Larance leads Western Australia to National Indigenous Cricket Championships glory

Western Australia’s men’s Aboriginal team has claimed its second National Indigenous Cricket Championships title in three years after defeating Victoria by five wickets in the final at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena.

Captain Brock Larance anchored the chase with an unbeaten 83 from 50 balls (an innings featuring five fours and seven sixes) as WA eased past Victoria’s target of 123 with 23 balls to spare.

The Biripi allrounder also contributed with the ball earlier in the match, taking 2-20 alongside former Australian international D’Arcy Short (2-13) and Dane Ugle (2-25). Victoria had started strongly with a 59-run opening stand between Damon Egan (36) and Kane Hawkins (25) before WA pegged them back with wickets at regular intervals to bowl them out for 9-122.

Kalgoorlie batter Bevan Bennell supported the captain with 22 during an 82-run third-wicket partnership that broke the back of the chase. Despite a middle-order collapse of 3-3 after Bennell’s dismissal, Larance struck two sixes from the 16th over to guide his side home. Seamer Wade King (2-10) and spinner Bailey Toseland (2-13) were Victoria’s best with the ball.

WA head coach Jermaine Davis said ahead of the tournament that Larance had embraced his leadership role. “The leadership role adds another string to Brock’s bow” Davis said.

View this post on Instagram

The result hands WA the men’s title for the second time in three years, following their 2024 victory. The 24-year-old Larance was named Player of the Tournament during that 2024 title run. The win is WA’s fifth combined Imparja Cup and National Indigenous Cricket Championships men’s state and territory title.

The tournament featured eight men’s teams and five women’s teams competing over five days of T20 matches at Great Barrier Reef Arena and Harrup Park on Yuwibara Country. For the first time, Papua New Guinea’s national team, the Barramundis, competed in the men’s group stage as a guest side. PNG earned the men’s Spirit of Cricket award for their approach across the week.

Victoria secured their first women’s championship with a win over New South Wales in the women’s final. Victoria posted 3-157, led by Emma Manix-Geeves’ unbeaten 42, before bowling NSW out for 99 in the 19th over. Allrounder Annabelle Glossop was named player of the match after scoring 21 runs and taking three wickets. Victoria also won the women’s Spirit of Cricket award.

WA finished the tournament unbeaten, with six wins and one no result from seven matches before the final.

The 2026 championships were broadcast on NITV and Fox Cricket via Kayo. Organisers have confirmed the event will return to Mackay in 2027.

Cricket Australia runs the championships as part of its elite development pathway, providing a platform for emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cricketers to represent their states and compete for national honours.