Canterbury [UK]: Australia player Ellyse Perry took the best ever ODI bowling figure by an Australian woman to help her team secure a massive 194-run victory over England on Sunday and subsequently white-washed the English side in the three-match ODI series.
Perry was at her devastating best during the match as she sent seven England batswomen back to the pavilion and gave away just 22 runs in her 10 overs.
England, who were chasing a target of 270 runs, had a sluggish start as the first over of the inning, bowled by Perry, was a maiden-wicket. Amy Jones was her first victim and got out on a duck. In her next over, Perry came out furiously and took the wicket of Tamsin Beaumont (4) and Sarah Taylor (0) on two consecutive balls.
The fall of wickets did not stop as Megan Schutt then got hold of Natalie Sciver, who was also out on a duck. Perry then came in the ninth over and bowled a somewhat similar over as she again clinched two wickets in the over. Heather Knight was caught behind after scoring five runs while Danielle Wyatt (1) was given LBW.
After the conclusion of nine overs, the English players lost their six wickets and had just 21 runs on the board. Anya Shrubsole and Fran Wilson both played a crucial knock for the team and played cautiously. However, Wilson (17) was bowled by Schutt, in the 17th over. Soon after, Shrubsole was also bowled by Perry that halted her 11-run inning.
Laura Marsh and Sophie Ecclestone (0) then took the field but failed to save their side as the latter gave away an easy catch at mid-off on Perry’s delivery. After Ecclestone’s wicket, England’s last batswomen Kate Cross came out to bat. Both Marsh and Cross played defensive cricket as the game witnessed three maiden overs before Marsh, who scored 21 runs, was given LBW in the 33rd over.
Earlier, Australia were sent to bat first and faced an early hiccup in the name of Nicole Bolton, who played a knock of four runs. Shrubsole provided her side with the first breakthrough in the seventh over. Opener Alyssa Healy was then accompanied by Meg Lanning on the field. Both played astoundingly as they kept hitting regular boundaries to the English bowlers. Both scored their respective half-centuries and put pressure on the England bowlers.
Sciver provided her side with the much-needed breakthrough as she sent Healy (68), who gave away an easy catch to Wyatt, back to the pavilion in the 23rd over.
Soon after, Sciver got hold of Lanning (69), who she was caught at point. Continuing her form, Sciver then took the wicket of Perry to end her seven-run inning. Beth Mooney (19) and Rachael Haynes then took charge but the former was given LBW off Cross’ delivery in the 35th over. After Mooney’s dismissal half of the Australian side was sent back to the pavilion when they had 188 runs on the board.
Ashleigh Gardner was the next batswomen but failed to form a good partnership as her partner, Haynes, was caught and bowled by Ecclestone. Marsh, in the 46th over, got hold of Gardner, who scored 29 runs. Delissa Kimmince and Jess Jonassen then came out to bat and played an unbeaten knock of 18 and 24 respectively to help their side post a challenging target of 270 runs.
Australia and England, as a part of their multi-format Ashes series, will now come face to face for a one-off Test followed by three T20Is. The one-off Test match is scheduled to commence from July 18 while T20I series will kick-off from July 26.
Brief Scores: Australia 269/7 (Meg Lanning 69, Alyssa Healy 68, Natalie Sciver 3-51) defeated England 75/10 (Laura Marsh 21, Fran Wilson 17, Ellyse Perry 7-22) by 194 runs.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]