While Cricket Australia and the Australian Players Association act like spoiled brats over the Memorandum of Understanding, Ellyse Perry is doing what she does best, winning ODIs.
The remarkably multi-talented 26-year-old steered Australia home by five wickets over New Zealand early this morning with eight deliveries remaining.
After a 71-run stand with Meg Lanning, Perry lost her skipper and Elyse Villani in successive deliveries to 16-year-old Kiwi leggie Amelia Kerr with Australia still needing 76 runs for victory.
Perry was on 30 at the time.
But she took over the responsibility, only to be dismissed when the scores were level, caught on the midwicket boundary for 77.
Perry’s sporting career has been full of highlights.
She was a dual international at 16 with cricket and football – a feat in itself.
Now a veteran at 26 with six Tests, 64 ODIs, 44 T20s, and 18 football internationals, the achievements keep coming
This morning Perry passed the 2000-run ODI mark, and had she not tried for the hero finish, would be averaging over 50.
It’s still a very healthy 49.12, but the transformation of her batting has been extraordinary.
When she debuted in 2007, it was as a fast medium pacer batting at nine. Ellyse Perry is now arguably the best all-rounder in women’s cricket.
In her first 35 ODI digs, Perry batted ten, nine, eight, seven, and six for 11 not outs and 496 runs, averaging just 20.67, with one half-century of 51.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Then someone had the bright idea that Ellyse Perry had hidden batting talent, and she has spent the last 29 digs batting five, four, and three.
It was then that Perry arrived as a genuine all-rounder.
She’s averaging 170.50 at five with 241 runs, averaging 83.83 from 1006 runs at four where she batted this morning, and 56.20 at three with 171 runs.
But a century still evades Perry. She’s knocking on the door with a 90, a 90 not out, and two more not outs of 93 and 95.
There’s been one golden streak in 2014 and 2015 of six half-centuries in succession against England and the West Indies of 90*, 53, 72, 64*, 74*, and 78.
Since the transformation from batting 20.67 down the order, Perry has batted 29 times for 12 not out and 1528 runs at an average of 89.29.
Career wise, it’s now 2014 runs at 49.12, and there’s plenty more in store.
There have been ten ICC women’s World Cups where Australia has won six, and lost two finals, to dominate the tournament.
They are the defending champions and are white hot favourites to make it seven.
And with Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry among the world’s best, the launching pad is there.
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