When it comes to domestic finals in Australian women’s cricket, few players have built a reputation as pronounced and enduring as Sarah Coyte. Over more than a decade in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL), Coyte has forged a legacy defined by winning, consistency and an ability to shine brightest when the pressure is at its highest.
Coyte’s finals record is remarkable by any measure. To date, she has featured in 10 WNCL finals and won them all, a perfect record that spans three different clubs — seven with New South Wales (NSW) Breakers, one with South Australia Scorpions and two with Tasmania Tigers. That unique achievement places her among the most successful figures in the competition’s history.
From her first final appearances with NSW Breakers in the early 2010s, Coyte’s contributions were often decisive. Whether it was a crucial lower-order partnership with the bat or key wickets with the ball, she consistently found ways to make a difference when the stakes were highest.
Coyte’s finals pedigree continued to flourish after moving interstate. She took her winning instincts to South Australia Scorpions, helping them lift the WNCL title during her stint there, and later added further championships while with Tasmania Tigers. One of her most memorable performances came in the 2023 WNCL final for the Tigers, where Coyte defended four runs in the final over and claimed multiple wickets, including two runouts, to snatch victory in dramatic fashion.
Through it all, Coyte has been candid about what drives her performances when the stakes are highest, and her comments provide a glimpse into both her mindset and competitive instinct. On The Scoop Podcast, she recounted a defining pressure moment that reflects her all-round impact in tight games.
“I’m going to have to do something here,” Coyte said with a grin while describing an innings where her actions shifted the momentum and helped construct a vital partnership for NSW Breakers. That unbeaten 128-run stand with a much younger teammate Lucy Finn was more than just runs on the board; it was a testament to Coyte’s ability to rise to the occasion, steady a faltering batting lineup, and lead by example.
Her unbeaten 82 from 87 in that match was the highest score of her WNCL career, and it came in a season where New South Wales is yet to falter. Coyte’s reflections on one of her most remarkable finals encapsulate her fearlessness and belief in her own ability to take control of key moments.
“Junior’ (Elyse Villani) comes up to me and says, ‘what are you going to do?’ I said, ‘I’m going to hit the stumps because we’re not losing this game.’ And then it all just happened.” Those words refer to a now-legendary 2023 WNCL final where Coyte defended four runs off the last over, taking three wickets and contributing to two runouts as Tasmania sealed a thrilling title.
It’s a rare thing to see instinctive competitiveness expressed so vividly, but it’s exactly that trait that has kept Coyte consistently at the heart of winning sides. And while her finals wins are impressive in isolation, they have had extra resonance because of the varied contexts in which they occurred, different teams, different bowling attacks, different conditions, yet the same result.
Now, with her 11th final on the horizon and another title in sight for NSW Breakers who are yet unbeaten in the season, Coyte continues to embrace the challenge with the same hunger and competitive fire she has always shown. If Coyte and the Breakers prevail, she would move to 11 WNCL titles, one shy of the all-time competition record held by New South Wales great Alex Blackwell (13) and level with another domestic legend, Lisa Sthalekar.
As the WNCL season heads into its climactic finale, all eyes will be on Coyte as she strives to add another chapter to one of the most finals records in Australian women’s cricket.
Loves all things female cricket