Final takes centre stage

WBBL decider the talk of the town after semis

NO amount of advertising could have given the WBBL greater exposure than the two semi-finals played last weekend.

The four teams involved let the cricket do the talking with both matches going down to the last moment and the chatter around the country has been non-stop since.

Just ask Ellyse Perry, or even her mum Kathy.

“The amount of people that have mentioned those matches, in passing or to friends or family,” Perry said.

“My mum’s been at work this week and just about every one of her patients has come in and mentioned it.

“Firstly, that’s a huge nod to this tournament and the success that we’re having with it and the way that it’s gone from strength to strength each year.

“And secondly the genuine growth and interest in women’s sport in this country, that’s just phenomenal. As a player, and I think I speak for everyone in this competition, there’s been no better time to be part of it and we’re incred- ibly fortunate to be experiencing this.”

That doesn’t mean the job is done.

With a World T20 in Australia in just over a year and sponsorship and TV deals that could be inked solely for the women’s game, female players want to go bigger and better still.

“I hope we’re still proving ourselves,” Perry said.

“I think there’s so much left in the tank for us to push and evolve and to me the ultimate success is that we’re filling big stadiums around the country like the SCG, Adelaide Oval, ultimately the MCG.

“I think the sky is the limit for us at the moment.

“A lot of that motivation comes from people wanting to make the sport even better and bigger and if that means we have to keep proving things, that’s a great thing.”