England trio Danny Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brant and Lynsey Smith helped the Hobart Hurricanes beat the Perth Scorchers by eight wickets to win their maiden Women’s Big Bash League title.
The Hurricanes stormed to victory in the showpiece of the tournament with 30 balls to spare to secure a maiden title with Wyatt-Hodge hitting 16, Sciver-Brunt adding 35 and Smith finishing with 2-8 at Hobart’s Ninja Stadium.
Perth elected to bat first, posting 137-5, and Smith – recently handed her first full contract with central England – impressed with the ball as Sciver-Brunt took two catches to dismiss Scorchers’ Maddie Darke (3) and fellow England international Freya Kemp (10).
Perth openers Katie Mack (17) and Beth Mooney (33) got off to a good start as they shared a 36-run partnership, with captain Sophie Devine (34) also chipping in through the middle order to help her side to 137-5.
Left-arm Smith and pace bowler Heather Graham (2-26) were the pick of the bowlers as the pair scalped two wickets each.
Chasing 138 to win, Hurricanes opener Liesel Lee led the innings with an unbeaten 77 off 44 deliveries, which featured four sixes and 10 boundaries.
Lee was helped by the knocks of Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt-Hodge as the Scorchers struggled to take wickets with only pace bowler Amy Edgar (1-13) and off-spinner Lily Mills (1-22) and the Hurricanes eventually needed just 15 overs to reach the target.
“I’m going to come in and tell my team I’m ready for a big hit,” Hurricanes captain Ellis Villani said after the win.
“Not many people have a fairy tale ending, and I’m one of those people who was lucky enough to have it with an amazing group.”
“It’s special, it definitely hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s a big chapter of my life done and dusted, but I couldn’t be happier.”
“This is everything I dreamed of.”