Villani retires from WBBL after fairytale finish with Hobart Hurricanes
The Hurricanes captain announced her retirement from the competition after securing the club's first title
AAP
14-Dec-2025 • 10 hrs ago
Elyse Villani smiles during the closing stages of the WBBL final • Getty Images
Former Australia international Elyse Villani has walked away from the WBBL in fairytale fashion after leading Hobart Hurricanes to their first title.
Hurricanes now hold the BBL and WBBL trophies after Villani's chargers romped to an eight-wicket win over Perth Scorchers in front of a 5000-strong home crowd at Bellerive Oval on Saturday.
The 36-year-old, who has played 99 games for Australia, revealed post-match it was her last WBBL game.
"It's a fairytale ending and in elite sport it's very rare to have that," she said. "It has been playing on the back of my mind this season and I was hoping this could be the way it finished.
"I was 80% sure this was the way it was going to go to retire after the game, but as soon as we won, I knew this was the moment."
Villani has played all 11 WBBL seasons, at Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars before Hurricanes, and finished runner-up three times. She joined Hurricanes for the 2022-23 competition, after the team had finished in last spot three of the previous five seasons. They've since built their roster and only dropped two games this year.
"Sometimes you can have a really good list and feel the pressure of that list," Villani said. "But what this group has done really well is that at different points in the season different people performed."
Villani said she would continue to play for Tasmania in the 50-over format and would move to an off-field role with Hurricanes.
"Cricket has been something that has been a big part of my life and something I'll miss a lot but at the same time you can't sort of live this dream forever," she said.
Hurricanes kept Perth to 137 for 5 before opener Lizelle Lee turned on the jets with an unbeaten 77 from just 44 deliveries.
"I play a high-risk game. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't. I don't think it has sunk in yet," Lee said.
Lee's knock, which included 10 fours and four sixes, came 11 months after Mitch Owen bludgeoned 108 on the same ground to deliver Hurricanes their first BBL trophy.
"They've won it and they've set an example. It was great to do the same," Lee said.
Scorchers coach Becky Grundy was disappointed her side didn't put their best foot forward but said she was proud of their fight to get to the decider.
"We would have taken this at the start of the tournament, to be in a final. Unfortunately not to be. They outplayed us," she said.