'Women's game needs scrutiny' - Perry on The Hundred and Ashes

BBC News

12 hours ago

In the world of women's cricket, Ellyse Perry has seen it all. From an Australia debut in 2007 at the age of just 16, to juggling international football alongside cricket, to the unforgettable 3-19 with a fractured ankle to win the World Cup in 2013 - one of her eight World Cup wins - plus a Commonwealth Games triumph in 2022. Throughout it all, the game has transformed beyond recognition, with Perry as the star at its centre. The 34-year-old all-rounder has 337 caps for Australia across formats, having been one of the country's first players to be awarded a central contract in 2008, and is now one of the top names on any wishlist for the world's various franchise leagues. Having represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in India's Women's Premier League and Sydney Sixers in her native Women's Big Bash (WBBL), Perry is now beginning her third season with Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, having spent the early summer playing for Hampshire in the Women's Vitality Blast and the One-Day Cup. Though Perry's focus is on leading Phoenix, who finished seventh in the table in 2024, she and the other Australians in the tournament - including Alana King, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield - will have one eye on the upcoming challenge of defending their 50-over World Cup title in India this autumn. The Australia side has a strong case to be regarded as one of the greatest teams in sporting history but their most recent triumph, a 16-0 thrashing of England in the Ashes, saw a spotlight on women's cricket in the UK like never before. "It's really easy to get caught up in the scoreline of that series without really seeing the bigger picture," said Perry."There are some amazing players in that English team, world-class players who can win a game from anywhere."It was a moment in time. It was great for us and for our fans, playing at home during our summer, but I sort of feel like it was probably a bit of an anomaly. "The next time we meet, it'll be different circumstances – maybe in a World Cup. It's a moment that has passed and not something that we all want to get stuck on or gloat about because cricket is so fickle, things can change so quickly." England received widespread criticism for the defeats and their attitude, with fans becoming increasingly frustrated by repeated claims of them being "so close" to beating Australia and with accusations of cosiness and complacency within the team. Though Perry admits she did not pay much attention to what was said in the media during the series, she welcomes the increased scrutiny as a good thing for the game."It shows that people care, and people expect a certain level of performance from their elite female teams and they are passionate about it."That's a far cry from where the women's game was five to 10 years ago. So while criticism and being held to account isn't always a pleasant thing, equally it's a very positive thing for the direction of the game and that it's being taken really seriously. "People expect more [now we are paid more] and all we've wanted is to be taken seriously and to be respected, for the way that we play the game and the level that we can take the game to, so with that comes pressure to perform. "There will be moments where that's hard to handle and it's a challenge, but it's also exactly what the game needs."
'The Hundred doesn't need to change yet'
Australia's success has been built from the world's best domestic set up, with their first contracts introduced in 2017, while England's county cricketers did not receive theirs until 2020. But Perry feels that the franchise tournament has a huge role to play in developing England's young talent, and praises the crowds that it attracts. There was an attendance of 15,640 at the opening women's match at Lord's, 13,675 at the Oval Invincibles' opener and Southampton saw a record crowd of 11,167 on Sunday."The Hundred has just been brilliant for the women's game over here, you can really feel that interest, and the standard is really high," Perry told BBC Sport. "It's definitely a skill which takes some time to develop [playing in front of bigger crowds] and it probably comes a bit more naturally to some players, but the exposure to that is so important. "I've got no doubt that for players coming through, to be exposed to that, is so beneficial."This year is a transformative one for The Hundred and English cricket, with private investors buying stakes in the franchises, with six deals confirmed so far.Among many questions is whether the women's matches will eventually become standalone, in line with Australia's WBBL, but Perry says the success of double-headers should not be overlooked yet."We get asked the reverse question back home. It's contextual – they work really well for The Hundred because of the time of year, the school holidays and the summer when people want to socialise and enjoy their day out watching."The grounds and facilities really support that. I'm sure with new ownership things will continue to evolve, but at this point I don't think it needs to change."
Watch live coverage of Birmingham Phoenix v Oval Invincibles on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Tuesday, 12 August from 14:45 BST (UK only).