How Did Ellyse Perry Become the First Australian to Play 350 International Games?
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Adelaide, Feb 21 (NationPress) Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry made a remarkable achievement by becoming the first woman cricketer from Australia to reach 350 international matches. This milestone was celebrated when she stepped onto the field against India at the Adelaide Oval during the final T20I of a three-match series on Saturday.
Perry's historic feat marks her as the first Australian woman to achieve 350 matches in international cricket, coinciding with her 20-year career at the elite level. Among women cricketers, only two have surpassed her: India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who now holds a record of 357 matches, and New Zealand's Suzie Bates, with 355 matches, positioning Perry as the most capped Australian.
The players following Perry in Australia's caps list are current ODI and Test captain Alyssa Healy at 295 appearances, and former vice-captain Alex Blackwell with 252 appearances.
Notably, Healy has announced her retirement from international cricket after the upcoming day-night Test against India starting March 6. On the other hand, Megan Schutt remains focused solely on the upcoming T20 World Cup without making any long-term commitments. Perry, when asked about her future in international cricket, stated, "(I've got) no particular landmarks really on my radar. I just want to keep experiencing what this team is doing, and for as long as I'm contributing to that, and find fulfillment in that, then I'd love to be around, but I don't really have an end point. There's always exciting things on the horizon, but we'll just see where it gets to," as reported by cricket.com.au.
Reflecting on the series, the Indian team first dismissed Australia for 133 runs at the SCG in the opening match, quickly reaching 50/1 in just 5.1 overs before rain interrupted play. India was ahead of the DLS par score, allowing them to seal a win and take a 1-0 lead.
However, Australia made a strong comeback at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Batting first, they achieved a commendable total, largely thanks to Georgia Voll's aggressive innings of 88 runs. Despite experiencing some late-order challenges, the Australian bowlers expertly managed the game to defend their total convincingly and level the series.