Sydney Sixers Land Amelia Kerr in WBBL Coup

Sydney Sixers have pulled off a major coup by signing New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr on a three-year deal, taking advantage of the WBBL's new contracting rules. Kerr, ranked as the world's No. 2 allrounder, joins the Sixers after three successful seasons with the Brisbane Heat.

The new rules allow each WBBL club to sign one player outside of the overseas draft, a move designed to retain talent and counter the lure of overseas leagues. The Sixers have made the most of this opportunity by securing the services of one of the most sought-after players in the world.

Kerr has been a standout performer for the Heat, winning the club's player-of-the-year award three times. She is a versatile allrounder, capable of contributing with both bat and ball. As a batter, she has scored over 1,000 runs in the WBBL, including a century in the 2021-22 season. With the ball, she has taken 62 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.42.

The 23-year-old's decision to join the Sixers was influenced by her family ties to Sydney. Her sister, Jess, played for the Sixers last season, and the opportunity to be closer to family was a major factor in her decision.

"It was an extremely hard decision to leave Brisbane as the players and staff there have been nothing but good to me," Kerr said. "But with the scheduling of women's cricket there is not much downtime and being based in Sydney was a big part of my decision."

The Heat attempted to retain Kerr under the pre-draft multi-year contract system, but ultimately her desire to be closer to family swayed her decision.

"The Heat were keen to retain Melie and put a competitive offer to her," said Queensland's head of cricket, Joe Dawes. "However, we understand that being near to family is important in this stage of her life."

Kerr's departure is a significant loss for the Heat, but the Sixers will be delighted to have secured her services. She is a world-class player who will undoubtedly make a major contribution to their team.

Tags: #WBBL, #SydneySixers, #BrisbaneHeat, #AmeliaKerr, #Allrounder