Five SA wickets fall in final over to hand Tasmania victory

Tasmania have won back-to-back WNCL titles in the most dramatic circumstances imaginable.

Sarah Coyte was defending just four runs as she began the final over, but over the next six balls five South Australian batters would be dismissed in a self-destructive implosion of a previously unimaginable proportion.

Coyte took three wickets and conjured a run out in a final over for the ages to help Tasmania clinch the title with a one-run win under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.

South Australia required four runs from the final six deliveries with five wickets in hand under an adjusted target at Blundstone Arena on Saturday night.

Enter Coyte, who bowled Annie O'Neil (28 from 20) off ball one before getting South Australia skipper Jemma Barsby (28 from 17) stumped two balls later.

South Australia were still in the box-seat, needing three runs from three deliveries when Coyte ran out Amanda-Jade Wellington (1), deflecting the ball onto the stumps in her follow through.

Coyte, who finished with 4-30 and was named player of the match, then trapped Ella Wilson lbw on the second-to-last ball.

South Australia needed three runs off the final delivery but could manage just one as No.11 Anesu Mushangwe, celebrating her 27th birthday, stood dumbfounded out of her ground and was run out to put an exclamation point on Tasmania's celebrations.

The dramatic last over capped a thrilling final in which both sides navigated rain delays and had their noses in front at different stages under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) system.

Tasmania become just the second team to secure back-to-back WNCL titles, leaving South Australia runners-up for the second year in a row.

A red-hot Elyse Villani had earlier spearheaded Tasmania to 264 from their 50 overs with 110 from 126 balls, her third century in her past four innings.

Villani also hit an unbeaten 111 in last season's decider to help her side secure a first WNCL title.

She shared a crucial 139-run stand with Naomi Stalenberg (75 off 89) after the pair came together at 3-105 in the 21st over.

The covers came on and off during South Australia's chase, which was headlined by an impressive 83 from youngster Courtney Webb.

Webb's departure in the 42nd over – thanks to a superb caught-and-bowled by Coyte – left South Australia at 5-185, before Barsby and O'Neil combined to drag their team back into the game.

South Australia were five runs ahead on DLS when the covers went on again with six overs to go.

But they were taken off again, leaving the final three-over scenario.

Tasmania had earlier let some runs go begging, with Villani's departure sparking a collapse of 7-20 as they were bowled out off exactly 50 overs.