19 February - Paarl - New Zealand player Amelia Kerr post-match press conference
[Reporter]
What do you think made the difference today compared to your first two games here which we're not so happy.
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah well it's nice to be on the other side I guess of that and have that winning feeling. It's always a lot better but I think we probably learnt a lot from those first two games and unfortunately didn't adapt quick enough after the first one in terms of playing straighter earlier. I thought the balls skidded on quite a lot in these conditions and in the first few games we probably looked to play too square too early so that was a big focus for us is that we can get value for shots hitting down the ground and that's going to be easier on these wickets. Unfortunately we didn't do that early in our tournament but it's nice that we did learn and we changed. So yeah it was just nice to get a convincing win and play to our potential and how I guess the brand of cricket and how we want to go about our business.
[Reporter]
It looks as if you've really found your feet as a team now, do you feel comfortable in your skins?
[Amelia Kerr]
I absolutely love playing for New Zealand and I think the White Fins environment is an amazing one to be a part of, they're truly like family when you go away on tour and I think that's a huge part I guess in feeling comfortable as I love being away with them and for me I just want to keep getting better in all three facets of the game, batting, bowling and fielding and with the resources we have that are growing now in New Zealand and the tournaments all around the world too it's kind of helping just playing more, learning more from each game I play and just getting experience to know what to do in different situations.
[Reporter]
Is there a sense that maybe you guys left it a little bit too late given how great these two results were compared to the first two?
[Amelia Kerr]
I think the last two games have been awesome for us but obviously the first two didn't go to plan, sometimes that is cricket and you've got to forget about it but two games in a row was disappointing but you do have to learn from it and move on quickly in tournament play and it's pleasing that we've come out these last two games and done that but yeah I guess you always want to start tournaments well, you want to start World Cups well and unfortunately we didn't but I don't think going into the future that's something to be discouraged about, I think we've got some real talent in this group and amazing support staff and a lot of young talent as well so I think we're really going to grow and I guess from this you can only take learnings from it and that's what we've got to do moving into future World Cups.
[Reporter]
You mentioned your own domestic structure and we've just chatted to Chamari Atapattu obviously they've got a different set up, how do you see that gap between the different countries domestic structures and making the step up?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah it's starting to get better in New Zealand which is pleasing, we have our T20 comp and our 50 over comp and it's getting better, we're more exposed now, the T20s are on TV which I think is awesome, we saw a couple of overseas players play in our comp this year. But in terms of what we're seeing now around the world in England with the 100, Aussie have led the way for a long time with the women's Big Bash and now the women's IPL, it's going to strengthen those countries a lot and it has and we've seen that around the world so I guess it's not only those tournaments and the exposure they get, I think when I've gone to Australia the resources they have to train is outstanding - but we've been very fortunate this year with New Zealand cricket in terms of our match fees being equal to the men and I guess that one allows us to earn more money so we can train more, most of us now do cricket full time which is only going to help our game, not having to work a job and then train late at night so we're heading in the right direction, yes we're behind the other countries but I think if all countries can get that opportunity and the resources it's going to help grow the women's game and improve all teams around the world.
[Reporter]
The South African girls are probably watching your game and saying thank you very much, were you guys watching their game on Tuesday night with keen interest?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah I guess for us it kind of determines what's going to happen for us for the rest of the World Cup when South Africa take on Bangladesh so whether we're watching or not I think it's now about enjoying our time together as a team and I think celebrating these last few wins and it's completely out of our control now, we can't do anything now, we can only wait. So yeah I guess we'll know a bit more after that game.
[Reporter]
And just in regards to your squad, they spoke about a lot of young players coming through your side, do you think this is basically a new era for New Zealand cricket, women's cricket going forward?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah I think there's been a change in New Zealand cricket and they've invested in some young cricketers and it's been pleasing to see them just come in and fit in so well but I think that's also a credit to all the older players and the ones that have actually left the team in a better place. I think it's important to have a mixture of experience and youth and especially in world events when you've got people like Susie Bates and Sophie Devine in your changing rooms, the experience even if they're getting runs or if they're not, what they add to the team is so important, they bring a calmness because I've been in those positions before so I don't think you can forget about the experience, I think you're only as young as you feel so I think it's about picking your best players but I think at the moment there's a nice balance between the youth and experience in our group and it's good because it does create a really good energy around the group - but yeah I guess it's nice to see those young players come in and do well but I think because they have it's a credit to the older players in terms of making the environment pretty accepting and allowing them to go out and express themselves.
[Reporter]
The four games that we played, the first two games were the biggest losses of your New Zealand T20 World Cup. The second two games were the biggest victory margins. The same team, same country, same tournament, what went right in the last few hours?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah I think those last two games, the batting we took a real good look at ourselves and it was about playing straighter on these conditions with the balls getting on and keeping a bit low and sometimes a bit slower so I guess that's where we improved I think. In tournament plays when there's first two games you can get down but it's important to learn and move on because there's games just around the corner and I think that shows a lot of character from this group to be able to do that. But yeah, I think it was about just still backing our skills and having that belief and making subtle changes in the nets and it's pleasing that we've been able to do that in those last two games.
