Cool Kerr takes next step with starring role in NZ win

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has declared the world to be Amelia Kerr's oyster after the teenage sensation played a starring role in their breakthrough win against Australia in the third T20I in Brisbane.

In capturing 2-18 from four her overs, leg-spinner Kerr dismissed middle-order pair Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes at crucial intervals, leaving the world champions in strife at 4-57 at the halfway mark of the first innings.

The wickets were just her second and third of the series, following on from the dismissal of her former Brisbane Heat teammate Beth Mooney in game two, and left her with combined figures across the three matches of 3-72 from 11 overs.

But it was her composure with the bat that allowed New Zealand to break their 13-match losing sequence against Australia. With the home side striking twice at a critical moment late in the run chase, the White Ferns were in desperate need of a cool head, particularly after their game one capitulation in a similar scenario.

Enter Kerr, who took control of proceedings from No7, teaming up with Hayley Jensen for an unbroken 27-run stand. It was the youngster who stepped forward with seven runs needed from the final five balls and Australia spearhead Megan Schutt standing at the top of her mark.

First, she drove straight, back past Schutt for four down the ground, and from the very next ball, she advanced and flicked the ball over midwicket to the rope, securing the long-awaited win.

Devine would not be drawn on whether she saw Kerr developing in the T20 format as a finisher or moving up to the opening position in which she famously scored an ODI double-century as a 17-year-old in 2018.

"We all know how much talent Amelia's got and for us it's about nurturing her," she said. "She's got a pretty calm head on her shoulders as we saw today, and she's (finished games off) before – not only for New Zealand but in the Big Bash as well.

"The world is her oyster. I know she wants to bat up the order in time but the great thing is she's only 19 … so she's got all the time in the world to figure where she wants to be.

"She's a great kid, and she's never too flustered – no matter the occasion – and today was a great example of that; she trusted her skill-set and followed through with her processes and got us the win in the end."

Despite being only 19, Kerr has long been touted as a potential superstar of the game, and the fact she has already shone in the Rebel Women's Big Bash League – winning a title with the Heat last summer in her maiden season – suggests she is already well on the way to being viewed in that light.

Against the Sixers on debut last summer, the leg-spinner – who will be with the Heat again this summer – took three wickets in an over, using her deceptive wrong'un to devastating effect.

Heat players and coaching staff alike were impressed with Kerr's beyond-her-years maturity from the moment she touched down in the 2019 pre-season to spend some time with the squad.

"As a franchise, Brisbane were chasing 'Melie' for a couple of years, and I thought it was a very sound decision," Mooney told cricket.com.au recently.

"I only knew her as an opponent, but she'd flown out during the winter to meet everyone, play some practice games, and from that first week I was very impressed with her capacity to not only articulate what she was trying to do while bowling, but also the way she interacted with group as a 19-year-old.

"She had a reputation at that point as someone who was going to have long and successful career for New Zealand.

"That first game (against the Sixers) showed her talent but that doesn't show how hard she works – people think she was just handed that ability, but I've seen her work really hard.

"I'm sure she'll get better and better, which is a scary prospect given she's so good already."

CommBank T20I and ODI series

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa

New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Natalie Dodd, Deanna Doughty, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin

All matches to be played at Brisbane's Allan Border Field

First T20: Australia won by 17 runs

Second T20: Australia won by eight wickets

September 30: New Zealand won by five wickets

October 3: First ODI, 10:10am AEST

October 5: Second ODI, 10:10am AEST (11:10 AEDT)

October 7: Third ODI, 10:10am AEST (11:10 AEDT)

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