Ellyse Perry facts for kids

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Ellyse Perry

Perry during the Women's Ashes in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Ellyse Alexandra Perry
Born	(1990-11-03) 3 November 1990 (age 34) Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Pez
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 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	2 February 2025 v England
ODI debut (cap 109)	22 July 2007 v New Zealand
Last ODI	17 January 2025 v England
ODI shirt no.	8
T20I debut (cap 21)	1 February 2008 v England
Last T20I	25 January 2025 v England
T20I shirt no.	8
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2007/08–2018/19	New South Wales
2015/16–present	Sydney Sixers
2016–2017	Loughborough Lightning
2018	Supernovas
2019/20–2023/24	Victoria
2022–present	Birmingham Phoenix
2023–present	Royal Challengers Bengaluru
2024/25	Wellington
2025	Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I LA Matches 13 155 168 253 Runs scored 928 4,187 2,173 6,996 Batting average 61.86 48.68 31/04 49.26 100s/50s 2/4 3/35 0/9 11/48 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/– 47/– 89/–
Medal record Women's cricket Representing  Australia Commonwealth Games Gold 2022 Birmingham ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 2013 India Winner 2022 New Zealand ICC T20 World Cup Winner 2010 West Indies Winner 2012 Sri Lanka Winner 2014 Bangladesh Winner 2018 West Indies Winner 2020 Australia Winner 2023 South Africa Runner-up 2016 India
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 13 July 2025
Association football career Perry playing for Canberra United in 2009 Position(s) 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) International career‡ 2007 Australia U-20 3 (0) 2007–2013 Australia 18 (3) *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 September 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 July 2011

Ellyse Alexandra Perry (born 3 November 1990) is a famous Australian cricketer and former soccer player. She started playing for Australia's national cricket and soccer teams when she was just 16. 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 Women's World Cup.

Since 2014, Ellyse has focused mainly on cricket. She is now known as one of the greatest female cricketers ever. She is an amazing all-rounder, meaning she is great at both batting and fast bowling. She was the first player to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20 International matches. She also holds the record for the highest score by an Australian woman in Test matches (213 runs, not out).

Ellyse has helped her teams win many championships. She has won eight world championships with Australia. She also won eleven WNCL titles with New South Wales, two WBBL titles with the Sydney Sixers, and one WPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She has won many individual awards too, 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 in Australian sports. Her success on the field and her positive image have helped more girls and women get involved in sports in Australia.

Early Life and Start in Sports

Ellyse Perry was born in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia. She grew up in the suburbs of Wahroonga and West Pymble. She went to Beecroft Primary School and Pymble Ladies' College. At Pymble, she was the captain for sports, athletics, and cricket.

During her school years, she played many different sports. These included cricket, soccer, tennis, athletics, touch football, and golf. She became friends with future Australian cricket teammate Alyssa Healy when they were nine. They played cricket together as kids. Ellyse is often called "Pez" by her friends and teammates.

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

International Cricket Journey

Starting Strong in All Three Formats (2007–2008)

Ellyse Perry quickly joined the Australian team in July 2007 to play against New Zealand. She had not even played a senior match before this. She made her One Day International (ODI) debut in Darwin on 22 July. She was only 16 years and 8 months old, making her the youngest Australian to play international cricket. In that game, she took two wickets and scored 19 runs.

In her Twenty20 International (T20I) debut against England in February 2008, Ellyse showed she was a future star. She scored 29 runs (not out) and took 4 wickets for 20 runs. This helped Australia win by 21 runs. Her amazing performance made people excited about her potential. Many thought she could become a legendary all-rounder like Keith Miller.

On 15 February 2008, Ellyse became the youngest Australian Test cricketer. She debuted in the Women's Ashes match. She scored 21 runs in the first innings and took her first Test wicket.

First World Cups (2009)

Perry at the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup

Ellyse played in her first major ICC tournament, the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup, in Australia. She helped Australia win against the West Indies by scoring 36 runs and taking 2 wickets. Australia did not 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. During the 2009–10 summer, Ellyse took 13 wickets against New Zealand, showing her bowling skills.

Winning the First T20 World Cup (2010)

Ellyse was a key player in Australia's win at the 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies. In the semi-final against India, she helped turn the game around by getting key players out.

In the final against New Zealand, Australia was defending a low score of 106 runs. Ellyse took three important wickets. In the very last ball of the game, New Zealand needed five runs to win. Ellyse stopped a powerful shot with her foot, deflecting the ball and saving a boundary. This secured a three-run victory for Australia and their first T20 world championship. She took 3 wickets for 18 runs and was named Player of the Final.

