Elyse Villani ends Women's Big Bash season with match-winning century

Erin Osborne, the former Australia allrounder, retired following the win and was given a guard of honour

Adelaide: Adelaide Strikers 175-3, Melbourne Stars 181-1 - Melbourne Stars win by nine wickets

Scorecard

Elyse Villani ended her season on a high by hitting her first Women’s Big Bash hundred in a nine-wicket victory for Melbourne Stars.

The game was effectively a dead-rubber, with Stars unable to finish any higher than fifth and Adelaide Strikers certain to finish in one of the two positions that would hand them a place in the eliminator match that begins the playoff phase.

Villani went to her century by hitting Dane van Niekerk over the off-side for six to complete the third-highest successful run-chase in the competition’s history with three deliveries to spare.

She went to three figures off just 65 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes, while Meg Lanning returned to form alongside her, reaching just her second fifty of the campaign before falling to Megan Schutt, who was the only Strikers bowler to escape punishment.

Once Lanning fell, Annabel Sutherland kept up the pace, smashing 27 off just 13 balls, having come to the crease with 57 runs still needed with only 5.2 overs remaining.

Earlier, Katie Mack might have thought she would have been the story of the day; the Strikers opener batted through the innings for an unbeaten 89, with Madeline Penna adding 56 in an unbroken stand for the fourth wicket worth 118 runs in 12 overs.

^{Erin Osborne was given a guard of honour at the end of her final appearance before retirement}

Only four wickets fell in the entire game, with Sutherland picking up Bridget Patterson and Laura Wolvaardt cheaply after van Niekerk had fallen first ball to Kim Garth.

Otherwise, it was a day for batters and also for Erin Osborne, the former Australia allrounder who retired following the win.

The 32-year-old played 121 times for her country between 2009 and 2016. She said: “I’ve grown, developed, made mistakes along the way and the thing I’m most proud of is being known to be a good teammate.”

Osborne, who was given a guard of honour, is now moving into coaching.