12 March - Wellington - Australia Captain Meg Lanning pre-match press conference
Reporter: Thinking about what you said about playing Pakistan, was that you guys didn't know a lot about them and so you'd play your own game and you know, that was a good way to focus your mind on that. You obviously know heaps about New Zealand, and particularly Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr who are two of the best batters at the tournament, how much will you rely on plans to get those two out in particular?
Meg Lanning: Yeah, we've certainly done our homework and planning on those two players, but also their whole team. I think, you can't just focus on one or two players and forget about the rest because you know, they've got a very strong team with good depth. So we've certainly been here doing our work behind the scenes and we feel like we've got some really good plans in place. And that's really important. But the other thing that's very important is adapting to the conditions and playing what's in front of you, and that's what we're going to have to do as well. So I feel like we've got a really good base in terms of in terms of our knowledge and how we want to go about it, but it's also really crucial to play what's in front of us and make sure we're adapting as we go.
Reporter: And can I just get a fitness update on Ash Gardener and Tahlia McGrath - and if you'd like to tell us who's going to play?
Meg Lanning: I'm not sure who's playing yet. We're going to have a look at the wicket this afternoon and work out what our best lineup is. So we will work through that this afternoon and this evening. Ash Gardener joined us this morning, after her isolation period, and we'll see how she goes out at training today. And if she's fit and feeling well, she'll come in and then Tahlia McGrath also trained yesterday and is looking really good, so she'll be available for selection. So we've got pretty much a full squad to pick from which is really exciting. And it will come down to matchups and conditions which we'll have a look at this afternoon.
Reporter: There's been a fair bit of talk about the conditions here at the base and particularly with the strong southerly’s predicted tomorrow. It seems like it's northerly today, so it's not the best way to practice but will you guys get out there and have a practice in rain shooting or anything else to try and get ready?
Meg Lanning: Yeah, I feel our batters generally like to do that anyway. So you might see that today as an individual preparation, it's not something as a team that we’ll do it. It's something we've certainly discussed as a batting group and bowling lineup as well in terms of how we best play with a strong wind if that is the case. So again, it's just working through what the conditions are like tomorrow, we likely won't see - so get an early look at it today, which would be ideal, but again, we’ll just see what's in front of us tomorrow. We adapt to the conditions and we feel like we've got some good plans in place if the wind does kick up.
Reporter: And obviously you guys haven't lost a one dayers to the Kiwis since 2017. But they did get that big warm win - do you think that might give them a bit more confidence or momentum coming into this game?
Meg Lanning: I'm not sure- you'd have to ask them I think – yeah I think World Cup you know, real games are a very different proposition. There's a lot more pressure around, you know, this is a big game. here's no doubt about that. And that's the way that we're looking at it. So realistically, whatever has happened in the past, whether it's, you know, internationals or warm up games, I don't think that counts for a lot tomorrow. It's whoever plays the best on the day and is able to handle the big moments and you know, we feel like we've done that well, so far in this World Cup, but again, we're going to have to bring that tomorrow against a really firing kiwi lineup who's playing with confidence. So we're looking forward to a great challenge.
Reporter: Meg, what was – you obviously have done a fair bit of research around the World Cup. What does history tell you about the possibility of playing two leggies again at Wellington, particularly in a morning with a morning start?
Meg Lanning: Yeah, that's certainly something that we're looking at - again, it sort of comes down to the conditions you know, the breeze can play a big factor with spin as well, and then sort of our matchups with their batters. So, yeah, we feel like we've got some good information on that and feel like we've got some good matchups, so we'll just come down to our best balances as well. We got to make sure we've got some variation and options within our lineup, because you know, we've seen that once betters can get set through this time, it's pretty hard to stop them from scoring big so that variation is going to play a big role for us as well, which we feel like we'll need to cover but yeah, we played through leg spinners last game against Pakistan and that showed that we’re willing to do that depending on the conditions and matchups.
Reporter: Even though you lost the practice match - New Zealand only lost one wicket, so you feel if you get a couple of early wickets, that although you didn't get a hit against you - if you're under more pressure.
Meg Lanning: I think early wickets and then you know, constant wicket taking abilities is very important in this World Cup. Yeah, once the good batters get set, they can be very hard to remove. And you know, that's what allows the really big totals when there's a really good platform there. So, you know, there's no doubt that every team would be going out there to try and take some early wickets and sort of get the best batter's out because that gives you the best chance so that's certainly something we'll be looking to do. Be really aggressive upfront, make sure we're rebelling and attacking areas and try and take wickets.
Reporter: I don't think there's been a One Day International between you guys at the basin since 1999. So there's obviously not a lot of data for you guys in terms of you guys playing there. Do you put a lot of stock in sort of T20 fixtures that are being played on the same day - men's fixtures or do you just have to make your assessment based on the day tomorrow?
Meg Lanning: We have looked at some previous stats - with men's cricket obviously, there's not a lot of women’s international here that we've played in - it generally looks like it's got some good carry in the wicket, reasonable pace and can be quite high scoring at times. So that's sort of the general feel that we've got from the ground. The other factor is the wind which we've already spoken about, which needs to be taken into account as well. So it looks pretty green, it’s got some even coverage of grass which is great. I think there'll be a bit in it for everybody. But yeah, we feel like we've got a general feel on what the wicket will do - but again, it's just about really looking at what we get tomorrow and making sure we adapt really quickly.
Reporter: And we were just chatting to Maddy about for a number of the white fins players, this will undoubtedly be the biggest game that they've played in their international career. Whether you sort of hype up the fixture for those kind of players, what's your approach for some of the players in your side that it might be the biggest occasion for them?
Meg Lanning: Oh, there's no doubt this is a big game. There's a lot riding on it. I mean New Zealand are in great form. They've shown that they play these conditions extremely well and their big players are performing so as a group, we just look at that as a great opportunity and great challenge to test ourselves to bring our best game and that's what we're trying to trying to do and you know, we understand it’s going to be pretty difficult and there'll be ups and downs through the game. But if we can sort of just withstand some pressure when they come hard at us which they will do and then sort of get the momentum back through the game. We feel like we've got enough firepower there to get the win. But these are the games you want to be part of as a player. They're really exciting, they're really important in the context of the tournament and we're really excited about the opportunity.
Reporter: Just very quickly with the southerly in mind. How many jumpers have you got in the bag?
Meg Lanning: I'll be packing everything I have, including handwarmers - they're ready to go, so I feel it can get quite chilly. So yeah, certainly be prepared for that.
Reporter: I just wanted to ask if you had seen Alyssa Healy’s impersonation of you in the nets where she is trying to impersonate your sound while you're batting in the nets?
Meg Lanning: No I haven't seen that video. Might have to follow that up. But yeah, look, we have a bit of fun in the net. So I think there's a really great vibe around the group and we feel like we can sort of look at each other and have a bit of fun and enjoy ourselves. So I look forward to seeing that video and seeing what she's got to say.