World Cup: Jess, Amelia and NZ’s Kerr sisterhood

Siblings in the same sport at the highest level is still not common, and being part of the same playing 11 is rarer.

- Samreen Razzaqui

For New Zealand, it is the story of two sisters dreaming of sport in their Wellington backyard that came to fruition.

For the Kerr siblings, Jess and Amelia, Thursday's clash against India in the ODI Women’s World Cup will be the latest instance of living their dream of playing together for New Zealand in another global event.

While Amelia, 25, broke into the national team asa 16-year-old, Jess, two years older and who has had to navigate many challenges, bears the weight of them with grace. Allrounder Amelia, one of the brightest stars in the game, is in her third ODI World Cup, while Jessis in her second. Cricket runs deep in the Kerr family. Their parents— Robert and Johanna —represented Wellington while maternal grandfather Bruce Murray played for New Zealand and was an administrator.