WNCL: NSW Wins 21st Title Of The Tournament

New South Wales (NSW) won their 21st Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) title in a nail-biting final against Queensland, taking the win by 21 runs. The win was achieved in dramatic style by a bizarre run-out, which left Queensland’s tailenders unable to catch up and eventually condemned them to defeat.

NSW Puts a Respectable Target

NSW, who batted first, reached a total of 215 all out in 48 overs on Sunday at Allan Border Field. Anika Learoyd was the star, delivering a gritty 80 off 110 deliveries, and Claire Moore chipped in with 33. NSW could not build any sort of momentum with only a few individuals showing their ability, and their innings fell away relatively early, leaving Queensland with an achievable target.

But the tally of 215 was tough for Queensland to handle, particularly with the quality of bowlers NSW had at their disposal.

Redmayne’s Near-Miss Century

Queensland’s pursuit was commanded by their opener, Georgia Redmayne, who played a patient knock of 97 off 122 balls, falling short of a century. Redmayne’s determination took Queensland to the doorstep of victory, but tragedy struck in the 41st over when Queensland was 173 for 7 and still required 43 more runs.

In a strange twist of fate, Redmayne was run out backing up at the non-striker’s end. Nicola Hancock sent a strong shot back to NSW’s Lauren Cheatle, who tried to take the catch but dropped the ball. But the ball rebounded off her hands and struck the stumps, catching Redmayne way out of her crease. The run-out moment left both the players and viewers shocked, as Redmayne, who was playing well, was left stranded three runs away from a well-deserved century.

Queensland’s Downfall

With Redmayne gone, Queensland’s winning chances disappeared in a flash. The lower half of their batting lineup collapsed under pressure, with NSW bowlers Cheatle, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Sam Bates, and captain Georgia Adams all playing pivotal roles in the win. Queensland was finally bowled out for 194 in the 47th over, handing NSW a 21-run victory and their 21st WNCL title.

This was a huge milestone for NSW, as this was their first Ruth Preddy Cup win since the 2018-19 season. The players of the team, some of whom were veterans, went crazy when the final wicket fell to bring Queensland’s namby-pamby innings to an end.

Missed opportunities for Queensland

The only spot of cheer for Queensland was Redmayne’s knock, as her exit reflected a bigger collapse. They were at 135 for 2 at the 30th over but from there their batting disintegrated. Redmayne kept the innings together, but with her demise and the lower order unable to make telling contributions, Queensland had too big a task on their hands going into the final overs.

Sianna Ginger (36) and Charli Knott (14) were the only other Queensland batsmen to reach double figures, which highlighted the lack of depth in their batting line-up. The failure to capitalize on their strong start proved to be costly.

Sarah Coyle’s Special Triumph

The victory also marked another milestone for NSW veteran Sarah Coyte, who now has 10 WNCL titles to her name across three different states. Coyte, 33, has been at the forefront of NSW’s triumph in the tournament, winning six titles with NSW between 2010 and 2015. Following a temporary stay with South Australia and Tasmania, during which she collected three more titles, Coyte’s return to NSW and subsequent success in this year’s final made the victory even sweeter.

A Well-Rounded Effort from NSW in WNCL

Although Cheatle’s dramatic run-out will likely be recalled as the highlight of the final, the overall win was a testament to a team effort. NSW’s bowlers, spearheaded by the veteran hands of Johnson, Bates, and Adams, had Queensland on their toes throughout the game. The disciplined bowling performance limited Queensland’s run-scoring and was largely responsible for their collapse despite a blistering start.

NSW’s 215 total might have appeared small, but their success in defending it with ease proved that they were deep in batting as well as bowling. The win also proved that they were resilient, particularly after some nervous moments during the middle overs.

Awaiting More Success

This win for NSW is a return to the familiar for a couple of years since they last held the WNCL trophy. As they marked their 21st title, they will now seek to follow this up and maintain their stranglehold on Australian women’s cricket.

Queensland will be hurt by the loss but can find comfort in the fact that they took a powerful NSW team to the wire. But the agony of Redmayne’s almost-century and the late meltdown will haunt them with what could have been.

Ultimately, it was NSW’s clinical all-around show, punctuated with a stroke of fortune in the guise of Cheatle’s deflection, which helped them retain the Ruth Preddy Cup yet again and ensure their reputation as one of the most successful sides in WNCL history.

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