Ellyse Perry opens up on legacy, Ashes and what she wants for women’s cricket

Arguably Australian sport’s most talented and decorated athlete, Ellyse Perry has opened up ahead of a blockbuster Ashes series.

For the better part of the last two decades, Ellyse Perry has been a staple of the Australian sporting landscape.

Perry is arguably the most talented athlete to don the green and gold in any code, debuting as a 16-year-old for both the Matildas and the Southern Stars (as they were then known) within a fortnight.

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Perry would eventually choose cricket over football full-time in 2015, and those in the game have been immeasurably grateful for it.

The honours, along with the superlatives, are endless for Perry – a three-time Belinda Clark Award winner, three-time ICC Cricketer of the Year, the ICC ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Decade, three-time Ashes Player of the Series, an eight-time World Champion and a Commonwealth Games gold medal to boot.

Perry has been a mainstay of Australian sport for 16 years. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

Over the course of a career studded with achievements as she took the lead as the golden girl of Australian cricket through the 2010s, Perry has remained relatively private.

Now she’s opened up on the emerging generation of Australian cricketers, and what it means to now consider her own legacy in the game, ahead of a blockbuster Women’s Ashes starting on June 22 at 7.55pm AEST.

The Australian women’s team are in a state of transition not seen for years, with Alyssa Healy stepping up to take the reins in place of regular skipper Meg Lanning who remains home on medical grounds, on top of the retirement of stalwart Rachael Haynes.

With 20-year-old Phoebe Litchfield and 21-year-old Annabel Sutherland both expected to play significant roles this series, it brings memories back for now 32-year-old Perry, now in her 16th year as an Australian cricketer.

“I think certainly the landscape is really different these days – both Phoebs (Litchfield) and Annabel (Sutherland) are full-time professionals and much further ahead in their careers than I was at the same age,” Perry said, speaking exclusively to news.com.au.

“It’s just so lovely to play with those two girls and the younger girls coming through – they obviously have so much energy and passion and excitement for the same, but they’re also just this new breed of incredibly talented cricketers.

“We talk all the time, and love playing with one another. I think I learn just as much from them as anything that I might pass onto them.”

Perry is close friends with her now-national captain Alyssa Healy (left), having grown up together and captained each other at domestic level. Picture: Brett Costello

Perry waxes with pride at how “adaptable” her new teammates are, and says she takes inspiration from it.

“The way at such a young age, they’re so adaptable to new situations and new ways of training and improving their game – as an older player, it’s really easy to fall into a trap of just repeating what you’ve done, because that’s worked to some extent or another.

“But the way they’re always open to being creative and taking on new challenges, it’s really lovely to be around that, and it certainly puts you in the same headspace.”

Ahead of the Test at Trent Bridge, the pre-series barbs, typically a feature of the men’s game, have bled into the women’s camp as well, with England’s Issy Wong claiming it was a “pretty good time to play (Australia)”, and captain Heather Knight recently referencing the England men’s new ‘Bazball’ approach as an influence on the women’s side.

Perry is unfazed by the chatter, instead taking stock in what the hype meant for the game overall.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said.

“It’s a really great and positive thing if there’s lots of competitive nations in women’s cricket, and England are very much at the top of that list.

“They’ve certainly been invigorated in their style of play since Jon Lewis has come on board as coach and yeah, they’ve got some fantastic players.

“I think it’s really cool, how positively they’re speaking – it creates an absolutely awesome challenge for us.

“We’re all really respectful of their team and how talented they are in their capabilities, so it’s nice to read that as a reminder … of just how tough this series is going to be.”

The English know how dangerous Perry is, with her epic 213 not out at North Sydney Oval in 2017 still the highest individual Test score by an Australian woman, and the third-highest ever. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Perry’s words come after a drawn three-day warm-up game against England A where the hosts piled on 562 and didn’t bat again, alongside the English women battering the Australian A side for 650 (and 500 runs in a day), but remains positive in terms of the takeaways.

