There couldn’t be a better person to have as my opening bowling partner than Ellyse Perry. Her seven for 22 on Sunday was brilliant to watch, at times unplayable, but it is the pressure she creates with me that gives the two of us such a big advantage at the start of an innings. With my swing, and her pace, we have found a balance that we’re really proud of as a pairing.
Part of the reason it works so well is that we have become such good friends over the last few years. During my early years for Australia, I was mostly focused on nailing down my own position in the team. But these days, our closeness off the field mirrors what we’re trying to achieve opening the attack.
I know that Pez plays a pretty straight bat when talking about herself when the cameras are on, but she’s actually very cheeky. You have to remember that she has been in the public eye for a really long time, since she made her international debut in two sports at just 16 years of age. As the most well-known player by far, she had to shoulder a lot of that work as the public face of the team, while answering constant questions about what career path she would ultimately choose when full professionalism arrived. That has to take its toll.
So Pez will always be very humble even after amazing days on the field like her bag last weekend or the double ton at North Sydney in Test Match last time around or any number of other brilliant days out with bat or ball. She really does thrive on being able to let her actions speak as a member of a team. It suits her sharing and caring nature. I know commentators want her to talk herself up more sometimes but it just isn’t her way.
Over the last few years, she has become far more relaxed off the field and I think that shines through as well. Pez knows how to wind down as well as any of us, whether that’s over a few glasses of wine at dinner or picking on Meg Lanning as one of the back of the bus crew.
Along with Alyssa Healy, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaemnick – and now Sophie Molineux now that she’s back in the squad – we enjoy making mischief. It’s not a fast bowlers’ union or anything like that, we don’t think of it that way. And there aren’t any cliques or any of that either, but in any squad there are different groups of friends. One of our great strengths are the bonds we have across the group, which comes with work in any representative team.
I’ve seen some stories that more bonuses might be available for us in the future to equalise the gender pay gap. I’ve never had the impression that there is too much focus on money in this group. We’re proud professionals but don’t get me wrong, any time there is a chance for us to earn more for what we do is absolutely appreciated. It’s special to be acknowledged and respected for the way these girls are kicking ass. It is nothing that I expected in my time when first signing a very small contract but it makes a huge difference that we have been all on this amazing professionalism journey together over in such a short space of time.
I’ll have more to say about women’s Test cricket next week ahead of our standalone four-day match against England in this Ashes series at Taunton but needless to say, I can’t wait. Because we don’t get the chance to play any other than during these multi-format series, they mean that much more. So, even though we are well ahead in the series and a draw would allow us to retain the trophy before the T20s, we won’t be approaching it that way.
We will be playing very positive cricket in an effort to win. Being able to play an important role in our win in Canterbury four years ago is a big thrill of my career so far and I think that the way I can swing the ball will be a major asset. In saying that, I don’t think of my position as completely cemented for it. If I do get the chance to play, a format I loved so much growing up, sharing that new ball with Pez, it will be very special week.
