Experienced quick Sarah Coyte will return home to the New South Wales Breakers ahead of the 2023-24 WNCL season
Breakers poach WNCL final hero Coyte
Sarah Coyte, the hero of Tasmania’s unbelievable WNCL title win earlier this year, has been poached by the New South Wales Breakers ahead of the 2023-24 domestic season.
Coyte’s efforts in the final over of last season’s decider against South Australia made headlines around the world after five wickets fell in a remarkable final over to secure an impossible win for the Tigers.
The 32-year-old fast bowler returns to her home state off the back of a decorated international and domestic career, with Cotye having two World Cup wins to her name, alongside nine WNCL titles and a WBBL title win.
Coyte, who took 100 wickets across 81 games in the green and gold in an international career spanning between 2010 and 2016, has continued to be a force at domestic level for Tasmania and the Melbourne Renegades.
The experienced campaigner topped the WNCL wickets tally last year with 30 scalps, and was also the Renegades’ second-highest wicket taker last year with 10 at an economy rate of 7.17.
Coyte will be a welcome addition to the Breakers, whop remain the most successful team in the WNCL with 20 titles, but finished in sixth position last season after recording just four wins.
NSW head coach Gavan Twining expects NSW’s talented but youthful pace attack that includes Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Hannah Darlington and Lauren Cheatle to benefit significantly from Cotye’s experience.
“Sarah has been a very consistent, very successful player for a long, long time and it is exciting to see her come back to NSW,” Twining said.
“We have a pretty young bowling attack, even though a lot of our young players have played at a high level, and Sarah will provide further leadership to that group.
“As well as being a fantastic player, she is just a wonderful person and that is always a positive to bring into any group striving for success.”
Coyte will get stuck into her second stint with the New South Wales Breakers when the squad returns from annual leave at the end of May ahead of the expected season start in September.