Superstar Perry sets the standard with bat and ball

It's easy to draw parallels between Ellyse Perry and Steve Smith.

Both are renowned for their love of the art of batting, both are seemingly in the form of their lives, both famously diligent workers who must be pried from the nets.

Both played the leading roles in Australian Ashes success this northern summer – first Perry led both the runs and wickets tallies as Australia's women retained the trophy, then Smith took the limelight with a torrent of runs as the men retained the urn in England for the first time since 2001.

There are, of course, significant differences – Perry is about the most technically perfect batter you'll find anywhere in the world, Smith is anything but.

Then there's the bats.

Smith's habit of carrying his bat everywhere has provided plenty of fodder for the media this Ashes campaign – from reports of him shadow batting in his room at all hours of the day and night, to jokes about him even practicing in the shower.

Perry has appeared – from the outside at least – equally attached to her piece of willow through the past several months, be it during her lengthy stays in the middle, the countless hours she's spent in the nets, or carrying it with her on the team bus to and from matches.

Fresh from notching her second ODI century on Sunday, against the West Indies in the second one-dayer in Antigua, Perry was happy to explain the last of those points, at least, was more a matter of bat maintenance – or a failure to carry out the needful in that department – than any desire to have her weapon of choice close at hand every minute of the day.

"I just sleep with it next to me, and it's a really good spooning partner at night, we're pretty close my bat and I," a firmly tongue-in-cheek Perry joked following Sunday's game.

But on a serious note: "Every now and then I need to do some running repairs and I've been trying to find something to make my bat a little bit lighter, which I haven't been able to do," she explained.

"So I take it home and never do anything with it in the end."

Whatever work Perry believes she needs to do to her bat, the current one she's wielding is more than doing the trick.

Her unbeaten 112 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday was her third century of the calendar year, following the maiden ODI hundred she notched in Adelaide against New Zealand in February and the Test ton she compiled in Taunton during the Ashes in July.

For a player who took a decade to reach triple figures for the first time in international cricket, the 28-year-old has certainly developed a taste for big scores.

"It's nice, it was cool to contribute today, it was a real shame with Meg going down before the game but that gave other people an opportunity and everyone stood up," Perry said.

"I enjoyed my time in the middle today, but I think there were some great contributions (all round)."

Sunday's game was also proof she's one of the premier athletes in the country – fresh off her unbeaten century, which saw her occupy the crease for 40.1 overs in oppressive heat and humidity, she backed up by taking the new ball and capturing the first Windies wicket in her second over.

"It was fine, at the start I was a bit mentally AWOL, I was a bit lucky to be fair getting dropped early but that seemed to wake me up a bit," she said.

Image Id: CC5DDDDA8A42426FBDB6C01117E44CF3 Image Caption: Perry embraces the first-gamer Burns // cricket.com.au

In all, the only time Perry appeared flustered was when she was called upon to do a last-minute cap presentation for Sydney Sixers teammate Erin Burns, who was a sudden addition to the Australia XI when captain Meg Lanning was ruled out due to back spasms just minutes before the coin toss.

"It was the most nervous I've been in a long time. It got thrown on me at the last minute but it was really special because I've got a huge amount of respect for Erin and everything she's done," Perry said.

Australia will be eyeing an ODI series sweep in the third and final one-day international, to be played at the same venue on Wednesday from 9.30am local time (11.30pm AEST).

Fans in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea can stream the series live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App, while fans elsewhere can watch on the West Indies Cricket YouTube channel.

Fans in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea can stream the series live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App, while fans elsewhere can watch on the West Indies Cricket YouTube channel.

CommBank Tour of the West Indies

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Heather Graham, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

West Indies ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Hayley Matthews (vc), Reniece Boyce, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Shamilia Connell, Stacy Ann King, Natasha McLean, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi

One-Day Internationals*
*ICC Women's Championship matches

September 5: First ODI, Australia won by 178 runs

September 8: Second ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

September 11: Third ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

Twenty20 Internationals

September 14: First T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 16: Second T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 18: Third T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados