Kerr sisters ready to conquer the world
- New Zealand sisters Jess and Amelia Kerr will be playing for their country together for the first time at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020
- Younger sister Amelia made her name known on the world stage in 2018, while Jess is making her global tournament debut in Australia
- The sisters come from a family of cricketing greats, with father Robbie and mother Jo both having played for Wellington and grandfather Bruce Murray having represented the Black Caps in Test Cricket
The White Ferns have their newest sibling pair on board as Jess, 22, is in line to make her global tournament debut two years after 19-year-old Amelia shot to fame at the 2018 edition in the West Indies.
Cricket has always been the Kerr family business with parents Robbie and Jo both having played for Wellington before their daughters.
And despite being the eldest, Jess is the latest success having earned her national call-up after taking 20 wickets in the domestic Super Smash competition for the Blaze.
Amelia, on the other hand, has been a White Fern since 2016, forging a reputation as a world-class leg-spinning all-rounder, but regardless of who made the headlines first, the sisters cannot wait to don the national jersey for the first time together Down Under.
“I’m her older sister but in cricket it feels like it’s the other way around because of the experience Amelia has,” said Jess. “We don’t really talk about cricket that much but I know she’s always here to help me.
“It’s really special to get the call-up and play alongside Amelia and some of the very best players in the world.”
Amelia added: “It’s so cool having Jess here. She’s such an awesome older sister.
“Growing up, she always looked after me and was super supportive so now with her coming into the side as a new player, I can return the favour in helping her out whenever she needs.
“We’ve played a lot of cricket together over the years at school and for Wellington but to represent our country together is extremely special.”
Different bowling styles mean the two sisters are not up against each other for a spot in a strong New Zealand side looking for their first taste of Women’s T20 World Cup glory.
The White Ferns have underperformed in the six editions thus far, losing the final on two occasions (2009 and 2010) and failing to get out of the group stage last time round in the West Indies.
She may still be in her teenage years but the pain of underdelivering on the world stage is a feeling 2018 debutante Amelia knows all too well – and she’s determined not to experience it again.
“Knowing what that pain feels like makes us very determined to succeed here in Australia,” she added. “We’re definitely hungry. We’ve been working hard all year round and we want this bad.
“We can only control what’s happening in the moment and the outcome will be what it will be. We want to make our country proud with how we carry ourselves both on and off the field.”