Rachael Haynes looks at WCSL experience for Devine edge

Haynes and Devine played together for Loughborough Lightning and Devine had a particularly good tournament, scoring 269 runs and picking up 16 wickets for her team – Loughborough finished at the top of the table but lost to Surrey Stars in the final.

Devine's run in the WCSL was preceded by centuries against Ireland and England in one-day international cricket and three half-centuries in the T20I tri-nation series featuring England and South Africa. The 29-year-old's last five ODI scores are 117*, 14, 33, 108, and 73*, while her five most recent T20I outings fetched her 31, 52, 68*, 13 and 73. That Devine is in devastating form doesn't need to be said.

"I’ve been fortunate enough to have one of the best seats in the house to watch her go about her business," Haynes told cricket.com.au. "She’s had a great run, certainly in the KSL and in the international series she had leading into it, it’s been nice to watch and nice to have to her on my team.

"But it’s also a bit of an ominous sign heading into (the T20Is) and the T20 World Cup."

The ascent of franchise-based T20 leagues in women's cricket is a recent one and with the game getting globalised, there is "nowhere to hide" for Haynes and others. "I think that’s the nature of the beast these days as an international player," Haynes said.

"There’s nowhere to hide, especially with these domestic tournaments and international players in those as well. Everyone is seeing a lot of each other playing, so it’s important to have your game in order."

In such circumstances, any head-start that teams can afford while playing with opposition numbers at these leagues can come in handy during big series, and more so when the ICC Women's World T20 2018 is only a little over two months away.

"Any edge you can get through watching people play more is something you’ve got to try and use," Haynes said. Australia and New Zealand square off in a three-match T20I series, beginning with the first game at North Sydney Oval on 29 September.