Thursday 18 March 2021

Day 77: Phoenix look an exciting prospect

 

Birmingham Phoenix announced that they will be welcoming Ellyse Perry to their team when they take part in this year's Hundred competition.

It is a remarkable signing that must make the midlands side not just one of the most exciting teams in the tournament but one of the favourites.

Perry is one of the leading allrounders in the women's game and a box office player. She has excelled in all formats of the game, including a double hundred in an Ashes test match. As well as representing Australia at cricket, she has played international football as well.

It will come as a relief to Amy Jones, who will also represent the Phoenix side. In 2019 Perry seemed to have the measure over her former Loughborough Lightning teammate. Other former Lightning players in the squad include Sophie Devine, Kirstie Gordon, Thea Brookes and Georgia Elwiss.

The rest of the squad are just as exciting; Issy Wong is a young, fast bowler on the fringes of the England side and should be a fixture at the international level soon.

Devine is one of the most explosive allrounders around, and if she doesn't fire them to victory with bat and ball, then Ashley Gardner, the Australian international should be in the runs.

With Scotland set to have an exciting summer of qualifying for next years T20 World Cup and Commonwealth Games, it will be interesting to consistently see how Abtaha Maqsood steps up to playing against world-class players.

Every player in the squad makes me want to be in the Edgbaston crowd when they start in the summer. Evelyn Jones and Marie Kelly had terrific seasons for Central Sparks last year and should excel when playing on good tracks against good bowling. Emily Arlott is a good opening bowler who will only benefit from playing alongside Devine and Perry.

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