Our seamers were amazing: Sthalekar
First Published : 08 Feb 2013, 19:02
Last Modified : 08 Feb 2013, 19:02
Mumbai, Feb 8: After their batting collapse, Australia held their nerves to pull off a win against England and maintain their winning streak in the ongoing 2013 ICC Women’s World Cup. Their bowlers toppled the English top order and then came back to wrap up the opposition and win by two runs.
While speaking to the media after the win, Australian skipper Jodie Fields and Lisa Sthalekar anaylsed the game.
Excerpts from their post-match press conference:
On key moments in the match
Fields: The partnership in the middle between [Lydia] Greenway and [Laura] Marsh. They were steadily taking off and they are quite experienced players. They knew they had to take it over and keep their wickets intact. On the same token we knew that if we could get in a few tight overs [we’d win]. We had a good partnership between Lisa [Sthalekar] and [Sarah] Coyte that helped in the middle.
Sthalekar: I think obviously 147 runs is not enough for a wicket like that, and so I always felt that it would go down to the wire. We needed to pick up early wickets and our seamers did a wonderful job at the start to restrict them. That gave them a few more overs to settle in and try and get used to the wicket; that prolonged the match a little bit. We needed to break that partnership, and once we did, we needed that the wickets came in clumps, and they did.
On today’s tight finish
Sthalekar: Tight finishes allow the spectators to get into the game. As players you don’t like it too tight.
On playing without Elysse Perry
Fields: We knew we just had to bowl in the right areas, and if we did that, we could restrict them today.
On how they rate this win
Sthalekar: It's been pretty exciting. I've been fortunate enough to play in a few matches where it’s been tight, but in a World Cup playing against the English girls and to win with such a tight finish, it was really important for us as a team, [and for] building momentum through to the World Cup. And that probably ranks pretty high.
On whether they have an edge over Australia after beating them in the World T20 Final and now in the World Cup
Sthalekar: You'll have to ask them. But we'd like to believe that we've done a bit of damage in the tight finish here and World T20 victory. We have a really good core group at the moment and we are really confident. We are playing some really exciting cricket. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't; but we'll back each other and you can see that out there.
On the loss early wickets
Fields: You have to give some credit to the England bowlers; they did bowl in really good areas.
On England’s 10th wicket partnership between Holly Colvin and Anya Shrubsole
Fields: My thoughts were just that we had to just keep bowling tight lines and we knew those two batters, Anya and Holly, would be under pressure. And if we kept bowling at the right areas, we could get that wicket. We back each other and we came through with the goods today.
