Kiwis Always Punch Above Our Weight: Amelia Kerr

Mumbai Indians bounced back to their winning form in the Women's Premier League (WPL) with the help of a remarkable performance by Amelia Kerr. Kerr's five-wicket haul was instrumental in their victory, and she even earned the prestigious Purple Cap for her efforts on Thursday night. While a few bowlers have now surpassed her by one wicket, Kerr is expected to reclaim the top spot in the upcoming game against Gujarat Giants on Monday.

It’s also no surprise that Kerr — who had to pad up immediately for the chase after sending down the last over — said she enjoyed being asked to go first up with bat in hand, a shift from her usual No.5 spot.

“Being an all-rounder is the best way to play cricket,” Kerr tells HT. “It’s a lot more fun as a player.”

And in having all that fun, Kerr has developed into one of the finest all-rounders in the world. The 24-year-old, labelled a “once-in-a-generation player” by fellow Kiwi star Sophie Devine, has driven teams to glory with her crafty leg spin and classy batting.

She was among the key engineers of MI’s title-winning run in the inaugural WPL in 2023 with 15 wickets (ER 6.45) and 149 runs (SR 133.03). She was the MVP of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup triumph last year as the player of the tournament (15 wickets and 135 runs) and the final (3/24 and 43 vs South Africa). She turned up to deliver MI’s first WPL five-for on a night her team eagerly sought a W against UP Warriorz.

It underlined Kerr’s sense of occasion and mindset of a champion.

“As a professional athlete, that’s what you train and play for. You want to be the player that steps up in the big moments,” she says. “You’re going to be put in situations where you can win the game for the team or lose it. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn’t. But being involved in those moments is what I dreamt of as a kid.”

She also began to love ripping those leggies as a kid. A hard skill that requires plenty of practice, as she puts it, Kerr was “glad I chose to stick with it”. The kid also “always wanted to bat” but realised she “didn’t maybe have the power to be a batter” at that young age.

As the physical strength evolved, so did her all-round prowess. From her early international days — at 17 in an ODI against Ireland, she became the youngest to score a double century, male or female, and also took five wickets — it was clear this was a special multi-skilled cricketer in the making. Her 232* is still the highest individual score in WODIs.

The fun was only getting started for Kerr, even if it meant putting double the hours at the nets.

“If you have a bad day in the first innings, you have a chance to do something for the team in the second. You’ve got to practice both skills equally and spend more time at the nets. I treat them both with attention and respect to try and be the best I can be in each skill,” she said.

Her numbers through the three seasons with MI and nine years for New Zealand underline her ever-rising stature as a genuine world-class all-rounder. There aren’t too many of those going around in the modern game, across gender.

“Most all-rounders are normally probably better at one skill, rather than genuine all-rounders. At some point, maybe, players focus on one skill that can get them into a team,” Kerr says. “But I think you’re seeing a lot more all-rounders in the women’s game now, the likes of Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen. There are a lot more players coming up as genuine all-rounders, by just playing a lot more cricket and having these roles in franchise leagues.”

Her role in MI, Kerr reckons, is “really important” with the ball. Her outing against UPW showed why. Despite going for a few boundaries, Kerr remained brave to give the ball air and lure batters. Chinelle Henry was six-and-out as Kerr tempted her with another flighted delivery outside off.

For the Kiwi, the biggest difference bowling spin in India to back home is the shorter boundary.

“On these grounds it’s important to take wickets but also deny runs and build pressure,” Kerr says. “As a leg-spinner, variations are important. I’ve worked hard on that — trying different things if the wicket is not assisting you. It’s just lots of practice from a young age.”

Kerr also carried a dream from a young age, one that she lived last year as a White Fern holding the World Cup.

“I remember watching the White Ferns play in 2010, when I was about nine, and I dreamt of winning the World Cup. We Kiwis often punch above our weight. Being a smaller nation, we don’t necessarily have the money or resources that the other countries have. So, to win a World Cup was special and meant so much.”

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