Western Australia clinch maiden National Indigenous Cricket Championships women’s title

Callan Morse and Jarred Cross Published April 7, 2025 at 2.35pm (AWST)

Sport

Western Australia comprehensively defeated Queensland to claim their maiden National Indigenous Cricket Championships women's division title on Monday. (Image: Jarred Cross/National Indigenous Times)

Western Australia have won their maiden National Indigenous Cricket Championships women's title after outplaying Queensland in the tournament's decider on Monday.

Having never played in a NICC or Imparja Cup final, WA completed the historic victory after posting a competitive 6/164 on the back of a dominant innings from Mikayla Hinkley.

Arriving at the crease in the second over of the match, the Kunja woman put together a match-winning display with the bat, peeling off seven boundaries and a six on her way to 71 from 44 balls.

After going at a run-a-ball for the first half of the 20-over final and following the wicket of Emily Ramirez (17 from 26), Hinkley partnered with 16-year-old Charlotte Toohey (42 from 32), their partnership taking the game away from Queensland.

The pair put on 104 for the fourth wicket to see Western Australia go at 10s for the second half of the innings and posting a target above eight runs per over.

*Mikayla Hinkley is congratulated after her match-winning innings. (Image: Jarred Cross/National Indigenous Times)*

Western Australian captain Veronica Keen utilised six bowlers throughout the innings, with Clodagh Ryall (3/34) the pick of the Western Australian attack.

A steady flow of wickets saw Queensland falter in the chase, the 2023 champions unable to keep up with the required run rate and eventually bowled out 72 runs short inside 16 overs.

Western Australia took the upper hand early after dismissing both Christina Coulson (9 from 7) and Tracee Williamson (9 from 4) inside the first three overs of the chase.

And when Dharmini Chauhan (10 from 11), formerly of New South Wales, and Clodagh Ryall (8 from 6) both fell in the fifth over, Queensland had slumped to 4/38.

Grace Adby added some respectability to Queensland's score, the allrounder adding 27 (30) before being bowled by Montanna Campbell (1/15).

But once she departed Queensland's lower order were left exposed, with Regina Deleeuw (4/15) and Emily Ramirez (2/11) cleaning up the tail to see Queensland bowled out with 27 balls to spare.

*Western Australia was well supported by their men's team during Monday's final. (Image: Jarred Cross/National Indigenous Times)*

Following the match Western Australian prodigy, Charlotte Toohey, arm in arm with her mum, told National Indigenous Times she was very proud of her team.

Western Australia had previously never made an Imparja Cup or National Indigenous Cricket Championships since the women's division was added in 2008.

"We did amazing," Toohey said. "Even last year I never thought we would have come this far…"

"To be where we are now, I think it's incredible.

"We've come so far as a group, everyone's improved so much.

"It's just [an] amazing, unreal feeling, like hard work's paid off."