Victoria Women, captained by Ella Hayward, secured their first-ever National Indigenous Cricket Championship title after completing an unbeaten run in the 2026 edition of the tournament.
The competition, held from April 14 to 19, featured five teams – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia – in a 20-over format.
Victoria Crowned Champions After Dominant Final
Victoria sealed the title with a convincing 58-run win over New South Wales in Finals Round 2 on April 19 at Harrup Park, Great Barrier Reef Arena. The final brought together the winners of Round 1 finals, with New South Wales advancing after defeating Western Australia by nine wickets on April 18 while chasing 141.
In the other Round 1 fixture, Queensland defeated South Australia by 41 runs at Cameron Oval, successfully defending 148.
Unbeaten Run Highlights Victoria’s Dominance
Victoria finished at the top of the standings with seven points from four matches, winning three games and remaining the only unbeaten team in the tournament.
Western Australia secured second place with five points, while New South Wales finished third with four points. Queensland placed fourth with one win, and South Australia ended at the bottom with a single point from a washed-out match, failing to register a victory.
The Round 2 fixtures on April 15 were abandoned due to rain.
Strong Batting Sets Up Final Victory
In the title clash, Victoria opted to bat first and were given a solid platform by openers Merinda Hale (28 off 31 balls) and Ella Hayward (28 off 29 balls), who combined for a 62-run opening stand.
Cadence Waters removed both openers in quick succession, but Victoria recovered through a 65-run partnership between Annabelle Glossop (21 off 19 balls) and Emma Manix-Geeves, who remained unbeaten on 42 off 33 deliveries.
Victoria posted 157/3 in 20 overs, with extras contributing 30 runs—second only to Manix-Geeves’ score in the innings.
For New South Wales, Cadence Waters (2/27) and Madison Spence (1/33) were the only wicket-takers, while Zoe Fleming delivered a tidy spell without reward.
Bowlers Seal Comprehensive Win
Chasing 158, New South Wales faltered early, slipping to 22/3. Callee Black (29 off 25 balls) and Taleha Urszulak (29 off 34 balls) revived the innings with a 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
However, a run-out ended Black’s innings, and despite a brief 22-run stand between Urszulak and Cadence Waters (14), New South Wales struggled to maintain momentum.
They were eventually bowled out for 99 with nine balls remaining, falling 58 runs short despite contributing 14 extras.
Victoria’s bowling unit shared the spoils, with Annabelle Glossop (3/18), Ella Hayward (3/18), Jaide Anthony (2/9), and Tya Fry (1/18) delivering disciplined spells.
Historic Triumph
Victoria capped off a flawless campaign by lifting the title, marking a historic achievement for the side in the National Indigenous Cricket Championship.
