Former Havant junior Charlie Dean stars as Southern  Vipers win T20 trophy named in honour of their coach Charlotte Edwards

The former Havant CC youngster and Portsmouth Grammar School pupil took two wickets and shared a trophy-winning partnership with Ella McCaughan at Northants’ Wantage Road.

A solid bowling performance from Vipers restricted Central Sparks to just 109-8 in their 20 overs despite Amy Jones’ 27.

There was a tangible sense of deja vu as Sparks repeated their semi-final performance of earlier in the day, losing wickets at regular intervals and limping into three figures.

Maia Bouchier contributed a fluent 32 in the run chase before Dean (7) played the supporting role in a 41-run stand with McCaughan who struck a run-a-ball 30 to take Vipers to victory.

The victory means Vipers, unbeaten all season, have added the T20 trophy named after their coach Charlotte Edwards to their cabinet after winning back-to-back 50-over titles in the last two years.

Dean struck early, clean bowling Sparks skipper Eve Jones for six in the second over. Two overs later Sparks lost their second when Issy Wong (2) drilled Freya Kemp hard to mid-on where Bouchier took a well-judged leaping catch.

Amy Jones has been in ominous form in this competition and Vipers thought they had their prize wicket when the England captain was on nine, only for Adams to put down a catch at mid-off off the bowling of Anya Shrubsole.

Jones then rubbed salt in the wound, hitting her former England teammate for four in the same direction as Sparks finished the powerplay on 36-2.

Jones had advanced to 27 when she fell attempting one big shot too many, with Bouchier taking an excellent tumbling catch.at mid-on off Dean.

Abi Freeborn (18) looked to be positive, coming down the pitch to drive Dean through extra cover for four to bring up Sparks’ 50 in the tenth over.

She fell shortly afterwards; chasing a width ball from Georgia Elwiss, she was stumped by some smart glovework from Carla Rudd.

When Ami Campbell was run out six balls later Danni Wyatt by Sparks were 61-5 and threatening the second batting collapse of the day after their nailbiting semifinal win.

Sarah Glenn (16) went on the attack in an attempt to give Sparks something to defend. She uppercut Bell square for four and slog swept Dean over fine leg for consecutive boundaries. Her downfall came when she drilled a ball from Adams straight back to the bowler.

Adams then brilliantly ran out Emily Arlott in the same over after diving to stop the ball off her own bowling. to leave Sparks on 93-7.

Gwen Davies (12) was the eighth wicket to fall, run out by Bouchier before Davina Perrin hit the final ball of the innings for four over extra cover to close on 109 for eight.

Wong removed skipper Georgia Adams without scoring early in the chase when Eve Jones took a well-judged catch diving forward at short cover.

England T20 opener Wyatt took three boundaries from Grace Potts’ first over but was dropped at midwicket off the same bowler on eight.

Sparks were grateful that the mistake did not prove more costly as Wyatt was soon caught at midwicket off Arlott for 20 (10 balls) to leave Vipers 37-2.

Bouchier struck Wong high over deep midwicket for four and cut Arlott square for another boundary, but otherwise was content to knock the ball around as she took Vipers to 50-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Turning to spin for the first time, Sparks made an immediate breakthrough when Sarah Glenn trapped Elwiss in front. But Bouchier continued on her way, pulling Glen away for four, and scoring all around the wicket.

Her innings came to an end though after a full and straight delivery from Arlott knocked back middle stump. It left Vipers on 72-4 needing 38 to win off the final ten overs.

Southampton-born McCaughan reverse swept Glenn for four while a wide from Potts which flew away for four eased the pressure further.

McCaughan sealed the win by pulling Wong for four through square leg.

On winning a trophy named in her honour, Vipers coach Edwards said: ‘It has a nice ring to it, but it is slightly weird.

‘I couldn’t feel prouder of this group, to go unbeaten and win seven from seven and to win in the fashion we have and improve every game. They’re a pretty special group to be part of at the moment.

‘The message to the team today was they have played brilliantly, but six wins out of six (in the group stage) won’t mean as much if we don’t get the seventh.

‘But it wasn’t to do anything differently to what we’ve been doing. This is what’s so great about this group. They’re used to finals. They’re used to the pressure now.

‘We’ve created competition for places. I’ve had some really tough selections over the last few weeks. That just means people like Ella McCaughan, she’s 19, she’s hitting the winning runs for us today. Freya Kemp, she’s 17, we just keep producing players and hopefully they will go on and play for England which is another part of our job.

‘We seem to be doing both at the moment,which I’m really proud of.

‘T20 was an area of focus for us this year. We didn’t play as well as we could have last year. Our goal is to win the double. We’ve done one bit of that now. We’ve got a massive part of the season to come in the 50 over stuff.

‘The players have all been talking about ‘bringing Charlotte back’ to the Ageas for me and to do that today under the pressure they’ve been under, coming in as favourites, I’m really chuffed for them.’