Shrubsole, 31, called time with England at the start of the 2022 summer and has now decided that she has played her final domestic game, citing the pain of bowling as one of the reasons for her decision. She removed both Blaze openers in a key opening spell on Saturday, and although rain took the game into a reserve day Vipers eased to their target of 115, bringing the curtain down on a career that began in 2004.

"It's hard to put an exact date on when I made the decision, to be honest with you," Shrubsole said. "I think through the course of this tournament it just became clear to me that my time was up.

"I carried on playing because I really enjoy playing, but I guess the pain element of it - if I'm being totally honest - made it not particularly enjoyable at times, so in lots of ways it was a pretty easy decision to call it a day at the end of this year.

"I told my team-mates on Friday night. I didn't see it playing out like this, I told the girls because I wanted them to know but I didn't think they'd make it really obvious, if I'm being honest with you! I feel very lucky to have played the last few seasons with this group, because they're an exceptional team and an exceptional bunch of people."

Shrubsole attributed Vipers' win, in part, to their know-how, having triumphed in the competition before. Blaze were limited to 114 for 8 in their 20 overs, with Charlie Dean and Georgia Adams also taking two-fors.

"I think our experience was a factor in the final. We were in a really strong position before it absolutely launched it down yesterday, having got them to 50 for 4, and it's always tricky to come back as a batting team and start again.

"What we did really well today was be on it straight away. Those first three balls, then Deano, myself, Lins [Linsey Smith] and Gads - that's four pretty experienced bowlers to set us up today so that definitely worked in our favour."

A victory for Blaze would have seen a new name on the Charlotte Edwards Cup, but Shrubsole was keen to praise their progress and the competition's growth.

"Blaze have come on a lot this year, without a shadow of doubt, and I think we've seen improvement across all the teams - both in this competition and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

"It seems to be a much more even competition and without a doubt the standard has gone up. It's no surprise that all those players who've had a winter as a professional cricketer have been able to improve. There's no secret with that one, and it's been a really enjoyable competition to be a part of."

"There's a lot of disappointment at the minute," she 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."

The England left-arm spinner believed Vipers deserved to win, but hoped the loss could act as a learning curve for her team: "Vipers are experienced, they are still the team to beat. Lottie and Gads have got a fantastic unit there. 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."