16 February - Cape Town - Ireland player Leah Paul pre-match press conference
[Reporter]
I believe you all have a day off today. What are you up to yourself?
[Leah Paul]
Yeah, so we have a full rest day off today. So, I think most of the girls are trying to get out of the hotel and do a few touristy things and then I think relax and refuel in the evening.
[Reporter]
Are you going to leave some of your family over there or any of your family there?
[Leah Paul]
Yeah, my parents and my brother and his girlfriend are there. So it's great to have a big sporting group over and you can definitely hear them in the crowd.
[Reporter]
Morning after the night before then. What's your thoughts on the match? Obviously, a disappointing performance.
[Leah Paul]
Yeah, I think as a group we're extremely disappointed with how the game went last night. I think mainly because we probably know that we didn't execute our skills to the ability that we I guess can and have done against that side a few months ago. So, I think that's mainly the biggest disappointment. Obviously there's a few positives to take from it with the way that Orla went out and showed their intent with the battle.
[Reporter]
Is it good to get back into it quickly tomorrow or would you prefer to have an extra few day off?
[Leah Paul]
I think it's probably good. I think we're kind of renowned for our ability to be able to bounce back. So, I think hopefully tomorrow is just another opportunity to show that.
[Reporter]
I was just looking up the last time we played West Indies back in a couple of years ago now. You actually opened the ball in on the batting. Do you remember that one?
[Leah]
Yeah, I think obviously we played them in the ODI format. We know I guess what they're going to bring to the game tomorrow. They have a few seamers and then also a few good quick ball spinners as well. I think we know what we're going to face and it's just about how we go out there and I guess try our skills better than what we have done the past few games.
[Reporter]
Do you remember that one? You opened the batting yourself?
[Leah Paul]
Yeah, me and Gaby obviously opened the batting I think but on a good partnership- 79. There you go.
[Reporter]
Yeah, and obviously opened the bowling as well. You’ve rolled now obviously down the order and well called on maybe not necessarily the first spinning option but how are you adapting to that?
[Leah Paul]
It's obviously a bit different batting load down the order but it has been something that I've done in the T20 format. I probably haven't really batted in that middle or I guess higher order in this format. So I think for me I probably don't have the same power as some of the other batters in our team do so it's about kind of trying to get off-strike and get people I guess with a bit more power hitting skill set to base more balls.
[Reporter]
You're obviously happy with your own bowling yesterday where you like it was what third time lucky You certainly deserved it.
[Leah Paul]
Yeah now I'm happy with how the bowling is going at the moment obviously with the help of Nathan Hart the spin coach and I think all the spinners are extremely confident in their plan but going out there and being able to execute it under pressure and I don't think most of us have played with these sort of crowds before so I think that's a bit of an added I guess that we need to adapt to quickly.
[Reporter]
And obviously finally for me just you obviously made a mess of the game yesterday but to turn right the big chance tomorrow you're still targeting the West Indies as a possible victory.
[Leah Paul]
Yes definitely I think they've obviously held the side recently with probably enough performances that they want to put out so I think we know and we've proven that if we go out there and put a full team performance out there to the best of our ability we can beat any team in the world so hopefully that's the plan tomorrow try and right a few wrongs.
[Reporter]
First of all, very hard luck for the last game- if we talk about the yesterday when Manipal were playing at 95 and there was a chance of run out but you wouldn't throw - talk about that kind of a spirit of the game.
[Leah Paul]
I probably wouldn't say it was to do with the spirit of the game I think it was probably just a brain fart on my behalf I probably should have thrown the ball but I think at the later stages of the innings I was probably happy to concede maybe just the fear of throwing and for overthrows was probably what stopped me but looking back if it happened again, I would like to hope I'd throw it in the storms.
