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Ellyse Perry

Perry during the Women's Ashes in 2017

Personal information

Full name

Ellyse Alexandra Perry

Born

3 November 1990 (age 34)
Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia

Nickname

Pez

Height

1.76 m (5 ft 91⁄2 in)

Batting

Right-handed

Bowling

Right-arm fast-medium

Role

All-rounder

Relations

Matt To'omua

(m. 2015; separated 2020)

International information

National side

Australia (2007–present)

Test debut (cap 152)

15 February 2008 v England

Last Test

15 February 2024 v South Africa

ODI debut (cap 109)

22 July 2007 v New Zealand

Last ODI

17 January 2025 v England

ODI shirt no.

T20I debut (cap 21)

1 February 2008 v England

Last T20I

25 January 2025 v England

T20I shirt no.

Domestic team information

Years

Team

2007–2019

New South Wales

2015–present

Sydney Sixers

2016–2017

Loughborough Lightning

2018

Supernovas

2019–present

Victoria

2022–present

Birmingham Phoenix

2023–present

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Career statistics

Competition	WTest	WODI	WT20I	WLA
Matches	13	155	165	253
Runs scored	928	4,187	2,109	6,996
Batting average	61.86	48.68	30.12	49.26
100s/50s	2/4	3/35	0/9	1/48
Top score	213*	112*	75	147
Balls bowled	2,061	5,776	2,447	10,082
Wickets	39	166	126	291
Bowling average	21.82	25.37	18.92	23.88
5 wickets in innings	2	3	0	5
10 wickets in match	0	0	0	0
Best bowling	6/32	7/22	4/12	7/22
Catches/stumpings	5/–	53/–	45/–	89/–

Medal record

Women's cricket

Representing Australia
Commonwealth Games
Gold	2022 Birmingham
ODI World Cup
	2013 India
	2022 New Zealand
T20 World Cup
	2010 West Indies
	2012 Sri Lanka
	2014 Bangladesh
	2018 West Indies
	2020 Australia
	2023 South Africa
Second	2016 India

Source: ESPNcricinfo, 25 January 2025

Ellyse Perry
Personal information
Perry playing for Canberra United in 2009
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
2008	NSW Sapphires
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2008–2009	Central Coast Mariners	3	(0)
2009–2012	Canberra United	24	(2)
2012–2016	Sydney FC	23	(2)
National team^‡
2007	Australia U-20	3	(0)
2007–2013	Australia	18	(3)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 September 2016. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 July 2011

Ellyse Perry (born 3 November 1990) is an amazing Australian cricketer and a former soccer player. She started playing for both the national cricket and soccer teams when she was just 16 years old. This made her the youngest Australian to play international cricket. She was also the first person to play in both the ICC Cricket World Cup and the FIFA Soccer World Cup!

Since 2014, Ellyse has focused mainly on cricket. Her cricket career has been super successful, and many people think she is one of the greatest women cricketers ever. She's a true all-rounder, meaning she's great at both batting and fast bowling. She was the first player to get 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is. She also holds the record for the highest score by an Australian woman in Test matches, scoring 213 runs without being out.

Ellyse has helped her teams win many championships. She has won eight world championships with Australia, eleven WNCL titles with New South Wales, two WBBL titles with the Sydney Sixers, and one WPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She has also won many individual awards, like the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award and the Belinda Clark Award three times each. She was even named one of the Wisden Five Cricketers of the Decade for 2010–19.

Ellyse Perry is seen as a great role model for young athletes. Her success on the field and her positive image off the field have helped more girls and women get involved in sports in Australia.

Early Life and First Steps

Ellyse Perry grew up in Wahroonga, a suburb of Sydney. She went to Pymble Ladies' College, where she was captain for sports, athletics, and cricket. Besides cricket and soccer, she also played tennis, athletics, touch football, and golf.

She became friends with her future Australian cricket teammate Alyssa Healy when they were nine. They played cricket together as kids. Alyssa sometimes called her "Dags" because of an old uniform, but most people know Ellyse by her nickname "Pez".

Just after her 16th birthday in January 2007, Ellyse played cricket for New South Wales in a tournament for players under 19. She scored 74 runs and took three wickets. A month later, she was chosen for the Australian youth team to tour New Zealand.

International Cricket Journey

Starting Young: Debuts in All Formats

Ellyse Perry joined the Australian team very quickly. In July 2007, she played against New Zealand even though she hadn't played a senior match before. On 22 July, at just 16 years and 8 months old, she made her One Day International debut in Darwin. This made her the youngest cricketer ever to play for Australia.

