Jess Kerr welcomes crucial game time before CWC25 opener
The pacer believes the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup warm-up matches will help New Zealand prepare well before their first game against Australia.
New Zealand fast bowler Jess Kerr reckons the warm-up matches before the White Ferns' opening game against defending champions Australia on October 1, will help the team to test their skills ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025.
With seven days left for New Zealand to begin their World Cup campaign, Kerr felt it is important to adjust to the conditions, something which the camp in Dubai camp helped the team.
"First of all, it (the training camp in Dubai) was adjusting to the heat, really hot conditions, and then a couple of warm-up games in an open wicket scenario, which is really good for us after a long winter," Kerr told New Zealand Cricket.
"Obviously it's going to be hot here in India, so adapting to that was really good and just those game scenarios we had lots of different situations that we had to adapt to.
"I think it's again just more game time, which is good for us. We've not had a whole heap of that this year, so getting those sort of formulas in place, finding ways to win, which will be important.
"Everything's leading up to that first game and we want to be really clinical with what we can put out against Australia in game one."
Kerr was also a part of a training camp in Chennai early last month, held for two weeks at the Chennai Super Kings academy under the supervision of White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer and assistant coach Craig McMillan.
"Having being able to go to that batting camp in Chennai was of huge value.
"Just a lot of drilling and then a number of coaches who have experience of what works well in India."
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Jess will be one of the seniors leading the pace attack for New Zealand with Bree Illing playing her first World Cup. Talking about what Illing brings to the table, Jess said - "it's really exciting to have Bree."
"She's offered such a point of difference being that left armer and that extra bit of pace as well.
"She's had so much success in the domestic set up and already internationally too, so I know this World Cup will be awesome for her.
"Hopefully she can rely on us more experienced pace bowlers if she needs, but bringing her own strengths, that's what she needs to do and, and not comparing herself to what the others do."
Jess Kerr was a part of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup winning squad alongwith her sister Melie Kerr, and will be looking to lift the 50-over World Cup this year in India.
"I think it's just enjoying it all and soaking it all up and then coming back together as a team and staying in present."
The World Cup starts on September 30 and will be played across five venues in India and Sri Lanka.