England brings the best out of Perry

It could be said that when it comes to playing England, Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars allrounder Ellyse Perry lifts her already lofty standards to yet another level.

Eighteen months ago, Perry held steady in the middle-order to keep the Southern Stars’ Ashes hopes alive with an unbeaten 90 in Hobart.

In her five Tests – all against England – Perry averages 40.20 and her high score of 71 came in the sole Test of the 2013-14 series.

In the same match in Perth, she snared 3-41 and 5-38 – her best innings and match figures.

While the result of that Test – or Ashes series – did not go in Australia’s favour, Perry also played an important role in the Southern Stars’ ICC World T20 final win over England last year, scoring an unbeaten 31 while also being the most miserly with the ball, taking 2-13 in four overs.

Her best performance with the ball in T20s – 4-20 on debut in 2008 - also came against England.

With the Southern Stars now deep into their preparations for July’s Women’s Ashes series – which will see them attempt to win back the trophy on English soil for the first time since 2001 – Perry is relishing the idea of tackling the old enemy again.

“There are a number of special things about an Ashes series. We don’t play a lot of Tests so to play one is a really great experience for us, and one everyone really makes the most of,” Perry told cricket.com.au.

“Obviously it’s a special rivalry. Outside of the World Cups it’s the most important competition we play in.

“You always feel like you‘re a part of history when you play in an Ashes series.”

Image Id: ~/media/0C4952BB9E5D4CD3B2BFBA898D5ADE1F

Perry in action during the 2013-14 Women's Ashes // Getty Images

Perry will be a key part of the Southern Stars plans when the seven-match Women’s Ashes series begins on July 21 in Taunton.

The Women's Ashes works on a points system – this year victory in the sole Test match will be worth four points with two points on offer in each of the three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s.

While the Southern Stars won more matches in the 2013-14, taking the points in two ODIs and two T20s, the six points England received from winning the one-off Test plus one ODI and one T20 was enough to claim the series 10-8.

 “I think we don’t need to do too many things too differently,” Perry said on the Stars strategy from last Ashes to the upcoming series.

“We’ve got a great squad and the core group has been together for a long time now.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some really good success in last few World Cups and we hold the ODI and T20 trophies, so to get the Ashes is something we’d like to achieve, especially overseas in England,” Perry said.

“It’s a really great challenge for us and one we’re really eager to accomplish. It would mean a lot if we could get them back.”

While the weighting on the Test result is less this time around – down from six points in the last two series – the team which adapted better to the longest form of the game would have an advantage, Perry said.

“It’s a really big part of winning the series; it’s worth four points so it’s a really important match.

“We’ll make sure we keep playing good cricket and assessing the conditions well.

“If we can be tactically on top of them we should go a long way to winning it.”

Image Id: ~/media/E7A9CD1EE70C4A6E9F170444F02D1F39

Jumping for joy - Perry celebrating an ODI win // Getty Images

The majority of women’s cricket, at state and international level, is played as limited-overs contests, so Test matches are somewhat of a foreign concept during the Ashes.

Perry said winning the lone Test would require a slightly different approach.

“You’re trying to bowl really attacking balls that are going to take wickets, so leading up to a Test you bowl for a bit longer and really try to nail the balls you know are going to take wickets,” she said.

“You also spend longer in the nets batting to different conditions, it’s a slightly different way of preparing but I think the basic skills are the same.

 “It’s about tactically setting up plans and making sure you are executing them over a long period of time and being a bit more patient.”

Perry’s statistics in Tests speak for themselves and former Southern Stars batter Lisa Sthalekar is tipping the allrounder to be a key player when the four-day match in Canterbury begins on August 11.

“She’s probably one of the only players who has been conditioned to play Test cricket,” Sthalekar told cricket.com.au.

“If you ever have a training session with Pez, she’ll bat for an hour or two. She will literally be there for hours and just bat and bat, whereas the rest of us would probably get over it and move on.

“She loves it and I expect a big score from her when it comes to red-ball cricket.”