In her first Twenty20 International game on 1 February 2008, against England, Ellyse showed she was a future star. She scored 29 runs and then took 4 wickets for only 20 runs, helping Australia win. She also made a great run out. People started to get excited about her potential to become a legendary all-rounder.

On 15 February, Ellyse became the youngest Australian to play Test cricket at 17 years and 3 months old. She scored 21 runs and took her first Test wicket, finishing with 2 wickets for 49 runs.

First World Cup Wins and Big Moments

Perry at the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup

Ellyse played in her first major tournament, the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup, in Australia. She scored 36 runs and took 2 wickets against the West Indies, earning the Player of the Match award. Australia didn't make it to the final that year.

Later in 2009, she played in the first ever Women's World Twenty20. Australia lost in the semi-finals to England.

In 2010, Ellyse was a key player in Australia's win at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. In the final against New Zealand, Australia was defending a small score of 106 runs. Ellyse took 3 wickets for 18 runs. In the very last ball, with New Zealand needing five runs to win, she bravely stuck out her right foot to block a powerful shot, stopping a boundary and securing a three-run victory for Australia! She was named Player of the Final.

More World Cup Success and Amazing Performances

In 2011, Ellyse helped Australia win the Women's Ashes trophy back from England. She took 4 wickets for 56 runs in the first innings of the Test match.

At the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, Ellyse was Player of the Match in the semi-final against the West Indies, taking 2 important wickets. In the final, Australia won by four runs against England, claiming their second World T20 title in a row.

The 2013 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India was tough for Ellyse as she had an ankle injury. But in the final against the West Indies, she bowled all her ten overs despite the pain, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs. This helped Australia win by 114 runs. People called her "Australia's limping hero" for her amazing spirit.

In the 2013–14 Women's Ashes, Ellyse was named Player of the Match in the Test. She scored 71 and 31 runs and took 8 wickets. She also scored 90 runs not out in a one-day game, helping her team win. She was named Player of the Series.

Continuing to Shine: World Titles and Records

At the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Ellyse was Player of the Match against South Africa, scoring 41 runs not out. Australia won their third T20 world championship in a row, beating England in the final. Ellyse took 2 wickets and scored 31 runs not out, hitting the winning runs.

In the 2015 Women's Ashes in England, Ellyse helped Australia win the trophy back. She took 6 wickets for 32 runs in the Test match, helping her team win by 161 runs. She was again named Player of the Series. On 21 July, she reached 1,000 runs in ODI cricket.

Perry during the 2017–18 Women's Ashes Test at North Sydney Oval

Australia had some tough losses in the 2016 World Twenty20 and 2017 Cricket World Cup. But Ellyse was playing incredibly well, especially with her batting in ODI games. In 23 innings, she scored 50 runs or more 17 times!

In the 2017–18 Women's Ashes, Ellyse made history in the day-night Test match. She scored an amazing 213 runs not out, which was her first international century and a new record for the highest score by an Australian woman in Tests.

At the 2018 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, Ellyse took important wickets. On 17 November, she became the first Australian woman to play 100 Twenty20 Internationals. In the final against England on 24 November, she became the first Australian to take 100 T20I wickets. Australia won the title easily.

On 24 February 2019, Ellyse scored her first ODI century, getting 107 runs not out against New Zealand. In July 2019, she had another fantastic Women's Ashes series. She took 7 wickets for 22 runs, which was the best bowling figures for an Australian in women's ODIs. She also became the first player to achieve 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is. Ellyse was named Player of the Series again.

On 11 September, she became the third bowler to take 150 WODI wickets. She also scored her second ODI century, 112 runs not out.

Perry (right) with Meg Lanning during the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup at the WACA

In January 2020, Ellyse was part of Australia's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia. She got a hamstring injury during a match against New Zealand, which meant she missed the rest of the tournament. But she stayed with the team as a mentor. Australia went on to win their fifth World T20 championship, beating India in the final. Ellyse was still able to join the team on stage to celebrate!

In April 2020, she was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. In December, she won three big awards: ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade, ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Decade, and ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Decade.

Ellyse returned to international cricket in March 2021. In October 2021, she became the first woman to score 5,000 runs and take 300 wickets in international cricket. A few days later, she became Australia's most capped woman international cricketer, playing her 252nd match.

