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Devine's superb WBBL ends in a whimper

3 minute read

She's been the dominant force of the WBBL but Adelaide's Sophie Devine's final for the Strikers has been a day the New Zealander will likely want to forget.

SOPHIE DEVINE
SOPHIE DEVINE Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

After a tournament to remember, Sunday's WBBL final was a day to forget for Adelaide allrounder Sophie Devine.

The New Zealander came into the decider for the Strikers on the back of a match-winning unbeaten 65 in Saturday's semi-final against Perth - her ninth half-century of the competition.

With Adelaide asked to bat by Brisbane skipper Kirby Short at a sold-out Allan Border Field, Devine opened alongside fellow White Fern and Strikers captain Suzie Bates.

Early in the second over, however, Devine slashed at a wide delivery from Heat fast bowler Georgia Prestwidge and the top-edged shot skied to Maddy Green at backward point.

Green made no mistake and Devine was gone for five - leaving her eight runs shy of Ellyse Perry's record haul of 777 from a WBBL season set last summer.

The 30-year-old had a chance to make her mark on the game with the ball shortly afterwards, as the Strikers defended a reasonable score of 7-161.

After conceding 10 runs in her first over, Devine's second was a defining moment in the match but not in the way she would have wanted.

Sammy-Jo Johnson, promoted to No.3 for the Heat as a pinch-hitter, deposited Devine for four sixes in five deliveries including three maximums in as many deliveries.

While Devine dismissed Johnson off the last ball of her over, the damage had been done and the Heat comfortably went on to get their victory target of 162 with 11 balls to spare.

Amanda-Jade Wellington, who top-scored for Adelaide with 55 off 33 deliveries, felt for her teammate but also believed the Strikers had dismissed any notion they were a one-player team with their efforts.

"It's a bit unlucky but, obviously, they had plans to Sophie," Wellington said.

"It worked well against her but it's good to see people like Bridget Patterson, Tegan McPharlin, Tahlia McGrath and myself can stand up and actually contribute to the score.

"I'm glad that it's happening ... it's not Sophie Devine versus the Heat - it was actually all of us contributing."

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