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Elyse Villani – An unsung Australian legend who got her fairytale ending in the WBBL

Akshita Patel

Elyse Villani wins WBBL 2025 titles for Hobart Hurricanes [Source: @Surendra21286/X.com]Elyse Villani wins WBBL 2025 titles for Hobart Hurricanes [Source: @Surendra21286/X.com]

Not every great cricket story is loud. Some unfold quietly, carried by resilience rather than headlines. Elyse Villani’s career belongs firmly in that space.

It’s one built on persistence, leadership, and an unwavering love for the game. And fittingly, it ended in the Women’s Big Bash League the same way it was lived, such as with grace, honesty, and meaning.

When Villani walked out at Ninja Stadium for the WBBL 2025 final with the Hobart Hurricanes, she already sensed it. She later admitted she was “80 per cent sure” it would be her last game. 

By the time the Hurricanes lifted their maiden WBBL trophy, certainty had replaced doubt. The missing piece in her long career had finally fallen into place.

Not the loudest star, but one of the brightest

Fairytale endings are rare in sport. Elyse Villani earned hers. Internationally, she never became the face of Australian women’s cricket. 

Playing in an era stacked with superstars like Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy, Villani often drifted in and out of national favour. There were World Cup wins, yes.

But also long gaps, injuries, and the quiet disappointment of knowing she had more to give than selection panels allowed. Many players fade away at that point. Elyse Villani didn’t. 

Instead, she rebuilt herself in domestic cricket. Her true legacy was forged away from the global spotlight, in the WNCL and the WBBL, where consistency matters more than hype. 

When Villani moved to Tasmania, she scored runs and changed the culture. As captain, she led the Tasmanian Tigers to three consecutive WNCL titles, combining tactical clarity with emotional intelligence. 

Teammates trusted her. Younger players grew under her presence.

The night Elyse Villani completed her story

In the WBBL, Elyse Villani had tasted heartbreak before. Finals losses with Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars lingered as unfinished business. 

That’s what made this title different. With the Hobart Hurricanes, Villani wasn’t just chasing a trophy. She was shaping a team’s identity. 

Even in her final season, she contributed meaningfully. Batting in the middle order, she finished WBBL 11 with a strike rate over 150, unbeaten more often than not. 

But numbers weren’t the point anymore. Her leadership was. When nerves threatened to overwhelm the Hurricanes in the final, Elyse Villani reminded them that more than perfection, they needed just presence. 

Compete in every moment. Bounce back. Stay in the game. That message carried them home.

Elyse Villani retires a hero

When Elyse Villani announced her retirement after the win, there were tears, not because a star was leaving, but because a leader was. 

Villani chose to walk away while still performing, still trusted, still fulfilled. In a sport that rarely allows control over endings, she took hers on her own terms.

She finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in WBBL history with 3841 runs to her name in 143 innings, including a hundred and 25 half-centuries.

Elyse Villani may never be remembered as Australia’s most glamorous batter. But she will be remembered as something rarer, a cricketer who endured, adapted, and elevated everyone around her. 

An unsung legend who didn’t need the spotlight to leave the game better than she found it. And in Hobart, under the lights, with a trophy finally in her hands, Elyse Villani found the ending she deserved.