Amelia Kerr equaled Brendon McCullum’s tally on the elite list after hitting a stunning 78 off 44 balls in the first women’s T20I between New Zealand and South Africa at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, March 15. With this knock, Kerr joined McCullum as the joint second in consecutive fifties by a New Zealand batsman in T20Is.
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In 2009, McCullum achieved this feat with scores of 59, 61, 56 and 69*. Kerr matched the former New Zealand captain with scores of 66, 101, 82 and 78*. The overall record in both men’s and women’s cricket is held by Sophie Devine, who scored six consecutive fifties between 2019 and 2020.
Since taking over as New Zealand captain, Kerr has hardly put a foot wrong, starting with the series against Zimbabwe. In the T20I series, she scored 183 runs at a strike rate of 177.66, while also registering her first T20I century. She scored four wickets with the ball at an economic rate of 4.25.
In the ODI series, Kerr was equally impressive, taking 16 wicketsincluding seven wickets in the second ODI and a hat-trick in the third. She also scored 140 runs at an average of 40.67, with a top score of 80. Kerr has now brought this rich vein of form into the series against the Proteas.
HOW AMÉLIE KERR RACHALA IN SOUTH AFRICA
Amelia Kerr put in a commanding all-round show to rock South Africa and propel New Zealand Women to a stunning 80-run victory to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. After New Zealand lost Izzy Gaze for a duck on the very first ball, Kerr stepped in and completely shifted the momentum of the innings.
The captain smashed a brilliant 78 off 44 balls to better her half-century in just 28 deliveries and attacked the South African bowlers with authority. Kerr was at the heart of a definitive 146-run partnership for the second wicket with Georgia Plimmer, who contributed a fluent 63 off 44 balls.
Together, the pair rebuilt from early trouble to lay the foundation for a formidable New Zealand 190/7. Kerr’s knock of 11 fours and two sixes ensured the hosts remained in control throughout the innings.
She then backed up her batting heroics with a disciplined spell during the chase. Despite not picking up a wicket, Kerr played a key role in keeping the South African batsmen under pressure, returning figures of 4-0-24-0.
Her control and consistency helped to stifle the run-rate as South Africa struggled for momentum and ended up on 110/7. It was a complete captain’s performance from Kerr who deservedly claimed the Man of the Match award.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
15 March 2026 17:16 IST
