'Definitely No. 1' - Amelia Kerr 'fizzed' after record-breaking day
"There wasn't run-rate pressure through that middle phase of the game as she was flying," Amelia Kerr says of Isabella Gaze, who scored 68 in 48 balls in the chase.
"Would you say that's one of your favourite innings?"
"Yeah, no doubt. It's No. 1. Yeah, I think to get a big hundred like that but in a big chase against a quality side, it's, yeah, definitely No. 1."
Amelia Kerr isn't known to be too demonstrative with her feelings. Just a few high-fives here and there, and that's about all you get from her.
Wednesday was different, though, and why wouldn't it be? She had just scored 179 not out from 139 balls, leading New Zealand to not just a series-levelling win over South Africa but also the highest successful chase in women's ODI history. Not to forget two crucial points on the Sky exchange. The wide smile, the raised bat and the hug with Kayley Knight at the end of it was befitting the occasion, and the achievement.
"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," she said after the game at the press conference. "And then it kind of got to like 20 [22] off 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 till 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.
"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 are important points, and it means a lot."
Amelia finished on 179 not out. The last 79 runs came off 49 balls. Not quite what she had predicted, or wanted to achieve, when she got to her hundred, but she wasn't far off. What helped, of course, was Isabella Gaze chipping in with a 48-ball 68 in a stand of 120 in 82 balls for the fifth wicket.
"I think when I got to hundred, I looked at how many more runs [were] 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 off 40 here, then we'll get the rest of the runs through everyone else, and I can try to finish 180 not out," Amelia said. "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 as she was flying. 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."
Another player who helped Amelia get the job done was Kayley Knight, who picked up the wickets of Anneke Bosch and Sinalo Jafta first and was then in the middle when the win came. All on ODI debut.
"Yeah, Kayley, she's such a cool character," Amelia said. "She's slotted into this group so well, and, yeah, obviously to pick up key wickets, I think she was bowling through a little bit of cramp as well and actually did most of her overs into the wind, so she worked hard for us, and she came out at the end, and she was pretty relaxed also.
"I just spoke to her about what I was kind of thinking in terms of when we run, if we don't, that type of stuff, but she was cool, calm, and, yeah, she's a great character, and it showed when she came out to bat there at the end."
All of it added up to it being a pretty epic day, for Amelia and for New Zealand.
"Yeah, very special. I think one thing is seeing the growth of the women's game and how exciting that is. I think through the 50-over World Cup, seeing the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues and her run chase against Australia, and I think the final, [Laura] Wolvaardt got a 150 [she scored 101 in the final, and 169 in the semi-final batting first], and there were teams chasing big scores over there. And even though it wasn't us doing it, I guess again seeing that helps you believe that we're capable of doing it too.
"That was probably in my mind a little bit at the halfway stage, 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."
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