'She's an absolute legend of game': Darcie Brown praises Ellyse Perry

Australia teenager pacer Darcie Brown praised batter Ellyse Perry and called her an 'absolute legend' of the game. Perry played a vital role on Saturday as Australia's middle-order recovered from a stuttering start to beat New Zealand by 141 runs at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 in Hamilton.

"She's an absolute legend of the game, so it's pretty surreal to be able to open the bowling with her and just be a part of a team with her," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Brown as saying. Brown scalped three wickets to rip off the New Zealand batters but there is no guarantee Brown will play Australia's next match against the West Indies on Tuesday as she is being nursed for her injuries.

"I definitely want to play every single game and get as much experience as I can but in the past with young fast bowlers there have been a fair few injuries," said Brown. "When management say that I need a rest, you've just got to trust them and know that it's in your best interests to keep you going for the long run. I guess it's not just this tournament but the rest of my bowling career they're looking at," she added.

There were strong contributions from nearly every member of Meg Lanning's powerful side, with Ellyse Perry (68), Tahlia McGrath (57) and Beth Mooney (30) scoring valuable knocks and the returning Ashleigh Gardner (48* from just 18 balls) adding the finishing touches on a late Australian flurry with the bat. It was a clinical performance from the six-time World Cup champions as they successfully defended 269/8 by bowling their opponents out for just 128 in the 31st over at Basin Reserve.

The result sees Australia regain their place at the top of tournament standings with three wins from as many matches, while New Zealand drops to fourth and remains in a battle to reach the semi-finals.