I would just point out that I put skill and experience in the same category.

An unskilled or inexperienced fighter will have a hard time beating an experienced one. Alivia wasn't able to kill Cyndane because she didn't have any experience in the particular type of fight they were in. Alivia knows all about battlefield weaves; the type to take out large groups of soldiers. If Alivia and Cyndane had been fighting one the battlefield, Alivia would have probably killed Cyndane because she has so much skill in this particular area. When it came to dueling, however, Cyndane had much more experience, and Alivia wasn't able to win, despite her high power level.

If Lan ever fights Thom in a sword duel, Thom is going to lose. Thom doesn't have the skill that comes from years of experience in swordfighting. However, if Lan and Thom ever sit down to a game of stones, Thom will likely destroy Lan; in this particular area, Thom will emerge the victor. This analogy doesn't completely align with fighting. while fighting, how strong a person is gives him or her an advantage. However, if they are not experienced or skilled enough to know what to do with that advantage, that advantage is effectively lost.

So in a purely hypothetical situation, where an opponent who had only strength was fighting an opponent who was only strong, skill would win.