Like a fine wine: Enjoyment driving Perry's best ever T20 World Cup

As Ellyse Perry prepares to play her ninth T20 World Cup semi-final, the allrounder's tireless pursuit of improvement is providing the blueprint for her teammates, Ashleigh Gardner says.

Perry is enjoying a career-best T20 World Cup with the bat after breaking through for her first half-century at the tournament last Tuesday before doubling up with a second in as many innings against India on Sunday.

After five matches the allrounder has scored 183 runs – 70 more than Australia's next highest contributor Beth Mooney – at an average of 45.75 and most crucially, a strike rate of 140.76.

Before this World Cup, Perry's most productive tournament with the bat was the 2024 event in the United Arab Emirates, where she scored 132 runs at 32, with a strike rate of 122.22 that was influenced by the lower-scoring nature of the Sharjah ground where Australia played the majority of their matches.

At a time where a trio of her contemporaries have just bid farewell to the international game – fellow 10-tournament veterans Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu all played their final matches for New Zealand on Saturday – Perry is only finding ways to get better.

That improvement has not been without setbacks or reality checks, either. Perry's T20 career appeared to be at a crossroads when she was dropped ahead of the 2022 Ashes and carried the drinks through the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, but she forced her way back into the side through strong domestic T20 form.

"She's like a (fine) wine, she's just someone that's gotten better and better," allrounder Gardner said.

"The evolution of her game, she's known that the global game has gone at such a fast pace it doesn't settle, or slow down for anyone, so she knows that she needs to keep up with that pace.

"Just to watch the way that she approaches the game, the mental side of things, and just being able to be really brave, I feel like sometimes that can be quite hard at times when you feel like you don't have that confidence, but she's someone that always tries to take the game on.

"For someone with so much experience and so much willingness to keep evolving, it just shows younger players like me that there is no real ceiling on that stuff.

"She's a fantastic leader within our group within that space, but then just generally as well."

Perry spoke earlier in the tournament around how her evolution as a cricketer has extended off the field, with the allrounder seeking to expand her mind with influences from outside of sport.

The 35-year-old does not hold an official vice-captaincy role but is a leader within the Australian team, providing counsel on and off the field.

On Sunday, she reflected on how for her, this tournament – her 10th, having been part of every event since the inaugural women's T20 World Cup in 2009 – had been one underpinned by enjoyment, with Australia embracing their new era under skipper Sophie Molineux.

"Every tournament feels different for multiple reasons and this one has been extremely enjoyable," Perry said.

"The quality of cricket that's been played right across the competition, the response from the English public to come along and watch the matches has been amazing too.

"The atmospheres at various grounds has been so cool to play at.

"Every captain I play with is unique, but Soph brings a very unique style.

"She's such a people person. She makes everyone laugh. She knows when to have fun, when to be serious. And I think she just gives people a huge amount of belief and confidence in themselves.

"She makes sure that they're heard all the time and valued for their contribution to the group, and I hope that comes across in the way that we're playing because it's been so much fun this tournament.

"It doesn't guarantee you anything, and we've hopefully got two more games to go, certainly at least one, but I think when you're playing with that kind of enjoyment, it creates an opportunity for a team to do some really good things."

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson

Australia's Group 1 fixtures

June 13: beat South Africa by 65 runs

June 17: beat Bangladesh by nine wickets

June 20: beat Netherlands by 98 runs

June 24: beat Pakistan by 113 runs

June 28: beat India by six wickets

Semi-final 1: Australia v West Indies, The Oval, London, June 30, 11:30pm AEST

Semi-final 2: England v South Africa, The Oval, London, July 2 (3:30am July 3 AEST)

Final: Lord's, London, July 5 (12:30am July 6 AEST)

Click here for the full tournament schedule

All matches will be broadcast on Amazon's Prime Video