Ellyse Perry lost eight months of cricket but none of her nerve as the star allrounder crashed a boundary with three balls remaining to secure the Sydney Sixers’ WBBL win over the Adelaide Strikers.
It came after Sydney Thunder players took a knee before Monday’s rained-out match against the Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Thunder captain Rachael Haynes said her side plans to make the silent protest against racism before ever game. “For us it’s not just going to be a one off thing,” Haynes said. “We’ll do it before our games, we’ve committed to that regardless of whether the match starts.
“It was a decision from the group, it wasn’t made by one or two people. We had a chat about it as a group and just felt that it was a good show of unity and that we supported those players and obviously we are totally against racism.”
Our entire squad made a unanimous decision to take a knee against all forms of racism.
— Sydney Thunder (@ThunderBBL) October 25, 2020
Discrimination, of any kind, has no place in cricket. #ThunderNation pic.twitter.com/zVKRlRuGh4
Perry, making her long-awaited return to cricket after injuring her hamstring during Australia’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in March, Perry scored 14 not out, took 0-8 with the ball and effected a run out on her return at North Sydney Oval.
On a day when three other matches failed to net a result because of widespread rain in Sydney, the Sixers took advantage of a break in the weather to squeak in a victory.
Having to face just nine overs after being asked to bat, the Strikers were in deep trouble at 4-14 in the fifth over with Lisa Griffith (2-10) the early destroyer.
Some late and lusty hitting by Bridget Patterson (28 from 14 balls) helped get the visitors to 7-68 as Marizanne Kapp (3-14) captured the best bowling figures for the Sixers. Further rain reduced the target for the Sixers to 46 off six overs.
Alyssa Healy (27 from 16) did her bit before being caught at cover in the penultimate over off the bowling of Sarah Coyte (1-10). With three balls left and three runs required, cool-headed Perry delivered with a rousing boundary past deep square leg to get the win.
Player of the match Healy paid tribute to Perry but admitted there were a few nervous moments for her teammate given her return from injury was in less than ideal playing conditions.
“It was great. It was a bit eerie that it was wet and slippery, but she just went out there and got the job done,” Healy said of Perry. “ … It was a significant injury and I’m sure we’ll talk about it for the rest of the WBBL but to see her out there performing with bat and ball was important.”
Elsewhere, just four overs were possible in the Sydney Thunder-Melbourne Stars fixture earlier on Monday at North Sydney Oval, the hosts 2-13 when showers prevented any more play.
At Hurstville Oval, the Brisbane Heat-Melbourne Renegades and the Perth Scorchers-Hobart Hurricanes matches were abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Sunday’s opening round resulted in the Strikers beating the Hurricanes and the Heat overcoming the Scorchers. The Stars-Renegades match was deemed a no result while the Thunder-Sixers clash was abandoned without a ball being bowled.