Brisbane, Oct 9 (IANS): Australia fast bowler Megan Schutt achieved a significant milestone as she completed 150 wickets in ODI cricket during the first ODI against Bangladesh women at the Allan Border Field here on Friday.
Schutt has become just the third Australian to reach the elusive mark, joining legendary all-rounder Ellyse Perry (166 wickets) and former tearaway pacer Cathryn Fitzpatrick (180) on the list.
Coming into the first ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh, the 33-year-old Australian needed two wickets to reach the mark and she got there when she took the wicket of Sarmin Sultana in the third over after taking out Fargana Hoque on the first ball of the series.
Schutt produced a jaffa on the first ball of the series as she nicked out Hoque on the first ball after the Aussies opted to bowl first. She got the Bangladeshi opener on a ball that jagged in after pitching from a back-of-a-length to take the edge and Phoebe Litchfield took an easy catch at the first slip.
Schutt achieved the milestone in the third over when she pitched one fuller to Sarmim as the ball swung in to beat the batter’s flick and thud into the pads for the umpire to call it out.
Schutt is overall the 12th player to get to 150 wickets in the format. The list is currently led by India legend and former pacer Jhulan Goswami, who has 255 wickets to her name. For Australia, Fitzpatrick leads the pack with 180 scalps, with Perry on second with 16 wickets.
Coming to the match, Annabel Sutherland took four wickets, while Ashleigh Gardner, vice-captain Tahlia McGrath and Georgia Wareham also took a wicket each as Bangladesh were bowled out for 166. For the visitors, Ritu Moni top-scored from No. 7 with her 45 being the only score of 30-plus by a Bangladeshi batter.
