‘I want to be one step ahead of the batters’ – Amelia Kerr

After losing the first of their three ICC Women’s Championship one-day international against England heavily by 142 runs, New Zealand must find a way to bounce back and level the series when the two sides meet in the second game in Derby on Tuesday, 10 July.

“Yes, it is exciting. Hopefully, we'll get a win tomorrow and it (the series) goes to the decider,” said Amelia Kerr, the 17-year-old who recently broke Belinda Clark’s 21-year-old record for the highest score in women’s ODIs with a blistering 232* against Ireland but is known more for her leg-spin bowling.

“Last year we were here but we didn't have the best memories but we're hoping to improve and get a win tomorrow,” said Kerr, New Zealand’s best bowler in the first game with returns of 2/36.

Kerr said her side have learned from the mistakes in the first game, when they conceded 290/5 and only managed 148 in reply.

“We have reviewed and we don't want to dwell on it or anything and move on,” she said. “But I guess we can't really be getting bowled out for 148. I think we've bowled quite a few extras and so if we could reduce the amount and just overall improve as a team. But the English have kind of built pressure on us for long periods of time. The English are a quality side.”

“I've been pretty happy in general,” she said about her own form. “Happy with the other day. That day it was turning a lot and I felt like I had good control. So yeah, I've been working quite hard on there and yes, everything is coming off well.”

Kerr said that she has been working on her googlies, but added that she doesn’t want to overuse them right away. “I don't want to overuse it too much. But yes, the googly is coming out really nice at the moment so it is nice to have both deliveries going well,” she said.

“I've been working on just skying it, and having different groups for each ball. It is something that I want to keep working on and just be one step ahead of the batters. I think it is really important for a leg-spinner. I think off-spinners can work with the pace but for leg-spin, I think that having variations is very important.

“I'm always working on a few variations here and there. Don't often pull them out in the games but I want to keep working on them just to have them up my sleeve if I need them.”