Experience counts when it comes to the crunch

This year’s Women’s National Cricket League final has a touch of déjà vu.

In a replay of the 2014-15 finale, Sunday's finale will see the Lend Lease NSW Breakers and Breeze Air SA Scorpions playing off for the coveted trophy.

The Scorpions have been one of the front-runners all season, particularly after their thrilling win over NSW in the first weekend of the tournament.

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Megan Schutt pulls off a run out // Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Breakers have had to fight back after a slow start, having sat in only fourth position on the ladder just a few weeks ago.

However NSW know when to focus and after picking up a number of handy bonus points, they secured their spot on top of the ladder.

Since the inception of the WNCL 20 years ago, the Breakers have contested in EVERY final, winning a remarkable 17 titles.

Next Sunday, they Breakers have the opportunity to go one step further in cementing themselves as one of Australia’s greatest sporting teams (male or female), by equalling St George’s 11 NRL premierships in a row. 

Looking at both teams and their performances over the course of the season, I think this final will come down to an exciting battle between the Scorpions’ bowlers and the NSW Breakers’ batters.

NSW has four players sitting comfortably in the top 15 runscorers for the season, led by Ellyse Perry who has amassed 383 runs at an extremely healthy average of 76.

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Perry celebrates her ton // Getty Images

Alyssa Healy is fifth, with 279 runs, while Alex Blackwell is seventh after posting her second century of the tournament last weekend.

Rachel Haynes is the only NSW top-four batter that hasn’t registered a hundred this season – although she has scored two important 70’s.

However, Haynes is known for her ability to pile on the runs, especially in high-pressure matches. I was lucky enough to witness her highest score in WNCL - 156 scored in the 2011-2012 final against Victoria.

The best Scorpions batter is England’s Sarah Taylor, who is sitting in 10th position with 213 runs, while her teammate Bridget Patterson next on the list with 206 runs at an average of 34.3.

In the bowling department there is an even split, with both NSW and SA fielding three players apiece in the top 20 wicket-takers.

But the Scorpions have a slight advantage with all three of their bowlers – Megan Schutt (1), Amanda Wellington (2) and Alex Price (6) - ranked in the top ten.

With the final to be hosted by NSW at Sydney’s Hurstville Oval, the teams can expect a flat road with a lightening outfield to assist the batters even more. 

The Breakers have played one fixture at the ground this season and scored an impressive 7-277 with Alyssa Healy peeling off 124 runs.

Watch: Healy's ton for the Breakers

Hurstville Oval is never an easy ground for the bowlers, so variety will be the key. Given that both teams have this at their disposal our attention will turn to the captains, Blackwell and Lauren Ebsary.

I would expect whoever wins the toss to utlise the wonderful batting deck first and be looking at posting a score in the vicinity of 280-plus.

Scoreboard pressure in a final is an extremely positive advantage to have, so both captains will want to win the first of many little battles that will occur on the day.

I’m also tipping the SA fans to come over in their droves – as they did last year - to support their beloved Scorpions. I’m sure their supporters would love to see a different result after a loss in 2014-15, but if that is to be the case, the Scorpions will need their experienced international players - Taylor, Ebsary and Sarah Coyte - to fire with the bat.

We have already seen the Scorpions’ attack perform well, with all bowlers contributing throughout the season to see their team into the final, and they’ll need to bring that same mindset if they are going to put the Breakers under pressure on Sunday.

Given NSW’s track record in finals and the fact that their top order seem to be in a rich vein of form lead - by their vice-captain Perry – they will be extremely hard to beat on home territory.

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NSW celebrate during the 2014-15 final // Getty Images 

It will be an intriguing final, so I urge those in the neighborhood to come down to Hurstville Oval on Sunday at 10am AEDT, one of Sydney’s most picturesque grounds. 

Bring a picnic rug and settle in for what should be a cracking final.

For those who can’t make it, you will be able to stream it live through www.cricket.com.au, where I will provide the commentary!