Anika Learoyd was named the player of the final for her knock of 80 that helped New South Wales take out their 21st WNCL title
Learoyd not thinking far ahead as WNCL success brings rewards
While Tahlia Wilson was rightly being lauded for her stunning Women's National Cricket League season in the lead-up to the final, another name just a few rungs below hers on the runs table was flying somewhat under the radar.
At Allan Border Field on Sunday, NSW first drop Anika Learoyd had her moment to step into the spotlight, playing a composed innings beyond her years to ensure her bowlers at something to defend.
Learoyd came to the middle with NSW 1-1, with Wilson back in the sheds for a duck, and Queensland's new-ball attack up and about.
She steadied and kept her cool while the spinners made scoring difficult and while wickets continued to fall at the other end.
Ultimately, her 110-ball 80 helped the Breakers post what still seemed a below-par total – 215 – and their attack responded, rolling the Fire for 192 in response to seal their 21st title.
"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," Learoyd said of NSW's triumph, their first in five years following a tough rebuilding period for the state.
"It was tough (out in the middle), it was just a matter of trying to soak up pressure.
"T'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."
Sunday's heroics were the icing on an outstanding season for the 22-year-old Gumbaynggirr woman, as Learoyd finished her 2024-25 campaign with 577 runs in 13 innings – second only to Wilson – at an average of 48.08, including her second WNCL century.
She had started the season batting at No.6, a demotion from the No.3 role she had in 2023-24.
But her form demanded a return to first drop and she cemented her spot, with five half-centuries to go alongside the 101 she struck against South Australia in January.
"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.
"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."
Learoyd's form was rewarded with a call-up to the Governor-General's XI that played England in January, and she has made a solid case for inclusion in upcoming representative games, with a 'Green v Gold' red-ball game and a multi-format series against Australia A and England A to come this month.
However, Learoyd insisted during the week she was not thinking that far ahead.
"I really haven't looked too far ahead, I'm not someone who's great at that anyway, I like to go a little bit day by day," she said.
"I just got told that I actually had the wrong flight time for (Brisbane), so it would be a bad idea if I start looking that far ahead."
WNCL 2024-25 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | Bat | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
QLD
|
12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.952 | 0.5 | 4 | 35.5 |
|
2
NSW
|
12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.343 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
|
3
TAS
|
12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.085 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
|
4
SA
|
12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.405 | 0 | 2 | 30 |
|
5
VIC
|
12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.288 | 0 | 1 | 25 |
|
6
ACT
|
12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | -0.863 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
|
7
WA
|
12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | -0.541 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
PTS: Total points