Full circle: childhood teammates now rival captains

Sammy-Jo Johnson and Georgia Redmayne's journeys started playing against one another in school cricket in Lismore, then diverged as they chased their fortunes in different states.

Their paths have crossed throughout the decade since, but their next meeting will be the most significant yet: At the coin toss at North Sydney Oval on Friday, when they both captain their states for the first time in the Women's National Cricket League.

Allrounder Johnson, who moved to New South Wales this season after 10 years in Queensland colours, has been named skipper of the Breakers, filling in for usual captain Alyssa Healy and her deputy Hannah Darlington, who are both in New Zealand with the Australia squad.

Keeper-bat Redmayne, in her second season for Queensland after debuting for NSW as a teenager and then forging a career in Tasmania, will lead the Fire in place of another Australia squad member, Jess Jonassen.

"It's quite funny, it's two kids from the north coast, who have played cricket with and against each other for the last 10 years, and we both get to debut as skippers at the same time for different states," Johnson said on Thursday.

Both Johnson and Redmayne came through the NSW underage system together, and both were then forced to look elsewhere for opportunities in senior cricket due to the strength of the Breakers squad.

But their intertwined careers began earlier than that; first meeting when a new cricket program for young girls was launched on the NSW North Coast by two passionate local coaches, Amanda Owens and Keith Wyatt, in 2002.

Remarkably, Johnson and Redmayne will not be the only WNCL captains this weekend who are products of that North Coast program; ACT Meteors skipper Angela Reakes came through the same pathway alongside the pair.

"We played school cricket against each other, we played North Coast Academy games together, we've toured India and England and had a home series together playing for Australia A and we played together at Queensland last year," Johnston continued.

"I'm looking forward to having a chat at the toss with Georgia on Friday … it's (also) pretty funny that my first opportunity to skipper a side in the WNCL is actually against my old state.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge."

While Johnson and Redmayne will be sure to share a smile and a chat at the toss, the stakes once the first ball is bowled could not be higher.

NSW and Queensland, ranked third and fourth on the WNCL table respectively, will meet twice in three days, with the opportunity to join Victoria in the final on March 27 on the line.

Both teams need to win twice to secure a spot in the final. If they split the matches, other games involving fifth-ranked South Australia and second-ranked Tasmania will also influence the table.

Ominously, heavy rain is forecast for Sydney through the next three days, including a predicted 35-50mm of precipitation on Friday.

Johnson said she was pushing aside the things she could not control and focusing on the main goal at hand: Maintaining NSW's unbroken record of featuring in every WNCL final since the competition started in 1996-97.

"The Breakers have such a fantastic history and are a really successful team, so hopefully we can push to get into the final if the weather and other results go our way," she said.

"Vic have cemented a spot so we have to win both games … we could get away with one win and some other results go our way, but ideally in our mind we're prepared to play two games of cricket, win two games and then play the final.

"I'm not necessarily someone who is big with my words, but I hope to lead by my actions and hopefully if we do get on the park, I can lead from the front."

The Breakers go into their final matches without Australian representatives Healy, Darlington, Rachael Haynes and Ashleigh Gardner.

Teenage prodigy Phoebe Litchfield returns from a foot injury for her first appearance of the WNCL season, while Maddy Darke, Lisa Griffith and Emma Hughes also come into the squad.

Queensland have lost both Jonassen and star opener and wicketkeeper Beth Mooney to national duties, with teenager Ruth Johnston a chance to make her WNCL debut.

Johnston joins her cousin Ellie, who debuted earlier this season, in the Fire squad.

NSW squad: Sammy-Jo Johnson (c), Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Lisa Griffith, Emma Hughes, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Lauren Smith, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

Queensland squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Meagan Dixon, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Ellie Johnston, Ruth Johnston, Laura Kimmince, Charli Knott, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll