Amelia Kerr Archives

Amelia Kerr named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024

DUBAI: New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr has been awarded her maiden Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2024.

Kiwi star pipped South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland to the top honour in the women’s game.

The 24-year-all-rounder was outstanding in all three aspects of the game throughout the year 2024.

With the bat, Kerr was a vital cog in New Zealand’s line-up, capable of playing valuable knocks to build on strong starts or acting as a stabilising force to anchor the innings if the openers didn’t fire.

Previously Australia’s Ellyse Perry, India’s Smriti Mandhana and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt each have won the award on two occasions.

Amelia Kerr is not only the first New Zealander to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy but also the first Kiwi to win the overall ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in any format.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Kerr’s notable performance of 2024 came at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup where she was named the Player of the Tournament and won the Player of the Match award against South Africa in the final as New Zealand’s women won their first ICC T20 World Cup.

Kerr’s notable performance in 2024 came at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final when she helped New Zealand women’s to win their maiden ICC T20 World Cup Trophy.

Kiwi all-rounder shone brightly in the final against South Africa, delivering an all-round masterclass with 43 runs and bowling figures of 3-24 to secure both the Player of the Match and Tournament award.

In nine One Day Internationals during the year, she scored 264 runs at an average of 33, and she also scalped 14 wickets in the format.

But it was in T20 Internationals where her performances were exceptional. In 18 T20Is in 2024, she scored 387 runs at an average of 24.18 and bagged 29 wickets – a national record for a single calendar year.

READ: Jasprit Bumrah wins Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year 2024

Amelia Kerr thanks ‘grandmas’ for inspiration after T20 World Cup triumph

Amelia Kerr, whose match-winning performance guided New Zealand to their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday, shared that she was inspired by senior team-mates Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates as a kid.

Following her all-round performance, she expressed her admiration for Devine and Bates, stating that she used to write stories about winning the trophy with them when she was at school.

The 24-year-old leg-spinner top-scored with 43 in the New Zealand total of 158-5 and then took 3-24 as South Africa fell short by 32 runs.

Kerr finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 15 and collected both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament Awards.

But 14 years ago, Kerr watched forlornly on television as New Zealand, with Devine and Bates in the side, lost the 2010 final to Australia by just three runs. It was a moment that triggered a love for the game and a desire to put the record right.

“I was inspired to be a White Fern watching that 2010 World Cup which Sophie was at,” said Kerr who made her international debut when she was just 16.

“From that moment I was at the nets with my dad pretending I was batting with Sophie and Suzie.

“And I was on the team so young and playing with my role models, who have been so good to me, two of New Zealand’s greatest ever cricketers.

“I just think back to myself as a kid. When I was at primary school in creative writing, I wrote about winning a World Cup with Sophie and Suzie.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“I don’t necessarily believe you deserve things in sport, but if any two people do, it’s Sophie and Suzie.”

Devine, 35, and Bates, 37, are two of the elder stateswomen on the team along with 34-year-old Lea Tahuhu.

Each of them made their mark on the final. Bates made 32 and took three catches while fast bowler Tahuhu squeezed the South African middle order.

Devine only made six but her leadership was outstanding, bringing out the best in the younger players in the team, like Amelia Kerr.

“We joke about being grandmas and mums and whatnot but you feel a real sense of pride at seeing them stand up and take opportunities. Melie (Kerr) today was unbelievable,” said the skipper.

“For us to be able to win it, it’s just nice to have that. It’s always something that you want to have when you finish your career.”

Devine’s first action after winning was to embrace her fellow ‘grandma’ Bates who has now played 334 white ball internationals since making her debut back in 2006.

“Me and Suze have been through a lot together,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot of hairstyles together, hers a lot worse than mine.”

“But to be able to share it, to be fielding close together as well and to share that moment, that embrace, that’s 17, 18 years of joy and heartbreak and happiness shared in that moment. It’s just been awesome to share that with her.”

READ: New Zealand beat South Africa to clinch maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title

New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr hails Pakistan over historic win

Star New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr hailed Pakistan following the Girls in Green’s historic win over her side in the third WODI at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.

Pakistan beat New Zealand for the first time in Women’s one-day cricket. The match was decided in the Super Over as the winners could not be decided in the 100 overs.

In the Super Over, Pakistan managed 11-2 with Aliya Riaz scoring eight runs off Amelia Kerr’s bowling.

Sadia Iqbal’s heroics saw New Zealand falling short by four runs. The spinner gave away eight runs and dismissed Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine to seal a historic victory for the Girls in Green.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Amelia Kerr, who was judged Player of the Series for her exceptional performances, lauded Pakistan for keeping its composure to win the game in the post-match press conference.

“Credit to Pakistan for the way they have been on this tour and on the field as well,” she said. “They were exceptional under pressure and took those catches. They were clean and stopped us from running twos and I think they just showed real composure and it got them across the line.”

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand has been a remarkable affair as the Girls in Green became the first Asian side to win a T20I series in New Zealand.

Fatima Sana’s side ended things on a high note as they beat the White Ferns for the first time in WODI history.

READ: Shadab Khan reacts on exclusion from Pakistan squad for New Zealand T20Is