NSW’s domination of interstate women’s cricket is being put to the test.

The Breakers are chasing a 10th straight WNCL title and are assured of a semi-final place ahead of Sunday’s last match against SA in Adelaide, but are third to Queensland and Victoria and look vulnerable after recently losing back-to-back 50-over matches.

In the WT20, they need to beat SA on Saturday and Monday – or hope either Victoria or Queensland slip up above them – to guarantee a place in the final of the Twenty20 tournament they also won last year.

While the Breakers have a strong core of the world champion Australian squad, an influx of imports from fellow international powerhouses England and New Zealand have added depth to their rivals.

The possible power shift away from a NSW team that have won 16 of 18 titles since the inception of the WNCL has been a shock to veteran batter Leah Poulton, who says the juggernauts have a mighty legacy to maintain.

“There’s always a bit of expectation on us. We can’t afford to lose another (T20) match,” she said.

But Poulton, who with skipper Alex Blackwell is one of just two players to appear in the Breakers’ nine consecutive 50-over title triumphs, welcomes the challenge.

She said the arrival of internationals such as England captain Charlotte Edwards and teammate Sarah Taylor had improved the competition.

“They’re two of the best players in the world, they’re right up there in the batting rankings, and there’s some good quality New Zealand cricketers as well,” she said.

“They’ve added something to the competition. There should be good contest; you learn a lot more from the games you lose.”

The 30-year-old played her 100th WNCL match for NSW last month.

“The highlights are always the tough ones, the ones you really have to fight for,” she said.

“If we do do come out with the two titles, it will be really special given the run that we’ve had.”