Big hits, close matches and too many bowlers

They say you have to take a step back to fully appreciate what is really going on.

So, with the Women's National Cricket League and Women's Twenty20 competitions set to have a short break over the Christmas period, let’s have a look back at three points of interest the season has offered up so far.

More bowlers, fewer chances

One thing I’ve noticed in the four rounds of WNCL to date is that more bowlers than ever are being employed by domestic captains.

This season, it hasn’t been uncommon to see eight and even nine bowlers used in both 50 and 20-over fixtures.

The Southern Stars are packed with quality allrounders at the moment and it seems this is the case in domestic cricket as well.

While versatility is a key ingredient in any side, is it really necessary to have this many bowlers within your team?

In my opinion it doesn't allow the top five or six in the attack a chance to work into their spell in the longer format, or adjust to being hit in the shorter format.

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NSW Breakers allrounder reacts after a near miss against the Queensland Fire // Getty Images

Given the average age of bowlers in the women’s domestic competition is less than 25 years old, and  considering T20 cricket is the most played format, I am not so sure whether we’re developing have the right environment to develop our young bowlers.

With the KFC Big Bash beginning last weekend I took note of how many bowlers each team used. The Melbourne Stars seven bowlers , while the rest of the competition only went with six front-line attacking options. Even the Brisbane Heat, up against Sunday night’s Hussey/ Kallis onslaught, only employed a half-dozen bowlers.

In the past, bowlers have known that if they missed their line or length they had the opportunity to bowl another delivery or another over, but with more options available to the captain, that one over might be it for the day.

It seems like bowling is following the path of batting – one mistake and you are gone.

Domestic divide shrinking by the match

In the WNCL’s first six years, starting from 1996, each domestic side had featured in the WNCL final against New South Wales – further cementing the competition’s position as the strongest in the world. The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars went on to dominate world cricket for the next decade on the back of their world-class domestic program.

Since then the Lend Lease Breakers and Commonwealth Bank VicSpirit have dominated the results in both formats. But despite being the favourites again this summer, the competition is getting closer, which can only benefit the women’s game in Australia.

With each domestic team now having at least a couple of players with enough experience to carry their side over the line in tight situations, it doesn't matter who you are playing, you have to be on your game to seal a win. As we saw last weekend with the Cripps Tasmanian Roar beating the Breakers for the first time in history and the Spirit going down to them in the previous round, even the top sides are no guarantee for easy victories.

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The Tasmanian Roar have caught a number of teams short thus far // Getty Images

The Konica Minolta Queensland Fire beat the Breakers for the first time in seven years this season and the bottom ranked side in WT20, the Tradies ACT Meteors, took the Fire right down to the wire in both matches last weekend, before losing both matches on the last ball.

The introduction of semi-finals into the finals series has seen greater incentive for sides outside the top two to perform in the competition’s later stages as well, with the third and fourth-placed teams now having a chance to qualify for the final. The new format also allows the national selectors to see how players perform under pressure in situations similar to those they will face in ICC World Cup events.

Women’s cricket clearing boundaries

Going through the scorecards, I have noticed a considerable increase in the number of sixes hit. Are the players stronger or have the conditions changed?

To answer this question I headed straight to the ever-reliable Executive Officer of the NSW Cricket Umpires’ and Scorers’ Association Darren Goodger, who kindly informed me that this year the boundary size in the playing conditions stipulated exactly 58 metres.

The 2014-15 season marks the first time in the history both competitions have had a mandated playing-field size.

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Queensland Fire's Grace Harris has hit more sixes than anyone this WT20 season // Getty Images

Despite most boundaries being smaller than past years, the players are also stronger, playing on faster wickets and have the confidence to clear the boundary regularly.

The combination of these factors is making the women’s game an attractive brand to watch.

So if you ever wanted to spend a relaxing day/ evening watching a game of cricket, why not head down to your local WNCL or WT20 match. You won’t be disappointed!

Check out the full women’s domestic fixtures HERE.