Allrounder shines in win over India
STAR allrounder Ellyse Perry once again proved she’s a class above, shining with bat and ball in Australia’s Twenty20 victory against India yesterday.
They were made to work for it, but Australia atoned for a rare loss to England the previous day by winning game three of the women’s international tri-series.
Perry starred, taking second-best career figures of 4-13 and belting 49 runs as Australia chased 9-103 to win by four wickets with seven balls left.
Her sublime performance will excite the Far North cricket community just days after the Cairns Post revealed the Australian men’s and women’s cricket teams could be coming to the region later this year.
At 3-78 after 13 overs, India looked on track for a reasonable total but then lost 5-4 during a shocking middle-order collapse at Manuka Oval.
“India bowled really well, especially defending such a low total,” Perry said. “They bowled a bit slower and it was about adjusting to that. It was a really good tussle today and a great challenge but I thought our bowling was exceptional.
“We put the screws on pretty well the whole way through and didn’t let them get away and we took wickets at crucial times. It was nice to get those wickets in succession and when you do that you halt all the momentum of the batting side.”
Perry was on a hat-trick and took three wickets in five balls in the 14th over to crush India’s momentum. The visitors scored just 25 runs from the final seven overs.
The world’s top-ranked allrounder, Perry should have had a career-best five-wicket haul but for a dropped catch.
India won the series opener against England, Australia losing to the latter in a super over on Saturday. The three teams will play again in Melbourne next weekend to complete the series before the T20 World Cup begins on February 21.