Superstar opener Lizelle Lee has produced a grand final for the ages, pulling off an outrageous record knock to power the Hobart Hurricanes to a maiden WBBL title.
Lee brutally dismantled a helpless Perth Scorchers bowling attack to all parts of Ninja Stadium, finishing unbeaten on 77 not out off just 44 balls to steer the Hurricanes to a comprehensive eight-wicket championshp win with five overs to spare.
Lee’s innings, which included 10 fours and four sixes, was the highest individual score in a WBBL grand final, surpassing Hayley Matthews’ 69-run knock for the Melbourne Renegades in last season’s decider.
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“This might be her most memorable half-century in the WBBL,” Fox Cricket commentator Natalie Germanos said during Lee’s innings.
“She’s playing with so much freedom … Is anybody going to stop Lizelle Lee?
“Incredible. Such clean hitting.”
Fellow commentator Kirby Short added: “Lizelle Lee putting on an absolute clinic. She’s found her tempo.”
The Final: Canes vs Perth Highlights | 13:52
The Hurricanes are now the most dominant organisation in Australian T20 cricket, claiming their first WBBL Championship just 10 months after the men’s claimed their first BBL title.
“It feels amazing,” Hurricanes captain Elyse Villani told Fox Cricket. “There were times when I thought: ‘Is this ever going to happen?’
“It’s been a dream of mine for so long, so to actually stand here and be able to say I’m a Big Bash champion is something I didn’t necessarily think would happen. I just can’t believe it has, to be honest.”
Hobart needed 104 from 99 balls at one stage in the game before Lee kicked into second gear and took it to the Scorchers bowlers.
Lee hit back-to-back crowd catches just after the drinks break to really stamp her authority on the game.
Continuing on from there, Lee made sure the run chase wasn’t left to the final ball as her and England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt put on a clinic against a Perth bowling line up.
Hurricanes fans remember the night Mitch Owen took to the Sydney Thunder bowlers in January with Lee following suit, taking no prisoners.
The Hurricanes become the third team to hold both Australian T20 titles, following the Sydney Thunder in 2015/16 and Perth Scorchers 2021/22.
It looked like the Hurricanes were in for a tough night with multiple dropped catches and sloppy fielding, which saw Scorchers batters Beth Mooney (33 from 26 balls), Sophie Devine (34 from 29 balls) and Paige Schofield (27 not out from 22 balls) help their side reach 5-137 from 20 overs.
Devine looked set for a big score to help the Scorchers towards a massive total to defend, but Hurricanes bowlers Linsey Smith (2-8) and Heather Graham (2-26) fought back with the ball.
The Scorchers looked like they could have created history themselves by coming from fourth to potentially win the WBBL after winning the first final against Melbourne Stars before travelling to Sydney to beat a star studded Sydney Sixers before making the trip to Hobart for Saturday’s final.
The Hurricanes fired plenty of shots with the bat with a 49 run opening stand by Lee and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (16 from 15 balls) before a 77-run partnership between Lee and Sciver-Brunt (35 from 27 balls) to sit at 2-126 with just 12 to win.
It has been 11 years in the making for the Hurricanes to claim its first WBBL championship.
MORE TO COME
— NCA NewsWire