​Two Twenty20 centuries on the Basin Reserve

Tawa and Sacred Heart College 1st XI

Amelia Kerr with here proud grandparents Mr & Mrs Murray. Bruce is a former NZ Cricketer

Tawa College’s Amelia Kerr has become the first person to score more than one Twenty20 century on the famous Basin Reserve cricket ground in Wellington.

On Wednesday Amelia scored 108 off 79 balls in a total score of 154. That total set up her school’s win over Sacred Heart College in the Wellington qualifying final for the National Girls Secondary School tournament in December. Tawa College are the two-time defending national girls champions so will be gunning for a three-peat at the end of the year.

Amelia’s batting form in the qualifying rounds was strong. She scored 285 runs at an average of 142.5 and at a strike rate of 154. She has been opening the batting for the Tawa College Boys 1st XI in Wellington’s Premier Youth Grade. This has provided her with a great challenge and fantastic opportunity to develop her game.

She has made a huge impression on the national women’s domestic scene over the last two seasons as a leg spinner. Her wicket taking ability saw her selected in the New Zealand A side (aged 15) that played games against the White Ferns and Sri Lanka late last year.  

On Wednesday, Tawa College defended 154 by bowling Sacred Heart out for 110. Of note, Bhagya Herath scored 42 off 49 balls for the chasers, while Phoenix Williams took 3 for 19 for Tawa.
As well as being the first player, male or female, to score two T20 Centuries on the Basin, Amelia is just one of two players to have scored 100 or more in an innings just once on the ground in the short format version of the game.

The other player to have done this? Her Wellington team-mate and White Ferns all-rounder Sophie Devine. Amelia’s first T20 century there was as a Year 9, scoring 113 off 65 balls. Last year Devine blasted a century off 44 balls for Wellington against Auckland. Devine also went to Tawa College and also made her domestic debut whilst at school.