Focussed Perry eyeing another record as MCG awaits

As she looks to shrug off a lean run in the Ashes white-ball matches, Ellyse Perry enters the historic day-night Test with another milestone within her reach.

Despite top-scoring for Australia with 60 in the second ODI, Perry scored only 96 runs across the three ODIs and three T20Is against England, which included five scores under 15.

That's an unusually dry spell for the champion allrounder and the fewest white-ball runs scored in a single multi-format Ashes by Perry, of which she has played in eight.

However, with the trophy secured thanks to a commanding 12-0 scoreline to the home side, Perry returns to her favoured format with a piece of history in the offing.

The modern-day great sits on 928 Test runs (at the healthy average of 61.86) and should she score 75 runs, she will go past legend Karen Rolton (1002) as Australia's highest run-scorer in women's Tests.

Only 10 women have passed the 1000-run mark in Tests, with England captain Heather Knight (913) also on the cusp of the milestone.

Always a meticulous trainer, Perry had a long hit against the pink ball at the MCG on Tuesday, batting for almost 90 minutes.

Such was her focus, late in the session Annabel Sutherland was stuck at the non-striker's end of Perry's net as Perry failed to realise she was meant to rotate with the young allrounder.

Perry was the penultimate batter to leave the nets, with only captain Alyssa Healy remaining as she looked to prove her fitness from a sore foot.

On the eve of her 14th Test match, star allrounder Perry received a ringing endorsement from long-time friend and teammate Sophie Molineux.  

"She's been so good over a long period of time, and she's just going to keep ticking off records," Molineux said on Tuesday.

"I've never seen someone so dedicated.

"After 17 years of international cricket, she still wants more."

Both Molineux and former Test captain Marg Jennings, who spoke to the media to promote the Ashes Test, agreed that Perry was their favourite player and one of the greatest to play the game.

There will be many in the crowd on Thursday who share that sentiment.

Although Perry's bowling loads in limited overs cricket have reduced significantly in recent years – she has bowled only two overs in the Ashes to date – the 34-year-old will expect to impact the match with the ball.

She got reacquainted with the pink ball with a half-an-hour bowl before her long net session with her role likely to be Australia's first-change bowler.

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 12-0

First ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs

First T20I: Australia won by 57 runs

Second T20I: Australia won by six runs (DLS Method)

Third T20I: Australia won by 72 runs

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: January 30 - February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia until Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub