Ellyse Perry has once again shown that there is nothing in the cricket world that she cannot do with a remarkable moment against New Zealand.
Aussie cricket superstar Ellyse Perry may not be in the form of her life but she has once again shown she can do things few others can do on a cricket field.
Perry was named the ICC’s women’s player of the decade, having won the T20I, ODI and the overall cricketer of the decade late last year.
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But Perry’s place in the Australian side was reportedly under threat after struggling on return from a series of injuries.
Perry suffered a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup last year, as well as having suffered a shoulder injury during the 2019 WBBL.
She said her bowling had been a “work in progress”, struggling to take wickets with eight wickets in 13 matches in the WBBL, while taking just two scalps in six games for Victoria in the WNCL, averaging a woeful 76.50 in the 50-over tournament.
Perry bowled just one over in the three-match T20 series against New Zealand, taking 1/8, while scored 25 runs as she finished not out in both of her innings’.
She has also bowled just six overs in the two ODIs of the series so far without taking a wicket, but hit a 50 in the first ODI, before 16 in the second.
Australia hit 7/271 from their 50 overs, despite having been cruising at 1/180 in the 34th over.
Rachael Haynes’ 87, Meg Lanning’s 49 and Alyssa Healy’s 44 led the way for Australia while New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek took 6/46, the best ever figures against Australia in an ODI.
Despite some sloppy fielding from Australia, the side bowled the Kiwis out for 200 in the 45th over.
But while some have claimed that Perry could be on the outer, she pulled off an incredible piece of fielding.
The BBL season saw some incredible moments including the likes of Jordan Silk’s miraculous boundary save while miraculous catches and saves have become a major part of the game.
It was in the 37th over with Aussie spinner Georgia Wareham bowling to New Zealand’s Maddy Green with the Kiwis struggling at 5/166.
While the Black Caps weren’t out of the game, they needed some runs fast.
Green slapped the ball deep with Perry needing to leap to take the catch, before landing just inside the boundary and tossing the ball back in.
“Oh what a piece of fielding that is,” the commentator said. “That is unbelievable work. Ellyse Perry climbing high.”
The question quickly became whether her heel had touched the rope but it was quickly given as a single, with Perry saving the six.
And with her injury list, it was an incredible piece of work.
“A remarkable effort and anyone that has seen Ellyse Perry play, she suffered an injury trying to effect something similar to this in the WBBL, so some real bravery to make that effort,” another commentator said.
The commentators said there were “millimetres in it” and said it was “absolutely incredible”.
The praise continued when the commentators realised Perry had also tried to throw the ball as high as she could so that Beth Mooney would have a chance at the catch.
Post-match, Mel Jones said her technique was the most impressive part of the effort.
“You could see her first and foremost worrying about the foot and then she was eyeing how far Beth Mooney, can I get it to her as well,” she said.
Elyse Villani also took a cheeky shot at Mooney.
“She didn’t just tap it back in, she literally knew where Moons was and wanted to throw it back,” she said. “She got a fair bit on it. But Moons — got to be a bit quicker mate.”
It’s the least she could have done with all the work Perry put in, but the side will have to settle with extending the world record out to 23 matches.
The 71-run win also seals the Rose Bowl ahead of Saturday’s final match.
