Watkin captains Under 21's to national title

Jessica Watkin was the top runscorer and wicket taker at Lloyd Elsmore Park.

Whanganui's Jessica Watkin has led Central Districts to another NZC National Women's Under-21 title after her team wrapped up their last two Twenty20 games in Auckland.

Watkin was the competition's best player with daylight second, having scored 365 runs and taken 15 wickets across both the 50 over and T20 formats, topping both the batting and bowling tables.

Her highlight was the headline-grabbing 200 from 123 balls against Wellington on Sunday.

Central Districts rebounded from losing their last 50-over game to joint tournament runnersup Auckland on Tuesday by winning all three T20 matchups.

On Wednesday they just got home by two wickets against the other runnerup in Canterbury.

After restricting the South Islanders to 118-9 from their 20 overs, with Watkin taking 2-18 from her four overs to spin, Central Districts reach 119-8 off the last ball of the game.

Watkin had set the tone by picking up where she left off last Friday against the same team – blasting 50 runs from 22 balls with four sixes and three boundaries.

She had got her team to 60 runs in six overs when she was dismissed, with her Hawke's Bay opening partner Sophie Pyott (22) the next highest run scorer as the rest of the batters slowly made it to the target with wickets falling throughout.

Manawatu's Olivia West and Nelson's Kate Gaging (both seven not out) had the composure at the end.

Central Districts then wrapped up the title with a four wicket win over Wellington yesterday.

Restricting the Wellingtonians to 90-9, with Watkin taking 1-22 from three overs plus a catch, this time the run chase was more comfortable as Central Districts reached 91-6 in the 16th over.

Again, Watkin got them away to a flyer with 20 runs from 10 balls, reaching 25-1 in the third over, with Taranaki opening partner Emily Cunningham (28) carrying on, while Pyott (24) came in down the order and her team got the winning runs in the over she was dismissed.

Central Districts regained the Under 21 title they won in the 2015-16 season, taking it back from Auckland, with Watkin having played both tournaments.