Wellington’s U19 Women have been crowned National U19 Women’s champions after a week of commanding performances at Lincoln University.
With six wins from seven matches and the tournament’s strongest net run rate, Wellington set the benchmark from the opening round and never looked back.
Wellington’s campaign was underpinned by contributions across their entire squad.
The side produced three of the top ten run‑scorers in the One Day competition, complemented by three different players finishing inside the top ten in the Twenty20 format.
Their batting unit fired from the outset, producing the tournament’s highest team total of 308/6 and striking an unmatched 143 boundaries.
Wellington also excelled with the ball. Thea Larsen (10 wickets), Anvi Verma (10 wickets) and captain Ava Conroy (9 wickets) coming together to form a formidable bowling trio.
Auckland’s U19 Women pushed strongly, finishing runners‑up with 23 points and impressing throughout the competition.
Their three individual centuries led all teams and showcased the strength of their batting lineup.
Not far behind, Northern Districts secured third place on 22 points. After a slow start, ND bounced back in a big way including recording the highest run-chase of the tournament.
Canterbury and Central Districts each finished on 10 points, battling through inconsistent spells but producing several standout performances across the tournament.
Despite finishing with eight points, Otago’s U19 Women showed grit throughout the tournament, with young talent gaining invaluable experience against the country’s top players.
Abby Fookes headlined the tournament batting charts, amassing 381 runs including a century and three half-centuries.
Fookes was followed by Wellington’s Lily Campbell who scored 226 runs at a consistent clip, and Auckland’s Ayaan Lambat who tallied 219 runs in just three matches.
The bowling ranks were equally impressive, headlined by a three‑way tussle for the top of the wicket charts.
Ananya Sharma (ND), Olivia Paul (CAN), and Rishika Jaswal (AKL) all finished on 13 wickets apiece, closely followed by Gemma Burleigh with 11 - including a remarkable six-wicket bag.
New Zealand Cricket would like to thank all players, support staff and supporters for their efforts across the tournament.
