Big Bash prospect Courtney Webb has taunted many of the Greater Northern Raiders that had once succoured and lifted the 20-year-old up and to new heights this summer.
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The dashing right-hander slogged away a masterful 95 off 91 balls to hand Clarence an emphatic 77-run win in the 40-over Kookaburra Cup encounter on Sunday.
Webb just controlled the innings after from entering at No.3 in the 10th over until being dismissed five short of a hundred off the first ball of the side's final over.
It ensured the home team made a challenging 5-237 for the Raiders to chase down at nearly a run a ball.
The ex-South Launceston premiership player smashed eight boundaries - one more than the combined side that included four opponents that had played with or against Webb in the fledgling Cricket North women's competition just three seasons ago.
The top performance has come off a breakthrough T20 campaign for the Melbourne Renegades that included hitting six off the final ball to win against the Sydney Sixers.
Webb had stroked 33, 25, 32, 34 not out and 30 in five of her 10 knocks during the late overs after her previous best score ahead of the latest WBBL season had been just 26 in eight attempts.
The confidence certainly rose after Clarence got off to a flyer early when Hobart Hurricanes star Erin Fazackerley and Paris Crowe put on 42 runs in the first nine overs.
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Fazackerley fell first for 22 off 26 deliveries and Crowe for a more subdued 29 off 59.
The Roos peeled off 85 from their last 10 overs after Natalie Pearce also walloped a quickfire 21 off 12 balls.
Raiders captain Sam Cotton finished up with 2-29 from four overs that had also included cleaning up Webb's tiring defences.
The visitors had lost Meg Radford cheaply during the fourth over, but opener Montana Bradley and especially Emma Manix-Geeves raised hopes in a 75-run stand for the second wicket.
The match looked in the balance at the halfway point with the Raiders 1-89.
But Manix-Geeves was clean bowled for a positive 40 from 56 balls and nine runs later Bradley was gone for 31 off 67.
Rhianne Hack also went nine runs later and wickets started to fall too frequently for the side that needed to win to keep its top-division grand final chances alive.
The middle-order could not keep up the tempo, losing four more wickets for 26 and had to settle for 8-160.
The result now leaves the Raiders destined to play out a dead rubber game against North Hobart on February 9 after a T20 game next week.
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Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
