16 March - Hamilton - South Africa coach Hilton Moreeng pre-match press conference

Reporter: First question, obviously you had to travel to Hamilton, how are the ladies feeling thus far?

Moreeng: For us as a team, we had three tough games that required a lot from the ladies, I think what was important is just to make sure they recover well. And we know that we're playing now the home team, on their home turf - conditions that they're used to, and they've been playing a lot of cricket on that. So it's just to make sure that everyone is fresh and ready for tomorrow.

Reporter: And then my last question, obviously we know that Ismail didn’t complete the 10 overs – can you just give us injury reports. Will she be available for the next game?

Moreeng: Yes, she is available for selection. It was just precautionary regarding her.

Reporter: I wanted to ask you - many teams seem to be struggling to get going with the bat, especially in the first 10 overs. Do you have any theories as to why that is - that people aren't able to maximize the power play?

Moreeng: I think all the teams - I think that is the plan that you want to have, weather conditions at the end of the day allow you to be able to play - they don't allow you to play the way you want. Bowlers have been bowling well in these conditions, they've been using the lengths well - as is the batters have been struggling to get the kind of start that you would expect from a tournament of this magnitude. So credit must go to the way the bowlers have been bowling and making sure that they keep the batters honest and thus far I think each and every team realizes that the first 10 overs is crucial in each and every game.

Reporter: And does something like this urge you to change the batting lineup a little bit or does it not come into the picture?

Moreeng: Not at all - I think the conditions require each and every batter that goes in to bat to adapt to the conditions because it's not where you can just get the runs off the ball. It requires the patience and application as batters - I think whoever is prepared to do that as a batting unit is the ones that kind of give themselves a chance on this surfaces.

Reporter: My question - something that was spoken about prior to the tournament was – Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus spoke about the score of 250 to 260 – Plus.

You guys haven't reached that mark yet. But obviously, maybe when you guys will be playing in like Australia and obviously New Zealand now and then India – it is obviously going to be something very, very important. What do you think should be done in order for you guys to reach that mark and even go over that and to be competitive against the likes of Australia, New Zealand, India.

Moreeng: Remember when batters speak about that It's ideally what you would want. Like I highlighted before it depends on the conditions that they give you, like I said - we shouldn't take away - the way the bowlers have been bowling in this World Cup. They've been sticking to their lengths and it makes it very difficult for batting teams to actually get the flyers or even finish well.

So yes, ideally, you would want to do that. We haven't done that as a team. But they managed to be able to chase 236 the other day, gives you the courage that that kind of score is around the corner and it will need substantial partnerships as a team, especially batting unit to make sure that if you have one batter, you never know where you can finish

Reporter: My question is around Sune Luus and she seems to be quite a reluctant bowler at the moment. What conversations have you been having with her as a coaching staff because she's someone who is likely to play a really important role, especially with the variation she brings with the ball.

Moreeng: Definitely, I think she's also well aware of that and at the end of the day is our game in the middle - is the plan is where she can, she can bowl- but at the end of the day the seamers have been doing such a good job and everyone that's been given opportunity with the ball, has been doing such a great job that she doesn't even need to bowl in the previous game. So definitely going forward when there's opportunity given - it's one of those that will take it - like you said - one of the best strike rates in world cricket and it's one of those that will on the day, depending on how the surface is playing is one of those that can come in to the cricket.

Reporter: Just a quick one for me - So we've heard both Laura and Sune kind of on more than one occasion so far saying that we're winning, but we're not playing necessarily our best cricket. Just where do you think that best cricket is going to come from? Is it something that's specifically needs to be from the batter's, something that needs to come from the bowlers? I mean, you just said that obviously the bowlers are performing pretty well, but do you think there's any one specific area that you guys are looking to improve on in order to play this good cricket that we've heard spoken about?

Moreeng: Holistically, we haven't actually played the kind of cricket that we've been playing over the last year and a half - if you look from the first game to the third game, and we had batters and bowlers in different situations that could actually win us the game. So it shows collectively as a unit in all three departments, we haven't actually fired as we would like to, especially by our standards, yes. So we would love eventually to get to a situation where all three departments are firing. And like I said in the World Cup is very tough and you don't always get the ideal game, but you are working towards that and as long as you improve with every cricket game, and getting better to the strengths that you know you have, because the bowlers have been great on other days and the first two games and you look at the last game – now the batters have to make sure they apply themselves to make sure we get the required results. I think the bottom line at the end of the day in the World Cup is to make sure that you get yourself the two points at the end of the day, and your bottom line became now critical and as ugly as it may be and how tough it may be - at the end of the day, they make sure that they stick together to be able to make sure they get the required results.

