TAUNTON: Ellyse Perry once again proved herself to be the finest all-round cricketer in women’s game when she converted her overnight 84 into a steadfast 116 to put Australia in command on the second day of the women’s Ashes Test against England here on Friday.
It was Perry’s second Test century in as many innings, having also racked up an unbeaten 213 at Bankstown in 2017, and by the time she was removed after five-and-three-quarter hours at the crease, she had amassed a women’s Test record of 329 runs between dismissals.
Australia batted England to the very brink of Ashes surrender, as she and Rachael Haynes added 162 for the fourth wicket in their first innings. And though both players fell in the final overs before lunch, that did not signal an upturn in England’s fortunes. Instead, a bout of persistent rain swept across Taunton, blurring out the Quantocks and writing off 68 precious overs in which England might have begun to script their response.
Perry and Haynes added 76 runs in 32 overs of the morning session. They proceeded with caution but poise, withstanding a disciplined spell from Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole, who found the sort of full and probing lengths that had deserted them on the first day, but were unable to find a way past two solid techniques and dead-straight bats.
Having resumed on 84, Perry’s progress through the 90s was glacial, in both speed and coolness. There was a bit of a stutter on the brink of her milestone - Haynes was over-eager in backing up on 99 and might have caused a run-out - but two balls later, a wayward shy from square leg gave away the vital overthrow to take her through to her second Test century.
It was another example of England’s ropey fielding in the crucial moments. Meg Lanning had been dropped early in her innings on the first day, and today it was Haynes’ turn for a life - a full-blooded pull bursting through Sophie Ecclestone’s hands at square leg on 66. She couldn’t quite make her luck count for three figures though - Laura Marsh straightened an offbreak into a planted foot as Haynes attempted to sweep on 87. Perry’s vigil had ended four overs earlier, as she galloped out of her crease to meet Marsh on the full, and scuffed a low clip to Heather Knight at midwicket.