Not only is Ellyse Perry the best woman cricketer in Australia, she’s the best in the world.
The 28-year-old’s stats prove it, and the ICC’s rankings of November 12 support the recognition as the world’s number one batter, the world’s number one all-rounder, and the ninth-ranked bowler.
So why is Perry batting seven, and bowling late, at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean?
It doesn’t make any sense.
The accepted batting order, with current tournament averages:
(1) Alyssa Healy – 78.50.
(2) Beth Mooney – 26.75.
(3) Meg Lanning (c) – 18.65.
(4) Ashleigh Gardner – 14.33.
(5) Elyse Villani – 9.00.
(6) Rachel Haynes – 38.00
(7) Ellyse Perry – 57.00.
There’s no argument about Healy, Mooney, and Lanning filling the first three spots.
Healy has been dynamic with 48 off 29, 56* off 31 that included a 21-ball half-century, the fastest in World Cup history, and the second fastest of all-time, plus 53 off 38 – for three successive player-of-the-match awards.
She didn’t bat in the last group game against India after colliding heavily with fast bowler Megan Schutt late in the Indian innings. The incident left the keeper concussed.
Neither called for the catch, a cardinal sin, and the penalty was severe.
Mooney, and Lanning, have been very disappointing. Both are a lot better than that so someone will pay and there will be no better time than early Friday morning AEST when the Australians clash with the West Indies, the defending champions, in a sudden-death semi.
Perry must bat at four in that game to give her enough time to get among the big runs.
Australia’s Ellyse Perry bats (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
So far in this tournament Perry has scored 6* off 2, 9* off 10, 3 off 6, and 39* off 28 to average 57 from once out.
That is a tragic waste of talent, and the same applies with the ball.
Perry’s tournament figures have been 0-12 off one, 2-12 off four, 1-24 off three, and 3-16 off three – that’s 6-64, averaging 10.67.
Hello, when is the penny going to drop to have Ellyse Perry on duty far earlier with both bat and ball?
The West Indies will have the high quality of Hayley Matthews, skipper Stafanie Taylor, and Deandra Dottin at the top of their batting order ready to take the Australian opening attack apart.
So there’s no point in valuable quick Megan Schutt sharing the new ball with a left-arm orthodox spinner like Sophie Molineaux, or leggie Georgia Wareham, it must be Schutt and Perry – the best against the best.
That will decide the outcome, as there are rarely any second chances in a sudden-death semi of a World Cup.
If the skipper has overlooked the past, just look at Ellyse Perry’s career stats after exactly 100 internationals in the T20 format.
She has scored 948 runs at 27.08 with a strike rate of 104.75, and taken 97 wickets at 19.52 with a strike rate of 19.7.
Those stats demand more involvement.
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