More T20 World Cup Wins (2011–2012)

In the 2010–11 Women's Ashes Test, Ellyse took 4 wickets, helping Australia win and take back the trophy from England.

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

Cricket World Cup Success (2013)

Ellyse Perry played in the 2013 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India. She missed three matches due to an ankle injury. In the final against the West Indies, even with her injury, she bowled all ten of her overs and took 3 wickets. This helped Australia win by 114 runs. She was called "Australia's limping hero" for her brave performance. After the win, she had surgery on her fractured ankle.

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 played very well in the shorter games, scoring 90 runs (not out) in one match. She was named Player of the Series.

Another T20 World Cup Title (2014–2015)

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 Cup 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 back the trophy. She took 6 wickets for 32 runs in the Test match, helping her team win by 161 runs. She was the top scorer and wicket-taker in the series and was named Player of the Series again. In July 2015, she reached 1,000 runs in ODI cricket.

Amazing Individual Performances (2016–2017)

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. However, Ellyse Perry was playing incredibly well. In 23 ODI innings, she scored 50 runs or more 17 times, with an average of almost 90 runs.

During the 2017–18 Women's Ashes, she played a historic innings of 213 runs (not out) in the day-night Test at North Sydney Oval. This was her first international century and a new record for an Australian woman in Tests. Even though her team didn't win the match, it was a remarkable effort.

Fourth T20 World Cup Title (2018–2019)

At the 2018 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, Ellyse took important wickets in key matches. On 17 November, she became the first Australian woman to play 100 T20 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, making 107 runs (not out) against New Zealand. This was a big moment as she had been close to a century many times before.

In July 2019, Ellyse had another fantastic Women's Ashes series. On 7 July, she took 7 wickets for 22 runs, which was the best bowling performance by an Australian in women's ODIs. On 19 July, she set a new record for the most runs scored between dismissals in women's Test cricket (329 runs). She also became the first player to achieve 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is. Ellyse was named Player of the Series again.

In September 2019, she became the third bowler to take 150 WODI wickets. She also scored her second ODI century, making 112 runs (not out) against the West Indies.

Fifth T20 World Cup Title (2020–2021)

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. In a crucial match against New Zealand, she helped her team win. However, she tore her hamstring while fielding and missed the rest of the tournament. She stayed with the team as a mentor, and Australia went on to win their fifth T20 World Cup title.

Ellyse had surgery and spent six months recovering. In April 2020, she was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. In November 2020, she won three major awards: ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade, Women's ODI Cricketer of the Decade, and Women's T20I Cricketer of the Decade. These awards recognized her amazing performances from 2011 to 2020.

She 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. Days later, she became Australia's most capped women's international cricketer, playing her 252nd match.

Second Cricket World Cup Title (2022)

In the Test match against England in 2022, Ellyse took 4 wickets and scored 59 runs. She became the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in Women's Ashes history. A week later, she took 3 wickets and scored 40 runs in an ODI, earning Player of the Match.

After winning the Women's Ashes, the Australian team went to New Zealand for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup. Ellyse won back-to-back Player of the Match awards in the group stage. She scored 68 runs and took a wicket against New Zealand. Then, she took three early wickets against the West Indies. She missed two games due to back spasms but was fit for the final against England, where Australia won by 71 runs.

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

Sixth T20 World Cup Title (2023)

Ellyse's best batting performance in the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup was 40 runs from 22 balls against New Zealand. She also took key wickets and showed amazing fielding skills. Australia, with Ellyse, became six-time T20 world champions, beating South Africa in the final.

Ashes Tour of England (2023)

Perry fielding in her No. 8 shirt at North Sydney Oval during the 2024–25 Women's Ashes series

In March 2023, Ellyse was named for the 2023 Women's Ashes series. She scored 99 runs in the first innings of the only Test match. In the T20Is, she scored 51 runs (not out) in one game. She was promoted to bat at number 3 for the ODI series and scored 41, 91, and 53 runs in the matches.

Recent International Matches (2024–2025)

Ellyse was part of the Australia squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. She was also named in the Australia squad for the 2024–25 Women's Ashes series.

Domestic Cricket Career

Women's National Cricket League (WNCL)

Ellyse started playing for New South Wales in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) in the 2007–08 season. She took 2 wickets in her first game. Her first wicket was Karen Rolton, who was considered the best batter in the world at the time. New South Wales won the title that season.

