The Cricketer runs the rule over the Southern Vipers squad ahead of the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaigns in 2022
Captain: Georgia Adams
Coach: Charlotte Edwards
Home grounds: Hove, Ageas Bowl
Team background: Based on the south coast and playing their home games at Hove and the Ageas Bowl, Southern Vipers are a partnership between Hampshire, Sussex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, and Oxfordshire; drawing most of their players from the two major counties involved - 2018 county champions Hampshire, and six-time champions Sussex.
The Southern Vipers are coached by former England captain Charlotte Edwards, who captained the Vipers to victory in the inaugural Kia Super League back in 2016. In the first year of the regional competition, she then led Vipers to glory in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, before retaining their title in dramatic style at Wantage Road a year later, coming out on top in a thriller against Northern Diamonds.
They were beaten on Finals Day of the T20 competition named after their coach. Edwards' stock continues to rise, meanwhile; she was enlisted by the ECB to assist England A on their landmark winter tour of Australia.
What happened last season?
Two years, two 50-over titles for Georgia Adams' side, who followed up their win over Northern Diamonds at Edgbaston in 2020 with a thrilling – and far closer – victory over the same opponents at Northampton, coming out on top with just two balls to spare, thanks to a title-clinching partnership between Emily Windsor and Tara Norris, having collapsed to 109 for 7 in pursuit of 184.
Their stand, which comprised 78 runs in 15 overs and was their fifth-highest of the campaign, staved off the threat of just a second-ever defeat in the tournament, having gone through the 2020 edition unbeaten before slipping up against Central Sparks in the group stage.
Otherwise, they remained perfect, with Georgia Elwiss their dominant batter in the tournament, with 265 in seven games. Adams, so prolific in 2020, was not far behind but was far less consistent. She was actually more dangerous with the ball, picking up 12 wickets with her off-spin in just 37.5 overs, making her Vipers' second-most potent threat, behind Charlotte Taylor, who made herself in the final at Edgbaston.
In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, they were less successful, reaching Finals Day courtesy of finishing as the best second-placed team across the two groups, but losing out against Northern Diamonds in their semi-final. Only finalists Bryony Smith and Jenny Gunn claimed more wickets than Norris, a rare left-arm seamer on the women's circuit.
Southern Vipers won the 2020 and 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy titles [Tony Marshall/Getty Images]
Who are the England stars?
Five of Southern Vipers' squad have been capped by England, with Norris an outlier as an international for the USA.
Anya Shrubsole's move from Western Storm was a major piece of spring transfer news following her international retirement. Still only 30 years of age, she will provide a strong benchmark for the standard that domestic seamers should be looking to reach if they are serious about their international aspirations.
Her new-ball partnership with Lauren Bell should be fascinating; Bell remains uncapped but not for much longer. She has long been touted as a successor to Shrubsole and was a travelling reserve on England's World Cup campaign, having spent the first half of the touring winter with England A.
Danni Wyatt enjoyed a revival at the top of England's order during their run to the final, while there were also breakthrough winters for Maia Bouchier – an Ashes debutante – and Charlie Dean.
Dean has become one of the symbols of the regional structure, forcing her way into international contention through her performances for Vipers. Since then, she has established herself as England's principal off-spinner, while her batting has also impressed.
Bouchier represented Western Australia through March and was part of the Women's Big Bash in the first half of the winter. She now holds three T20I caps.
For how long Elwiss remains an England cricketer is unclear; she was on punditry duty during the World Cup final, having been left out of the squad for the tournament. She last played international white-ball cricket in 2019 and was a virtual passenger in last summer's Test against India.
Who are the old heads in the side?
Adams is an experienced captain and might feel as though her England chance has passed, though a strong start to the summer might alter that perception. Paige Scholfield is 26, while Taylor is two years older at 28.
Both Elwiss and Shrubsole are 30, but Wyatt was the oldest player to represent Vipers in 2021. All three will add plenty of insight and experience, with at least two likely to be around for entirety of the regional season.
At 25, Chloe Hill has joined on loan from Central Sparks for the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Charlotte Edwards is the head coach of the Vipers [James Chance/Getty Images]
Who are the young players to watch?
Bell is the chief reason for excitement from a Vipers perspective, blessed with height, pace and an excellent in-swinger. It would be a major surprise if she were not to make her international debut this summer.
Watch out, too, for Freya Kemp: 17 years of age and highly regarded; she is on a pay-to-play retainer. While still only 14, she was one of 11 players included on the England Women's Academy programme for the 2019/20 season. She made her senior Sussex debut in the summer of 2019, while still turning out for the under-17 and under-15 sides.
Ella McCaughan, still a teenager at 19, has also showed plenty of potential, while Nancy Harman – who plays county cricket for Sussex – is a 22-year-old leg-spinner.
Squad: Georgia Adams, Chloe Hill, Paige Scholfield, Lauren Bell, Freya Kemp, Anya Shrubsole, Maia Bouchier, Ella McCaughan, Charlotte Taylor, Charlie Dean, Alice Monaghan, Emily Windsor, Georgia Elwiss, Tara Norris, Danni Wyatt, Nancy Harman, Carla Rudd
Fixtures
Charlotte Edwards Cup: May 14 – Thunder (h), May 18 – Lightning (h), May 21 – Northern Diamonds (a), May 29 – Lightning (a), June 1 – Thunder (a), June 4 – Northern Diamonds (h)
Heyhoe Flint Trophy: July 2 – Central Sparks (a), July 9 – South East Stars (h), July 16 – Lightning (a), July 23 – Sunrisers (h), Sept 9 – Northern Diamonds (h), Sept 11 – Thunder (h), Sept 17 – Northern Diamonds (a)
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