‘No Doubt It’s No. 1’: Amelia Ranks Her Knock After Unbeaten 179 Against SA

‘No doubt it’s No. 1’: Amelia ranks her knock after unbeaten 179 against SA (Image Source: IANS)

Amelia Kerr: Amelia Kerr produced one of the greatest innings in women’s ODI history, guiding New Zealand to a record chase of 347 against South Africa at Basin Reserve. Her unbeaten 179 off 139 balls powered the White Ferns to 350/8, the highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs, eclipsing all previous records.

Speaking after the match, Kerr described her approach and emotions throughout the innings. “I was really calm out there and just was so focused on, I guess, simplifying it to each over and where we needed to be to get the job done. And then it kind of got to like 20 or 15 or whatever it was and you start to think how cool would this be if we won. But again, I probably didn't have those thoughts until that moment in the game and just had to bring myself back to the present moment rather than thinking this could be really cool, making sure I get the job done,” she said during the post-match press conference.

“And yeah, I thought because I was pretty calm that I wouldn't show too much emotion but when I did hit the winning runs, I was actually pretty fizzed and I guess it shows how much it means to me. I'm a pretty relaxed character with celebrations and all that stuff but that was special and to make the series go 1-1 as well, it was an important game there, important points and it means a lot,” she added.

Reflecting on her innings, Kerr confirmed it was the pinnacle of her career. “Yeah, no doubt it's number one. Yeah, I think to get a big 100 like that but in a big chase against a quality side, it's definitely number one.”

She highlighted the importance of her partnership with Izzy Gaze, who provided aggressive support through the middle overs. “Yeah, eventually getting to 100 first and then my partnership with Izzy, I thought she was amazing. The way she took on the game and just played, it allowed us I guess to be where we were at the back end of that game even when she got out,” she said.

“When I got to 100, I looked at how many more runs left to win and thought if I get another 80 runs here and I think I looked at the balls, I thought if I get about 80 or 40 here, then we'll get the rest of the runs through everyone else and I can try to finish 180, not out. And that was kind of my thought process in terms of what I needed to do individually. At times you've got to take risks but also at times your partner's got to take risks and that's where Izzy was outstanding. There wasn't run rate pressure through that middle phase of the game and she was flying,” she added.

Kerr admitted that New Zealand’s bowling unit had struggled in the first innings, conceding 346/6, but emphasised the team’s strategy to break the chase into manageable segments.

“Yeah, I think it was a really disappointing 50 overs for us and we didn't speak about that at the time because you've still got half the job to do and Dean and Maka just spoke about where we need to be at certain points in terms of run rates, so setting small targets and I guess it allows you not to think it's too hard.

“It's not you're chasing 350 and it feels so far away. It's actually if we go at six and over for this period and then we go at sevens and then it's a T20 game and we go at eights and we've done that the whole T20 series where we've gone more than eights. So I think simplifying it helps make the job not seem so big. So yeah, obviously incredible 50 overs with the bat from the whole team but definitely a lot to work on in the first 50,” Kerr noted.

On handling pressure, Kerr reflected on her mindset and childhood ambitions, saying, “I was just wanting to be in those moments and I think back to when I was a kid that's where I wanted to be. I wanted to be in those moments hitting the winning runs for New Zealand and that's what I've always dreamt of.”

“Sometimes it doesn't go your way and sometimes there's games where you probably should win and you don't do the job for the team. But I think today it was just about being really present, wanting to be in the moment and when given the opportunity making sure you take it deep and make the most of it,” she stated.

Looking ahead to the series-deciding third ODI, Kerr emphasised areas for improvement, particularly in the field as she said, “It's a pretty quick turnaround I think. It probably has to be our catching. It hurt us in the first game and it hurt us again today. And like I said the other day, no one means to drop catches. We're humans, we make mistakes. But it wasn't good enough really. That's fine. There's things to work on and we will get better and we are so much better than that. That was just a bad day and sometimes they happen. But it's important that we park that and work on it when we can and move forward to showcase what we really are as a fielding unit.”

Finally, on the significance of the historic chase, Kerr reflected on the growth of women’s cricket and the belief it inspires.

Looking ahead to the series-deciding third ODI, Kerr emphasised areas for improvement, particularly in the field as she said, “It's a pretty quick turnaround I think. It probably has to be our catching. It hurt us in the first game and it hurt us again today. And like I said the other day, no one means to drop catches. We're humans, we make mistakes. But it wasn't good enough really. That's fine. There's things to work on and we will get better and we are so much better than that. That was just a bad day and sometimes they happen. But it's important that we park that and work on it when we can and move forward to showcase what we really are as a fielding unit.”

“And for me that was probably in my mind a little bit at the halfway stage, is that teams have chased big scores before, so there's no reason why we can't. And I wanted to, I guess once I got in and got myself set, I felt as though it was my responsibility to take it deep and be there at the end,” she concluded.

Article Source: IANS