Perry not trying to prove to point with Hundred form

Ellyse Perry insists she doesn't have a point to prove after starting the Hundred in blazing form having missed out on Australia's Commonwealth Games triumph in Birmingham.

Perry was part of Australia's Games squad as a batter only, as she is still recovering from a stress fracture in her back, but she did not play a single match in the tournament having been usurped in Australia's best T20 XI by Tahlia McGrath.

Perry smashed 58 off 31 balls for Birmingham Phoenix in her first Hundred appearance on Saturday and followed that up with 39 not out off 28 balls against Trent Rockets on Monday.

Speaking on Tuesday after announcing she had re-signed with Sydney Sixers in the WBBL as captain, Perry stated she was keen to still be part of Australia's T20I team moving forward but insisted she was not trying to prove a point after her recent omission.

"To be honest, I'd probably be a little bit bummed if I thought that way," Perry said. "It's been a great challenge for sure over the last little bit and I really love the chance to keep trying to work and develop my game. But no, I don't really want to prove a point or anything like that. I think just the opportunity to be part of things has been great."

Perry revealed her back is slowly healing but she won't be able to bowl in the Hundred. She hasn't bowled in a match since the ODI World Cup in March when she suffered what was initially thought to be back spasms but later was revealed to be a stress fracture.

She has begun bowling in the nets and is aiming to be fully fit by the start of the Australian domestic season in late September.

"It's going pretty well," Perry said. "I've had progressive scans over the last 16 or so weeks, probably a little bit longer now. And each time it's showing that it's improved and it's sort of tracking in the right direction. So I have started bowling just at training off a few steps with the plan being to progress that intensity over the coming weeks and hopefully be pretty much ready to go and available to bowl once our summer starts back home."

Perry was unsure whether Meg Lanning would be available for the start of the domestic summer after the Australia captain announced she would be taking an indefinite break from the game last week.

"I really wish Meg all the best," Perry said. "I know there's a lot of support for her."

Perry had no hesitation in re-signing with Sixers despite currently living in Melbourne and playing for Victoria in the WNCL.

Sixers will have a new head coach for the coming season with former England captain Charlotte Edwards taking the reins after Ben Sawyer resigned following seven seasons at the helm. Sixers played in the first four WBBL finals under Sawyer and won the title twice but have missed the finals each of the past three seasons and finished last in 2021-22.

Perry, who has been Sixers captain since the start of the WBBL competition, said that she and Edwards had already started planning for the season ahead.

"We've certainly got together a couple of times," Perry said. "I know Charlotte's focus is very much on turning things around. The last couple of years have been a bit disappointing for us, certainly as a group. I think her energy and what she brings and the way that she'll probably challenge a lot of us will be awesome.

"But in saying that I don't think we have to change things drastically either. It's probably just a shift in our momentum and how it's gone in the last couple of years. I think Charlotte is going to be able to bring a real focus to that."