Perry shines in Ashes Test warm-up

Ellyse Perry’s incredible run of form with the bat has continued, with the Southern Stars allrounder adding a tour-match ton to her already impressive tally of runs scored on British soil.

If England had hoped a move to red-ball cricket might interrupt the allrounder’s streak, Perry proved otherwise on Sunday with a knock of 110 against an ECB Academy team in Loughborough.

It follows scores of 78, 48 and 67 in Australia’s 2-1 ODI series triumph – with Perry declared Player of the Series for her efforts – and came after she collected 1-18 with the ball on the first day of the two-day warm-up encounter.

Quick single: Perry's star continues to rise

In further positive signs for the Southern Stars as they prepare for next week’s first and only Test of the Women’s Ashes series, vice-captain Alex Blackwell produced a century of her own – top-scoring with 115 – while allrounder Jess Jonassen further pressed her claims for a Test debut with 79 not out, adding to her economical 3-15 off 11 overs the previous day.

Watch: Perry's remarkable streak with the bat 

“It was really nice to spend time in the middle, it’s always a bit nerve-wracking going out there and facing the red ball because we don’t do it a lot,” Blackwell said post-match.

“To be able to get through the tough early stages and build a really good partnership with Ellyse was really pleasing.”

The Southern Stars took first-innings honours as they surpassed ECB Academy’s declared target of 9-279, finishing the day at 7-377.

The tour match was a vital chance for the Australian players – who almost exclusively play limited-overs cricket and last played a Test match in the summer of 2013-14 – to practice with the red ball.

It also offered all 14 squad members the opportunity for a hit out with either bat or ball, and was the first of two warm-up games the Southern Stars will play ahead of next week’s Test match in Canterbury. 

“We’ve never had this opportunity to play two tour matches in the lead-up to a Test, so to have a two-week break but plenty of match practice is just the perfect preparation for us,” Blackwell said.

“What’s really pleasing is to see the way our bowlers performed yesterday and then to see the batters go out there and score with confidence.

“Jess Jonassen in particular really timed the ball beautifully.”

Blackwell said she believed patience was the key to transitioning successfully to the longer format of the game.

“(It’s about) not getting too worried about dot balls,” she said.

“I focus a lot on scoring off a lot of balls in one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket, so to be out there and knowing you’re facing a few balls and not really moving the game, (it’s important) to know that there’s plenty of time in the day and there’s going to be much easier periods of play to capitalise on.

“We saw that as the bowlers came back on for their second spells and third spells that it got much easier.”

The Southern Stars now head to Beckenham for a three-day tour match against a combined ECB Academy and Kent boys side, beginning on Wednesday, ahead of their all-important Ashes Test match on August 11.

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