PERRY HITS MILESTONE AS AUSTRALIA RECORDS THIRD WIN
3 July 2017
A fine half-century by Ellyse Perry and an impressive performance from its spinners helped defending champion Australia maintain its winning start to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 with victory over New Zealand.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand finished at 219 for nine with captain Suzie Bates (51) and Katie Perkins (52) making valuable contributions and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen recording personal best ODI figures of three for 33.
Australia made a steady assault at the target. Coming to the crease with the score at 72 for two, Perry (71) played a crucial role in helping her country chase down the total, becoming just the eighth Australian to reach 2,000 ODI runs in the process, before being caught with the scores level. Alex Blackwell took a single for the winning run.
Perry said: “I’ve really enjoyed batting in recent months and near the top of the order.
“We felt like we were reasonably in control in terms of the chase. With these hard squares, you can get in and capitalise with wide balls and things.
“Today has been our biggest test against a fantastic team in New Zealand, they always give us a tough game.”
Earlier, despite losing opener Rachel Priest cheaply for eight, New Zealand set about building its innings.
But two wickets in three balls for Jonassen, trapping Amy Satterthwaite lbw for 21 and then tempting new batter Katey Martin (0) into top edging to keeper Alyssa Healy, left New Zealand at 85 for three inside 23 overs.
Bates, playing her 100th ODI, brought up her half century off 71 balls but was out next ball, trapped lbw by Jonassen before Sophie Devine was also dismissed lbw by off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner with New Zealand at 120 for five.
That meant New Zealand’s opening five wickets had all fallen to spinners with pace-bowler Megan Schutt then joining the party in the latter part of the innings, finishing with three for 40. Perkins did offer valuable resistance, with a quick single bringing up her half-century from 57 balls before being run out by Gardner.
Australia openers Beth Mooney (32) and Nicole Bolton (26) put on 49 before the latter mistimed her shot off Anna Peterson, spooning the ball straight to Holly Huddleston at mid-on, while Mooney was bowled by Lea Tahuhu.
Captain Meg Lanning (48) and Perry put on 71 together before the former was caught behind off Amelia Kerr with the 16-year-old New Zealand leg-spinner bowling Elyse Villani next ball to leave Australia 143 for four.
But Perry kept the scoreboard ticking over driving a full toss to the fence for her sixth ODI fifty off 73 balls before bringing up the 2,000-run milestone in her 45th innings.
Bates said: “We were just a bit patchy, we had some good partnerships and then we lost wickets.
“Against Australia we need one of our top five to score a big score, we got some starts but someone needs to kick on.
“Nothing really changes, it’s on to the next challenge. Today is a bit of hiccup but we move on.”
Scores in brief:
Australia beat New Zealand by five wickets at The County Ground, Bristol
New Zealand 219-9 in 50 overs (Katie Perkins 52, Suzie Bates 51, Erin Bermingham 35; Jess Jonassen 3-33, Megan Schutt 3-40)
Australia 220-5 in 48.4 overs (Ellyse Perry 71, Meg Lanning 48, Alex Blackwell 36 not out; Anna Peterson 2-27, Amelia Kerr 2-42)
Player of the match – Ellyse Perry (Australia)
Ticket prices start at £10 for adults, £5 for students (aged between 17 and 23-years-old) and £2 for under-16s. Click here to book
England v South Africa - Wed 5 July - Tickets here
England v Australia - Sun 9 July - Tickets here