In 2022, Ellyse helped Australia win the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. She won back-to-back Player of the Match awards in the group stage. She scored 68 runs and took 3 early wickets against the West Indies. She missed some games due to a back injury but was fit for the final, where Australia won by 71 runs against England.

In May 2022, Ellyse was chosen for Australia's team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, where they won gold!

In 2023, Ellyse helped Australia win their sixth T20 World Cup title. She scored 40 runs in the opening match against New Zealand and took key wickets throughout the tournament. She also made amazing catches and run-outs. Australia beat South Africa in the final.

Later in 2023, during the 2023 Women's Ashes series in England, Ellyse scored 99 runs in the first innings of the Test match. She also scored 51 not out in a T20I and 41, 91, and 53 in the ODIs. She was also named in the Australia squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup and the 2025 Women's Ashes series.

Domestic Cricket Adventures

Playing for Her State: Women's National Cricket League

Perry on her way to 127* for the NSW Breakers against the ACT Meteors in 2017

Ellyse started playing for New South Wales in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) in 2007–08. She helped New South Wales win the title in her first season. She went on to win ten more WNCL championships with New South Wales!

Some of her highlights include:

Taking 4 wickets for 23 runs in the 2008–09 final to help New South Wales win.
Leading the league in wickets in 2009–10 and 2010–11.
Scoring her first century (126 runs) in 2015–16.
Making her highest score for New South Wales, 127 runs not out, in 2017–18.

In 2019, Ellyse moved to Melbourne and started playing for the Victoria WNCL team. She scored her first century for Victoria, 120 runs, in December 2021. On 5 January 2023, she set a new WNCL high score, making 147 runs, and then another century two days later.

Big Bash League Star: Women's Big Bash League

Perry playing for the Sydney Sixers in 2019

In 2015, Ellyse was the first player signed by the Sydney Sixers for the new Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). She also became their first captain.

In the first season (2015–16), the Sixers started slowly but then won nine games in a row after Ellyse started opening the batting with Alyssa Healy. They made it to the final but lost.

In 2016–17, the Sixers finished first, and even though Ellyse missed the playoffs due to injury, the team went on to win their first championship! In 2017–18, Ellyse led the league in runs scored and helped the Sixers win their second title in a row.

Ellyse had an amazing 2018–19 WBBL season, scoring a record 777 runs. She hit two centuries and was named Player of the Tournament. She helped the Sixers reach their fourth final in a row.

In 2019–20, Ellyse had another great season with the bat, scoring 469 runs, even though she missed some games due to a shoulder injury. She and Alyssa Healy set a new record for the highest domestic women's T20 partnership, with 199 runs.

In October 2022, Ellyse became the first player to captain 100 WBBL games. She was the second-highest run-scorer in WBBL|08, helping the Sixers reach the finals again.

Playing Around the World

Ellyse also played for the Loughborough Lightning in England's Women's Cricket Super League in 2016 and 2017. She also played in the first Women's T20 Challenge in India in 2018.

In 2021, she was signed by the Birmingham Phoenix for the Hundred tournament in England. She made her debut in 2022, scoring 58 runs in her first game and earning Player of the Match. She is set to captain the Birmingham Phoenix in 2024.

In 2023, Ellyse was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the first season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India. She won the second season of the WPL with RCB and also won the "Orange Cap" for scoring the most runs (347 runs) in the season.

Soccer Journey

Ellyse Perry
Personal information
Perry playing for Canberra United in 2009
Full name	Ellyse Alexandra Perry
Date of birth	(1990-11-03) 3 November 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
2008	NSW Sapphires
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2008–2009	Central Coast Mariners	3	(0)
2009–2012	Canberra United	24	(2)
2012–2016	Sydney FC	23	(2)
National team^‡
2007	Australia U-20	3	(0)
2007–2013	Australia	18	(3)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 September 2016. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 July 2011

Ellyse Perry was mainly a defender in soccer. She played her first game for the Australian national soccer team (the Matildas) on 4 August 2007, when she was 16 years and 9 months old. She even scored a goal in that match!

She played for the Central Coast Mariners and then Canberra United. In 2009, she won the W-League Young Player of the Year award.

Ellyse was part of the Matildas squad for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. She became the first Australian to play in both a Cricket World Cup and a FIFA World Cup. She scored Australia's only goal in their quarter-final match against Sweden.

In 2012, Ellyse joined Sydney FC. She was part of the Sydney FC team that played in the 2013 International Women's Club Championship.

