Kerr registers highest score in Women’s ODIs

DUBLIN: New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr rewrote the record for highest individual score ever in Women’s ODIs, going past Belinda Clark’s 21-year-old record of 229 not out with her blistering unbeaten knock of 232 in the third ODI against Ireland on Wednesday.

Walking out to open with Amy Satterthwaite, Kerr became just the second women cricketer, and seventh overall, to go past the 200-run mark in one-day international cricket. She finished with 232 off just 145 balls that included 31 boundaries and a couple of sixes. At 17 years and 243 days, Kerr is also the youngest double-centurion in the format across genders.

Kerr, whose previous career-best was 81 not out against the same opposition in the series opener, registered her maiden century only off 77 balls. She then went past Suzie Bates’s 168 with a boundary off Rachel Delaney in the 42nd over to rewrite the record for the best individual effort by a New Zealand women cricketer. The double came in the 46th over, through another boundary shot, off 134 deliveries - also a record in women’s ODIs.

Post the double, Kerr had four overs to overtake the Australian’s long-standing record and the teenager eclipsed that with a six off the final ball of the New Zealand innings.En route her record-shattering innings, Kerr stitched a 295-run partnership for the second wicket with fellow spinner Leigh Kasperek (113) which is now the second highest partnership in women’s ODIs, only behind Deepti Sharma and Punam Raut’s 320 against Ireland in May 2017. The stand is also the women’s ODI record for second wicket anda New Zealand record for any wicket.