The opening pair put on 153 before the first wicket fell, as McCaughan hit her highest score of 72 for the Vipers which included 10 fours.
Adams continued at the crease and racked up 82 before she was dismissed, also with ten boundaries to her name.
Emily Windsor was once again in the runs, finishing on 47* off just 49 balls, before it was the bowlers’ turn to get stuck in.
Charlotte Taylor was quick into the action as she took 3-31, before Tara Norris finished off the innings with 3-35.
In the final match of July, it was the middle-lower order who impressed, as a rare top order collapse put the Vipers under early pressure.
Paige Scholfield and Chloe Hill, playing just her second game for the team, rescued the Vipers from 38-5 to 143-6, as Scholfield smacked 12 boundaries, including a six, whilst Hill recorded her maiden half-century for the team.
Both players hit career-bests for the Vipers as Sunrisers were set 234 to win their first ever match.
However, it was Charlie Dean who put a stop to their search for victory, as her 3-31 took out the Sunrisers’ top order, as she dismissed opener Grace Scrivens for 15, Naomi Dattani for 34, and Mady Villiers for nine, and the Vipers went on to win by just 11 runs.
After a month-long hiatus with The Hundred, the Vipers were back into action at The Ageas Bowl against Thunder, after their match against Western Storm was cancelled after the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Tara Norris starred with the ball, as she took the first three wickets to fall as she bowled Seren Smale first ball, trapped Laura Marshall lbw for eight, and then had West Indies legend Deandra Dottin edging behind to Carla Rudd for five.
A target of 204 was set for the Vipers, and it was Emily Windsor who continued her stellar summer who top scored with 59 – her second fifty of the season.
Paige Scholfield (31) and Chloe Hill (43*) provided the support, with the latter putting on 89 runs for the sixth wicket with Windsor, before Norris cut Emma Lamb for four to secure victory.
Then it was a trip to Headingley, where the Vipers faces their arch-rivals, Northern Diamonds.
Georgia Elwiss, batting at three, stood tall and scored her second half-century of the year, as her 61 helped the Vipers to a modest total of 226.
Emily Windsor meanwhile was in the runs once more, finishing on 49* after she hit the final ball for a boundary, with Georgia Adams’ 33 proving helpful in the middle order.
However, despite wickets from Adams and debutant Finty Trussler, Lauren Winfield-Hill’s unbeaten 125 sent the Vipers into the eliminator against South East Stars, rather than the bus straight to Lord’s.
Another excellent performance with the ball from Tara Norris (3-29), alongside contributions from Finty Trussler (2-12) and Mary Taylor (2-22) on debut, meant that the Vipers only had to chase down 140 for a place in their third Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final.
Ella McCaughan and Maia Bouchier saw the Vipers to within 50 runs of the target, before the latter fell for 51 having took the attack to the Stars bowlers.
McCaughan meanwhile carefully compiled her runs, before she was dismissed just three runs shy of a half-century of her own.
Windsor then came in to bat with just one run required for victory, and drove Dani Gregory for four to seal a spot in the final.
At Lord’s, it was the captain who led the way with the ball, as she took 3-34 in seven overs to help restrict the Diamonds to a gettable 215-9, as Paige Scholfield took two wickets in two balls, and Charlotte Taylor picked up 2-37.
After a slow start in their reply, the Vipers tried to up the pace.
Maia Bouchier accumulated 48 before she was caught by Linsey Smith, but it was the captain once again who stood up in the face of adversity.
Adams quietly went about her business, and hit just one boundary before she went to fifty after 77 balls.
With Charlie Dean with her, fresh off the back of being run out at the non-striker’s end by Deepti Sharma less than 24 hours before, the pair put on 49 before the England off-spinner was caught at midwicket by Bess Heath for 32.
Adams kept going, but with two overs and a ball to go, she was stumped for 70 with the Vipers needing 20 runs to win from 12 balls.
Efforts from Norris, Hill, Bell and lastly Taylor, go the Vipers close, but ultimately fell three runs shy of winning their third consecutive Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
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