On October 31 last year Matt Toomua was in the Wallaby squad that lost the Rugby World Cup final 34-17 at Twickenham.
The win gave the men-in-black a record third World Cup, their first on foreign soil, and became the first in eight tournaments to win back-to-back.
Last night at Eden Gardens, Toomua’s wife Ellyse Perry was in the Australian side that lost the T20 World Cup final to the West Indies with just three deliveries remaining.
It was the Windies first in five tournaments, denying the Australians a record fourth successive title.
It’s tough losing a big final, but even tougher with two in the same household.
But there was nothing in the Eden Gardens decider.
Australian captain Meg Lannng won the toss and decided to bat, losing keeper Alyssa Healy early, the niece of former great keeper Ian Healy.
That meant the big three had to fire – Elyse Villani, Lanning and Perry – and they did.
Villani (52),and Lanning (52) put on a 77-run second wicket stand off seven overs, before Lanning and Perry (28) added 42 runs from six overs for the third.
In the final over, offie Deandra Dottin was simply superb trapping Perry in front for 28 off 23, and next ball Erin Osborne was run out – two wickets in the over, giving up just one run.
But 148 was a very defendable total.
The Windies burst out of the blocks with 18-year-old Hayley Matthews, the player of the final, and Stafanie Taylor, the player of the tournament, putting on 120 off 15.4 overs.
Matthews’ lusty 66 came off just 45 deliveries with six fours and three sixes – Taylor’s 59 off 57 with six boundaries.
With Taylor and Deandra Dottin at the crease, the Windies needed 14 of the last 12 deliveries.
Kristen Beames went for 11 off the penultimate over, but dismissed the dangerous Taylor on the way, leaving just three runs off Perry’s final over.
Dottin took a single off the first ball, Britney Cooper somehow kept out a Perry yorker and pushed the third ball to midwicket.
Cooper should have been run-out at the bowler’s end but the ball went for over-throws – game over with just three deliveries remaining.
It was so close all the way.
The comparatives
The Australian 50 came off 5.4 overs.
The Windies 50 off 6.4
The Australian 100 came off 13.3 overs.
The Windies 100 also came off 13.3.
Villani’s 50 came off 34 deliveries
Lanning’s 50 off 45.
Matthews 50 off 35.
And Taylor’s 50 off 48.
It was the first time in the five deciders the two teams both provided two half-centuries.
So well played West Indies, it was a tremendous game to watch.
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