NSW secure another women's league title

New South Wales 7 for 218 (Keightley 75, Cunneen 54) beat Victoria 217 for 4 (Clark 115) by three wickets
Scorecard

Leonie Coleman and Alex Blackwell of New South Wales celebrate hitting the winning runs © Getty

New South Wales regained the women's national league title, beating Victoria by three wickets in the third and deciding final at the MCG. It is the seventh time in eight seasons NSW have won the title after Victoria's success last season.

New South Wales were always well-placed in their run chase on the back of an opening stand of 119 from Lisa Keightley (75) and Shannon Cunneen (54). Victorian quick Cathryn Fitzpatrick (3 for 38) struck back late with three wickets in three overs, but the NSW middle-order bats took on the fielders, and fumbles followed as run-out chances dried up.

Victoria's captain Belinda Clark made 115 - the third time in the finals series she top-scored for her side, and along with Fitzpatrick (24 not out from 23 balls), steered her side to what looked an imposing total.

But Keightley, who has forced her way back into the national side after reversing her decison to retire from internationals, was always confident the target could be reached. "Being an older member of the side I had to go out there and be positive and show the younger ones we can get it if we bat that way, and Shannon and I got a really good partnership which set us up," she said. "I was a bit disappointed when I got out [caught sweeping in the 38th over] - I thought it cost us - but we got over the line, so it just shows we've got depth all the way down. To come back losing the first day is awesome. Any team that does that, it shows a bit of character."

Clark was named player of the finals after top-scoring for Victoria in all three matches, but was left bemoaning some lax fielding in her side's two losses the past two days. "Today that was enough runs to win this game," she said, "and we let them get away with too much."