Auckland's women made it three national titles in a row when easily accounting for Canterbury by six wickets in the State League final at Eden Park's Outer Oval today.

Canterbury struggled with the bat when having first use of a disappointing wicket and totalled only 127/9 off 50 overs. The scoring was very slow. Delwyn Brownlee, the Canterbury opener scored 20, but off 64 balls.

It was symptomatic of much of the batting during the game. Usually an attacking batsman, Haidee Tiffen scored 14 off 43 balls.

Top scorers Maria Fahey and Beth McNeill each scored 24, but off 53 and 42 balls respectively.

Kathryn Ramel, 10 overs and one for 16, and Debbie Ramsay, one for 20 off her 10, feasted in the circumstances.

At 28/2 and 50/3, Auckland had slight moments for nerves, but Emily Drumm was still there and with her 37 off 68 balls and 22 unbeaten runs to Helen Watson, off 76 balls, were sufficient to set the win up and it was Ingrid Cronin-Knight with 12 off 27 who helped Watson see the side home in the 37th over.

New Zealand captain Drumm, who doesn't lead the Auckland side - that is Ramel's job - said the win was not as easy as the scoreboard looked.

"Our bowlers did well to restrict them. It was a slow, low wicket which made life harder and Canterbury didn't put together one really good partnership," she said.

The overall competition had not been a brilliant one this year. The bad weather had been a huge factor and that had resulted in the pitches not being as good as was wanted.

"It is a lot more difficult to play really good cricket on pitches like we have had.

"It is a true test of a batsman to play on a poor wicket. It becomes a calculated assessment of how to play and 170-180 becomes a good score," she said. But that wasn't to the long-term benefit of anyone.

One of the problems also facing the triumphant Aucklanders has been their complete dominance. That has meant they have not often been put under pressure. They had only one score of more than 150 made against them this year, and that was not good for players in the side who needed to know how to chase in a game.

"We don't get put under pressure enough. We are our own worst enemies," she said.

One of the requirements the international players would face in their build-up for the series against Australia, three away and three at home, would be needing to address putting together an innings, which was also something other teams in the competition needed to look at.

Drumm said her own attitude was that it was her job to score runs and if she didn't it put pressure on the others lower in the order.

She said she couldn't wait to get back on the pitches at Lincoln University to enjoy their better quality.

In the meantime there is time to enjoy the developing record the Aucklanders are building as the pre-eminent force in the women's game in New Zealand.

© CricInfo