Cricket: Family affair for White Ferns' Kerrs

When you think of Kiwi cricketing family duos, the names Crowe, Hadlee and Marshall come to mind.

New Zealand Cricket has its newest sibling pair - Jess and Amelia Kerr - as the pair will likely play their first international match against South Africa this Saturday.

Jess Kerr has earned her call-up to the White Ferns, after taking 20 wickets in the domestic Super Smash competition for the champion Wellington Blaze, topping the table for both men and women bowlers.

Last week, she was preparing for the start of the school year, but now the teacher is the one doing the learning in the nets.

"I've just finished my four years' study and I was meant to be going straight into that," Kerr told Newshub. "I didn't think I would be getting picked."

The 22-year-old was probably the only one surprised by her call-up to the side. She took up cricket at a young age and inspired younger sibling Amelia to follow.

"We did get them down to the cricket pitch at a young age," recalled father Robbie Kerr. "But I think Jess pulled out of nursery-grade cricket, because she thought it was boring."

Jess returned to cricket, after she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, something she shares with White Ferns captain Sophie Devine.

Cricket is the Kerr family business.

Parents Robbie and Jo both played for Wellington. Mother Jo was also a Wellington netball representative in her youth, while grandfather Bruce Murray also played test cricket for New Zealand.

Amelia, 18, has been a White Fern since 2016, forging a reputation as a world-class leg-spinning allrounder.

While they're still competitive during family backyard cricket showdowns, different bowling styles mean they're not up against each other for an international spot.

"Growing up, she helped me a lot as my older sister," said Amelia. "So it will be nice to be able to help her as a new player in the side.

After stamping her mark on the domestic scene, Jess Kerr now wants to make the kind of impact her sister has on the international stage.

Watch the full story above