Match 16 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 will be remembered for the New Zealand all-rounder, Amelia Kerr’s mesmerizing spell, as she weaved a web of deceit around the UP Warriorz batting line-up.
The T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024, recorded her career best figures of 5/38 for Mumbai in the WPL, taking the first five-wicket haul of this season and the maiden one for Mumbai.
She outwitted the opposition with her clever variations and pinpoint accuracy, restricting them to 150/9 and ultimately leading Mumbai to a convincing 6-wicket victory.
In a candid conversation with Jhulan Goswami, the bowling coach and mentor of Mumbai Indians, Amelia reflected on the evening, saying, “Feels good, got hit for a few runs but nice to be able to pick up wickets, and sometimes you get a bit of luck, and sometimes you don’t. And I probably had a bit of luck and a few balls with not so much luck today.”
Her five wickets included, Kiran Navgire who was deceived by a clever wrong’un, Dinesh Vrinda and Chinelle Henry, who both mistimed lofts off perfectly looped deliveries in the same over, UP Skipper Deepti Sharma who was outsmarted by a cleverly angled delivery, and Sophie Ecclestone who was dismissed by a sharply turning short ball.
When asked by Jhulan Goswami about her strategy behind each wicket, the current purple cap holder, Kerr, emphasized the importance of simplicity in her plans adding that she particularly cherished the dismissals of Deepti Sharma and Kiran Navgire.
Before Amelia Kerr got the wicket of Chinelle Henry, the explosive batter had sent for a towering six, clobbering a very full delivery over the bowler’s head. Talking about it, Kerr revealed, “Yeah the first ball was annoying.” However, talking about her plan to bounce back, Kerr mentioned that she aimed to put the ball in the right area, knowing that Henry’s aggressive intent would work in her favor if she could execute her delivery correctly.
When Jhulan Goswami asked her if she was aware that she was on the verge of a five-wicket haul on the last ball, Kerr revealed that her focus was on preventing a boundary, rather than achieving the milestone.
When asked about her feelings on achieving the five-wicket haul, Amelia Kerr’s response was team-focused, as she said, “I am just feeling happy that we got the win.” She emphasized that the team’s collective effort to stay in the game and ultimately chase down the target was what brought her the most joy.
The video concluded with Amelia Kerr affectionately referring to Jhulan Goswami as her ‘warm-up buddy’, revealing that Goswami had provided her with valuable tips before the match.
Both Kerr and Mumbai Indians will look to carry their momentum forward as they take on Gujarat Giants next on March 10th at their home ground in Mumbai.
(Quotes sourced from video posted by WPL on Instagram)
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