History has been made today at the Cello Basin Reserve after Northern Districts won their first national women’s cricket title — defeating Wellington Blaze by 67 runs to lift NZC’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day trophy.
#HBJSHIELD history made today: the moment @ndcricket won its first national women's cricket title, this afternoon at the @BasinReserve, after 26 years in the competition. pic.twitter.com/kEA2szrbuq
— #NZIII (@MargotButcher) February 21, 2026
Northern Districts debuted in women’s Domestic cricket in November 1999 and had appeared in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Final just once before, with a very different line-up in March 2020 — beaten that day by the Auckland Hearts.
It may have taken a quarter of a century, but today’s maiden Domestic title, against a top side on Wellington home turf, now goes down in the books as the watershed moment for captain Jess Watkin and her cohesive young team.
It was their summer. In the regular season they’d dropped only one match, finishing a full 10 points clear of the field.
Watkin and Wakelin | PHOTOSPORT
In the bright sunshine of the final, they proved that they could hold their mettle under pressure, and defended a lowish total away from home, ultimately with ease.
Watkin had elected to bat first on a sunny morning in the capital, but little went right initially for her side in the low-scoring decider.
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A combination of three leg-before decisions and Melie Kerr’s deadly googly made things tough going early on, and had Northern’s big names back in the pavilion before they had a chance to get cracking.
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At the 30 over-mark the top qualifier was in the unfamiliar position of being under pressure at 134/8.
Influential Watkin had been one of those big early losses herself, given out LBW in just the third over.
But after the cascade of key wickets, Northern showed they had a tenacious lower order, one that dug in to get the total to 182 - and that was still the fourth lowest tally of their breakthrough summer in this format.
Keeper-batter Holly Topp top-scored at eight in the order, batting for an hour and a half to eke out her 39.
The team’s Swiss army knife Marama Downes joined her for a 40-run eighth wicket stand, a valuable contribution from Downes of 25 off 22 balls.
After Hannah Francis (2/28) enticed Downes to nick off behind, Kayley Knight (14) and Lucy Boucher (an unbeaten 12*) stuck around to support Topp for a further 47 minutes between them, giving Northern something to bowl at.
MBUTCHER
Along the way, veteran Blaze keeper Jess McFadyen claimed her 100th List A dismissal when she stumped Eve Wolland off Francis.
Newly appointed full-time WHITE FERNS captain Melie Kerr finished with 3/49, and her big sister Jess a tight 2/32 after the latter had made two of the big early strikes at the top.
At the innings break, Blaze would have fancied their chances of achieving their goal of a Super Smash/Hallyburton Johnstone Shield trophy double for the 2025/26 season.
But Northern had a good attack, including the energy ball that is spinner Nensi Patel and strike bowler Knight, both freshly named in the WHITE FERNS squad to play Zimababwe this month.
ND quickly bowled themselves back into the frame, inducing almost a mirror image of their own travails with the bat.
Lucy Boucher made the initial breakthrough with a return catch in just the second over to remove Francis; and the loss of Melie Kerr was another huge moment in this game as she departed in the seventh over, after the fourth LBW decision of the match.
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Blaze captain Georgia Plimmer was caught off Knight next over, then Downes crashed through scoreless Jess Kerr’s stumps to leave zero room for doubt over her second wicket of the afternoon.
In the space of three overs, Northern was right back in the contest, the Blaze reeling at 33/4.
The onus in the chase now fell on the shoulders of experienced Rebecca Burns at five, and Wellington hearts were in their mouths when she was dropped off Knight on 4*.
Burns survived to fight some more, and she got the capital through to the 21st over — but by then, they were already running out of batters and hope at 62/7.
PHOTOSPORT
Downes (3/26, with two maidens) was outstanding for Northern, and came back for her last over when Blaze was still trailing by more than 100 runs, with only two wickets in hand and two tailenders up against it in the middle.
She couldn’t quite finish them off, and it was the Blaze tailenders’ turn to fire some shots with the bat in a late rally.
Number eight batter Isla McKenzie, just 18 years old and in her second season, found three boundaries in a top score for the Blaze of 32, while their last batter Rachel Bryant also found the fence twice to give the Blaze supporters at the ground a last mid-afternoon lift.
Watkin had meanwhile swooped in for 2/25 and, when Mckenzie fell at the start of the 42nd over, trapped by young Tash Wakelin (1/8), the Blaze defiance was all over, the team all out for 118.
Northern’s long-awaited celebrations officially began, their own team name now to be etched on the 1935 trophy for the first time.
PHOTOSPORT
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Tomorrow the men's Ford Trophy Grand Final between Canterbury and the Central Stags will complete the Domestic one-day season, that match also at the Cello Basin Reserve from 10.30am and free admission.
