The ‘ground full’ sign should be erected every time Ellyse Perry is on duty.
Yesterday at the picturesque North Sydney Oval the 27-year-old Sydney Sixers skipper slammed an unbeaten 91 off just 49 with nine fours and four maximums on the opening day of the third women’s Big Bash League.
It was vintage Perry, but there was a lot more to the dig than that cold hard statistic.
When Perry lost her opening batting partner, Alyssa Healy, early, Ash Gardner came to the crease. She was in full flight immediately, so Perry with her depth of cricket nous took on the second fiddle role.
Perry did such an expert job feeding her on-fire partner that when Gardner reached 50 in a Big Bash record 22 deliveries Perry was just nine off 14. When Gardner reached 100 Perry was 32 off 27.
Once Gardner departed for a superb 114 off just 52 with nine fours and a record ten maximums Perry cut loose.
She was there at the finish unbeaten on 91 off 49 as the Sydney Sixers closed on a Big Bash record 4/242 off 20 overs, beating the previous record of 6/200 set by Sydney Thunder during the afternoon at North Sydney Oval.
The 20th over was further proof why the ‘ground full’ sign should be up when Ellyse Perry’s playing. She took Melbourne Star skipper and leggie Kristen Beams do the cleaners with 21 – 4, 4, 6, 2, 4 and 1 – the huge maximum ricocheted off a bench and cannoned into a young boy’s face.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Ellyse saw what happened and immediately ripped off her gloves and ran to the fence in front of the Ken Irvine scoreboard to see how the boy was, calling over her team’s medical staff. After treatment the young fella was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital for observation. Ellyse’s concern was written all over her face.
It doesn’t matter what Ellyse Perry does, she is all class.
Those who were privileged to see her first Test ton will never forget it. That unbeaten 213 was also at North Sydney Oval against England during the recent Ashes series. It featured 27 boundaries and a six.
Three weeks ago Perry cracked 127 not out for New South Wales against the ACT in Perth, but it’s in the ODIs where she has been in phenomenal form. In her last 36 digs with 12 not outs Perry has pounded 1903 runs at an average of 79.29.
There’s not been a century among them, but there were four in the 90s, three unbeaten, five in the 70s, eight in the 60s and five in the 50s. There’s been only five single-figure scores in 36 as the consistent Ellyse Perry keeps accumulating runs – and plenty of them in a hurry,
So, Sydneysiders, make your way to North Sydney Oval this afternoon where Ellyse will again lead the Sydney Sixers in the local Big Bash derby against the Sydney Thunder.
Yesterday the two teams were winners and in the process scored a massive 442 runs off their combined 40 overs. It was a run-fest of record proportions yesterday, but all eyes will be on Elysse Perry today.
Again.
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