World Cup: Jess, Amelia and NZ’s Kerr sisterhood
New Zealand sisters Jess and Amelia Kerr, both cricketers, chase their dreams together in the ODI Women's World Cup, showcasing resilience and family support.
New Delhi: Siblings in the same sport at the highest level is still not common, and being part of the same playing eleven is rarer. For New Zealand, it is the story of two sisters dreaming of sport in their Wellington backyard that came to fruition.
For the Kerr siblings, Jess and Amelia, Thursday’s clash against India in the ODI Women’s World Cup will be the latest instance of living their dream of playing together for New Zealand in another global event.
While Amelia, 25, broke into the national team as a 16-year-old, Jess, two years older and who has had to navigate many challenges, bears the weight of them with grace. Allrounder Amelia, one of the brightest stars in the game, is in her third ODI World Cup, while Jess in her second.
Cricket runs deep in the Kerr family. Their parents – Robert and Johanna – represented Wellington while maternal grandfather Bruce Murray played for New Zealand and was an administrator.
What stands out about Jess isn’t the family legacy, their association with the Tawa college in Wellington and contribution to cricket, but her special bond with Amelia. Rooted in their shared cricketing success, it is also about quietly lifting each other.
“It’s always special to travel the world and represent our country together,” Jess told HT. “We’ve been part of each other’s journey… I’m one of her biggest supporters. She actually inspired me to take cricket more seriously and get back into the game.”
Amelia’s rise has been spectacular – the records, headlines and the milestones. She is one of the most effective leg-spinners and batters in women’s cricket. In 82 ODIs, she has aggregated 2,224 runs with four hundreds, besides taking 105 wickets. Jess has 60 wickets bowling medium-pace in her 44 caps.
“Having a family member on tour and one of my best friends is such a support,” Jess said. “She’s got an incredible cricket brain – almost like a mentor in that sense. It’s also nice to just hang out and not think about cricket. She brings her guitar on tour, we muck around, play cards… it’s really nice.”
For the pacer, pulling on the White Ferns’ jersey comes with a sense of immense gratitude, behind which lies a story of resilience few would have surmounted.
While Amelia was always seen as made for cricket, Jess’ initial interest was in running. However, a series of health setbacks meant she had to give up her first love. She found her way back into sport through cricket.
Diagnosed with Bell’s palsy – the neuro-muscular disorder causes weakness or paralysis on one side of the face – Jess was also afflicted by compartment syndrome – it is a painful condition in which pressure builds within a muscle compartment, restricting blood flow – and had to deal with Type 1 diabetes early in life.
“Dealing with a lot of those things from a young age was probably a blessing in disguise. I’ve known no different,” she said.
“Whenever I was diagnosed or had a setback, my first question always was, ‘Can I run again?’ That was my passion, not necessarily cricket.”
“Thankfully, I’ve always been told “yes”, and that’s what kept me going. Even when I was sick or out of action, I was my happiest when I was active. These experiences have taught me a lot. It has definitely helped me as an athlete, even though it can be tough behind the scenes.”
Amid the challenges, Jess derives her strength from her larger family.
“Most of my family lives within five to ten minutes of me and so growing up, school holidays were always packed with time spent with aunts, uncles and cousins. They don’t really care about what I’ve achieved in cricket. They care about who I am as a person. They’re my safe space,” said Jess. “Dad especially has been big for me in cricket. But I really admire my mum’s strength, she went through breast cancer when she was younger.”
As holders of the T20 World Cup, Jess knows what a memorable campaign this World Cup could mean for the sport back home.
“We’ve definitely seen an increase in interest in women’s sport, not just cricket (after the T20 Cup win).”
She has taken eight wickets (avg 21.13) so far in this World Cup. As NZ vie with India for the last semi-final spot, Jess will hope to deliver more.
Sophie Devine and Amelia are the biggest names in the NZ side. Jess may not be the loudest voice in the room, but her every delivery makes a statement of resilience.
