Rehab is tracking really well: Ellyse Perry

Ellyse Perry has re-signed with Sydney Sixers on a two-year deal on Thursday (August 10). She has represented Sixers since the inception of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL)  in 2015. The Australian allrounder led the team to back-to-back titles in the second and third editions of the tournament.

"It's absolutely lovely to sign on again with the Sixers I think I feel a tremendous connection with the club that has been there since the start and just you know it's been such a fun competition to be a part of and to see it grow the way it has so yeah the opportunity to play another couple of years,” Perry, who has scored the most runs for Sixers with 3769 runs at an average of 48.94. said.

"I didn't discuss anything with any other clubs as I said just a really strong sense of connection to the Sixers as I'm obviously from Sydney but I think yeah being involved in the club from the very start and having the opportunity to Captain across those seasons as well has been wonderful and yeah just the group that we've got there are several girls that have been there from the start and I think we value that kind of connection that we've got.”

Perry is currently undergoing rehab for a knee injury she sustained during the Ireland tour. After a successful Ashes series with the bat, the talismanic allrounder missed the final ODI and also had to withdraw from the Birmingham Phoenix squad in The Hundred.

"I've been doing some rehab for the last couple of weeks and it's tracking well is a real bummer to miss out on The Hundred, particularly after the ashes and just the momentum that it's sort of been built around cricket over there but yeah it's sort has been nice to be home and obviously catch some of the Football World Cup games with family and friends and do a bit of rehab and hopefully be fresh and ready to go for the start of our summer,” she added.

Perry is one of the most improved T20 batters in the past 12 months. Her new aggressive game has played a major role in that. In the last year, she has scored 374 runs from 11 T20i innings at an impressive strike rate of 157.

"I've enjoyed the last 12 months with a few challenges in terms of form and working through that so yeah I'd love to keep playing for as long as clubs still want me to be involved and I'm still enjoying it. A huge part of being involved in Elite Sport is the opportunity to continue to improve and I think that's especially relevant in our game and just the way that games were going to be so quickly forward and the evolution of play is sort of really important to be able to keep up and also a really enjoyable part," Perry said.

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It’s not just the T20Is that Perry has been in top-notch form. The 32-year-old had a stellar Ashes series where she scored a 99 in the one-off Test before smashing two fifties in the ODIs including a 91.

During the Ashes a record 110,000 tickets were sold which was more than three times the 2019 edition, the star allrounder cited her wish to be involved in as many games as possible going forward.

"I've got no idea I think it's pure speculation to know what happens in a couple of years but from my perspective, I still love being involved, in terms of motivation it's still the same if not more and you know I think you just have to look across women's sport at the moment and the way that it's progressing and developing and you know in a lot of senses it has arrived and things just become more and more exciting with every year, you know our ashes campaign over in the UK and the way that that was followed and the crowd numbers that we drew and the level of competition that it presented it's hard not to want to be involved for as long as possible,” Perry concluded.

Sydney Sixers squad (as of now): Ellyse Perry (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Emma Hughes

In other news, allrounder Nicola Carey, who let go off her Australian central contract, will contiue to feature in the WBBL for Hobart Hurricanes as she signed a deal with the club ahead of the ninth season.

WBBL09 is scheduled to start on October 19 with Sydney Sixers taking the field against Melbourne Stars in the opening fixture.