Perry hopeful stress fracture is 'Benjamin Button' moment

Getting a stress fracture at age 31 is not quite how Ellyse Perry envisaged reliving her youth but the veteran is hopeful it heralds a Benjamin Button-like arc to an international career now stretching into a 15th year.

Perry is touch and go to be fit to bowl at July's Commonwealth Games after revealing the back concern she stoically played through during March's ODI World Cup final was an injury more typically suffered by fast bowlers in their youth.

Either way, the star allrounder will be available to play as a batter and there is some chance she will be right to resume bowling during either a tri-series in Northern Ireland or during the ensuing Birmingham Games.

"It's really dependent on the next couple of weeks," Perry told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.

"We're having some progressive scans as I'm going and each time that will give us a clear indication of how it's healing and where I'm at in terms of bowling again.

"But we've got to wait until it's completely healed before I can start bowling. It could be soon, but it might be delayed depending on the progress there."

It will be just the second time cricket has been played at the Commonwealth Games after Australia's men, led by Steve Waugh, won silver at the 1998 event in Kuala Lumpur.

Only women's T20 cricket will be played this time, with all matches to be hosted at Edgbaston.

Even fully fit, Perry is no longer a guaranteed starter in Australia's T20 side.

She was left out from their most recent T20 side during last summer's Ashes and faces competition from emerging allrounders Tahlia McGrath and Annabel Sutherland.

Image Id: 03B46607B5F54946B6521E4FC3E5BD7F Image Caption: Perry's fitness was the subject of much discussion during the ODI World Cup // cricket.com.au

Perry suffered back spasms during a World Cup pool match against South Africa in March. Scans after that game showed she had suffered a stress fracture in her back, she revealed on Friday.

Desperate to avoid the same heartbreak she suffered when she missed the 2020 T20 World Cup decider with a hamstring injury, Perry valiantly returned as a batter only for March's 50-over final in April as the Aussies defeated England to be crowned one-day champions.

Image Id: 6A6045410D6842519E0F939FDAD389BE Image Caption: Ellyse Perry accepts her medal after winning the ODI World Cup in March // Getty

The weeks leading into their next games will allow Perry to refine her bowling technique, suggesting her latest setback was due to "a mix of a couple of things, both workload wise but also a couple of technical things.

"This period gives me a chance to clean up a little bit and hopefully when I do get the chance to bowl again, it's a bit more efficient and not putting as much stress on my body, " she said.

"So in a way I actually feel like Benjamin Button because apparently these injuries are very much a young person's injury – so I’ll take that!

"In most cases it's fairly unique to sustain that (type of injury) at my age."

With 264 international games under her belt, Perry remains determined to return as a bona-fide allrounder.

The right-armer worked extensively with bowling coach Ben Sawyer during her long rehabilitation from the hamstring injury that sidelined her from the 2020 Cup final, tweaking her run-up to give her more power.

"There was a big challenge to get my bowling back up to a level that was producing performances in matches that were really helping the team," said Perry, who averages 19.45 with the ball in T20Is.

"By the end of that (last season), having put a lot of work into that, I felt like it was coming out well again.

"I certainly enjoy playing the game doing both … I don't really want to change that. Even if with this injury, I don't think it really impairs that."

Australia's Tour of the UK, 2022

Australia's squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

T20 Tri-Series

July 16: Australia v Pakistan

July 17: Australia v Ireland

July 19: Ireland v Pakistan

July 21: Australia v Ireland

July 23: Australia v Pakistan

July 24: Ireland v Pakistan

All matches start 3pm local time (midnight AEST) and played at Bready Cricket Club, Derry, Northern Ireland

2022 Commonwealth Games

July 29 v India (11am local time, 8pm AEST)

July 31 v Barbados (6pm local, 3am Aug 1 AEST)

August 3 v Pakistan (11am local, 8pm AEST)

Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados

Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Semi-finals: August 6, 11am local (8pm AEST) and 6pm local (3am Aug 7 AEST)

Bronze medal match: August 7, 10am local (7pm AEST)

Gold medal match: August 7, 5pm local (2am Aug 8 AEST)

All matches played at Edgbaston Stadium