Cricket ACT have only begun to scrape the surface in a bid to unearth the wider region's next generation of elite women's cricketers.
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So says Cricket ACT high performance chief Olivia Thornton ahead of the inaugural ACT Female Bash final at Phillip Oval on Friday night.
Zoe Cooke's unbeaten Northern Frenzy will meet Erica Kershaw and the Western Crash in the decider, while the Southern Pride will collide with the winless Eastern Fever in a third-place playoff.
The four-team round robin tournament is designed to bridge the gap between the WNCL and grade competitions in Canberra and surrounding regions.
It provides a chance for juniors in Canberra and the south coast to rise through the ACT Meteors pathway.
Thornton says officials are determined to build on the foundations of the concept's first season as they explore ways to expand the tournament next summer.
"We've only just scraped the surface really. We've got plenty of scope to make it even better next year," Thornton said.
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"You've got someone like Erin Osborne who has played more than 100 games for Australia, through to a 13-year-old who has been identified through the club structure here in Canberra.
"The feedback has been positive, both from a playing point of view and parents of the younger kids coming through the pathway. Having exposure to people who have played for Australia and at a state level, it's pretty special."
"Getting that connection and that link with out friends down the far south coast has been really important.
"That's been one of the benefits of this competition, we're actually able to bring our zone together in the one setting."
The day will open with a curtain-raiser between emerging prospects as young as 12 in a Twenty20.
The Female Bash finals loom as a chance for some of Canberra's brightest talents to hit form ahead of the Cricket NSW Regional Bash finals at the SCG on Tuesday.
The ACT Aces will meet the Illawarra Flames in the Thunder conference final with the winner advancing to the decider that night.
CRICKET ACT FEMALE BASH FINALS
Friday: Third-place playoff - Southern Pride v Eastern Fever at Phillip Oval, 2pm.
Friday: Final - Northern Frenzy v Western Crash at Phillip Oval, 6pm.