17 February - Cape Town - Ireland player Gaby Lewis post-match press conference
[Reporter]
Hi, Gabby. Hard luck tonight. Obviously, a lot went on in both innings, where were the two or three areas that you think that game was was decided?
[Gaby Lewis]
I think with the bat, we definitely left at least 20 to 30 runs out there in the back end. I think we got a great start. And I think obviously it didn't help that myself or Orla you'd want one of us to be in there at the end. And it's not up to our lower order to score all the runs. So I think, yeah, I think we missed a trick there with us getting out at the kind of critical times. And then in the field, I think, yeah, we just have to be better. We want to compete with top sides. I think we can't give chances. And yeah, we just got to be better in the field.
[Reporter]
In terms of your own innings the other night, you weren't hitting gaps, you were hitting fielders and then the dismissal came. Did you take learnings from that? Because a bit of a slow start tonight, but you look much more comfortable in just letting order take over and then kind of just building into it yourself later on.
[Gaby Lewis]
To be honest, not really. I kind of like that's kind of cricket. You go in, sometimes you can hit three fours in a row, especially in the power play. It's generally dots or fours. So look, that's cricket. I think sometimes you can go out and hit three fours in a row where it could be straight to the fielder like that'll happen. So I think just, yeah, I just tried to stay calm. And yeah, I guess it helps having Orla scoriall the runs at the other end. Yeah, it's kind of great to have Orla and Amy around me to play that more aggressive role and then hopefully in future I can just catch up at the back end.
[Reporter]
With the bat in the middle order, I mean, the signs, the shot selection is getting better as the tournament progresses, just sometimes execution. In terms of the situation tonight against the West Indies lineup that kind of reliant on one person, 150 might've been a winning score. Was there any argument for maybe just knocking it around and getting to 150 instead of trying, instead of getting to 130, whereby losing wickets in that cluster?
[Gaby Lewis]
Look, I think we always go out there and try score 150. I think we go out there with the intent and sometimes it'll come off, sometimes it won't. We're just trusting it that if we do, when we do come off, we will get that 150, 160 and that's kind of the way that we want to play. Yeah, you could poke around like the game the other day, like we could have poked around and got to 120, but that's not how we want to play our cricket. We always want to try and get the win and get that, get the score even setting. Like we're always looking for that 150, 160. And look, I think, yeah, we're trusting that process and we're going to stick at it. And I think it's when it does come off, yeah, it'll be a big push.
[Reporter]
In the field, obviously, you know, unique situation. It's been a while since Ireland have been in a really close World Cup game. Did that have a factor? Was it the lights? Was it something else?
[Gaby Lewis]
Look, I don't think there's any excuses to be made. I just don't think we were good enough on the day, I think. Go back to training, like we just can't field like that. So I guess doing things more under pressure, but like there's no excuses with lights. We've played numerous games under lights. So I don't think we're not, we're not a team to make excuses. We'll just go back to the drawing board and come out again on Sunday.
[Reporter]
Best of luck on Monday.
[Reporter]
Hi, talking about the specifics of the game. When you look at the batting, you were a little 20 odd runs short in your own admission. But what about bowling? You also leaked on 10, 19th and 12th over 10 runs, 12 runs. Is that an issue for your bowlers as well? Considering you let the momentum go off to the opposition in bowling?
[Gaby Lewis]
Look, I think there's, there's risks involved. I think when they are chasing, you do have to bring in an extra fielder here or there to kind of take that risk. Like if we did drop a few chances coming from bringing the field in. So I think if we'd have taken that would have a completely different game. I 100% back our decisions to bring the field in and kind of, you do have to take that risk. It's, it would have been just too easy for them if we did not, not taking those risks. So yeah, look, they didn't pay off today, but I've noticed they'll pay off in another game.
[Reporter]
Last one. We're just a year away from the next World Cup T20. What, what is your wishlist from ICC, from your board or from your own this thing run up to the next World Cup T20 World Cup?
[Gaby Lewis]
Sorry, can you repeat that again?
[Reporter]
What is your wishlist in terms of, do you need to play more bilateral matches, more practice games across or need to come down to India or the subcontinent more?
