There are many firsts in Ellyse Perry’s colourful sporting career. She is the first woman to represent Australia in World Cups in two sports, cricket and soccer, which she has achieved of course at the same time.
She is also the youngest Australian ever to play senior international cricket when she made her debut in the second ODI of the Rose Bowl series at Darwin in July 2007. That was before her 17th birthday.
Considered a genuine all-round prospect at the start of her career having toured New Zealand with the Australian under-23 cricket team in early 2007, she is now the pace spearhead in the Australian bowling attack.
No one can forget her bowling Australia to victory in the World Cup Final in India this February. And that too despite an injury before the match.
When I interviewed Ellyse at the picturesque Quay Restaurant in Sydney last week during the naming of the Australian women’s squad, I realised that Ellyse was more than just a talented dual international.
With film star looks, I can mentally picture her running in to bowl her fast deliveries with a book resting steadily on her head.
She could be the next Ambassador of Australia the way she answered my questions.
Here is how our interview went:
KM-H: “If there is a cricket Test and a soccer Test on the same day, which match would you play?”
Ellyse: “Cricket and soccer seasons do not coincide.”
KM-H: What would give you greater satisfaction; a hat-trick in cricket or a deciding goal in the final minute of a footy match for Matildas?”
Ellyse: “Both would please me equally.”
KM-H: “Name the bowler you hate to face.”
Ellyse thinks, smiles and says “Every bowler!”
The score-line: Ellyse 3, KM-H 0.
What maturity in a 22 year-old – beating a crusty old journo 3-0!
I did get answers to my final two questions:
KM-H: “Your favourite ground in cricket?”
“It has to be Lord’s”.
KM-H: “Your proudest moment?”
“To represent Australia” she smiled and left with a polite thank you.
Her future in cricket had been secured when she was in the group of the first women cricketers to be handed contracts by Cricket Australia in 2008.
She made her Test debut against England the same year and made headlines when her unbeaten 29, which included a huge straight six, and four wickets lead Australia to a 21-run win over England in a Twenty20 match on the MCG.
She was only 18 then.
As her career has progressed, it is her bowling that has proved her stronger point and she picked up her first five-wicket haul in an ODI against New Zealand in February 2010.
Three months later, she was Australia’s leading wicket-taker at the Women’s World Twenty20 in the West Indies and was named Player of the Match in the final. Her three wickets were crucial in crowning Australia as world T20 champions.
She was also behind Australia’s triumph in Women’s World Cup in India on 17 February this year. After scoring 25 not out with two fours and a six, she dismissed three top West Indies batsmen to finish with excellent figures of 10-3-19-3.
Her bowling averages are under 25 in all three formats of cricket; 24.88 in Tests, 21.97 in ODIs and 19.31 in T20s.
Sky is the limit for the young multi-talented Ellyse Perry.
Bondy
Guest
She took the easy option she's only got England to contend with in Cricket not the world ...
Stefan Marcus
Guest
Ellyse Perry is just to cool for football. She was born to be a cricketer
Jukes
Guest
Not that I was any good at cricket but if I faced her while she was bowling at me.............I would seriously sh*t myself. As a footballer I would be better than if I was a cricketer, but its no contest..........she would kick my ass. Its scarey how talented she is in both sports.
Mr McC
Guest
Smoking?!? And no mail athletes do? What about alcohol? Come on - Choose to put down a female Some males are just so fragile its pathetic
Don Corleone
Guest
Cheers Bondy, I suspected you didn't have much going on.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Thank you, Lisa. Ellyse has an ideal role model in you. Please convey my best to her as also Julie Hunter and Sarah Elliott I met last week. But the greatest pleasure was meeting you after a few months.
Bondy
Guest
You sound that clown Baum from aussie rules..
