Ellyse Perry has heaps praise on her younger teammate, who’s skills with the ball are proving invaluable to Australia in the World Cup
At an ODI World Cup that has so far seen finger spinners emerge as a dominant force, Annabel Sutherland is bucking that trend.
The pace-bowling allrounder currently sits atop the wickets table, as the tournament heads towards the business end of the round stage.
She’s taken 10 wickets from three games at 8.10, with an economy rate of 2.96, with her current position at the top of the tree all the more impressive given Australia had a game washed out without a ball bowled.
Sutherland celebrated her 24th birthday by taking her first international five-wicket haul against India on Sunday, a game-turning 9.5 overs that went for just 40 runs in a game where India posted 330.
Her variations, including her perfectly executed slower balls, were critical in halting India’s charge as they lost 6-36 to end their innings.
She was likewise critical in Australia’s opening game against New Zealand, where she took 3-26 from nine overs and dismissed Sophie Devine at a crucial point of the White Ferns’ chase.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Sutherland told reporters in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday evening.
“I feel like I’ve got really good rhythm, coming in after the Powerplay and making a bit of an impact.
“It was nice to contribute (against India) … I think generally the conditions were in the batter’s favour the other night, so nice to pick up a few wickets.
“(My variations) have probably been a part of my game for the last few years, they’ve been a go-to particularly with the amount of T20 cricket I’ve played (and I’m) leaning on those particularly when conditions are in the batters’ favour.”
Much has been made of Sutherland’s emergence as a key Australian batter since the last ODI World Cup in New Zealand in early 2022, a period that has seen her hit three one-day hundreds alongside two tons, and one double, in the Test arena.
But the right-armer has also become a key weapon with the ball through the middle-to-later overs in white-ball cricket. She is neck-and-neck with Kim Garth as Australia’s most prolific pace bowler in the 50-over format since the start of 2023, when Sutherland properly cemented a regular spot in ODI XI.
Her consolidation into one of the country’s top allrounders has been reward for her patience through the first few years of her international career, since she debuted in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.
She was used sparingly during Australia’s triumphant 2022 ODI World Cup campaign, playing six matches – taking three wickets and scoring 48 runs – mostly as an injury replacement before missing out on a spot in the final against England after Ellyse Perry recovered from a back complaint to take her place in the XI.
“I think what’s super apparent with Belsy, is her preparation is second to none,” Perry said in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
“Even just watching her prepare for that India match, the level of detail that she goes into to make sure that she’s got various options for each player that she comes up against.
“But then on top of that, she’s got the skill set to execute what she wants to.
“If anyone watched her train, you’d understand absolutely why she can do that.
“She’s meticulous in everything, and she’s so interested in her preparation as well and getting that right … so (Sunday’s five-fa) was absolutely just reward and really fitting that it happened on her birthday.”
2025 Women’s ODI World Cup
Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
Australia’s group stage matches
October 1: Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs
October 4: v Sri Lanka: Abandoned without a ball bowled
October 8: Australia beat Pakistan by 107 runs
October 12: Australia beat India by 3 wickets
October 16: v Bangladesh, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT
October 22: v England, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT
October 25: v South Africa, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT
Finals
Semi-final 1: Guwahati or Colombo*, October 29, 8:30pm AEDT
Semi-final 2: Mumbai, October 30, 8:30pm AEDT
Final: Mumbai or Colombo*, November 2, 8:30pm AEDT
All matches to be broadcast exclusively live and free on Prime Video.
* All games involving Pakistan to be played in Colombo, including the semi-final and final if they qualify
