The stage is set to crown the winners of the 2021 SE Female Open Age Cricket League at Frew Park this Sunday with three huge games bringing the season to a close.

After six competitive rounds, one team has emerged head and shoulders above the pack – North Sportsman’s.

The Tigers have not lost a game all season and all stats suggest they are the clear favourites to lift the trophy.

The yellow and black are led by inspirational captain Fiona Young, who is in a league of her own.

Young has been an unstoppable force with the bat scoring 216 runs from four innings with the eye-dropping average of 108.

Three of her four knocks have been match-winning half centuries with the latest taking place on a dominant day at a picture-perfect Marist Park.

In a doubleheader against Bordertown and South Gambier, Young’s exploits with the bat proved decisive. The captain basically defeated Bordertown all on her own.

In the first innings Young walked in with her side in trouble at 2/19, but a commanding stay at the crease transformed the game.

She struck 11 fours and a six in a 40-ball 60 to push North to a defendable score until being run out, which was possibly the only mode of dismissal available for Bordertown. Only Kirra Schultz joined Young in doble figures as Bordertown would have sensed an upset with only 7/126 to chase.

That optimism would have been sky high when the visitors made their way to the strong position of 1/76.

But once Bridie McPherson got the breakthrough, Young tore up the tail end with 4/15 to save the day.

The winless Demons showed plenty of fight in the afternoon battle posting a competitive 4/148 led by Laura Chester striking 66 not out.

North needed someone to bat big and its captain Young led by example compiling an unbeaten 56 from 47 balls.

Her partnerships with Chelsea Gabriel and Alysha Coon enabled the yellow and black to chase down the total with ease to run out winners by eight wickets.

At times through the season Gabriel, Elizabeth Plew and Coon have shown strong support with handy contributions and will look to build more partnerships alongside Young in the big one.

With the ball North has many more match winners led by Coon, who has taken seven wickets – including three against the Demons – and has proven to be one of the leading all-round Tigers.

The likes of Young, Jasmyn Plew and Kirra Schultz are also wicket-taking threats.

The squad’s well-rounded strengths make North a tough opponent to overcome for its challenger in the decider.

The Tigers’ opponent will be one of Naracoorte or Mil Lel, who face off in the semi-final.

On paper Naracoorte is the slim favourite after finishing second on the ladder with the superior win-loss record.

However, Mil Lel has the bragging rights after it knocked over Naracoorte last weekend in a pivotal fixture at Frew Park.

The yellow and green team had to win to book a finals berth and they got an almighty scare as the game went down to the wire.

Mil Lel batted first and posted 4/114, leaving the door open for the visitors.

Only two batters reached double figures with the innings boosted by Jennifer Peterson’s 29 off 26, while 37 extras came in handy.

A switched-on fielding display put Naracoorte on the back foot straight away as two direct hits forced the visitors into the precarious position of 4/10.

However, a defiant partnership between Sile Legoe (15) and Angela Donnelly (23) brought the chasing team back into the game.

Although wickets continued to fall with Victoria Radley picking up 3/4 from 1.5 overs, Mil Lel conceded 40 extras which gave Naracoorte’s last wicket pair a huge sniff at stealing the game.

But with five runs to defend Georgia Barrett stepped up and produced three dot balls, while Lisa Grady could only hit one of the two runs required off the final delivery to ensure Mil Lel held on by the narrowest of margins.

The final round thriller is the perfect prelude for what should be another classic encounter between the teams with the season on the line.

Bordertown and South Gambier will contest the consolation game to avoid the wooden spoon.

The Demons enter the game on the back foot having not tasted success all summer and losing the opening round battle to Bordertown.

This game will take place at Malseed Park at the same time as the knockout final at Marist Park from 10am.

The premiers will be crowned in the decider at Frew Park which gets under way at 2pm.