MACKAY (Queensland, Australia): Western Australia clinched the men’s trophy while Victoria emerged the champions in the women’s division of the 2026 edition of the National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC) here on Sunday.
Western Australia beat Victoria by 9 wickets in the men’s final, while Victoria beat New South Wales by 58 runs in the women’s final.
In the women’s final, Victoria batted first and scored 157 for 3 in their 20 overs. Emma Manix-Geeves top-scored with an unbeaten 42 off 33 balls (3 x 4). Openers Ella Hayward (28 off 29 balls, 3 x 4) and Merinda Hale (28 off 31 balls, 4 x 4) gave Victoria a decent start, adding 62 runs for the first wicket. Their innings was rattled after both openers left within two runs of each other – Hale at 62 and Hayward at 64. Number 3 batter Manix-Geeves and Annabele Glossop then added 65 runs for the third wicket. A total of 34 extras (22 wide balls, 4 leg byes, 4 byes) came from some loose bowling by the New South Wales bowlers.
Victoria then bundled out New South Wales for a mere 99 runs but not before they had to labor for 18.3 overs. As many as five batters of New South Wales scored ducks, with two of them getting dismissed on the first ball they faced. Opener Roxsanne Van-Veen failed to open her account and went back to the pavilion after facing 7 deliveries. For Victoria, Ella Hayward scalped 3 for 18 runs from 3.3 overs, while Annabelle Glossop also took 3 for 18 in 3 overs.
In the men’s final, Victoria batted first, reaching a modest 122 for 9 in 20 overs. Brock Larance, D’Arcy Short and Dane Ugle scalped 2 each. In reply, Western Australia scored 127 for 5 in 16.1 overs. Batting at number 2, Larance showed little mercy to the rival bowlers as he hammered an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls, which included 5 boundaries and 7 sixes. However, this was not before Western Australia got off to a bad start losing two wickets in reaching 14 runs, and then survived a mid-innings scare as they lost three wickets in quick succession at 96, 98 and 99. This left Hayden Collins to play spectator as Larance made short work of the bowling to clinch the game.
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