Perry sidelined but cleared of serious injury

Star allrounder Ellyse Perry has been cleared of serious injury and is expected to be available for the WBBL finals next month.

Perry landed heavily on her right shoulder during a match in Sydney on Sunday, sparking fears about her fitness for the rest of the Big Bash and Australia’s T20 World Cup defence in the new year.

But the Sixers confirmed on Monday that Perry has suffered only a low-grade injury to her AC joint and while she has been ruled out for up to three weeks, she’s expected to return in time for the WBBL finals in early December.

Perry injured herself in a desperate attempt to cut off a lofted drive from batter Courtney Webb during the 12th over of the Melbourne Renegades’ chase against the Sydney Sixers.

Her effort was in vain as Webb’s shot went for six, but it was immediately clear there may have been damage to more than just the scoreboard as Perry clutched her right shoulder.

She remained on the field for the rest of the match, shrugging off the attentions of the Sixers’ physio, but did not bowl and was in obvious pain, moving awkwardly and avoiding fielding with her right arm.

To rub salt into the wound, Webb smashed a second six from the final ball of the match to steal a stunning two-wicket win for the Melbourne side.

Perry has been in sublime form with the bat throughout WBBL|05, sitting second on the league runs tally with 469 at 93.80, including four half-centuries.

Earlier on Sunday, she struck a 45-ball 37 to help the Sixers to 4-139.

The Sixers have five regular season matches remaining in WBBL|05, the next of which is on Wednesday at North Sydney Oval against the Hobart Hurricanes, which Perry will certainly miss.

The WBBL finals are set to be played from December 6-8, with the semi-finals and the final to be hosts by the team finishing on top of the table.

Australia’s next engagement is not until the start of February, when they meet England and India in a T20I tri-series ahead of the T20 World Cup.