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‘That’s heartbreaking’: Ellyse Perry falls agonisingly short of century in Trent Bridge Ashes Test

Ellyse Perry has fallen agonisingly short of scoring her third Test century, dismissed for 99 on day one of the women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.

Nic Savage
3 min read
June 23, 2023 - 8:48AM
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Ellyse Perry has fallen agonisingly short of scoring her third Test century, dismissed for 99 on day one of the women’s Ashes Test against England at Trent Bridge.

The 32-year-old, promoted to No. 3 in the absence of incumbent captain Meg Lanning, was dismissed by England debutant Lauren Filer after slicing directly towards the gully fielder, departing one run short of the coveted milestone.

“That’s heartbreaking,” former Australian vice-captain Rachael Haynes said on Channel 9.

Perry would have become just the second Australian woman to score three Ashes Test centuries, joining the legendary Betty Wilson, who achieved the feat in 1958. She currently averages 77.36 with the bat in Tests, the highest for any women’s cricketer with at least 15 innings.

MATCH CENTRE: Women’s Ashes Test scorecard

The visitors were in a commanding position before England spinner Sophie Ecclestone ripped through Australia’s middle order in a game-changing spell.

Australia was 7-328 at stumps on day one, with Annabel Sutherland (39*) and Alana King (7*) unbeaten in the middle after the tourists elected to bat first.

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Ellyse Perry reacts after being dismissed for 99. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Ellyse Perry reacts after being dismissed for 99. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Perry took her Test batting average above 77 and didn’t want to be disappointed after her team put itself in a strong position despite a third consecutive Test duck for captain Alyssa Healy.

“So that ball just had my measure, which is totally fine. It’s a number, and one that we talk about a lot in cricket, but the whole experience out there today was so much fun,” Perry said at stumps.

“I’ve loved every opportunity. Sometimes things just go that way. It’s hard to be disappointed.”

“It was nice to contribute. It was nice to be a part of a few really good partnerships, particularly that one with TMac (Tahlia McGrath).

“It’s just like any other time to get out. It’s a bit of a bummer, but gosh, the game definitely goes on, and life goes on for sure.”

The day started with Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth each being handed their maiden Test caps.

Litchfield, opening the batting alongside Beth Mooney, smacked five elegant boundaries through the covers before falling victim to England seamer Kate Cross in the ninth over. The 20-year-old left alone an inswinger that slapped into her front pad, electing not to review the decision and walking off for 23 – only for Hawkeye replays to show it would have missed off stump.

Mooney rode her luck throughout the first hour, with Cross dropping a return catch on 9 before another chance was put down at gully on 19.

Filer almost had a dream start to her Test debut, awarded an LBW dismissal against Perry with her first ball of the match – only for the decision to be overturned after the Australian’s review showed an inside edge.


But Filer didn’t have to wait long for her maiden Test wicket, removing Mooney for 33 after the left-hander chipped a catch towards gully for 33.

Ecclestone dried up the runs from one end, leaking just eight from her first six overs, but Perry and vice-captain Tahlia McGrath were stoic in the middle.

The run rate climbed rapidly after the lunch break – Perry passed fifty, her fourth in Tests, with a delicate late cut towards deep third, reaching the minor milestone in 76 deliveries. McGrath followed suit a few overs later, bringing up her half-century in just 67 balls, the fourth-fastest Test fifty for an Australian woman on record.

Australia was seemingly in cruise control before Ecclestone broke the 119-run third-wicket partnership with an absolute peach that spun past McGrath’s forward defence and crashed into middle stump – she departed for 61, her highest score in Tests.

The evening session by more than an hour due to heavy rain in Nottingham, but Ecclestone started to work her magic once play resumed.

Jess Jonassen, promoted to No. 5 after her century in last week’s warm-up match against England, gloved a catch towards short leg on 11, bringing the Australian skipper to the middle. But Healy only survived two deliveries, bowled for her third-consecutive Test duck after playing all around another beauty from Ecclestone.

Perry looked destined to reach a hundred before her untimely dismissal in the 60th over, with Filer picking up her second scalp of the match. Australia had suddenly lost 3-12 in a dramatic 24-ball passage after the rain delay.

All-rounders Sutherland and Ash Gardner steadied the ship, combining for a 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket to push Australia’s first-innings total towards 300.

The second new ball did the trick for England – Lauren Bell found Gardner’s outside edge in the 82nd over, with wicketkeeper Amy Jones claiming a smart catch to her right.

Originally published as ‘That’s heartbreaking’: Ellyse Perry falls agonisingly short of century in Trent Bridge Ashes Test

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/thats-heartbreaking-ellyse-perry-falls-agonisingly-short-of-century-in-trent-bridge-ashes-test/news-story/81957b39ce80382031af3a9bf64fef61