There are cricketers who are defined by the qualities they bring to all departments of the game. Then there are cricketers who are known for making the record books fatter by virtue of their feats. And then, there are the likes of Ellyse Perry, part of a rare all-round breed that keenly changes the narrative of the game at the back of exceptional talent. And if you are a cricket fan who has been following the Women’s Big Bash League, not your average T20 series, you’d know why.
After all, the Aussie has become a headline of sorts: Ellyse Perry WBBL. How else are you going to define the feat that Ellyse Perry decorated the Women’s game with?
In scoring the most runs ever achieved in a single Women’s Big Bash League series, Ellyse Perry created a new record by amassing 617 exceptionally collected runs from just 12 appearances.
In so doing, the famous Sydney Sixers all-rounder has now established her name in the firmament of T20 greats, particularly in the WBBL, by becoming the highest run-getter in the history of the tournament.
No mean feat that, Ellyse Perry, clearly on a hot streak of brute batting and consistent scoring has produced a number of invaluable scores for her Sydney Sixers side that include knocks such as: an unbeaten 80 against the Scorchers which also included a 2-for, 47 against Strikers, followed by another handy 48 against the same team, an unbeaten 103 against Brisbane Heat, another unbeaten knock of 72 against the Hurricanes, and a 2-for versus Syndey Thunder that also included an unbeaten 74.
All that said, a question that was concerning a lot of fans and the cricketing fraternity that evidenced the great spike in Perry’s exceptional scores was whether her blazing form had something to do with her demotion in the national side, from her usual batting position.
Throughout the ICC Women’s World T20, Perry was sent in to bat at number seven, not her usual position or slot from which the fluent right-hander could go all guns blazing on her opponents.
And to that end, one of the finest all-rounders in the women’s game, alongside Natalie Sciver, Stafanie Taylor, Marizanne Kapp, maintains that her WBBL form has got nothing to do with the change in the batting position as seen in the national outings for Australia.
Well, Ellyse whatever it is, it’s all good. For we know you are here to entertain and in the magical effortlessness of doing so, change the narrative of the women’s game- isn’t it? For if there are talents who can really do that and take the discussion of presenting international cricket minus the bias that feeds from gender-based discussions, then it’s you.
Bravo Ellyse Perry. Take a bow.