Watch: South Australia were on the wrong side of one of the most remarkable cricketing climaxes of all time, losing five final-over wickets as Tasmania secured a scarcely believable victory by one run in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) 2022/23 final.
Australia’s premier women’s 50-over competition witnessed a finish fitting of the occasion, with former Australia international Sarah Coyte defending four runs to win in sensational style.
Coyte, who played the last of her 81 internationals in March 2016, began by bowling Annie O’Neil for 28 to set South Australia’s nerves jangling. Next ball, Amanda-Jade Wellington tucked a single, but was sent back by captain Jenna Barsby after a direct hit ricocheted away from the stumps, with the latter hoping to finish the chase herself. Instead, Barsby was stumped by Emma Mannix-Geeves, leaving the task of knocking off the remaining runs to the tail.
The next dismissal came with an element of fortune. Ella Wilson might have thought she’d finished off the game when she made good connection with a straight drive, but Coyte managed to deflect the ball onto the stumps with Wellington stranded. Wilson was then pinned lbw, and all of a sudden South Australia needed three runs off one ball.
They could only manage one, Anesu Mushangwe hitting to Elyse Villani, who collected the ball and ran to the stumps herself to ensure there were no more twists. Mushangwe was run out to leave Tasmania victorious by one run.
It was fitting that Villani delivered the final blow, for she was instrumental in putting up Tasmania’s strong total of 264, making 110 off 126 balls. However, it was Coyte who was named Player of the Match for her final-over heroics.
Watch the dramatic last over in full below:
One of the wildest finishes to a cricket match condensed down to a minute.
You're welcome #WNCLFinal pic.twitter.com/97hUMPcuxE
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 25, 2023
