Amelia Kerr

Amelia Kerr

Amelia Charlotte Kerr, born on October 13, 2000, hails from Wellington and has emerged as a prominent player in cricket at just 23 years of age. She is known for her proficient right-handed batting style and her skillful right-arm leg-spin bowling technique. Kerr’s journey in cricket has seen her excel in various roles on the field, showcasing her versatility and talent. With her dynamic abilities, Kerr has made significant contributions to the sport, earning accolades and recognition both domestically and internationally.

History:

Kerr’s cricketing lineage runs deep, rooted in her family’s passion for the sport. Her parents, Robbie and Jo, both former Wellington players, instilled in her a love for the game from an early age. Her maternal grandfather, Bruce Murray, a notable figure in New Zealand Test cricket history, further fueled her cricketing ambitions.

Encouraged by her father, Kerr embraced leg-spin bowling, a skill she honed alongside her role as an opening batsman for Tawa College Boys 1st XI in Wellington’s Premier Youth Grade. Joining forces with Wellington Blaze, where she shared the field with her cricketing idols Sophie Devine and Kane Williamson, Kerr emerged as a confident and dynamic strokemaker.

Her remarkable feats include being the first player, to achieve a T20 century at the iconic Basin Reserve. Kerr holds the distinction of being the sole individual to have achieved this feat not once, but twice on the same ground, cementing her status as a trailblazer in the cricketing world.  Kerr swiftly transitioned from playing boys’ grade cricket in school to making her international debuts in both limited-overs formats, facing Pakistan on home soil. 

During the 2017 World Cup, Kerr emerged as one of New Zealand’s standout performers, finishing as the team’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets from six matches. Despite her stellar efforts, New Zealand failed to progress beyond the group stage. However, Kerr’s talent was duly recognized, and less than a year later, she secured her maiden overseas league contract with the Southern Vipers in the ECB’s Kia Super League.

Teams: 

Since the 2014-15 season, Amelia Kerr has been representing Wellington in domestic cricket. Her talent and prowess transcended borders as she ventured into overseas leagues, playing for the Southern Vipers in 2018 and Velocity in 2019. Kerr’s journey continued to flourish, seeing her donning the colors of Brisbane Heat from the 2019-20 season until the 2020-21 season. In 2022, she joined London Spirit, marking a new chapter in her career. Kerr’s association with the Brisbane Heat resumed in the 2022-23 season.

Amelia Kerr has been a stalwart of the New Zealand national cricket team since her debut in 2016. Representing her country with distinction, Kerr made her ODI debut against Pakistan on November 9, 2016. Her journey in ODI cricket continued until July 2, 2023, with her last appearance against Sri Lanka. Kerr’s T20I journey began on November 21, 2016 against Pakistan. Her contributions in the T20I format persisted until July 12, 2023, marking her last match against Sri Lanka. 

By June 2017, she had already become the youngest representative for the New Zealand women’s team in the World Cup, marking a significant milestone in her career. Remarkably, within three months of this achievement, Kerr further solidified her place in cricketing history by becoming the youngest female cricketer to secure a central contract with New Zealand Cricket.

Before June 13, 2018, Amelia Kerr had already achieved numerous significant milestones. However, on that historic day, the 17-year-old legspin-bowling all-rounder shattered a record held by former Australia captain Belinda Clark for 21 years. Opening the innings against Ireland, Kerr amassed an unbeaten 232 runs, surpassing Clark’s highest individual score in women’s ODIs. At just 17 years and 243 days old, Kerr not only claimed this record but also etched her name in the annals of cricketing history as the youngest player, regardless of gender, to score a double-century in international cricket across formats. Furthermore, she showcased her exceptional all-round abilities by also capturing five wickets in the same match.

She also participated in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 for Mumbai Indians. In the ten matches she played, she showcased a consistent performance, scoring a total of 149 runs at an average of 37.25, with her highest score being an unbeaten 45 against GG. Additionally, her strike rate stood at an impressive 133.03. On the bowling front, she proved to be a valuable asset, taking a total of 15 wickets in the ten innings she bowled. Her bowling statistics include an excellent strike rate of 13.06, one maiden, and an average of 14.06, highlighting her effectiveness with the ball. 

Achievements and Awards:

Amelia Kerr boasts several remarkable records in Women’s One-Day Internationals. She holds the record for the most runs in an innings by a batting position, with an unbeaten 232 runs, setting a new standard for excellence. This inning also stands as the highest maiden hundred in Women’s One-Day Internationals, a testament to her extraordinary talent and determination. 

Kerr showcased her bowling prowess by becoming the fifth youngest player, at just 17 years and 243 days old, to claim a five-wicket haul in an innings in Women’s One-Day Internationals. These achievements highlight Kerr’s exceptional skill and her significant impact on the international cricketing stage.

Kerr carved her name in cricketing history on June 13, 2018, by achieving the highest individual score in a Women’s One Day International (WODI) match. In an extraordinary display of skill, she not only secured this record but also became the youngest cricketer, to notch a double century in One Day International cricket, amassing an unbeaten 232 runs against Ireland. This remarkable feat not only stood as the third-highest individual score in an ODI, regardless of gender but also marked the second-highest by a New Zealander and the highest in a Women’s ODI. 

Amelia Kerr, representing New Zealand, has triumphed once more by clinching the esteemed CPA Players’ Award 2023 for the second consecutive year. This prestigious accolade recognizes the most exceptional performer among the Blackcaps in Test, ODI, and T20I matches throughout 12 months.

Stats:

Amelia Kerr is a talented player in the New Zealand team. She played 68 ODI matches and scored 1903 runs with 4 centuries and 9 half-centuries. Her highest score in this format is 232*. In this format, she picked up 85 wickets and her best bowling figure of her is 5/17. 

In the T20 format, she played 67 matches. In those matches, she scored 909 runs. In the shortest format, she scored 3 half-centuries. Her highest score in this format of 70*. In this format, she picked up 64 wickets and her best bowling figure of her is 3/11. 

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