World Cup hero named ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year
New Zealand all-rounder Melie Kerr has been named the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2024.
Kerr has been announced as the leading player in the world following an impressive year in T20I cricket that was capped by a Player of the Tournament display in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where she inspired New Zealand to their first T20 World Cup title.
The 24-year-old becomes only the second New Zealander to win the award, following in the footsteps of her World Cup winning teammate Suzie Bates, who won the award back in 2016.
One of the features of Kerr’s phenomenal year was how she raised her game in the biggest moments, stepping up as a decisive player for the White Ferns in their crunch knockout matches en-route to the T20 title.
Her 2/14 in the semi-final against West Indies played a vital part in shutting down the second innings as the Windies fell short by eight runs, with Kerr being the most economical bowler on both sides and picking up the defining wicket of the contest when she removed big-hitting Deandra Dottin at a vital moment in the match.
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Melie Kerr's outstanding performances from the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup
New Zealand's Melie Kerr has taken out the Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards 2024.
Melie Kerr’s T20I record in 2024: 387 runs and 29 wickets in 18 matches
Across the year, Kerr scored her runs at an average of 24.18 and bagged her wickets at a strike rate of just 13.6 across her 18 matches. No New Zealand women’s cricketer has ever taken as many wickets in a calendar year as Kerr’s 29.
Her 15 wickets in the tournament in the UAE is the most ever by a single bowler at an ICC Women’s T20I World Cup, and came at an average of 7.33 and with an economy rate of 4.85 across her six matches, marking her out as the stand-out bowler in the competition.
Kerr was also exceptional in the field throughout the tournament, and made a number of significant contributions with the bat, finishing with 135 runs in six innings at an average of 27 – putting her in the top ten run-scorers, along with two of her teammates.
Melie Kerr opens up on winning the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2024
Melie Kerr on the 'huge honour' of winning T20I Cricketer of the Year
Memorable Performance
Kerr’s impressive form in the UAE saw her play a leading part throughout the World Cup in all three facets of the game, and culminated in a Player of the Match display in the final as the White Ferns beat South Africa to claim the trophy in Dubai.
She was already a major contender for Player of the Tournament even before her match-winning efforts in the final, where she made crucial contributions with bat, ball and in the field.
Coming in at number three in the first innings she top-scored in the match with a crucial anchoring knock of 43 from 38 balls, coming in during the second over and ensuring that the White Ferns reached a competitive score, with her wicket coming with just seven balls of the innings remaining.
Every wicket from Melie Kerr | WT20WC 2024
South Africa looked to be in control of their chase after a rapid start in the powerplay, but Kerr turned the game on its head with the ball, taking two wickets in an over to remove key Proteas batters Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch to turn the tide in the second innings.
Her figures of 3/24 in four overs were the pick of the returns across both bowling attacks in the match.
Not content with excelling with bat and ball, Kerr also produced one of the best bits of fielding of the match, holding on to a ball dropping over her shoulder to help remove Nadine de Klerk with the contest still in the balance.