Cricketer Amelia Kerr, whose all-round performance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final propelled New Zealand to glory, credits her older teammates Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates for inspiring her to take up the sport while still at school.
Kerr, who top-scored with 43 runs as New Zealand posted 158-5 in Sunday’s final in Dubai and then took 3-24 with his bowling as South Africa lost by 32 runs, said he wrote the story of winning the trophy with Devine and Bates after watching them in the 2010 tournament final.
A 10-year-old Kerr watched sadly on television as New Zealand lost the final to Australia by just three points.
It was a moment that sparked a love for the game and a desire to set the record straight, especially with two heroes by his side.
“I was inspired to be the White Fern watching the 2010 World Cup that Sophie attended,” said an emotional Kerr in her press conference after the final.
The 24-year-old finished the tournament as top goal scorer with 15 goals and collected the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards.
Kerr, widely considered New Zealand’s brightest cricketing talent, made his international debut when he was just 16 years old.
“From then on I was at the net with my dad pretending to be fighting with Sophie and Suzie.
“And I was in the team when I was very young and played with my role models who have been so good to me, two of New Zealand’s greatest cricketers.
“I just think back to myself as a child. When I was in elementary school in creative writing, I wrote about winning the World Cup with Sophie and Suzie.
“I don’t necessarily believe you deserve anything in sport, but if there’s two people who deserve it, it’s Sophie and Suzie.”
‘Grandma’ came, saw, and conquered 🤩🏆#T20World Cup pic.twitter.com/TCmqHBcwhF
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 20, 2024
‘Eighteen years of joy and sorrow’
Devine, 35, and Bates, 37, are the two elder statesmen alongside 34-year-old Lea Tahuhu.
Each of them made it to the final. Bates made 32 and took three catches while fast bowler Tahuhu put pressure on South Africa’s middle order.
Devine only managed six goals but his leadership was outstanding, bringing out the best young players on the team, such as Kerr.
“We joke about being grandmothers and mothers and so on, but you feel so proud to see them stand up and take a chance. Meli [Kerr] today was amazing,” said the captain.
“For us to win it, it’s really nice to have that. That’s always something you want to have when you finish your career.”
Devine’s first action after the win was to embrace fellow “granny” Bates who has now played 334 international white ball matches since making her debut in 2006.
“Suze and I have been through a lot together,” he said.
Devine and Bates have played in nine T20 World Cups since the first in 2009.
“We’ve been through a lot of hairstyles together, her hairstyles are much worse than mine.
“But to be able to share it, to be able to play close together too and to share that moment, that hug, that’s 17, 18 years of joy and sorrow and happiness shared in that moment. It was amazing to be able to share that with him.”
‘Everyone loves a champion’
The White Ferns will split $2.3 million in prize money, about $155,000 per team member, a life-changing windfall for players who for years have struggled to achieve financial parity with their male counterparts.
New Zealand’s first win in cricket’s shortest format World Cup was a big surprise. The White Ferns had lost 10 consecutive T20 matches before beating South Africa in the warm-up match.
The pre-tournament success was a turning point for New Zealand who beat India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, only to lose to Australia on the way to the semifinals.
“This means a lot to us,” Bates said after the game. “When you play team sports, you want to be world champion.
“We have fought our way back to the top. Devie has been amazing in leading this team…very calm and confident in us. We’ll probably hug a little longer in the future because there are dark times when it’s just people [team] understand.”
With the men’s cricket team also completing a spectacular win in Bengaluru earlier in the day, their first Test win in India since 1988, Sunday was arguably New Zealand’s best day on the cricket field, although Devine hopes there is more to come.
“I really hope that tonight’s win can inspire the next generation, not only young girls, but also young men, to pick up a cricket bat, a cricket ball,” he said.
“At the moment it still feels unreal and hopefully the impact of what we have achieved will be long-lasting and long-term. Everyone loves a winner, right?”
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