SOUTHERN Vipers captain Georgia Adams admitted the Ageas Bowl side were “absolutely gutted” after defeat to Northern Diamonds in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final.

Diamonds had fallen short versus Vipers in both of the previous tournament’s finals, but Adams’ team were unable to make it a treble of wins.

Winfield-Hill hit 65 and Smith 27 in an opening stand of 83 to form the basis of Diamond’s total of 215-9, while Vipers came up just two runs short in the chase.

“Obviously we are absolutely gutted not to get over the line today,” Adams said, speaking after the match at Lord’s.

“But I think they were the better side in the end. We probably needed a few more partnerships with the bat and to rotate the strike a bit more. We left ourselves too much to do at the end.”

Adams, who returned figures of three for 34 and made 70 with the bat, continued: “We suspected the pitch could take a bit of spin, but we knew their spinners don’t tend to actually turn the ball.

“But they bowled well, kept coming at us and showed a little bit more fight there at the end. It felt like we were falling behind the rate and needed to get up to that run a ball.

“While it was a run-a-ball we felt confident and comfortable. We felt we needed to go some and could get there as long as we stayed disciplined, but it wasn’t to be.”

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