We have seen all sorts of records made and broken in Test cricket over the years. But one player has, recently, achieved a feat that is not just unprecedented but also hard to believe. An Australian cricketer was dismissed, on July 19, 2019, in a Test match for the first time since August, 2015. So, this player nearly went four years without being out! Can you guess who it is?
SHE is Australia's Ellyse Perry. The 28-year old all-rounder scored a century in the one-off Women's Ashes Test against England currently underway at the County Ground in Taunton, England. This was the second Test hundred for the Aussie cricketer. Thanks to her knock, Australia were able to declare on 420/8 in their first innings, on the third day of the game.
The feat of not having been dismissed for almost four years is obviously not achievable without some skewing of statistics. In her case, the main reason for her unbeaten streak is simply lack of matches.
This is only the eighth Test of her career and only the second since her previous dismissal in August 2015. In the one intervening Test that she played, in November, 2017 at Sydney, Perry scored 213* against the same opponents in the only innings that she had in the game. This Test was played at Sydney and ended in a draw with Ellyse walking away with the player of the match award.
So, her achievement is not so great after all, isn't it? Yes, but there is another distinction that the lady from Australia has which is equally, if not more amazing than not being dismissed for four years.
Perry is not just an international cricketer but also an international footballer for her country. She also holds the distinction of having represented Australia in the World Cup of two different sports.
The fact that the two sports are completely different and yet she has managed to succeed to such a high level in both of them is simply mind-blowing. Though she hasn't represented Australia in football for some years, she continues to be an important player for her club side.