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

Ellyse went on to win ten more WNCL championships with New South Wales. Some of her best moments include:

• In the 2008–09 final, she took 4 wickets and was named Player of the Match.
• In the 2009–10 season, she took the most wickets in the league (22 wickets). She also scored her first half-century (66 runs) and took her first five-wicket haul (5 wickets for 19 runs).
• In the 2010–11 season, she again took the most wickets in the league (13 wickets). She also had her best bowling figures for New South Wales, taking 5 wickets for 11 runs.
• In the 2014–15 final, she scored 57 runs (not out) and took 2 wickets.
• In the 2015–16 season, she scored the most runs in the league (403 runs). She also scored her first century (126 runs).
• In the 2017–18 season, she again scored the most runs in the league (372 runs). She made her highest score for New South Wales, 127 runs (not out).
• In the 2018–19 final, she played her last game for New South Wales, helping them win their 20th WNCL title.

In 2019, Ellyse moved to Melbourne and joined the Victoria WNCL team. She made her debut in January 2020. In December 2021, she scored her first century for Victoria, making 120 runs. On 5 January 2023, she set a new WNCL high score of 147 runs for Victoria. She scored another century two days later, making 130 runs (not out).

Women's Big Bash League (WBBL)

Perry playing for the Sydney Sixers in 2019

Ellyse Perry was the first player to sign with the Sydney Sixers for the first Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) season in 2015. She also became the team's first captain. In the first season, the Sixers started slowly but then won nine games in a row. They lost in the final.

The Sixers finished first in the WBBL|02 season. Ellyse missed the playoffs due to a hamstring injury, but the Sixers went on to win their first championship. In WBBL|03, Ellyse scored the most runs in the league (552 runs). She helped the Sixers win their second title in a row.

Ellyse had an amazing WBBL|04 season, scoring a record 777 runs. She scored two centuries and was named Player of the Tournament. She played a key role in the semi-final, scoring 54 runs (not out) and hitting a six in the super over to send the Sixers to the final. They narrowly lost the final.

In WBBL|05, Ellyse had another great season with the bat, scoring 469 runs. She and Alyssa Healy set a new record for the highest domestic women's T20 partnership (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.

Other Domestic Leagues

• Women's Cricket Super League: In 2016 and 2017, Ellyse played for the Loughborough Lightning in England.
• Women's T20 Challenge: In 2018, she played for the Supernovas in India's first Women's T20 Challenge, helping her team win.
• The Hundred: In 2022, Ellyse played for the Birmingham Phoenix in England's new Hundred competition. She scored 58 runs in her debut match and was named Player of the Match. She was named captain for Birmingham Phoenix in 2024.
• Women's Premier League: In 2023, Ellyse was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the first Women's Premier League (WPL) in India. She won the second season of the WPL with RCB in 2024 and won the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs (347 runs).

Playing Style in Cricket

Ellyse Perry is an all-rounder in cricket. She bats right-handed and bowls right-arm pace. She is also a very good fielder, known for her safe catches and strong throwing arm. Her athletic build and speed make her great at fielding near the boundary.

Bowling Skills

Ellyse usually bowls between 110 and 115 km/h, but she can reach up to 125 km/h, making her one of the fastest female bowlers. She naturally bowls the ball away from right-handed batters (outswing). She can also move the ball into the batter (inswing) and off the pitch (off cutter). Her bowling action is smooth and rhythmic. She is best at controlling batters with accurate bowling.

Batting Skills

Perry during a training session

Ellyse is known for her beautiful and correct batting style. She usually hits straight shots. She stays calm under pressure, which helps her play a steady role in an innings. She has also added more aggressive shots to her game, increasing her scoring speed.

Because she is mentally strong, physically fit, and has a good defense, Ellyse is very well-suited for Test cricket. She has said she wishes women played more Test matches. She has only had a few chances to play Test cricket in her long international career.

When she wants to score runs quickly, Ellyse is a very powerful hitter. She has hit many sixes in the WBBL. In one match in 2017, she hit a ball into the crowd that accidentally hit a 13-year-old boy. She immediately went to check on him and called him the next morning. In another game in 2019, she hit a six that smashed the windscreen of a nearby ambulance!

Traits and Influences

Ellyse has always trained hard, often with her father, Mark, who is also her personal coach. Teammates have called her "the ultimate professional" and a "perfectionist" because of how carefully she prepares.

Even though she has been a successful captain for the Sydney Sixers, Ellyse has never been the main captain for the Australian national team. She has said that because she started playing for Australia so young, she still feels like a youthful and fun person on the team, even with all her experience.

Ellyse has a unique habit: she always wears a pair of New South Wales PSSA socks in her top-level cricket matches. She looked up to cricketer Michael Hussey the most when she was growing up. Other favorite players include Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh, Michael Bevan, Belinda Clark, and Karen Rolton.

International Centuries

Ellyse Perry has scored five centuries in international cricket: two in Test matches and three in One Day Internationals.

