Jones revels in BBL boundary-riding debut

Mel Jones has represented Australia on the biggest stage and is now a regular behind the microphone, but the Southern Stars legend admits she was nervous ahead of her KFC Big Bash League boundary riding debut on Tuesday night.

As Dan Christian and Chris Lynn enthralled a packed Gabba crowd with some of the biggest hitting the competition has seen, Jones was installed on the sidelines, bringing the fans at home right into the action.

Jones is no stranger to the commentary box, having called Southern Stars and women's domestic matches since her retirement from the game in 2005, while she also joined fellow Australian great Lisa Sthalekar in the Star Sports coverage team during the Indian Premier League earlier this year.

WATCH: Sangakkara's hilarious 'interview'

She's also been in the thick of the action calling the two Rebel Women's Big Bash League games shown live on Network Ten's ONE HD so far this summer, but shifting out of the safety of the commentary box and onto the sidelines presented a new challenge for the Victorian.

"It was nerve-wracking," Jones, who represented Australia in five Tests and 61 ODIs told cricket.com.au during the Gabba clash.

"I was more nervous about boundary riding than commentating on the game.

"Then, you're talking about the game you’ve always played, but boundary riding is different, you've got to think of some half-decent questions and make sure everyone at home understands what's going on."

WATCH: Christian hits one onto the Gabba roof

Tuesday's high-scoring thriller, which saw Christian rocket an enormous 117m six onto the roof of the Gabba before Lynn's own assault with the bat, ensured there was no shortage of highlights for Jones to discuss with the likes of Hurricanes veteran George Bailey.

"It's been a wonderful experience being behind the scenes, working with fantastic guys that you watched on TV growing up and now you're working with them and then seeing some great cricket as well."

Big Bash fans will have a few more opportunities to see Jones in action on the BBL|05 sidelines this summer – she's pencilled in for another three matches.

"That will be great, because if you do one, you want to do a couple more to get used to it all," she said.

"It's great because you get to see all the different teams as well."

WATCH: Lynn puts one in top tier

She will also be resuming her place in the commentary box on Thursday, joining Sthalekar and Andy Maher as WBBL matches are broadcast live on ONE HD on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, before the hotly anticipated Melbourne Derby debuts on Network Ten on January 2.

The first two WBBL games televised live attracted a peak audience of 427,000 viewers and an average of 220,000 around Australia, while the competition has attracted healthy crowds since it was launched on December 5, including 1,500 people at Melbourne's Junction Oval.

"I'm still pinching myself," said Jones of the tournament's success to date.

"It's sensational the way things have transpired so far, with crowds rocking up to games and the numbers through Channel 10 been blown out of the water.

"Hopefully we can maintain that and put on a good show at the end of the season."

Watch Australia's best female cricketers in the WBBL

December 31: Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers (Adelaide Oval), ONE HD, 2.30pm AEDT.

January 1: Hobart Hurricanes v Brisbane Heat, (Blundstone Arena), ONE HD, 2.30pm AEDT.

January 2: Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades, (MCG), Network Ten, 1.30pm AEDT

All three matches can also be streamed by LIVE pass holders on cricket.com.au

FREE OFFER: Get an Optus Live Pass to stream every ball of BBL matches (and Test matches) for FREE until midnight January 9. Click here or on the image below.