Ellyse Perry (Part 2)

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14 Mar 2024

Ellyse Perry (Part 2)

During the 2018 World Twenty20 tournament held in the Caribbean, Perry showcased her immense talent by dismissing key players such as Devine, Dottin, and Nat Sciver early in crucial matches, contributing significantly to Australia's journey to yet another tournament triumph. In a match against India on 17 November, she achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Australian cricketer to feature in 100 Twenty20 Internationals. Perry further etched her name in the record books during the final against England on 24 November, where she became the first Australian to claim 100 T20I wickets. Additionally, she displayed her all-round prowess by executing a run-out in the championship decider, as Australia clinched the title with an emphatic eight-wicket victory.

On 24 February 2019, at Karen Rolton Oval, Perry achieved another milestone by scoring her maiden One Day International century, an unbeaten 107 against New Zealand. This breakthrough century ended her wait for a triple-figure score in white-ball internationals, after narrowly missing out on several occasions before.

In July 2019, Perry delivered another stellar performance during the Women's Ashes campaign. At the St Lawrence Ground on 7 July, she recorded the best bowling figures by an Australian woman in Women's One Day Internationals, claiming seven wickets for just 22 runs. Later, in the Test match at the County Ground on 19 July, she set a new record for the most runs scored between dismissals in women's Test cricket, accumulating an impressive 329 runs. Perry also became the fourth woman to score two consecutive Ashes Test centuries, joining the esteemed company of Betty Wilson, Enid Bakewell, and Claire Taylor. On 28 July, she achieved yet another milestone by becoming the first player to amass 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals. Perry's outstanding performances earned her the Player of the Series award, as Australia comprehensively retained the Ashes trophy.

Following her remarkable innings of 116 in the Ashes Test, Perry displayed exceptional resilience by facing 432 balls in her next seven international cricket innings across all three formats, amassing 368 runs without being dismissed. On 11 September, in a match against the West Indies, she became the third bowler to claim 150 wickets in Women's One Day Internationals. Perry continued her stellar form in the same series, recording her second century with a remarkable 112 not out off 118 balls, showcasing her ability to excel even in challenging conditions.

In January 2020, Perry was selected for Australia's squad for the 2020 T20 World Cup, hosted in her home country. However, during a crucial quarter-final match against New Zealand at the Junction Oval on 2 March, she sustained a torn hamstring while fielding. Despite the injury, she managed to contribute a valuable 32-run partnership with Rachael Haynes late in the first innings. Australia emerged victorious by a narrow margin of four runs, but Perry's injury forced her to miss the remainder of the tournament. Despite her physical setback, she remained with the team in a mentorship role as they went on to clinch their fifth T20 World Cup title by defeating India in the final at the MCG. Perry bravely joined the team on stage during the post-match ceremony to accept her medal as a playing member of the squad and participated in the celebrations alongside the team and singer Katy Perry, with whom she had collaborated extensively in promoting the tournament.

Following her injury, Perry underwent hamstring surgery with an expected recovery period of six months. In April, she received recognition for her outstanding performances in 2019 by being named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Despite her setback, she was awarded another national contract in April and was subsequently included in the Australian squad for New Zealand's tour in September. However, a minor setback in her recovery during training in Brisbane led to her being ruled out of the T20I and ODI fixtures against New Zealand. Amidst speculation about her future as an all-rounder, Perry expressed her desire to continue playing cricket solely as a batter and bowler, emphasizing her belief that this is where she can make the most significant contribution to the team. Australian head coach Matthew Mott echoed her sentiments, highlighting Perry's indispensable role in the team's success.

In November 2020, Perry was nominated for the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade, as well as for the awards for women's ODI and T20I cricketer of the decade. She was subsequently announced as the winner of all three awards in recognition of her exceptional performances with both bat and ball across all three formats of the game from 1 January 2011 to 7 October 2020.

Perry made her return to international cricket on 28 March 2021 in a T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park, contributing an unbeaten 23 runs from 16 balls in Australia's six-wicket victory. In October 2021, during a one-off Test match against India, she achieved the remarkable milestone of becoming the first woman to score 5,000 runs and take 300 wickets in international cricket. Just days later, in a T20I against India, she became Australia's most capped women's international cricketer, appearing in her 252nd match, further solidifying her status as one of the game's all-time greats.

During England's 2021–22 tour of Australia, Perry showcased her exceptional all-round skills in the only Test match held at Manuka Oval. She contributed significantly with both bat and ball, taking 3/57 and 1/28 while also scoring 18 and 41 runs, respectively. Her performances in the match propelled her to become the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in Women's Ashes history, amassing 1,552 runs and claiming 68 wickets.

Continuing her stellar form in the ODI leg of the series at the Junction Oval, Perry played a crucial role in Australia's victory. She took 3/12 from seven overs to dismantle the English batting lineup, restricting them to a mere 129 runs. In the run chase, Perry contributed with the bat, scoring 40 runs and earning the Player of the Match award in Australia's five-wicket triumph.

Following the successful retention of the Women's Ashes, the Australian team embarked on a journey to New Zealand for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup. Perry made an immediate impact in the group stage of the tournament, securing back-to-back Player of the Match awards. She played pivotal roles with both bat and ball, scoring 68 runs and forming a crucial partnership with Tahlia McGrath, as well as taking the key wicket of Sophie Devine in a convincing 141-run victory against New Zealand. Additionally, Perry's three early wickets against the West Indies helped set up another comfortable win for Australia.