The ACT Meteors will have to wait another year for a maiden WNCL title but a revamped format poses the question: will the near-untouchable NSW dynasty soon fall back to the pack?
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The Meteors crashed out of final contention with back-to-back losses after falling to South Australia by 47 runs at Karen Rolton Oval on Sunday.
The NSW Breakers will now set their sights on a 20th WNCL title from 23 seasons when they meet Queensland in the final on Saturday.
It should bring down the curtain on the days of the WNCL's bizarre format. No longer will state teams play two rounds before going on a near-three month hiatus before round three.
The Meteors opened their season with two games in October, then played another two in November - but the break between games four and five was 83 days due to the Women's Big Bash League.
But now the booming Big Bash is set to kick off the season before a ball is bowled in the WNCL.
The rapid evolution of the Twenty20 competition will see the tournament played in its own window from October to November next season.
Big Bash League boss Kim McConnie plans for matches to be played across Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays to capitalise on crowds and create a seven-week long carnival atmosphere.
A potential increase in the number of internationals played by the Australian team could have an effect on the availability of star players throughout the WNCL season.
It could leave the likes of NSW without Alyssa Healy, Ash Gardner and Rachael Haynes. Victoria would be robbed of their incoming superstar Ellyse Perry and Australian skipper Meg Lanning.
"After the Big Bash, it probably knocked us around a little bit. Everyone came back excited and grateful to be home, but it wasn't to be," ACT coach David Drew said.
"Onwards and upwards, we've got to look at it positively. We just had a bit of a chat with the group and spoke about a few of the positive things from the year and there were a few, so we'll see what happens next year."
While Meteors stars Maitlan Brown and Erin Burns continue to push for a breakthrough Australian debut, an ill-fated bid could bode well for the ACT's title push next summer.
The Meteors showed glimpses of promise this season to give themselves a chance at playing next week's final but ultimately bowed out with consecutive losses to NSW and the Scorpions.
A Bridget Patterson century (113) laid the platform for the hosts to pile on 245, with Kiwi import Hayley Jensen proving to be the pick of the ACT bowlers with 4-45 (10).
The run chase got off to a promising start as Claire Koski (55) and Katie Mack (39) made starts, but the rest of the top order was left at sixes and sevens.
Erin Osborne, Ange Reakes and Burns all departed for six. Anna Lanning and Erica Kershaw both trudged back to the pavilion for seven.
Brown (20) and Jensen (18) offered some resistance but by that stage it was too little, too late for the Meteors, who ultimately finished fourth on the WNCL ladder.
