All-round Amelia Kerr commences captaincy tenure in style

Amelia Kerr put on a masterclass in boundary hitting in the first T20I against Zimbabwe Women, smashing a maiden, 51-ball hundred in a clinical 92-run win for New Zealand.

In her first assignment as full-time captain, Kerr reached her century off the final ball of the innings, sharing an unbeaten 159-run stand with wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze. It was Kerr's fifth consecutive 40-plus score in T20Is, a sequence that began with New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2024 final win over South Africa.

Zimbabwe tried eight bowling options to curb her onslaught, but none could escape Kerr's brilliance, powered less by brute force and more by surgical precision in piercing gaps. She hit 19 fours without clearing the fence once, using her feet adeptly against spinners to disrupt their lines.

At one point, Gaze—playing her first T20I since the 2024 final—struggled with her timing, but Kerr smoothly headlined the show. A key moment came in the 14th over when Kerr, on 45, was dropped at cover by Christabel Chatonzwa off Loreen Tshuma. From there, she was unstoppable.

The highlight was the 16th over, where Kerr hit five fours in a row off Nyasha Gwanzura, showcasing her range with shots down the ground, behind square, over square leg, through a packed off-side inner circle, and a lap-sweep to fine leg. This set her up for a maiden WT20I century, now the joint fifth-fastest ever and New Zealand's best, eclipsing Suzie Bates' 55-ball ton from 2018.

Playing a supporting role, Gaze finished unbeaten on 66 off 50 balls, her career-best score.

In the chase, Zimbabwe never gained momentum. Kelis Ndhlovu fell to a yorker from Bree Illing on the second ball, and Jess Kerr clean bowled Nyasha Gwanzura the next over. The 17-year-old Beloved Biza, alongside Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, anchored the innings to survive the Powerplay unscathed.

Amelia Kerr remained central to the action, stumping Mugeri-Tiripano right after the Powerplay and making a diving save at mid-off in the 10th over to prevent a boundary. Biza found support in skipper Josephine Nkomo, but the required run-rate escalated sharply. From the Powerplay until the 16th over, Zimbabwe managed only two boundaries, with the rate climbing to 28.

Kerr returned to dismiss Nkomo, capping a brilliant all-round performance. Zimbabwe added just two more boundaries, leaving Biza stranded on 49* as New Zealand secured a 92-run victory—Kerr's first win as full-time captain.

"A T20I hundred doesn't come around too often," Kerr said later. "I thought hitting straight was the best option."

Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 202/1 in 20 overs (Amelia Kerr 101*, Isabella Gaze 66; Nyasha Gwanzura 1-37) beat Zimbabwe Women 110/4 in 20 overs (Beloved Biza 49*, Josephine Nkomo 25; Amelia Kerr 2-14) by 92 runs.