Perry on song with maiden ODI century

Ellyse Perry has scored her maiden one-day international century, striking an unbeaten 107 against New Zealand in the second Commonwealth Bank ODI at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval.

Perry reached the milestone from the second last ball of Australia’s innings in bizarre circumstances: on 97 and with two balls left to reach three figures, Perry went hard at a delivery from Hayley Jensen but managed to pick out the fielder on the boundary, only for Anna Peterson to drop the simple chance and for the ball to roll over the boundary rope for four.

Perry followed up with a massive six onto the hill, finishing unbeaten on 107 from 110 deliveries and helping Australia post 7-247.

Her innings was crucial in what was otherwise a tough batting innings for the hosts. Coming to the crease with Australia 2-50 after the 12th over, Perry executed the anchor role with aplomb in a knock that featured eight fours and three sixes.

The century is Perry’s first in limited-overs cricket, despite her remarkable record with the bat in ODIs.

The 28-year-old averages 50.83 in ODI cricket and had 25 half-centuries to her name coming into the second ODI, sitting second in the ICC’s batting rankings in the format.

She’d reached the nineties on four occasions in one-day cricket, scoring 90no against England in 2014, 90 against India in early 2016, before back-to-back scores of 93no and 95no against South Africa later the same year.

Before today, Perry’s only international century was the double ton she posted in the day-night Ashes Test at North Sydney Oval in late 2017.

She made her debut in 2007 – as a teenaged fast bowler – and has since evolved into one of the world’s best with the willow, with all but one of those half-centuries coming since January 2014.

She averages 73.75 since that shift into Australia’s top five and has cemented herself at No.4 in the ODI order in recent years.

It comes after Perry was starved of opportunity during the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last November, where she was listed at No.7 and barely called upon with the blade during her team’s successful campaign – her shift down the order coming when Australia installed their batters with the highest strike rates at the top of the order.

She returned home from the West Indies to produce a record-breaking season for the Sydney Sixers in the Rebel WBBL where she struck 777 runs at 86.33.

Ahead of Friday’s opening ODI in Perth, Australia coach Matthew Mott predicted a big series from Perry off the back of her WBBL form.

“She’s a lock in at No.4 for us and has been in one-day cricket for a long time,” Mott said in Perth on Wednesday as his team prepared for Friday’s opening ODI at the WACA Ground.

“I think she scored at one stage 19 fifties out of 21 innings, so (she’s got) amazing consistency.“She really revels in this format and I think she’s evolved her T20 game as well.

“The Big Bash was exciting to watch, just her taking her game to another level. And she’s been a real leader amongst our group in T20 and you’ll see her at her best here.”

CommBank ODIs v NZ 

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand squad: Amy Satterthwaite (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

February 22: First ODI, WACA Ground, Perth

February 24: Second ODI, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

March 3: Third ODI, Junction Oval, Melbourne