[Gaby Lewis]
Yeah, just more games against the top nations. Definitely. We obviously have England right next to us and we've kind of, it's the first time we've played them in many years. So I think it seems to be the big three and the big four playing against each other. And I think the more that they can get the lower teams involved, the better the cricket in general we'll get. So yeah, I guess that definitely is, we do have, we have had an increase in, in games being in the championship, which has been brilliant. So that's definitely been a step forward for us. And I think the more countries that can get into that, the better. And I think, yeah, that does come down to playing against those teams and, and not underestimating the ability of the lower ranked teams.
[Reporter]
Hi, Gabby. Can you just talk a little bit about what it's like when you've got Hayley Matthews out there batting and, you know, she's pretty experienced, but they don't really have that much after her. What does it feel like in that situation?
[Gaby Lewis]
Yeah, I understand. I think we, we did know that we did back that she would give us a chance or two. And I think, look, we didn't take them today, but on a different day we did. I think, yeah, we did trust that if we could kind of keep her off strike and target the other end. But look, there was just one or two loose balls and over and every two over. And so I think that didn't help. But yeah, look, she's a class player and she is someone that if you do give her a chance, she will take the aim away from you as we saw there. So I think, yeah, we need to be better in the field and that is something that we'll look at.
[Reporter]
And then just in terms of the Irish squad as a whole, was there a bit of disappointment that you guys, none of you did get picked up in the WPL auction? And do you feel like, you know, maybe that's an opportunity which can help you get those more games that you speak about?
[Gaby Lewis]
Look, to be honest, we didn't really, we weren't really expecting to, but yes, I guess the more that the lower ranked teams can get, can get chances that the better, like the whole standard of world cricket we'll get. So yeah, I guess giving those, those players a chance and that's all you need. You just need one or two opportunities. Like no doubt Orla Prendergast, Amy Hunter, they would absolutely have smashed it in that tournament, I no doubt. So all you need is a chance for one person to get an opportunity and it'll change the outlook on that.
[Reporter]
Gaby, this feels like an unfair question in, in the fact that you were just out there a couple of minutes ago, but what does it feel like to lose not only a close game, but a close game that puts you out of a tournament?
[Gaby Lewis]
Um, yeah, it's not great to be honest, but yeah, I don't know how to answer that. It's pretty stressful, but luckily we move on.
[Reporter]
I just couldn't help but notice at the midway point, tough to see out here, but it looked like Ed came on and had a chat. Did he, has he done that before in the tournament or was that because the context of the game was a little bit tighter and he felt the need more so tonight to do that?
[Gaby Lewis]
Um, not really. I think he's kind of come out. I think he's going to come out in the last, I think it's different cause we've never had the ability to do that though. It's kind of hard to know whether it is a good idea, whether it's not a good idea, but look, yeah, either or he did, he came out and we had a regroup. Um, and yeah, any, any information from, from Ed is, is brilliant.
[Reporter]
I just had a curiosity cause the game is very much in the balance at that point. They needed bang on eight and over actually for the last 10. What, what did he say to you?
[Gaby Lewis]
Um, a lot of it came from our captain Laura, I think just to, to stick in the fight. And I think he just echoed that, um, yeah, just fight to the very end and take this game as deep as we can. And that's, that's what we did. But look today, it wasn't our day, but no doubt in the future, it will be.
[Reporter]
Very hard luck for today. This is Waze from Pakistan. No doubt you didn't execute any game into the victory. I think so playing with the top class teams, it's your success as well. Uh, so my, my question is that the fielding is the important factor of the, any game, but unfortunately today, or if we talk about your game against Pakistan, uh, fielding was not up to the mark. What do you think, how it would be upgraded or how you are conscious or are you are thinking about your fielding? Thank you.
[Gaby Lewis]
And yeah, fielding is a huge part of, of the game and it's something that we will, we do need to improve no doubt. Um, I guess it's just keep practicing, go back, practice more and yeah, that's all we can do, I guess. Um, especially I think doing under pressure is a massive thing. Um, so yeah, that is something that we'll have to, have to address.