9.3 overs The Blaze 53 for 4 vs Southern Vipers – Play suspended

Southern Vipers and The Blaze will have to come back on Sunday to complete the Charlotte Edwards Cup final after heavy rain saturated the outfield at New Road, Worcester.

Anya Shrubsole had inspired Vipers to condemn The Blaze to 53 for four in 9.3 overs before lightning in the area took the teams off at 4:35pm, then rain made sure they didn’t come back.

Play was officially abandoned at just after 6pm with the decision to come back on Sunday for the reserve day – with the start time yet to be confirmed.

Any action will restart at the halfway point of The Blaze innings, and if there is no chance of play because of rain then The Blaze will win by virtue of finishing top of the group – where they boasted a 100 per cent record.

The reserve day is bad news for some of the Vipers players who were due to take advantage of the short break in the season by taking a holiday.

In the 57 balls possible before the storm breezed in, former England fast bowler Shrubsole pinned her former international team-mate Tammy Beaumont lbw with a trademark inswinger with the third ball of the innings.

She then found Sarah Bryce swinging straight up into the air in the following over as The Blaze slumped to 19 for two, and only reached 34 for two by the end of the powerplay.

Spinners Lauren Smith and Georgia Adams then put the batting side into more trouble, with Georgie Boyce caught behind with one that popped, and Kathryn Bryce was bowled through the gate.

The Vipers had earlier won their Eliminator against Thunder by 18 runs after half-centuries from Danni Wyatt and Maia Bouchier – with Thunder coming up short in the chase of 191.