Learoyd's gritty knock leads New South Wales to WNCL title

Callan Morse Published March 3, 2025 at 3.30pm (AWST)

Sport

Anika Learoyd's 80 (110) guided New South Wales to victory in Sunday's Women's National Cricket League final. (Image: Pat Hoelscher/AAP)

A patient knock from Anika Learoyd has lead New South Wales to victory over Queensland in Sunday's Women's National Cricket League final.

Batting at no.3, Learoyd's 80 (110) proved crucial in her side posting what became a defendable 10/215 to see NSW claim their first title since 2018/19.

The 22-year-old was under pressure from the first over of the match after NSW lost WNCL Player of the Year award winner Tahlia Wilson for a second ball duck.

Following Wilson's wicket, Learoyd steadied the NSW ship alongside opener Elsa Hunter (17 from 21), before the loss of Georgia Adams (8 from 30), saw the away side slump to 3/61 after 18 overs.

However Learoyd remained ironclad in her approach, striking 12 boundaries in her 39-over innings, highlighted by a 87-run fourth wicket stand with middle order batter Claire Moore (33 from 60).

Following the match, the Gumbaynggirr woman said it was important for her to stabilise NSW's batting innings after losing the prolific Wilson so early in the match.

Learoyd's 80 (110) earned her Player of the Match honours in the 2024/25 Women's National Cricket League final. (Image: Pat Hoelscher/AAP)

"It was tough (out in the middle), it was just a matter of trying to soak up pressure" she said, via cricket.com.au.

"T's [Tahlia Wilson's] a really big wicket at the moment and to lose her early was a big setback for us, so it was a matter of just trying to anchor the innings and hope everyone else could bat around me.

"We still probably didn't get the total we wanted but it doesn't matter at the end of the day."

After compiling 577 runs across 13 WNCL innings at an average of 48.08, Learoyd said it had been a "dream" for NSW to return to the top of women's 50 over domestic cricket.

"It's very surreal at the minute, it hasn't sunk in – this is something the group has only dreamed of in the last five years," she said.

After Learoyd was dismissed leg-before-wicket in the 39th over of NSW's innings, her side accelerated to post 10/215 from 48 overs.

Opener Georgia Redmayne (97 from 122) did all she could for Queensland in the chase, however the home side fell an agonising 21 runs short after being bowled out for 194 in the 47th over.

New South Wales' success in Sunday's Women's National Cricket League final was their first since the 2018/19 season. (Imagw: Pat Hoelscher/AAP)

Four NSW bowlers each took two wickets, with Kamilaroi seamer Hannah Darlington contributing three wicketless yet economical overs to finish with figures of 0/12.

Following her team's success, Learoyd said she was determined to reclaim no.3 in NSW's batting order after an injury interrupted 2023/24 campaign.

"I had my sights set on that number three, I really wanted to fight my way back up to the top of the order," Learoyd told cricket.com.au in the lead up to the final," she said, cricket.com.au reports.

"It was a spot that I'd had the year previously, but probably hadn't done enough to hold on to, so it was one that I really wanted to try and earn back ... and once I did earn it back, I just wanted to keep going with that momentum.

"To be honest, I think it's the effect of having a full season. Last year was a little bit disrupted with my prep with an injury and a rehab stint, and this year, I was able to actually just hit the ground running with a really good preseason.

"We had a lot of preseason games and I probably didn't perform as well as I would have liked in a lot of those, but I think that just made me that little bit hungrier for our actual season."

NSW's success in this year's final marks their 21's WNCL championship since the competition began in 1996/97.