WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015 THE DOMINION POST dompost.co.nz B11 with Liam Hyslop email: [email protected] COLLEGE SPORT (04) 474-0279 ‘‘This year I’ve taken cricket a bit more seriously, with the [under-20] indoor World Cup last SISTER ACT year. I loved that so much but I didn’t train as much for it. ‘‘I wanted to improve my skills and be a better player, so I worked quite hard with that. I got a Kerr duo are making bowling coach and a batting coach, Brent Arnel and Ivan Tissera. They helped me a lot with getting the basic skills right again.’’ names for themselves Her injured leg had to be operated on, curtailing her CRICKET what it’s like and it was cool – athletics but giving her more time when they train they really train to put towards cricket, she said. HE Kerr sisters are with a purpose,’’ she said. ‘‘Running has been my No 1 going from strength ‘‘It’s quite good to watch and sport, but I’ve had the injury with to strength. see how you can take that into that so it triggered me to go more Amelia (Melie), 14, your own trainings and how to into cricket as it doesn’t seem to has been on the radar work hard.’’ affect me with cricket.’’ for some time now, While Melie’s bowling is the Jess said the work she had done Tbut her older sibling Jess, 17, has most utilised part of her game at paid dividends on a personal level taken more of an interest in the top women’s level, her batting at the recent indoor World Series, cricket since a serious calf injury has been ticking along nicely at although she was disappointed the put a temporary stop to her school level. team couldn’t get past Australia in running. In five innings for her Tawa the final, losing 132-115. Melie is the youngest and College year 10 boys team at the ‘‘It was a bit of a bummer. We brightest talent in New Zealand start of the year, she scored 258 beat them by quite a bit in our women’s cricket at the moment, runs at an average of 129 with a first game [120-69] and qualified with her legspinners helping the top score of 107 not out. ‘The success she’s directly for the final, so we were Wellington Blaze’s win the ‘‘I don’t really bowl for them. I quietly confident of doing well, but domestic T20 title earlier in the open the batting and I’ve done been having has we just couldn’t get it done on the year. quite well and I think I was the day.’’ It led to a phone call from White second top run scorer in the inspired me to work The tournament had given her Ferns coach Haidee Tiffen last grade,’’ she said. extra motivation to try and follow week to inform her of her selection She also played alongside her harder with my her sister into New Zealand for New Zealand A, who will play sister in the girls first XI, scoring cricket, there’s not outdoor colours. the White Ferns and Sri Lanka at 184 runs with an average of 92 in ‘‘I’m enjoying my cricket, so the end of the month. the T20 grade, with it only a really any rivalry.’ who knows where that will go to. She will also train with the matter of time before her batting ‘‘It would be awesome to play White Ferns for a week as they evolved in the women’s game. Jess Kerr on younger sister Amelia for the New Zealand women’s side prepare to take on the tourists, ‘‘Once I get older and stronger for indoor cricket and I was in the which Melie said was good on two I’ll be able to become more of a Wellington Blaze squad this year, levels. batter in women’s cricket.’’ so in the years to come making ‘‘I got a call from Haidee the that team would be a goal and day before it was announced and I maybe the White Ferns after that.’’ was pretty happy, and then she OTH sisters were part of the She had a good start to the year said I get to stay on for a week to New Zealand under-18 for Tawa, scoring 152 runs in six train with the White Ferns, which Bindoor cricket team which T20 knocks at a strike rate of 161. means I get a week off school, so I came second at the under-18 World While her little sister has was even more happy. Series in Brisbane earlier this achieved more in cricket thus far, ‘‘I was a little bit surprised month. Jess was quick to dismiss any [with the callup], but since I’ve Jess was player of the suggestions of a sibling rivalry. been part of the [New Zealand tournament, Melie was runnerup, ‘‘I’m really proud of her, she Cricket] emerging talent squad while their Tawa College team- works really hard and I haven’t last year there was always a mates Makaylah Mason-Jones, done nearly as much work as her chance I could get in.’’ Roshani Thuraisingham and Kate so it’s a good example of how hard She would go into the week Fenton were all part of the team. she works. with a fair idea of what to expect, Both sisters have been part of ‘‘The success she’s been having having trained with the team the Blaze’s winter training squad, has inspired me to work harder earlier in the year. with Jess saying she had put more with my cricket. ‘‘I went away in February with focus on her cricket in the past 12 ‘‘There’s not really any rivalry them for a week of training to see months. Sisters Jess and Amelia Kerr bat together for the New Zealand under-18 women’s indoor team during the recent World Series in Australia. Photo: POWERSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY – it’s awesome to see.’’ SPORTS BRIEFS CRICKET Wellington schools threaten Auckland powerhouses Premier 1 resumes NETBALL Celsius in Ashburton, making it Renee Savai’inaea, while fellow hot and humid in the EA year 10 Ainsleyana Puleiata was St Pat’s Town will be looking to WELLINGTON schools are close Networks Centre where the tour- close to making the team. continue on from their solid start to to breaking through the Auckland nament was played. The team lost 41-29 to Saint 2015 when first XI cricket restarts this dominance of the national scene. ‘‘On the first day I didn’t react Kentigern in what was also essen- Saturday. Having earned promotion to While they were unable to get well with the heat. I had a tially a semifinal, with their coach the top grade last year, they quickly past the juggernaut of Mt Albert migraine and I had to play Pelesa Semu saying they were un- shot to the top of the table at the start Grammar, or Saint Kentigern Col- through it on the second game and able to work their gameplan. of this year. They continue their lege, Wellington’s three teams then pretty much after that I was ‘‘They came out firing and are a campaign away to fifth-place Hutt filled third, fourth and fifth at the straight into bed and asleep,’’ she well-drilled team and very experi- Valley High School, a team they beat national tournament in Ashburton said. enced, but it just wasn’t our day. by 48 runs earlier in the season. last week. Her shooting percentages ‘‘Because of the calibre of Second-place Onslow College face It comes on the back of four dropped that day as she could players they have, we wanted to fourth-placed St Pat’s Stream in the Wellington players being named barely see the net, but she made a play it short and play it a little bit match of the round, while defending in the New Zealand secondary strong comeback in the rest of the more in front and attacking the champions Hutt International Boys’ schools team earlier in the year, games and used her strong con- ball at the same time. We just got School play Wellington College, a team which more than doubled the re- nection with Metuarau – who shot caught standing and waiting for they surprisingly lost to earlier in the gion’s representation in the squad at more than 90 per cent – to great the ball a couple of times and they year. Scots College and Tawa College since 2007. effect. just came through for the inter- will battle in what shapes as a Wellington East Girls’ College The team was elated to get one cept.’’ relegation eight-pointer. The matches finished third at the tournament over St Mary’s, after their blew a The team achieved their goal of will be played on artificial pitches as after losing to Mt Albert 44-27 in seven-goal lead at lower North a top-four finish and would target the grass pitches are not ready, which what was essentially a semifinal. Islands to lose by two, Leota said. an even higher finish next year, could lead to some unexpected Mt Albert went on to win their ‘‘We were so happy to beat led by the likes of Savai’inaea and results. fourth successive title. them, we all went in knowing we Puleiata. East’s beat Wellington rivals St had to pay it back after lower ‘‘[Renee Savai’inaea] is an RUGBY LEAGUE Mary’s 33-20 in the third and North Islands final where we lost amazing athlete.