[Reporter]
You just spoke a bit about Susie Bates there, you had a good partnership with her and she had a tough start to the tournament as well, just speak about how good she's been when the team really needed her most.
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah it's awesome to see Susie do so well in these last two games, I know she was disappointed early on in the tournament but I think that's just the nature of cricket, you can go from zero to a hundred, no matter who you are it really brings you back down to earth – cricket. So I think the way she picked herself up also just shows her character, she's an incredible person to have in this team, she's a real leader, she gets around everyone so it's always pleasing to see good people do well and I think that's like everyone in our team, it's being able to celebrate other people's successes and yeah she's a leader and I think her career for New Zealand has been outstanding and she's one of the best we've ever had and there's definitely a lot of years left in her.
[Reporter]
Just wanted to ask, last week in this very same press room a very upset Sophie Devine said - when asked what New Zealand need to do to qualify she said we'll have to score 8000 runs and bundle out Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for 20, do you think you came close to doing that today?
[Amelia Kerr]
8000 runs is a stretch but no it's pleasing to get runs on the board first and then I guess to bowl them out, I'm not sure what we ended up bowling them out for but it's always pleasing in T20 cricket to bowl a team out and to have a big margin there, we've been on the losing side so we know how it feels and it's pleasing to get that win, didn't quite get the 8000 runs Sophie asked for but we'll happily take the win today.
[Reporter]
What are the kind of conversations that Sophie had after that particular loss against South Africa, could you touch upon the kind of things that were spoken about in the dressing room?
[Amelia Kerr]
There wasn't actually much said straight after the game I think, when there's emotion involved and everything - sometimes you don't know what to say and it's better to review it the next day and we knew we needed to be better and I think the key message was to be tougher when things get tough and we weren't tough enough and when we were put under pressure where we needed to rebuild and that was probably the key, to be tougher in tough conditions when things got tough and yeah that was a work on and that was kind of the key message, it was that there's nothing wrong with the talent we have in this room, it was just to I guess to have that belief and be tough and I guess that hopefully has showed in these last two games.
[Reporter]
I just wanted to ask about WPL, you'll be part of Mumbai Indians, how forward are you looking to this tournament? The women's premier league in India that is going to happen, you'll be playing for Mumbai Indians, how forward are you looking to the tournament?
[Amelia Kerr]
It's awesome to see a women's IPL happening, I think it's been something that's kind of been on the cards for a while and we've seen how incredible the men's IPL has been and just how fanatic the Indian fans are about cricket so it's, yeah in a way it can be pretty life changing and it's awesome to see that happen and it's just probably exciting about the opportunity to go play in India, to play in those conditions and yes it's just an awesome opportunity and so awesome I think for women's sport all around the world that I just think of young girls back home seeing that happen, seeing what happened with the women's IPL is inspiring and it just has got to make the next generation of women's cricket incredible because there's young kids at home knowing that this is a real career and something that's pretty special. So yeah it's very exciting but the focus has definitely been this World Cup and hopefully we still have a chance but at the moment that's out of our hands.
[Reporter]
So my question is, you scored your maiden T20 I50 alongside Suzie. How was the conversation like in between the partnership and what was the message from the person who scored her 25th T20 I half century to you when you scored your first?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah, it's awesome to have a great partnership with Suzie. Really enjoy betting alongside her. I think for us, we both absolutely love cricket and we love talking about it. So I guess there are a lot of chats in the middle just about our best options, how we want to play their bowlers. And it wasn't probably a wicket where you felt like you could just hit through the ball or run at them. It was a little bit about placement, who's manipulating the field. So I guess those were the conversations we were having and just batting with someone with so much experience when things get tough, just having them at the other end, reminding you and - one, we love training together and playing cricket together. So it was nice to get that big partnership.
[Reporter]
So just wanted to ask, after a terrible start, you guys bounced back brilliantly well. So how would you sum up the late part of the tournament for you guys? And what would be your key takeaways from this tournament?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yes, pleasing to I guess, have these last two games go well. I think with cricket, you've got to be pretty level as the game is up and down. But I guess the key learnings is probably to play straight and be tougher with the bat. And I think in World Cup play, belief and confidence is so important. You've got to be able to back your ability and perform for long periods of time under pressure. And yeah, I think there's a lot of learnings we can take. It's a group that's really growing, and I think we're heading in the right direction, which is exciting. So yeah, a disappointing start, but I think to turn it around in these last two games has been pleasing. But yeah, there's definitely learnings, and it's probably as simple as playing straight and being tough in tough periods.
[Reporter]
Just another one. You briefly mentioned on it as well. So the amount of young talent we've seen in the side, do you think New Zealand cricket is heading in the right direction going forward?
[Amelia Kerr]
Yeah, we're definitely moving forward, I think, since I've started my career with the White Fins to where women's cricket now is around the world and in New Zealand has improved. So if it keeps heading in that direction, it's only going to get better each year. Yeah, the young talent we have in the White Fins, it's been awesome. I've absolutely loved having some young spinners in the team with Eden Carson and Fran Jonas and the way they've kind of just relished their opportunity on the international stage. And I think, yeah, we're heading in the right direction when you've got people like that that can just come in and perform. And fortunately, we've had a lot of camps this winter where we've been able to train and get better, and that's allowed them to go out there and do what they have done this World Cup.