WBBL|11 : Ellyse Perry survives as bails stay intact despite ball hitting the stumps

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The final weekend of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025 regular season delivered a heart-stopping thriller, but the story of the day wasn’t just the one-run margin – it was the moment Ellyse Perry survived a dismissal thanks to one of cricket’s most unbelievable quirks.

The clash between the Sydney Sixers and the Adelaide Strikers was essentially a straight knockout, with a spot in the semi-finals on the line. Batting first, the Sixers posted a formidable total of 173/4 off their 20 overs, anchored almost entirely by a spectacular century from their star player Perry.

In reply, the Strikers fought valiantly, pushing the game to the very last ball before eventually falling short by the barest of margins: 172/7, handing the Sixers a tense one-run victory. While the nail-biting finish provided the drama, Perry’s performance – a blistering 111 off 71 balls – was only possible because of a miraculous moment earlier in the innings.

The incident occurred when Perry was comfortably set on 91 runs and looking to push towards her third WBBL hundred. Adelaide Strikers spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington delivered a ball that Perry attempted to play but only managed to get an inside edge.

The ball deviated directly onto the stumps. For a split second, the entire ground – the bowler, fielders, and spectators – believed Perry’s phenomenal innings was over. However, in an act of staggering good fortune, the ball hit the target, but the bails did not come off. The stumps rattled, the ball ricocheted away, but the critical connection needed to dislodge the bails and complete the dismissal simply didn’t happen.

The sight of the bails remaining in their grooves, despite the impact, is a rare but occasionally seen occurrence in cricket, and it offered Perry a reprieve that few players ever get at such a crucial stage.

Also READ: WBBL|11: Ellyse Perry’s record-breaking century seals Sydney Sixers’ playoff return

When it's your day… 😅

Ellyse Perry smashed this into the stumps, but the bails did not come off! #WBBL11

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 7, 2025

Also READ: Georgia Voll’s brilliant all-round performance leads Sydney Thunder to a dominant victory over Melbourne Stars in the WBBL|11 clash

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.