The elder of the Kerr sisters, she had to work hard unlike Amelia who had burst onto the scene as a teenager. Hailing from Tawa, Wellington, Jess Kerr is a right-arm medium pacer who has a good mix of variations up her sleeve. She is a handy bat lower down the order with the ability to clear the ropes.

Jess Kerr was an excellent middle-distance runner in her early teens but she had to give up on athletics due to medical issues. And, cricket is no stranger to Jess. While her parents (Robert James Kerr and Johanna Murray) represented Wellington at the domestic level, her grandfather - Bruce Murray - has played a handful of Tests for New Zealand.

After helping Wellington Blaze win the 2019-20 Super Smash competition by being the leading wicket-taker, Jess made her international debut in 2020 in both ODIs and T20Is. She was soon rewarded with a central contract.

Predominantly a new ball bowler, Jess is now a significantly improved cricketer. She bowls at various stages and is a competent batter. In 2024 when NZ toured India for the three ODIs, she was the leading wicket-taker for her team despite playing just 2 games. She had a stellar Super Smash season in 2024-25 - second highest run-getter (326 runs at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 119.41) and fifth highest wicket-taker (14 wickets at an average of 16.28).