International Goals in Soccer

Ellyse scored three international goals during her soccer career.

Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	4 August 2007	Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong	Hong Kong	1–0	8–1	2008 Olympics qualifying
2	31 May 2008	Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	South Korea	1–0	2–0	2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup
3	9 July 2011	Impuls Arena, Augsburg, Germany	Sweden	1–2	1–3	2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

Why She Chose Cricket

For a while, Ellyse played both cricket and soccer at a high level. But as both sports grew, they started to demand full-time commitment from players. In 2012, she faced a choice between the two sports. She decided to play in a soccer semi-final over a cricket final once, but later chose to play for the Australian cricket team over a soccer grand final.

By 2014, the national soccer coach said Ellyse wouldn't be considered for the national team because she needed to focus more time on soccer. Ellyse played her last W-League soccer game in December 2015, right after the Women's Big Bash League started.

Ellyse has said that she truly enjoyed playing both sports. But as they became more professional, she naturally ended up focusing on cricket. Even after the Matildas did so well in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Ellyse said she didn't regret her decision to choose cricket. She felt lucky to have played both sports professionally for a time.

Playing Style and Skills

In cricket, Ellyse Perry is an all-rounder. She bats right-handed and bowls right-arm pace. She's also an excellent fielder, known for her safe hands and strong throwing arm. Her athletic build and speed make her great at fielding near the boundary.

Bowling Prowess

Ellyse usually bowls between 110 and 115 km/h, but she can reach up to 125 km/h, making her one of the fastest women bowlers. She naturally bowls the ball away from the right-handed batter (an outswinger). She can also move the ball into the batter through the air and off the pitch. Her smooth run-up is described as "a sight to behold." She's best when she bowls with great accuracy, controlling the batter with her fast and precise deliveries.

Batting Brilliance

Perry during a training session

Ellyse is known for her beautiful and technically correct batting style. She often plays straight shots down the ground. She's very calm under pressure, which helps her play a steady role in an innings. She has also added more powerful and unusual shots to her limited overs game, which has increased her scoring speed.

Because she is mentally strong, physically fit, and has a solid defence, Ellyse is very well-suited for Test cricket. She wishes women played more Test matches, as she only had eight opportunities to wear the "baggy green" cap in her first 13 years of international cricket.

When she wants to score quickly, Ellyse is a very powerful hitter. She has hit the third-most sixes in the first five WBBL seasons. She's even hit balls into the crowd that have broken a car windscreen and hit a spectator, showing how powerful her shots can be!

Off the Field

Personal Life

Perry poses for a photo next to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop (right), after presenting an autographed Australian women's cricket team shirt to the Ambassador for Women & Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja (left).

After finishing school, Ellyse studied Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney.

On 20 December 2015, she married Australian rugby player Matt To'omua. They separated in 2020. Ellyse loves coffee and used to own several coffee shops with her husband.

Ellyse supports several charities, including the McGrath Foundation, the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation, and the LBW (Learning for a Better World) Trust.

Media and Endorsements

Ellyse Perry has been involved in many media projects. She hosted a TV show, was a guest on a radio show, and wrote a series of children's books about a sport-loving girl. She also joined the Fox Sports cricket broadcast team.

In 2019, her first non-fiction book, Perspective, was released. She was also featured in a documentary series called Insight, which showed a behind-the-scenes look at her life. Ellyse and her teammates were even part of a new version of the famous Australian cricket song "C'mon Aussie C'mon".

Ellyse is a private person, but she used to spend a lot of time on sponsorships and promotions. This changed after Cricket Australia announced a big pay deal for female athletes, which she was very happy about.

In 2013, SportsPro magazine ranked Ellyse as the 36th most marketable sportsperson in the world. She has worked with big brands like Jockey, Hisense, Weet-Bix, Red Bull, Microsoft, and Hublot. Her current partners include L'Oréal, Adidas, Fox Sports, and Commonwealth Bank.

In 2022, Ellyse worked with a company called JPGavan to create new cricket gear, called 'Staple', especially for female players.

Awards and Achievements

Cricket Honours

Team Awards

2× Women's Cricket World Cup champion: 2013, 2022
6× ICC Women's World Twenty20 champion: 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023
Commonwealth Games champion: 2022
11× Women's National Cricket League champion: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
2× Women's Big Bash League champion: 2016–17, 2017–18
2× Australian Women's Twenty20 Cup champion: 2012–13, 2014–15
Women's Premier League champion: 2024