Lisa Sthalekar
Expert
Kersi, Having known Ellyse since she was around 11 and seeing her develop into a wonderful human being you are right. The sky is certainly the limit. She has brought both soccer and cricket a huge amount of coverage and will continue to do so. A great ambassador for this country and a simple girl that sets out to achieve things the best she can....which is pretty bloody good.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Is that the same cricket who is about to pick a refugee as their spinner? Or the cricket that has a Muslim about to become a key player in the team for the next ten (10) years? (If he isn't finally screwed). Honestly, why does it always have to be a competition with some people...
Don Corleone
Guest
If I'm living a 'false lie'...I must therefore be living in the truth? Great grammar. Richard Chee Quee, Andrew Symonds, Usman Khawaja, Moises Henriques, Clive Rose, Jason Gillespie, Dan Christian, Fawad Ahmed, Ashton Agar, Gurindar Sandhu, Melanie Jones, Lisa Sthalekar reflect the diversity of elite cricket to name a few. At the grassroots, in the last cricket survey which measured indigenous and ethnically diverse participation it was 12.6% for junior cricket and 8.7% for senior cricket. Then again 'ethnic diversity' argument is just a cheap FFA marketing tactic to try and legitimise their second tier sport...it means nothing...it's still only soccer. As for Perry, she can play whatever and wherever she likes. Now unlike soccer, cricket will be paying her as and recognising her for the elite athlete she is.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Good on you, Sheek. Australian women cricketers are the current holders of two World Cups; in ODI and T20. Men cricketers are holders of none. The women cricketers deserve all the praise and money they have started earning. And more.
Bondy
Guest
You prove to me where Cricket is seen in Australia as being very ethnically diverse ,you simply cant do that Sir because your living a false lie. Perry gets the opportunity to go all over the world with Football but with Cricket it just simply takes to her England.
Don Corleone
Guest
Actually, I think Ellyse would prefer to stick with cricket. It's the sport that has offered her improved remuneration through a restructure of the contract system for women's cricket. Cricket's the sport that has supported her wishes to balance her sporting career not the sport that has pressured her with ultimatums to chose one over the other. And that argument that cricket doesn't reflect the cultural diversity of Australia is a load of crap. If anything the new wave of migrant communities coming to Australia are from predominently cricket-playing nations.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Jaiden Florimo, Ellyse did not brush me aside. She was very polite. Also there were many other journalists shooting questions so she had to be brief. I am a big admirer of her as I am of the other great woman cricketer -- and now my Roar colleague -- Lisa Sthalekar. But my number one female cricketer is Denise Annetts of 1980s and 90s.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Jaden Florimo,
sheek
Roar Guru
Hi Kersi, I remember reading an article about Ellyse Perry earlier in the year. It might have been The Australian weekend magazine. Apart from enjoying the article & thinking what a wonderful, beautiful, talented human being she was, it also evoked memories of a different time. Women's sport today is perhaps like men's sport say 20-30 years ago & I don't mean that in a negative way, but in a positive way. In some ways, it was an easier, less complicated time. I think it's wonderful she can pursue two sports. That's nigh impossible for a male to do today. But once upon a time, it was common for guys to play two sports. Ian Chappell(SA) combined cricket & baseball. Many Shield cricketers in the 70s also played Australian football. Graeme Hughes (NSW) combined cricket & rugby league. Dave Rathie (Qld) combined combined cricket & rugby union. I would encourage her to combine her two favourite sports for as long as she can. All the more power to her!
Nick Richardson
Roar Guru
Its the truth though.
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
Why did she brush you in the interview? Its hardly an interview given it was 5 questions and she basiled you for most of the questions.
Bondy
Guest
At least with Ellyse representing her nation at Football it gives her some form of major International presence, Cricket doesn't best reflect who we are as Australians it never has whether it be male or female its a Commonwealth game for a handful of Commonwealth nations . Indecently the Australian womens cricket team before any world cup starts they stand an 80% chance of getting to the final and then a 60% chance of then winning it, whats overtly challenging about that . What would she seriously prefer to do ,play Cricket in Sri Lanka or Football in Germany ?.
JGK
Roar Guru
Is it inappropriate to mention on this website that one of Elyse's many talents is that she is, ahem.... smoking?