This is Ellyse Perry’s world and the rest of us are fortunate to be around to share it with her. At Karen Rolton Oval, the biggest name in Australian cricket showed once again why she is a transcendent figure in the women’s game, powering Australia to a series-clinching 95-run victory over New Zealand.
In a virtuoso performance, the 28-year old sauntered to her maiden ODI century then returned to finish the job with the ball, claiming the prize scalp of Suzie Bates and finishing with the miserly figures of 1/15 from her seven overs. For the second time in a week Jess Jonassen was in the mix for player-of-the-match honours with her spell of 5/27, backing up her 4/43 in game one.
Perry’s performance was all the more impressive for its control and predictability. In her unbeaten 107 from 110 deliveries she executed only two false strokes and offered just one chance, from ball 109. She arrived at the crease at 50-2 with New Zealand buoyant following a pair of quick wickets. She steadied the ship with Alyssa Healy then combined with Beth Mooney for a record fourth-wicket partnership for Australia against the White Ferns, progressively upping the tempo with smart running and exquisite placement. Perry’s first 50 arrived from 76 balls, the remaining 34 deliveries she faced went for 57. It was textbook ODI batting.
Australia would have expected more than the 247-7 they posted after being asked to bat first under a cloudless sky on a flat South Australian deck. However, the visitors bowled tidily, adapting quickly to a slowish pitch and applying the “straight is great” mantra endorsed by mic’d up wicket-keeper Katey Martin. From 47 without loss and a run-rate hovering around five runs per over Australia hit quicksand, losing wickets and slipping to an RPO below four before Perry took control.
The difference between a total approaching par and something more imposing owed much to a remarkable 42nd over, bowled by 18-year old Amelia Kerr. With her second delivery, the leg-spinner forced Perry into the first mistake of her innings and the shock of the champion fluffing her lines - albeit briefly - seemed to unsettle Australia’s rhythm. Immediately afterwards, Mooney mishit a full-toss to Sophie Devine and two balls later Elyse Villani yorked herself sweeping. Ashleigh Gardner had the misfortune to receive a superb googly first up to make it three wickets in four deliveries just as the hosts were putting their foot on the accelerator.
At the non-striker’s end, Perry kept her cool, crunching a further four fours and two sixes to pass 1000 runs for the summer at an average of 74 and a strike rate of 112. Despite such awesome form, her third century of the summer arrived with a large slice of luck. With two deliveries of the innings remaining Perry, on 97, clubbed the ball to cow corner where Anna Peterson not only put down a straightforward catch but also parried the ball beyond the rope for four. Peterson’s error was one of many in a forgettable day in the field for her side. Along with plenty of sloppy ground fielding and a couple of botched run-out opportunities, three undemanding catches were grassed while two more difficult chances were not held onto.
Australia eliminated the variable of butterfingers by taking the first five New Zealand wickets by a combination of LBW and bowled. That solitary bowled dismissal went to Perry, naturally, whose economy rate of 2.14 helped eliminate any hope New Zealand had of making a fast start to the run-chase. The inability to break the shackles hampered New Zealand throughout an innings that really began and ended with an enterprising 67-run third-wicket partnership between Devine and Amy Satterthwaite. Outside of that stand, no other partnership passed 20.
By consolidating Friday’s series-opening victory in Perth, Australia retained the Rose Bowl, making it 19 years since it was last in New Zealand’s possession. A six-month marathon of cricket concludes next Sunday with the series finale in Melbourne. “We’ve played a lot of games since those days in September, but it’s been a lot of fun,” beamed Perry with her player of the match award.
Her performances at both international and domestic level providing a welcome filip to Australian cricket. “It’s great to see how healthy the game is in this country and how well we’ve been supported,” she concluded, too modest to acknowledge her central importance in that success.
