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The Hundred: Birmingham Phoenix's Ellyse Perry says players always have to be evolving

By Callum MatthewsBBC Sport
Birmingham Phoenix's Ellyse Perry (left) and Amy Jones (right) bump fists after their win over Trent Rockets
Ellyse Perry (left) and Amy Jones (right) shared an unbroken 78 as Birmingham Phoenix beat Trent Rockets by eight wickets to record their second win of the year

Birmingham Phoenix and Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry says she will continue to evolve as women's cricket grows with the introduction of more franchise tournaments.

Perry, 31, has played a major role in Australia's all-conquering team - being regarded as the best all-rounder in the world for almost a decade - but she lost her place in the Twenty20 side over the winter and, despite being in the squad for this summer's Commonwealth Games, did not play as Australia won gold.

At the time of her first omission, national selector Shawn Flegler said "we want to keep pushing the boat out with our strike-rate" and "we always want our players to develop and evolve, and Ellyse is no different".

Perry's career strike-rate (average runs scored per hundred balls) in international T20s is 105.47, which is why her impressive form in The Hundred might be turning a few heads down under.

She has so far scored 97 runs off 59 balls in The Hundred, at a strike-rate of 164.40.

"You've always got to be evolving, that is certainly part of the enjoyment that I get from being involved in the sport," Perry told BBC Sport after her unbeaten 39 saw Phoenix win their second successive group game.

"I always want to try and get a bit better and do things a little differently.

"The game has just come on leaps and bounds and you can't just keep doing the same things - I think that goes for everyone because people work it out pretty quickly."

Perry played in the group stages of Australia's T20 World Cup success in 2020 before missing the semi-final and final with a hamstring injury, but was left out of their T20 squad for the Ashes against England at the start of 2022.

England captain Heather Knight, who was part of the BBC Radio commentary team for Phoenix's win, says Perry "has a point to prove".

"She wants that place back," said Knight. "The person that I know is very hard working and very diligent and professional in the way she goes about things.

"If she can perform in a tournament like this it is against a very strong standard of player, and in front of big crowd, so Australia's management will be looking at that and asking 'is she developing her T20 game?'

"In her 50 at Cardiff she scored an awful lot of runs behind square leg and that is unusual for her.

"It feels like she is trying to add to her T20 game - she's trying to grow and get back in the side and that is what great players do - they adapt and add to their game."

Ellyse Perry's run map against Welsh Fire
Ellyse Perry scored all round the ground in her 58 against Welsh Fire, but particularly targeted behind square on the leg side

However, Perry says earning her Australia place back is not at the forefront of her mind and being left out is something she is at ease with.

"It [being left out by Australia] has been totally fine," added Perry.

"I don't want to think about playing cricket in that way. For me it is just about making the most of every opportunity that I've been really lucky to be afforded.

"Obviously the Australia team, and being a part of that, is wonderful and means a lot to me. But equally the fact that cricket means I am going out playing with my dad - and he's taught me everything that I know - and getting a chance to travel the world and play the game with some wonderful people, is far more important than anything else.

"Playing-wise whatever happens happens."

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