Test centuries

No	Runs	Against	Pos.	Inn.	Test	Venue	H/A	Date	Result	Ref
1	213 not out	England	4	2	1/1	North Sydney Oval	Home	9 November 2017	Drawn
2	116	England	4	1	1/1	County Ground, Taunton	Away	18 July 2019	Drawn

ODI centuries

No.	Runs	Against	Pos.	Inn.	S/R	Venue	H/A/N	Date	Result	Ref
1	107 not out	New Zealand	4	1	97.27	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide	Home	24 February 2019	Won
2	112 not out	West Indies	3	1	94.91	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua	Away	8 September 2019	Won
3	105	India	3	1	140.00	Allan Border Field, Brisbane	Home	8 December 2024	Won

Soccer Career

Ellyse Perry

Perry playing for Canberra United in 2009
Personal information
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)
Position(s)	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)
International career‡
2007	Australia U-20	3	(0)
2007–2013	Australia	18	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 September 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 July 2011

Ellyse Perry mainly played as a defender in soccer. She played her first game for the Australian national soccer team against Hong Kong on 4 August 2007. She was 16 years and 9 months old, having just made her international cricket debut. She even scored a goal in that match! She scored her second international goal in 2008 against South Korea.

She played for the Central Coast Mariners in the 2008–09 W-League season. Then she joined Canberra United in 2009. She won the 2009 W-League Young Player of the Year award.

Ellyse was chosen for the Matildas squad for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. She became the first Australian to play in both the ICC Cricket World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup. In the quarter-final against Sweden, she scored Australia's only goal.

In May 2012, Ellyse had to choose between soccer and cricket. She decided to join Sydney FC for the 2012–13 W-League season, as they were willing to let her play both sports. However, in January 2013, she chose to play in a soccer semi-final instead of a cricket final. The next weekend, she chose to play for the Australian cricket team instead of the W-League grand final.

By 2014, the national soccer coach said Ellyse would not be considered for the team because she needed to focus more on one sport to play at the highest level. Ellyse played her last W-League game on 13 December 2015. She later said that both sports had grown so much that they needed full-time professional athletes. She ended up focusing on cricket and enjoyed her time playing soccer.

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 in 2008, Ellyse studied at the University of Sydney. On 20 December 2015, she married Australian rugby union 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 and the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation.

Media and Endorsements

Ellyse Perry has been involved in many media projects:

• In 2010, she hosted a TV show called Football Stars of Tomorrow.
• In 2011, she had a regular segment on a radio show called Perry Good Sportswoman.
• In 2016, she wrote a series of children's books with Sherryl Clark about a young girl who loves sports.
• In 2018, she joined the Fox Sports cricket broadcast team.
• In 2019, her first non-fiction book, Perspective, was released.
• In 2019, a seven-part documentary series called Insight gave a behind-the-scenes look at her life.
• She was featured in a new version of the famous cricket song "C'mon Aussie C'mon", which praised her skills.

Ellyse is a private person, but she used to spend a lot of time on sponsorships and promotions. This changed after Cricket Australia offered better pay deals for female athletes. She was happy about this because it meant less time pretending to know what she was doing in front of a camera.

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, she launched her own line of cricket gear called 'Staple', especially for female players.

Honours and Awards

Cricket

Team Achievements

• 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

Individual Awards

• 2× Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award winner: 2017, 2019
• ICC Women's Cricketer of the Decade
• ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year: 2019
• ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Decade: 2011–2020
• ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Decade: 2011–2020
• 2× Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World: 2016, 2019
• ICC Women's World Twenty20 Player of the Final: 2010
• 3× Women's Ashes Player of the Series: 2013–14, 2015, 2019
• 3× Belinda Clark Award winner: 2016, 2018, 2020
• One of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year: 2020
• Women's National Cricket League Player of the Tournament: 2015–16
• Women's National Cricket League Player of the Final: 2008–09
• Women's Big Bash League Player of the Tournament: 2018–19, 2024–25
• 3× Belinda Clark Medal winner: 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Cricket NSW Rising Star: 2007–08
• 3× Sydney Sixers Player of the Season: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2023–24
• Sport NSW Athlete of the Year: 2019
• Australia Post Legend of Cricket: 2021
• Women's Premier League Orange Cap winner: 2024

Soccer

Team Achievements

• W-League premiership: 2011–12

Individual Awards

• W-League Young Player of the Year: 2009
• Canberra United Player of the Year: 2009

Books

Non-fiction

• Perspective (2019)

Children's Books

• Pocket Rocket (2016)
• Magic Feet (2016)
• Winning Touch (2017)
• Double Time (2017)

See also

In Spanish: Ellyse Perry para niños