Perry sets new benchmark after incredible bowling return

Only Ellyse Perry could pick up a five-wicket haul in her first spell in almost four months and brush it off as "beginner’s luck".

Perry almost single-handedly reignited the Sydney Sixers’ Weber WBBL|09 campaign on Sunday when she picked up a career-best 5-22 and struck an unbeaten 44 against Melbourne Renegades at the WACA Ground.

It was the first time the 33-year-old had bowled in a game since the first Ashes ODI in Bristol in mid-July, with her recovery from a knee injury restricting her from taking the ball against the West Indies last month, or in domestic cricket so far this summer.

Perry had a perfect start when she had Tammy Beaumont holing out with her first delivery, then removed Jess Duffin caught behind before a peach of a delivery bowled Georgia Prestwidge.

She also rattled Georgia Wareham’s stumps, then completed her first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket when Suzie Bates held onto a running catch in the deep to dismiss Josie Dooley.

"It's been a while since I've bowled and it's nice to contribute to the team as much as I can – it just went my way today, probably beginner's luck in a way," Perry told Channel Seven.

"But it was nice to be bowling again."

Sunday’s haul eclipsed her previous best T20 figures of 4-12 against India in 2016, and saw Perry pick up a unique record in the process, as she became the first woman to have scored both a century and take a five-wicket haul in all three formats.

She also quietly passed a significant batting milestone as she anchored the Sixers’ chase, becoming the second player to pass 4000 WBBL runs behind Beth Mooney.

Perry has radically reinvented her T20 batting across the past 18 months, crafting herself into a far faster striker to win back her place in the Australian XI after being left on the sidelines during the Commonwealth Games.

In the lead-up to this season she had indicated a desire a do the same with her bowling and early signs from Sunday are promising – not only from her figures but also her pace, with Perry clocked at up to 118kph.

"That might have been the Fremantle Doctor," a typically humble Perry said of her added speed.

"I've been doing a bit of work, especially with (assistant coach) Scotty Prestwidge in the Aussie set-up and I suppose the last couple of months, just having the chance to work on that without playing as a bowler has been really cool.

"But I'm not naive, having been around for a little while, you have good days and bad days.

"So it's nice to have something go my way and I've learned a bit over the last little bit, but I'm sure I'll have some challenges ahead too."

The Sixers picked up their second win from seven matches when they cruised home by seven wickets against the struggling Renegades and moved off the bottom to sixth on the table.

They will hope to carry that momentum into their next encounter with another out-of-sorts side, the Melbourne Stars, in Ringwood on Wednesday .

In WBBL|01, the Sixers famously adopted ‘going vertical’ as their mission statement when they recovered from a 0-6 start to ultimately make the inaugural final.

They face a similar uphill battle this season but this time, the tagline is a little different.

"We might be ‘going up the waterspout’, apparently - that's the new one," Perry said.

"Erin Burns has got a little boy, Jack, and she's been singing a few nursery rhymes to him.

"And I think one that rings true for us is Incy Wincy Spider, so hopefully we go up the waterspout.

"We've been playing some pretty good cricket and I cannot fault anyone in the group, the energy and the positivity has been there the whole time.

"We've enjoyed one another's company (and) the girls' effort at training and around preparation for matches tactically, has been spot on.

"It's just a little bit of a confidence thing but in this format you've got to take it on and we're learning that as we go and hopefully it's a bit of a kick starter for us today."

Weber WBBL|09 Standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	14	11	3	0	0	1.154	0	22
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	14	8	6	0	0	0.784	0	16
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	14	8	6	0	0	0.203	0	16
4 Sydney Thunder Women THU	14	7	6	0	1	0.298	0	15
5 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	14	7	7	0	0	-0.253	0	14
6 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	14	6	7	0	1	-0.597	0	13
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	14	6	8	0	0	-0.779	0	12
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	14	2	12	0	0	-0.978	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points