I wrote about winning a World Cup with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates

I wrote about winning a World Cup with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates

Sophie Devine and Amelia amelia kerr go quite far back. amelia kerr's old man was Devine's first state coach in Tawa, Wellington, and a teenaged Devine was amelia kerr's babysitter, watching her take first steps in the game. Having tagged along to her father's coaching clinics with her siblings, amelia kerr saw Sophie Devine in action firsthand since the time she was a youthful toddler, well before the White Ferns team, and Devine in particular, came within striking distance of winning New Zealand what might have been their first-ever T20 World Cup title in 2010. After the initial heartbreak, a dream took shape.

"I was inspired to be a White Greenery watching that 2010 World Cup which Sophie was at and from that moment I was at the nets with my dad pretending I was batting with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates  and being in the team so youthful and playing with my role models who have been so great to me and two of New Zealand's greatest ever cricketers," said amelia kerr, Player of the Final and Player of 2024 Ladies' T20 World Cup, after guiding New Zealand to their maiden ICC title since 2000.

"I don't necessarily believe you deserve things in sport, but if any two individuals do, it's Sophie and Suzie Bates. And I just think back to myself as a kid that was batting with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates in the nets. When I was at primary school, in creative writing, I wrote about winning a World Cup with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates. So, to be here presently, having done that, I think that's probably why I was so emotional out on the field in that moment. It's something that's so special when I think back to my more youthful self and to be here now and to do it with two of New Zealand's best ever," said amelia kerr, jointly at the podium with one of them and the glittering trophy they just earned in Dubai.

Earned, not won. Because, like amelia kerr said, sport doesn't owe you. So, when amelia kerr wound up so close to realizing a dream she's held on to as a little kid, she put her body on the line for it.

New Zealand had lost just one wicket in the PowerPlays prior in this tournament leading up to the final - against Australia - which presently happens to be their main defeat in the World Cup. And to keep it that way took a herculean task from amelia kerr. She arrived at the crease on the last ball of the second over, at Georgia Plimmer's dismissal, and showed the intent to carry forward the message to the openers to brave it up in the first-six. Putting her feet to great use, against Ayabonga Khaka, amelia kerr pulled a short ball first up to the profound square leg wall for four.

In the sapping Dubai humidity, levels touching 71 even after sunset, those feet would cramp up twice in her 17-over stay but amelia kerr carried on regardless of whether not as fluently as that start. She had Bates taking the pressure off her early on and Brooke Halliday doing business as usual in her 28-ball stay for 38. Indeed, even at run-a-ball, and having 'gone through 10 pairs of gloves' while at it, amelia kerr kept the fight on to see New Zealand to 158/5 - a score both teams knew was above par

When the two leading run-scorers of this World Cup and giant-killer Anneke Bosch at no. 3 were trying to together test the tenacity of that total, amelia kerr - fresh from a quick shower - was soon pressed into action just to feel "my calf almost proceed to cramp up" one ball in. But six balls later, she lent South African hopes the hardest blow by taking out their skipper Laura Wolvaardt on a limping leg.

amelia kerr took care of the pressure created by five dots from a Lea Tahuhu over just prior with an invitingly tossed-up legbreak in the channel, and Wolvaardt couldn't resist the bait. As amelia kerr wobbled halfway through her development and then to the celebratory huddle around Bates at extra cover, she would have known this was the beginning of the end. If not, then four balls later as Bosch feathered one to the 'keeper, South African fight was disintegrating faster than imagined and the center of it all was the competition's leading wicket-taker.

Fairly given a break, amelia kerr "ended up hiding in the ring at short third" until her last over - the 18th of South Africa's chase - in which she had Annerie Dercksen spoon another catch to Bates and become the seventh wicket to fall. The writing was on the cards, and amelia kerr couldn't be more thankful. Looking skywards time and again until the end of what can be best described as two restless overs before New Zealand could officially be called 'World Champions', amelia kerr knew she'd given it her all at the biggest stage to earn all of that success for her team.

In a lot of ways, amelia kerr's vice-captaincy role is symbolic of her stature in this tightly-knit White Ferns unit. With eight years of experience added to her repertoire already at 24, she's the bridge between the generation of the three decorated "grandmas" that is Bates, Devine and Tahuhu, and the noisier bundle of twenty-year-olds that are growing to be, truly, New Zealand's future.

"I just expectation that [the World Cup win] instills belief and confidence in these youthful ones. We've seen over the last three or four weeks their confidence develop, and as a leader that's what you want is to see that growth.

"I know we sort of joke about being grandmas and mums and whatnot but it really is you feel a real sense of pride and seeing them stand up and take opportunities and to take moments and like Melie today was unbelievable," said Sophie Devine before turning to amelia kerr with, "what you're able to achieve out there is pretty horrendous cool", her smile hiding a tear or two.

The 35-year-old, who had before the tournament announced this to be her last assignment in-charge of the White Ferns, was effusive in praise of her deputy even before. "We all know that she is probably a once-in-a-generation player and what she was able to do tonight was incredible. Physically to have the option to get out there and do what she did with the bat. Pretty sure she can't feel her legs at the moment. Just shows such grit and resilience. She's not a bad cricketer either, but the person that she is and the way in which hard she works, how caring she is for this gathering. The world is her oyster and it's scary to think how great she could be."

Closer to midnight of Sophie Devine's last day at the helm, and arguably the most memorable one at that, amelia kerr drove the charge at the guitar, singing 'E te Iwi E' with her barefoot teammates in a traditional Maori way to celebrate the outgoing captain, and her excursion. One couldn't help but keep thinking about whether it was the silent passing of the baton done in a manner so well established in the team's culture and values. And true to her leadership style, Sophie Devine- who is "not retiring by the way, just putting that out there" - will be around for a little time longer to ease her Melie into the hot seat in a fitting recall to her absolute first role as amelia kerr's guardian two decades ago.