The Hobart Hurricanes secured their first-ever Women’s Big Bash League title with a resounding eight-wicket victory over the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL 2025 Final at Ninja Stadium in Hobart. The grand finale, a clash between the table-toppers and the team that took the long route through the play-offs, ultimately belonged to the home side, who chased down the target of 138 with five overs to spare.

The match will be forever remembered for the incredible batting clinic put on by former South African superstar Lizelle Leewhose brutal, record-breaking knock ensured the Hurricanes controlled the chase from the very first ball. Despite a competitive total put up by the Scorchers, led by some handy middle-order contributions, their bowling attack was simply no match for the firepower of the Hurricanes’ openers, culminating in a celebration for the ages in front of a capacity crowd.

WBBL|11: Perth Scorchers’ solid yet insufficient total against Hobart Hurricanes in the final

Perth Scorchers captain Sophie Devine won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to utilise the pressure of a final by posting a challenging total. They managed to put up 137/5 from their 20 overs, a score that looked respectable on the board but ultimately fell short on a good batting surface under the lights. The Scorchers’ innings was anchored by their star openers, Beth Mooney and Katie Mack, who laid a solid foundation with a steady partnership before being separated.

Mooney, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, played a composed knock but was never allowed to truly accelerate by the disciplined Hurricanes bowlers, particularly the spin of Molly Strange and Linsey Smithwho kept the scoring rate in check through the middle overs. The Scorchers lost wickets at crucial junctures, preventing any batter from unleashing a late-innings blitz, with only Paige Scholfield and Alana King adding vital late boundaries to push the total past the 130 mark. The Hurricanes’ bowlers, led by the economical spells of Nicola Carey and Heather Grahamexecuted their plans perfectly, ensuring the Scorchers never reached the 150-160 par score necessary to truly challenge their in-form opponent.

WBBL|11: Lizelle Lee’s record-breaking title-clinching knock

The chase for 138 runs quickly turned into a masterclass in power-hitting, thanks entirely to the sublime form of Lee. The South African opener obliterated the target with an unbeaten, WBBL Final record score of 77 off just 44 balls, a monumental effort that included 10 fours and 4 sixes. Lee started her innings with astonishing aggression, hitting three consecutive boundaries in the very first over to immediately dismantle any belief the Scorchers’ bowlers had. Her partnership with England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge was explosive, setting the tone with over 50 runs scored inside the Powerplay.

Even after Wyatt-Hodge fell, Lee found an able partner in Nat Sciver-Brunt (35 off 27 balls), and the pair continued to deal in boundaries, completely neutralizing the threat of star spinner King, who went for more than 10 runs per over. Lee’s clean striking and audacious shot selection simply overwhelmed the fielders and the bowling plans, with the Hurricanes cruising past the target in just 15 overs. The dominant eight-wicket win sealed a well-deserved maiden title for the Hurricanes, driven by an unforgettable, history-making performance by their powerful opener, who was named Player of the Final.

This article was first published at WomenCricket.coma Read company.