Charlotte Edwards and Suzie Bates are excited to be teaming up once more for the inaugural Kia Women's Super League.
Former England captain Edwards and current New Zealand skipper Bates will join forces with the Southern Vipers in the England and Wales Cricket Board's new six-team Twenty20 tournament, as they did with the Perth Scorchers in Australia's Women's Big Bash League.
Edwards, who retired from international cricket in May after over 300 England appearances, told Press Association Sport: "Being part of the Southern Vipers has been brilliant for me, having retired, you've got that initial focus on playing top-quality cricket.
"But I think it's bigger than that, it's about the competition. It's about attracting a new audience and hopefully inspiring many girls to play the game, which I think would be a huge success in the first year."
The league gets under way next Saturday when the Yorkshire Diamonds take on the Loughborough Lightning at Headingley, with the Vipers beginning their campaign the following day against the Surrey Stars at the Ageas Bowl - Edwards acknowledged: "I'm really lucky to be able to play at one of the top venues in the country."
The competition runs until August 21, when Chelmsford hosts Finals Day, and Bates expects a spectacle to rival the WBBL - where she and Edwards helped the Scorchers to the semi-finals.
"It'll match the Big Bash in terms of the standard of cricket," she said.
" It's going to be pretty tight and you have to play well. We've (the Vipers) got four or five players over 100 international caps and I think that experience with a mixture of younger, talented girls should put us in a good place to at least compete for Finals Day.
"Obviously with (Edwards) being captain, you know the style that she wants to lead with and w ith Sara McGlashan and Morna Nielsen as well, Kiwi team-mates, it's really comfortable at the Vipers for me."
Edwards added: "It's great to attract Suzie to the Southern Vipers, I'm looking forward to playing in orange again with her."
Edwards was named in the WBBL team of the tournament and said: "Twenty20 has been a good format for me as a player and hopefully I'll be able to churn some runs out this time round.
"I've certainly taken confidence from being one of the leading run-scorers in the Big Bash, and in the World Cup, so hopefully that form will continue.
"Every team's aiming to be at Chelmsford on the 21st of August, I've played a lot there and it's one of my favourite grounds, so we're all desperate to get there."
Source: PA