“I think overwhelmingly at the end of that match, I think there was a real sense of how beneficial the game was,” she said.

“To spend that time out in the middle, working into spells and having the chance to adapt to the conditions over here, after our squad hasn’t played a game of cricket for at least a couple of months, I think was really great.

“It couldn’t have been a better way to prepare – we’re definitely a bit rusty, so picking up bits and pieces from the match … is invaluable.”

Australia’s bowling attack shapes as one of the big question marks of the series, with tearaway quick Tayla Vlaeminck included in the touring party but still on a year-long pathway back from stress fractures in her foot, alongside uncapped Dukes ball specialist and Kim Garth, the pick of the bowlers with her 4 wickets in the warm-up, also in the side.

Perry’s women-specific equipment alongside her iconic faded helmet, will both be on show during the Ashes. (Photo by Jan Kruger - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

Garth played over 100 matches of international cricket for Ireland (debuting at just 14 years old) before deciding to move to Australia for the opportunity to pursue full-time professional cricket with Victoria, and made her debut for Australia in December last year, but is yet to receive a Test cap.

Having such a range of capabilities in the squad, however, is a point of excitement for Perry.

“From all reports, (Vlaeminck) is progressing really really well. I think it’s awesome that she’s over here on tour and there’ll definitely be opportunities for her over the next month or so,” she said.

“(Kim Garth) is a phenomenal bowler and has some really unique skills in the women’s game.

“Her seam presentation and ability to be so consistent in the way that she bowls is a huge advantage. It’s lovely to have her in Australian colours and we’re really excited to have her as part of the bowling attack – it’s a really great story.

“Her performance in the warm-up game speaks volumes of how classy she is.”

With Perry firmly in the twilight of her career, the concept of legacy becomes more and more tangible for the all-rounder, and with the release of a new range of women’s specific cricket equipment, dubbed ‘Staple’, she looks to right some of the wrongs that plagued her days as a junior on Sydney’s North Shore.

Last year, Perry turned down deals from some of the biggest kit manufacturers in cricket to sign with JPGavan, a backyard batmaking operation in Sydney’s eastern suburbs run by 28-year-old Josh Gavan, who has developed a cult following among club players, first grade cricketers, and international professionals alike.

Josh Gavan is a batmaker in Sydney's eastern suburbs and despite operating out of his parent's garage, has some of the world's biggest players signed to his brand. Photo: JPGavan

The range is now in its second iteration, and launches to coincide with the start of the Women’s Ashes.

“The opportunity presented itself to put together something that made cricket at all levels really accessible for anyone who wanted to play,” she said.

“I think about my junior experiences playing cricket and sometimes your kit is just really bulky and cumbersome and hard to run around in, and hard to put on.

“I think equally, there’s some pretty big nuances between the men’s and women’s game at a higher level, even just in terms of body sizes as well.

“We’ve been really focused on making gear that is comfortable for everyone to wear, but also looks really great and feels like it was designed for them.”

Perry said girls playing cricket growing up often had to “DIY” solutions in order to make equipment designed for boys and men work for them, and had to do the same herself.

“I think one of the biggest ones is pad straps, they get made with so much excess strapping, once you pull them around your legs they end up flowing way past your pads – so definitely there was a bit of DIY around cutting those straps back, or with gloves having so much finger room,” she said.

“Being stuck between sizes for a year or two, pads being about 10 centimetres too wide, so you’d end up tripping over, definitely.

“We’ve also designed a duffel bag to put kit in that means kids can actually put it on their back and use it on public transport.

“There’s so many impracticalities about cricket.”

The Women’s Ashes gets underway on on Thursday June 22 at 7.55pm AEST with a Test at Trent Bridge, before a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series.

Originally published as Ellyse Perry opens up on legacy, Ashes and what she wants for women’s cricket