Ellyse Perry Bowls Australia To ICC WT20 Glory

Ellyse Perry Bowls Australia To ICC WT20 Glory

Ellyse Perry (left) celebrates after her excellent final over prevented New Zealand taking the win.

©REUTERS/Philip Brown (BARBADOS - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Ellyse Perry Bowls Australia To ICC WT20 Glory

The Australia team celebrates their victory.

©REUTERS/Philip Brown (BARBADOS - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Australia 106-8 (Poulton 20, Browne 2-11) beat
New Zealand 103-6 (Devine 38no, Perry 3-18) by three runs
ICC Women's World Twenty20 final, Barbados
Scorecard

Ellyse Perry bowled a superb final over on her way to figures of three for 18 as Australia defended 106 to beat New Zealand by three runs and claim the 2010 ICC Women's World Twenty20 title in Barbados.

19-year-old Perry was thrown the ball with New Zealand requiring 14 to win from the last six balls and she kept things tight to deny the White Ferns, for whom Sophie Devine was unbeaten on 38 in 35 balls.

New Zealand have now lost three World Cup finals in 14 months after they lost both the 50-over and Twenty20 finals in 2009 to England.

Batting first, Australia struggled with New Zealand's bowlers and fielders giving little away and only five players reached double figures but they had to recover from slipping to 20 for three as Nicola Browne continued her fine tournament with figures of two for 11.

Leah Poulton, with 20, and Sarah Elliott, unbeaten on 19 top scored and Lisa Sthalekar gave the innings a late boost with 18 in 13 balls as Devine also picked up two wickets as Australia closed on 106 for eight.

New Zealand then took 84 balls to pass 50 as they too lost wickets, Perry in outstanding form Clea Smith and Shelley Nitschke also taking a wicket apiece.

Devine hit a four and a six and with support from Browne (20), she took the game down to the wire and eventually five runs were required for victory from the final ball.

Perry, who also plays professional football for her country, instinctively stuck out a boot to deflect a firm straight drive that looked as if it was hit well enough to reach the boundary and as the ball ricocheted to safety, Australia could celebrate.

© Cricket World 2010

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