Elyse Villani called it a fairytale finish to her 50-match Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) career — captaining the Hobart Hurricanes to their first final on Saturday in front of a home crowd and winning her first league title.
Yet to bat, Villani watched opener Lizelle Lee drive the chase against the Perth Scorchers’ 137 runs with 77 (not out) off 44 balls, the top score ever recorded in a WBBL final.
Nicola Carey hit the winning four with five overs and eight wickets to spare.
“To be able to be a spectator in that moment and see the pure dominance our team put on display is something that was truly remarkable,” Villani said.
The win means the Hurricanes have bookended 2025 with championships, after the men took out the BBL title in January, also at Bellerive Oval.
The Hurricanes celebrate their first championship win. (Getty Images: Steve Ball)
It also brings Lauren Smith to a record tally of four WBBL championships.
Villani, 36, said the time had come to retire, after four seasons captaining the Hurricanes and stints with the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars.
“The group’s ready for me to step down and they’re in a great place and I know they’re going to do wonderful things,” she said.
Her time in the WBBL finished with change room celebrations as the team gathered around the trophy.
“To have our family and loved ones and our support systems in there to be able to share in that moment as well. [There was] lots of singing, lots of dancing.”
Elyse Villani is retiring on a high. (ABC News)
Dominant season leads to ‘easy’ win
With seven wins and two losses, the ‘Canes not only won the finals but also topped the ladder in their highest placing season since the league began.
Their next best place was in the WBBL’s inaugural season in 2015-16, when they came second on the table and made the semi-finals.
Lizelle Lee drove the chase against the Scorchers. (Getty Images: Steve Bell)
Their dominant season meant that while the Perth Scorchers had to prove themselves in the play-offs, the Hurricanes blew straight through to the finals from the regular season.
While the Scorchers were warmed up from playing four games the previous week, the Hurricanes had last competed eight days earlier, in a match that was suspended before they had picked up their bats.
But coach Jude Coleman said the championship match ended up being surprisingly straightforward.
“Very, very happy with how the game went,” Coleman said.
“Wasn’t expecting it to be that… I shouldn’t say easy but… in the end, it probably was.”
Hobart Hurricanes supporters celebrate the win at a fans’ day on Sunday. (ABC News)
She said there were still some tense points throughout the match.
“Dropped catches and moments where you’re like, ‘Oh gosh’, you hope that doesn’t affect the result or the final and there were a couple there. So that’s probably the low points,” Coleman said.
“But Heather’s wicket of Mooney was a big point in the game and then from there on in, we somehow managed to stem their runs.”
Coleman said Villani’s retirement was bittersweet.
“She’s such an inspirational leader and I know the girls will miss her dramatically next year,” she said.
“It was lovely to see her go out a champion though, she deserves it. She’s such a special person who’s done so much for this game, especially in Tasmania.”
Elyse Villani has played 11 seasons in the WBBL. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Captain says team poised for further success
The WBBL championship is another feather in Villani’s cap after a long career.
She was part of Australia’s winning squads for the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Women’s Twenty-20 world cups and has captained Tasmania to victory in the Women’s National Cricket League.
Villani played 11 seasons in the WBBL, also making the finals in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Reflecting on her first — and the Hurricanes’ first — title, she said she saw potential for the team to remain competitive.
Elyse Villani says it was “phenomenal” to watch her team’s performance on Saturday. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
“The core group is staying together and that’s something that’s really special particularly in this format,” she said.
“I think that we’re built up for sustainable success. Ultimately, nothing’s guaranteed but I think we’ve got the right ingredients to continue to push for titles in the coming years.”
Villani said the team would be looking at improving its fielding after a number of potential catches slipped through.
“Fielding has let us down at times. I think it’s sort of been a league-wide trend that’s up in this season, but in saying that, I thought the great thing is that we created so many opportunities throughout the season.”
As for Villani’s own future, she said she had not lost her passion for cricket.
“I still see myself being involved in some capacity, but I guess we’ll just wait and see what that looks like.”
“My love for the game’s still there, I still love competing.”