Robbie Kerr (Australian cricketer)

Kerr played for Queensland Colts in 1980-81 scoring 82 not out against Tasmania.[1]

Kerr made his first class debut in November 1981 against WA scoring 4.[2] In his third first class game, against South Australia, he scored 103.[3] He made 66 against South Australia[4] and 158 and 101 in a game against WA.[5]

Kerr scored 613 first class runs over the 81-82 summer at an average of 41.15. He formed a notable opening combination with Kepler Wessels.

Kerr also impressed in one day cricket, scoring 50 off 68 balls against WA in a man of the match performance.[6] He played in the McDonald's Cup final, only scoring 1 in a game Queensland won.[7]

Kerr started the following summer with 65 against the touring English[8], 112 against Tasmania[9]. He had a form slump but then made 102 against the touring New Zealanders, taking part in a partnership of 232 with Wessels.[10][11] He also scored 72 against NSW[12] and 132 against Victoria (partnering with Wessels for 388 runs).[13]

He scored 876 first class runs at 39.81.

Kerr was picked on a tour to Zimbabwe with a Young Australia side captained by Dirk Wellham and including David Boon and Wayne Phillips.[14] He played two first class games and scored 37 runs at an average of 12.33. He scored 58 in a one-day game.[15][16]

Kerr's highlights for the following summer included 51 against Pakistan[17], 75 against Tasmania[18][19], 103 against WA[20], and 136 against South Australia, which saw him being discussed as a possibility for the West Indies tour.[21] He also made 166 against Victoria.[22]

Kerr was not picked in the West Indies touring squad but this allowed him to play in the Sheffield Shield final, where he scored 56 and 4, in a game Queensland lost.[23]

Kerr scored 866 first class runs at 39.39 that summer.

Kerr made 50 and 92 in a McDonald's Cup game,[24] and 106 against Victoria in a Shield match.[25][26] He scored 87 for Queensland in a one-day game against Sri Lanka.

Australia were struggling against the West Indies and some writers thought that Kerr might be selected over Wessels for the second test.[27] This did not happen and Wessels rediscovered his form. When Graeme Wood had injury concerns before the fourth test, Kerr was placed on standby for him.[28] Wood ended up playing.

Kerr's form was not outstanding over the middle part of the summer but made 60 and 201 against Tasmania. He made 9 and 0 in the Sheffield Shield final, which Queensland lost to NSW.[29]

Kerr made 623 first class runs in 1984-85 at 44.50.

Kerr scored 201 against Tasmania.[30] This saw him added to the Australian one day squad for the second World Series Cup final, against the West Indies.[31]

Kerr was 12th man in the second game but made his debut in the third, picked over Kim Hughes.[32] Batting at number three, Kerr scored 4 in an Australian defeat.[33]

Kerr kept his spot in the Australian ODI side for a short series that followed: a World Championship of Cricket.[34] Playing against England, Kerr opened the batting with Kepler Wessels and scored 87 not out off 126 balls, chasing down England's total. Kerr won the man of the match award.[35][36]

Against Pakistan he made 2[37][38] and India he made 4.[39][40]

Kerr was selected for the Australian tour of the UAE, where the team played a one-day tournament.[41] However he did not play any internationals and never played one day cricket for Australia again.

Kerr also missed selection for the 1985 Ashes.[42] However he was appointed captain of an Australian Under-25 side that toured Zimbabwe in October 1985.[43] He made 103 first class runs at 25.75 including a top score of 68.[44]

Kerr started the following season slowly until he made 80 against South Australia.[45][46]

Kerr was selected in the Australian side for the second test against the touring New Zealanders, replacing Andrew Hilditch who had been dropped.[47] He scored 7 off 7 balls in the first innings and 7 off 55 balls in the second. Australia won the game by four wickets, due to superior spin bowling.[48][49]

Kerr kept his spot for the third test. He scored 17 and 0 (batting with a dislocated finger) in a game which Australia lost.[50][51]

He was kept his spot in the squad for the next test, against India.[52] However he was made 12th man in favour of Geoff Marsh. David Boon and Marsh opened the batting together and were a success.[53]

Kerr was not picked in any one day internationals that summer.

He scored 84 and 50 against NSW[54], 102 against NSW[55][56] and played in his third Sheffield Shield final, scoring 64 and 34. Queensland drew the game and lost the Shield.[57].

He scored 609 first class runs that summer at 32.05.

Kerr scored 676 runs at 39.76. Highlights included 92 in a McDonald's Cup game against SA,[58] 95 against the touring English side[59], 88 against Tasmania[60], 76 against SA in a Shield game,[61] 82 against NSW[62], and 140 against Tasmania.[63]

In December 1986 Kerr was convicted of drink driving.[64] Nonetheless Kerr was made acting captain of Queensland in Alan Border's absence.

Kerr made 793 runs at 39.65, including 91 against SA[65], 107 against NSW,[66] 102 against WA[67] 62 and 96 against Tasmania[68]. He also played in another Sheffield Shield final scoring 47 and 2 against WA.[69]

In August 1988 Kerr suffered whiplash in a car accident.[70] He had a poor season making 153 runs at 25.5, with a top score of 69.

Kerr made 360 runs at 27.69 including 86 in one game[71] and 123 in another.[72]

It was his last season of first class cricket.