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ESPNcricinfo Awards

ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019 Women's bowling winner: Scary Perry

Ellyse Perry demolished England in the process of securing the best ODI figures by an Australian woman

Melinda Farrell
10-Feb-2020
More on the awards here
England needed to complete a record chase to avoid a whitewash in the ODI series after Australia set them 270 for victory. What they didn't want was a rampant Perry scything through their batting line-up.
In a ruthless opening spell, Perry took just three balls to claim her first victim, Amy Jones, who was fooled by late away swing and chipped to mid-on.
Perry's next over netted two more scalps. She used the crease and angled the ball into the front pad of Tammy Beaumont and followed it up next delivery with a brilliant outswinger that took the edge of Sarah Taylor's bat for a caught-behind.
Her opening spell contained another double-wicket over, Heather Knight jabbing one through to the keeper and Danni Wyatt pinned on leg stump with one that nipped back.
After starting England's collapse, Perry returned to hurry it along, bowling Anya Shrubsole and tempting Sophie Ecclestone into a fatal slice to mid-off. England limped to 75, their lowest total against Australia underscoring their second-heaviest ODI loss, in terms of runs.
It was the best ODI bowling performance of Perry's formidable career, the best by an Australian, and the fourth best of any woman.

Key moment

In her second over, Perry had seen off Beaumont and waited as Taylor walked to the crease in front of the noisy and patriotic crowd in Canterbury. Perry ran in and bowled an absolute gem, a length delivery just outside off stump that swung away late and proved too good for one of the game's best batters. The crowd was stunned into silence and England never recovered.

The numbers

7 Overs in Perry's devastating opening spell, in which she took 5 for 18, bowled two maidens, and knocked the stuffing out of England's chase.
49 Dot balls Perry bowled in her ten overs.

What they said

"She came at us hard and we didn't have an answer for it, credit to her."
- England captain Heather Knight

The closest contenders

Shikha Pandey, 4 for 18 v England, second ODI, Mumbai
There were two four-wicket hauls for India - a first - in their second ODI against England. But while Jhulan Goswami's 4 for 30 off 8.3 overs was impressive, it was just shaded by Pandey's efforts. The pair bowled in tandem during the powerplay, Pandey taking her first two wickets through canny use of inswing and seam. She returned for a three-over spell in which her nip-backers thudded into the pads on two more occasions. It was a career-best performance that helped India to an emphatic seven-wicket victory.
Anisa Mohammed, 5 for 46 v India, first ODI, North Sound
Mohammed may have reaped better figures in her long career - she debuted for West Indies in 2003 as a 15-year-old - but rarely has she been forced to hold her nerve in such a tight match. After they were set a target of 226 for victory, India needed just nine runs off the final over with two wickets in hand. Mohammed took both of them, Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav, caught by Stacey Ann King - Yadav on the final ball of the match - to secure victory by a single run. It was Mohammed's sixth five-wicket haul, the most in women's ODIs.

Melinda Farrell is a presenter with ESPNcricinfo