Perry leads Australia Women to victory
Australia stays alive in series against England, but needs to win all three T20Is now to regain wooden ball
Ellyse Perry’s career-best unbeaten 90 led Australia Women to a four-wicket victory against England Women in the third and final One-Day International at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday (January 19). The result meant the Women’s Ashes series was still alive going into the three Twenty20 Internationals. It was Australia’s second win on the trot and reduced England's lead in the series to 8-4.
Australia was without regular captain Jodie Fields, out with a fractured finger, but the stand-in captain Meg Lanning stepped up and provided a swift start to its chase of 269. She was eventually stumped off Jenny Gunn after a 30-ball 40, which included seven fours and a six.
Gunn then ran out Jess Cameron, while Danielle Hazell bowled Nicole Bolton to leave Australia in a spot of bother at 81 for 3. However, Perry and Alex Blackwell prevented a collapse, putting together an 88-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Blackwell reached her third consecutive half-century in 73 balls, but had little time to celebrate as she was bowled by Gunn in the following over. From 169 for 3, Australia plunged to 199 for 6 with eight overs remaining, when Erin Osborne joined Perry at the crease. Osborne and Perry kept their wits about them and put on 70, taking Australia past the finish line with three balls to spare. Both reached their career-best scores in the process. Osborne struck 40 from just 25 balls with five fours, while Perry’s 90 came off 95 balls, with seven fours and a six.
Earlier, England captain Charlotte Edwards opted to bat and the call seemed to be the correct one as she put on a 79-run opening stand with Heather Knight. Edwards, though, couldn’t carry on for a big score, falling to Jess Jonassen’s left-arm spin for 34.
Knight brought up her half-century off 75 balls, but was run out for 57 after a mix-up with her partner, Sarah Taylor. Taylor made amends and reached her second consecutive fifty of the series, top scoring with 64 from 57 balls Taylor played the aggressor in her 71-run stand with Lydia Greenway for the third wicket, but was caught by Cameron off Perry’s bowling. Osbourne then removed Greenway (25), but Natalie Sciver and Arran Brindle added 60 runs to take England to 268 for 4 in 50 overs. It was a decent number of runs but proved marginally too few to seal a win.
Australia now needs to win all three T20Is to regain the wooden ball, the women’s version of the urn. The first T20I will be played on Wednesday at the same venue.
Australia was without regular captain Jodie Fields, out with a fractured finger, but the stand-in captain Meg Lanning stepped up and provided a swift start to its chase of 269. She was eventually stumped off Jenny Gunn after a 30-ball 40, which included seven fours and a six.
Gunn then ran out Jess Cameron, while Danielle Hazell bowled Nicole Bolton to leave Australia in a spot of bother at 81 for 3. However, Perry and Alex Blackwell prevented a collapse, putting together an 88-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Blackwell reached her third consecutive half-century in 73 balls, but had little time to celebrate as she was bowled by Gunn in the following over. From 169 for 3, Australia plunged to 199 for 6 with eight overs remaining, when Erin Osborne joined Perry at the crease. Osborne and Perry kept their wits about them and put on 70, taking Australia past the finish line with three balls to spare. Both reached their career-best scores in the process. Osborne struck 40 from just 25 balls with five fours, while Perry’s 90 came off 95 balls, with seven fours and a six.
Earlier, England captain Charlotte Edwards opted to bat and the call seemed to be the correct one as she put on a 79-run opening stand with Heather Knight. Edwards, though, couldn’t carry on for a big score, falling to Jess Jonassen’s left-arm spin for 34.
Knight brought up her half-century off 75 balls, but was run out for 57 after a mix-up with her partner, Sarah Taylor. Taylor made amends and reached her second consecutive fifty of the series, top scoring with 64 from 57 balls Taylor played the aggressor in her 71-run stand with Lydia Greenway for the third wicket, but was caught by Cameron off Perry’s bowling. Osbourne then removed Greenway (25), but Natalie Sciver and Arran Brindle added 60 runs to take England to 268 for 4 in 50 overs. It was a decent number of runs but proved marginally too few to seal a win.
Australia now needs to win all three T20Is to regain the wooden ball, the women’s version of the urn. The first T20I will be played on Wednesday at the same venue.
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