It is rare that a player achieves the double of Leading Cricketer in the World and one of the Five Cricketers of the Year in the same Almanack. Three men have done it: Kumar Sangakkara, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli. But it is fitting that Ellyse Perry – one of the great all-rounders – becomes the first woman.
The Wisden Almanack has named Ellyse Perry, Australia’s star all-rounder, the Leading Women Cricketer in the World in 2019.
Perry is also the first to be named the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World twice, having previously won the award for 2016. Back then, Wisden summarised her performances thus: “If consistency is the mark of greatness, Perry raised the bar.” In 2019, she raised it still higher, scoring a century (plus 76 not out) in her only Test, and two more (both unbeaten) in ODIs, where she averaged 73. From six Twenty20 international innings, she was dismissed once, averaging a ridiculous 150. On top of that were 21 one-day wickets at 13 apiece, and six in T20s. Quite simply, there was only one winner.
Her performance in the third Ashes one-dayer at Canterbury was particularly breathtaking: her swing, seam and pace embarrassed England, making a world-class batting line-up look as if they had never faced fast bowling. Perry took seven for 22. The first two matches of the series had been competitive, but in the space of half an hour she dictated the course of the summer.
As a result, the former England captain Charlotte Edwards labelled Perry “the greatest female player we’re ever going to see”. Few would argue.
This is an exclusive extract from the 2020 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, out on April 9.
