‘Really struggling’: Ellyse Perry starts World Cup clash with tumultuous 12-ball over

Superstar Ellyse Perry has channelled her inner under-10s player, starting Saturday’s World Cup clash with an agonising 12-ball over.

Ellyse Perry has channelled her inner Daryl Tuffey, powering through an agonising 12-ball over during Saturday’s World Cup match against India in Auckland.

The superstar all-rounder and reigning ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade has been one of Australia’s standout performers in the 50-over tournament in New Zealand, scoring 68 against the hosts in Wellington before taking 3/22 in a blistering spell against the West Indies on Tuesday.

But Perry completely lost her radar against the Indians at Eden Park.

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Every professional cricketer has endured similar torment at some stage in their career. West Indies legend Curtly Ambrose, who claimed 405 Test wickets at 20.99, bowled a 17-ball over against Australia at the WACA in 1997, with the late Shane Warne copping a bouncer barrage.

New Zealander paceman Daryl Tuffey infamously started a one-day international against Australia in 2005 with a 14-ball over that featured four wides and four no-balls.

Perry’s brain fade seems considerably less embarrassing in comparison.

India was 2/44 after 11 overs when Perry was introduced into the attack, starting her spell with a delivery that flicked Yastika Bhatia’s pad on the way through to the wicketkeeper for a fortuitous dot ball.

The Aussie backed it up with a leg-side wide before Bhatia flicked another loose delivery towards fine leg for a boundary.

Perry responded with another leg-side wide and a full delivery on the pads that was clipped into a gap for a single.

The over was half-completed at this stage, but unfortunately for Perry, the worst was yet to come.

Ellyse Perry of Australia. Photo by Mark Tantrum/Getty Images

The 31-year-old’s first delivery to Indian captain Mithali Raj was a wide, following it up with a dot ball and a single.

With one delivery left in the over, Perry decided to come around to the wicket to the left-handed Bhatia – a move that quickly backfired.

Perry’s ninth delivery of the over sailed so far down the leg side that Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy couldn’t prevent it racing away for five wides.

Indian supporters in the stands started jeering the Aussie seamer as she threw down another pair of leg-side wides before returning over the wicket and finishing the nine-minute marathon with a dot ball.

“The good thing is there’s a bit of a smirk, she’s trying to relax herself,” former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar said in commentary.

“In these situations, if it’s swinging too much and you can’t control it, you can’t get your line, you go cross seam, just get out of the over.“

Perry’s 12-ball over leaked 16 runs, 10 of which came from wides. She was immediately taken out of the attack and replaced by off-spinner Ash Gardner.

AAP reporter Ben McKay tweeted: “Six wides including one that went to the ropes in an awful Ellyse Perry over. The Indian crowd right over her shoulder with the tight Eden Park boundaries yelling WIIIIDDDDDE before, during, after each ball.”

A case of the Daryl Tuffeys here for Ellyse Perry #CWC22

— Guy Heveldt (@GuyHeveldt) March 19, 2022

Perry really struggling to complete her over. #CWC22

— Jigar Mehta (@jigsactin) March 19, 2022

Teenage quick Darcie Brown claimed Australia’s first two scalps against India, removing openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma during the Powerplay for 10 and 12 respectively.

Beth Mooney held onto a screamer at gully to help remove the dangerous Verma in the sixth over.

“They just don‘t drop them,” former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith said in commentary.

“Australia can do nothing wrong.”

Bhatia and Raj steadied the ship for India, combining for a century partnership to frustrate the Australians.

Australia is undefeated in the Women’s World Cup after four games, while India is fighting for a semi-finals spot after suffering defeats to England and New Zealand.

“There‘s a great aura about this ground and I think playing great teams in great venues is what this team is all about,” Australian coach Matthew Mott told reporters on Friday.

“We will certainly be trying to encourage everyone to be aggressive at the start, we want to take early wickets, which we‘ve done pretty well throughout the tournament.

“But if they do get on top, there‘s some Plan B’s and C’s that we’ve got up our sleeve … every bowler in our squad is very different.”

Darcie Brown celebrates the wicket of Shafali Verma. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Australian XI

Alyssa Healy (wk), Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Jessica Jonassen, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

Indian XI

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (c),, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Originally published as ‘Really struggling’: Ellyse Perry starts World Cup clash with tumultuous 12-ball over