Charlotte Taylor among five players added to Southern Vipers' professional cohort

Alice Monaghan, Nancy Harman, Chloe Hill and Rhianna Southby have also put pen to paper on six-month elite domestic professional contracts, taking the number of professionally contracted players at the region to 16

Southern Vipers will head into the 2023 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy with 16 professional players on their books after handing out five short-term deals.

Charlotte Taylor, Alice Monaghan, Nancy Harman, Chloe Hill and Rhianna Southby have all put pen to paper on six-month elite domestic professional contracts.

Vipers already had seven players on domestic contracts while England internationals Charlie Dean, Lauren Bell, Freya Kemp and Danni Wyatt are centrally contracted by the ECB.

Charlotte Edwards' side are the most successful team on the women's regional circuit, lifting two 50-over trophies and one T20 title over the past three years.

^{Chloe Hill joined Southern Vipers on loan last season before making the switch from Central Sparks [Paul Harding/Getty Images]}

Regional director of women's cricket, Adam Carty, said: "Charlotte Edwards, our senior support team, and I have been really impressed at their focus and commitment to use this past winter to work hard towards being the best version of themselves both on and off the training ground.

"In this group of new pros, supported by our seven existing professionals, our England quartet, and our talented retained pay-as-you-play cohort, I am positive we have the means to remain competitive across both formats, bringing continued success to the region."

Allrounder Monaghan and spinner Taylor have been with Vipers since 2020 and are both glowing endorsements of Hampshire's talent pathway.

On her first professional contract, Taylor said: "It means I can fully focus on my cricket for the summer and not have to juggle a full-time job for the first time."

^{Rhianna Southby has joined the Vipers from South East Stars [Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images]}

Monaghan, who played all six games for London Spirit in 2022 alongside her commitments with Southern Vipers, is confident that professionalism will allow her to "elevate her game to the next level".

Harman joined the Vipers from Lightning ahead of the 2022 season and took four wickets in seven appearances in her debut campaign.

Wicketkeeper Hill represented Southern Vipers in six Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches last season before making her move from Central Sparks permanent for 2023.

Southby, meanwhile, joined the club from South East Stars in November.

Last October, the ECB announced a £3.5m funding increase for professional women's domestic cricket. This season, all eight women's regional sides will have 10 ECB-funded professional players while the average salary of those players will be £25,000.