Reporter: The ladies will be facing the host New Zealand, a team that you are familiar with, what areas have you seen from New Zealand as a strength and also possible weakness that you could possibly exploit?

Moreeng: They are an all-round team and they had a very successful series going into the World Cup against India. So it's not a team that you can say there's a lot of weaknesses, they’ve got a wealth of experience in the changing room, players who have done it all. We've been there, we know what they possess. It's a team that I think on the day they play well as a unit and play on their own turf. It's a must win game for them also in the World Cup game, so they need to make sure that also they keep the momentum and win it - so it's going to be very challenging. You're not going to take it away from them, we understand as a team what's going to come and it’s just to make sure that we stay calm as a unit and then execute what we need to on the day. And end of the day, other conditions were to get in front of me is what you deal with and knowing that you play against a home team can be challenging but very exciting also for the players.

Reporter: South Africa have shown the ability to win close games. What do you put that down to - has any mental conditioning work gone into this?

Moreeng: It is not just mental, I think in our situation I think we're one of the few teams has also got it done ahead the net to find themselves into super overs, so we had a few of those that we had to play also because of the competitiveness of the team.

So yeah, through mental toughness, yes, they've been exposed to most of those kinds of situations. I think if we look at the World Cup that we had and all the semifinals that the team has played. I think you'll grow and learn from it and eventually at the end of the day, you know, you put it together and see what is it that can work for you as a team. I think the best thing is, most of these players have experienced those and they've been there. So in those kind of situations, we have a lot of senior players picking up their hands, which is very good to see.

Reporter: One question is can you just share a word on what's worked for the players who have performed so far Laura Wolvaardt has been very good. Ayabonga Khaka has done well Kappy has done well. And which players are you looking forward to stand up in the coming games, a few players who haven't really put up a good performance yet.

Moreeng: What worked for them is adapting to the conditions extremely well, working hard on them and understanding their game. I think they have a lot of patience, both as far as batters and with the ball is consistent, areas where they bowl and I think the bowlers have shown over the world, and over the years how they have matured and they understand their art – and given the conditions where actually the bowlers come in so that they know more or less what to do - and like you said in the changing room there are a lot of match winners - potential match winners on the day - you're looking at players that - when you look at Mignon or Tryon - you know what they can do with the bat and we know they're around the corner. So we feel that there's two three batters on the day that's performing in the team, and we know that there's going to be one day that everyone clicks in, and then sort of play the momentum and play the cricket that we know they can, but it's in the World Cup - I think you will be jumping ahead of yourself thinking you and I have the ideal game every time we play cricket - you have the conditions what is in front of you, when you take it one ball at a time.

Reporter: You had a first couple of games against Pakistan and Bangladesh, which both turned out to be close - other teams have beaten those teams with a bigger margin. Do you worry a little bit about possibly net run rate coming into the factor, because you have a number of games against top teams lined up.

Coach: No, it's – the net run rate is always going to be there but the end of the day I think the most important is the two points you have to get to win – so I don’t worry about that. Yes. The first two games didn't go as ideally as we would like, like you say the others have beat them, but I must say your first game in the World Cup is always your most difficult game, you don’t know what to expect, Bangladesh – we haven’t faced their momentum in a long time. So they came out there, you could see the energy and they had nothing to lose. They just played and enjoyed, and that’s what made them dangerous, I think you've seen even the last game they had against Pakistan.

So it's one of those in the World Cup, you can’t call it- I think for us as a teams just to make sure that yes, it's something that you look into but at the end of the day, the bottom line – is once we have that then you can worry about that, you only can control the controllable and then the rest it will fall into place.

Reporter: Good Day Coach, I would like to ask the coach a question in Afrikaans if I may?

Reporter: Thank you so much Hilton. I actually find it very funny that your team have three sieges so far, three victories, but still, we journalists keep on asking you about your batting. Are you as coach worried at all about that aspect of your game play? In fact, your players also mentioned that they will have to improve in their games. So, is it something you are losing sleep over as a coach, especially considering the tournaments that are yet to be played?

Coach: No. Thank you for the question. Good afternoon. No, not really. It is not something I am losing any sleep over, because I know the quality of the team, and they are even better than what they are showing at the moment. For instance, Marizanne the other day, even Sune. When the opportunity presents itself, they show exactly what they are capable of. I think that at the end of the day, we know that we can play better, but as I said previously, the conditions does not always allow you to play the cricket that you want to play, and that you are used to play. You have to ensure that you adapt to the conditions, and take it from there. I think the most important issue with all three games, is we were placed under immense pressure, and because of the pressure we could see how all the players gave their best, to ensure that they get the two points that was so important at the end of the day. We believe, with the quality that we have, that we will only improve as the tournament progresses.