Captain Kirstie Gordon maintained her side will benefit from the experience of competing in a final, despite falling to defeat at the hands of Southern Vipers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup. 

The sides returned on the reserve day, after the originally scheduled fixture was abandoned with just 9.3 overs possible at New Road.

It resumed in a similar vein, though, with the Vipers restricting The Blaze - who won seven from seven in the group stages - to 114 in their allotted overs before chasing the target for the loss of three wickets. 

“There’s a lot of disappointment at the minute,” Gordon said. 

“To have had such a good campaign, to finish top of the league, and not give a true showing of ourselves today was disappointing. 

“But we hope there’s more finals to come, and we’ll have gained great experience from today and take that into the future.”

A Danni Wyatt half-century propelled the Vipers’ chase, before captain Georgia Adams hit the winning runs to ensure her side defended their title.

Anya Shrubsole, who later announced that the final would be her final game in regional cricket, had taken 2-24, a typically skilful spell of four overs that was split over the two days, with a thunderstorm bringing everyone back this morning to take the final to its close with Blaze poised on 53-4 overnight.

Marie Kelly held Blaze’s innings together, with an unbeaten 26, but their total felt light against a Vipers team boasting the firepower of Danni Wyatt and Maia Bouchier up top.

Indeed the England pair put on 67 for the first wicket in Vipers’ reply and Wyatt continued her fine form from the semi-final in making another enterprising half-century.

Blaze’s bowlers pushed for a breakthrough but while they claimed three wickets the Vipers cantered home with five overs to spare.

“Vipers are experienced, they are still the team to beat. Lottie [Head Coach Charlotte Edwards] and Gads [captain Georgia Adams] have got a fantastic unit there," Gordon continued.

 That bit of composure and experience they showed today has helped them. And for us a bit of naïveté, especially through that first 14 overs with the bat, we went into our shells.

“Ultimately we’re hugely proud of where we’ve come from and this is the benchmark that we’ve set for future competitions and  future seasons - we want to be in every final there is.”