Villani Retires from WBBL After Fairytale Title Win with Hobart Hurricanes

Former Australian international Elyse Villani has announced her retirement from the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) after captaining the Hobart Hurricanes to their maiden championship in a storybook finish at Bellerive Oval.

The Hurricanes completed a dominant eight-wicket victory over Perth Scorchers in Saturday’s final, played in front of a 5,000-strong home crowd. The triumph means Hobart now hold both the men’s and women’s Big Bash titles, following their BBL success earlier this year.

Speaking after the match, the 36-year-old Villani revealed the final was her last appearance in the WBBL.

“It’s a fairytale ending and in elite sport it’s very rare to have that,” Villani said. “It had been playing on the back of my mind this season. I was about 80 per cent sure I’d retire after the game, but as soon as we won, I knew this was the moment.”

Villani, who played 99 matches for Australia, featured in all 11 seasons of the WBBL, representing Perth Scorchers, Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes. Prior to this season, she had finished runner-up three times in the competition.

She joined the Hurricanes ahead of the 2022–23 season, following a difficult period for the club, which had finished last in three of the previous five campaigns. Since then, Hobart has steadily rebuilt, losing just two matches throughout the current season.

“Sometimes you can have a really good list and feel the pressure of that list,” Villani said. “But what this group has done so well is that different people stepped up at different times.”

In the final, the Hurricanes restricted Perth to 137 for five before opener Lizelle Lee produced a match-winning performance, smashing an unbeaten 77 from just 44 balls. Her innings included 10 fours and four sixes.

“I play a high-risk game. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn’t,” Lee said. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”

Lee’s knock came almost a year after Mitch Owen struck a memorable century at the same venue to secure Hobart’s first-ever BBL title.

“They’ve won it and set an example,” Lee said. “It was great to do the same.”

Perth Scorchers coach Becky Grundy conceded her side was outplayed on the day but praised her team’s efforts across the season.

“We would have taken this at the start of the tournament, to be in a final,” Grundy said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t to be. They outplayed us.”

While Villani’s WBBL career has come to an end, she will continue to play 50-over cricket for Tasmania and transition into an off-field role with the Hurricanes.

“Cricket has been a big part of my life and something I’ll miss a lot,” Villani said. “But you can’t live this dream forever.”