Birmingham Phoenix owner Jude Bellingham and Ellyse Perry missed chance to meet: Australian legend reveals why

Birmingham Phoenix owner Jude Bellingham and Ellyse Perry missed chance to meet: Australian legend reveals why originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Ellyse Perry revealed she missed the chance to meet Birmingham Phoenix investor and star England footballer Jude Bellingham.

The Australia legend was desperate for the toilet when the opportunity arose.

Bellingham bought a 1.2 per cent stake in the franchise worth around one million pounds.

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Ellyse Perry missed meeting Jude Bellingham narrowly

Jude Bellingham's arrival at Edgbaston this summer was one of the more glamorous side stories of The Hundred, with the Real Madrid midfielder having become a part-owner of Birmingham Phoenix in January. One person conspicuously absent from the meet-and-greet, however, was the woman captaining his own team.

Ellyse Perry has now explained the rather unglamorous reason she missed out, and it had nothing to do with scheduling or reluctance.

Bellingham, who grew up in Stourbridge and came through the ranks at Birmingham City, took a 1.2 per cent equity stake in the franchise, split evenly between Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Knighthead Capital Management. Warwickshire valued the holding at approximately one million pounds.

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Why Ellyse Perry missed meeting Jude Bellingham

Speaking on the No Balls: The Cricket Podcast, Perry was asked directly by Alexandra Hartley whether she had met the England international. Her answer was blunt. "I didn't," Perry replied, prompting Hartley and Kate Cross to press her on where she had been.

The explanation that followed was rather less star-studded than the occasion warranted. "I have a feeling; I came off the field, and I was absolutely busting to go to the toilet,"

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She then noted the irony of the situation, given how these things usually unfold. "Normally you know it's sort of like you need a few volunteers to go and do something particular, and sometimes that can be like pulling teeth, but does anyone fancy Jude?" Perry said.

Cross was quick to point out that Perry was not the only one affected. "I think she disappointed most girls that day," she said.

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Why Bellingham's involvement matters to the Phoenix

The 22-year-old's investment came with the ECB's approval despite a five-year lock-in period applying to new investors in The Hundred franchises. Phoenix chief executive Stuart Cain said Bellingham had loved cricket as a youngster and had wanted to be involved since the competition first went to market for investors.

The stake left Warwickshire with 50.4 per cent control and Knighthead with 48.4 per cent, with the county valuing its own majority holding at 48 million pounds. It also gave the Phoenix a global profile few franchise cricket teams can claim.

On the field, the association has yet to deliver a trophy. Birmingham Phoenix remain one of the sides never to have won either the men's or women's Hundred, with Perry leading the women and Jacob Bethell captaining the men in 2026. Whether she gets another chance to meet the owner may depend on how far the Phoenix go next season.

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