Sutherland's comeback boosts Vics as they win toss

Annabel Sutherland has returned from injury for Victoria, while Queensland's players and staff have overcome a sudden COVID19 curveball in a dramatic lead-up to the Women's National Cricket League final in Melbourne.

Victoria will bowl first in the domestic one-day decider after Elyse Villani won a delayed toss at Junction Oval, after rain provided yet another obstacle to the season finale.

The Queensland team and Cricket Australia were forced to scramble late on Friday night when the Victorian Government declared anyone who had arrived in the state from Brisbane since March 12 would be required to take a COVID19 test and isolate until they received a result.

LIVE SCORES: Victoria v Queensland WNCL Final

All Queensland players and staff were tested on Friday night, and all results were returned as negative by 7am on Saturday morning, allowing the squad to arrive at Junction Oval on schedule.

However, Melbourne's weather determined there would still be another hiccup before the first ball could be bowled.

With the toss delayed 75 minutes, play is scheduled to get underway at 10.50am AEDT, provided there is no more rain.

Victoria have welcomed back Sutherland to their XI, with the Australia allrounder's shock return confirmed. She had earlier been ruled out of the remainder of the domestic season, and Australia's tour of New Zealand, due to a stress reaction in her right femur discovered earlier this month.

However, Sutherland has been cleared by Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria to play as a batter only in the final.

"Annabel has worked her way through the required rehab to make herself available as a batter in tomorrow's final if selected," Australia team doctor Pip Inge told cricket.com.au on Friday.

"We'll continue to work with her over the coming months as she completes her return to full fitness."

It is understood that from the time of Sutherland's diagnosis a plan was put in place to rehabilitate her to play as a specialist batter in the domestic final. Given the restriction on her bowling, taking the teenager to New Zealand via a fortnight in hotel quarantine, when her primary role in the Australia XI is as a pace bowler, was not feasible.

Queensland have named an unchanged line-up for the final as they aim to win the Ruth Preddey Cup for the first time in the competition's 25-year history. They have finished runners-up on five occasions.

The Fire are without Australia stars Jess Jonassen and Beth Mooney due to the tour of New Zealand, while Victoria are missing six internationals – Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck, Molly Strano.

Villani, standing in as Victoria captain in place of Lanning, needs just 37 runs to break the all-time record for most runs in a WNCL season, the 629 scored by Zoe Goss in 1996-97.

Big runs from Villani will be vital given the changes to the Victoria side since the departure of the internationals on March 13, with the state losing the two matches they played since, both against bottom-ranked Western Australia.

Victoria XI: Elyse Villani (c), Bhavi Devchand, Annabel Sutherland, Kim Garth, Anna Lanning, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Lucy Cripps, Makinley Blows, Ella Hayward, Courntey Neale

Queensland XI: Georgia Redmayne (c, wk), Georgia Voll, Charli Knott, Grace Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Laura Kimmince, Ellie Johnston, Meagan Dixon, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel, Lilly Mills