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Ellyse Perry has made an early statement in her bid to win back an Australian Twenty20 spot, starring with bat and ball in the Sydney Sixers' tournament-opening WBBL win over Brisbane.
- Ellyse Perry missed out on T20 selection for the Ashes and Commonwealth Games
- Perry's 55 off 48 helped the Sixers beat Brisbane with one ball to spare
- The women's T20 World Cup is in February
Chasing the Heat's 8-141 for victory, Perry hit 55 from 48 balls to help the Sixers claim victory with one ball and four wickets to spare in Mackay on Thursday night.
It came after the all-rounder took 2-27 from her four overs with the ball, appearing to bowl with more control than in previous summers on return from a back injury.
Perry has not played a T20 international for Australia since last October, having missed out on selection in the shortest format during last summer's Ashes and the Commonwealth Games.
But the retirement of Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning's personal leave have opened the door for a possible return, with several players vying for the top-order spots ahead of the T20 World Cup in February.
And Perry laid the first marker.
With her scoring rate previously the issue in T20 cricket, Perry struck seven fours in her innings against the Heat and made a point to go after the ball just as she did in the recent Hundred competition.
She at one point crunched a lovely cover drive for four off Courtney Sippel, before playing her signature cut shot the next ball to find the rope behind point.
The right-hander brought up her 50 off 42 balls when she pulled Nicola Hancock for four, before being caught trying to sweep Jess Jonassen (2-21).
Perry shared a 93-run fourth-wicket stand with Erin Burns, who notched up 50 from 37 balls.
The Sixers stalled when the pair both fell, before Maitlan Brown saved the Sixers' night with a first-ball six off Georgia Voll when Sydney required five off the final two balls.
AAP