18 February - Gqeberha - England player Sophia Ecclestone post-match press conference
[Reporter]
Were there any nerves watching that last over and the way it went?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, I think that was quite nerve wracking. I think every last over anything can happen and especially Rich is a great player. I think, yeah, I'm just glad Catherine ended up executing. I think she backs herself and I'm quite glad she stuck with her plans and she nailed it for us.
[Reporter]
Was there any decision made to give her the last over?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
I think it's just good to give her confidence. I think she's one of our go to death bowlers so I think if we get towards semi-finals and finals it's great practice for her to practice her death plans and yeah, it didn't work out the way she wanted to today but she'll just save it for the semi-finals and finals hopefully.
[Reporter]
England have fielded the same 11 throughout the whole tournament. Was there any conversation about changing it up today given the conditions?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, I think there was conversations. We didn't know the team until the warm up today. I think it was just in case it got shortened we might have made a few changes but I think at the minute I'm quite biased but us three spinners are going quite well at the minute so it's quite nice that we're going well and we're performing well together.
[Reporter]
What's the most pleasing thing do you think about that win?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
I'm biased again and I think Sarah Glenn was unbelievable today. I think she held her nerve so well against some of the best batters in the world and she really backs herself now in this environment and it's great to see her excel like she did and getting Smriti’s wicket and I know it means a lot to her so yeah, definitely Sarah Glenn on her home.
[Reporter]
Just your thoughts on somebody as young as Richa Ghosh, she's been unbeaten for three straight innings and it looked like, as Ralph said, that she could take the game away. Your thoughts on this power hitter who is really taking world cricket by a storm?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
I met Richa about three or four years ago in the play for Trailblazers and at Dubai it was and I thought she was amazing then, she was keeping for us then and I said to her after the game today, I was like, you're an amazing player, keep your head up, but she's still so, so young and she's going to be an annoying player for me to ball at when I get, when she gets a bit older and when we keep playing her. So yeah, she's a great player and she's got a big future ahead.
[Reporter]
And your thoughts on how Renuka Singh utilised the conditions very well early on and came back at the death in the final over to cap off her career best figures, that's a 5-wicket haul?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, she knows her game really well. She obviously bowled really well from a new ball and I think that was something that batters will look at in case we come against India again and yeah, obviously she bowled really well and used her slow balls really well. I mean, actually good to get her away and yeah, she deserves her forward wickets.
[Reporter]
And finally, your thoughts, you've bowled this particular left-hand batter many times in your career, Smriti Mandhana. What was it like watching her take her time, be patient? Did it feel at any point that here might be somebody who could go on to play that, play the innings till the end and take the game away?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, I think she's a great player. I think we always have great battles when I bowl against her and she's batting against me. I think it's always a great contest between us both and we always want to be one up on each other. So, I think to get her out was a massive wicket for us and she's definitely someone that if she stayed until the end, she probably would have to like get away from us. So, it was great for Glenny to get that wicket.
[Reporter]
In retrospect, that late flurry with the bat helped and contributed to the win as well. What's your split like in terms of focusing on your late order batting and how important is it for you guys to squeeze out those last key rounds at the back end of the innings?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, I think it's massive. I think we spoke about the other day that we've not really had much time in the middle, especially me and Katherine. I think we just need to come into the game and do what we do best and that's trying to hit boundaries and sit to our strengths and back ourselves. So I think that's something that runs along the team and keep playing our fearless cricket that we want us to play. So yeah, I think me and Catherine and Katherine, prime example, came in first ball and got out first ball, but she's very selfish and it gives up a lot for the team. So, scout first ball, like trying to hit sixes was something we aim to do in the future.
[Reporter]
I just wanted to ask, you know, when Nat and Amy were batting in the middle, it seemed like both of them actually was very keen on watching the way the Indian spinners were releasing the ball, to pick up the variations and there were constant chatter in the middle about how they release the ball or what they're expecting it to do. Is it something that as a team you work out before every opposition- specifically to do something like that?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, we always look at the balls and batters before we go out to play. I think the batters always look at the balls and obviously we look at the batters and I think it's something that's up to you how much you do of that and how much you do. And I think personally I don't do much of it, but I know the batters definitely take it and I know that Sophia Dunkley does a bit of it and watches how the spinners bowl and I see the Indian ball a bit slower at the minute, so I think the ball a bit wider, so I think it's just adapting to that and making sure you've got your game plan right.
[Reporter]
Now that the match is over, could you throw some light on who you watched or prepared for before this particular game?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
I also do a bit of work on Smriti. I think bowling to her in the power play is the hardest things. She's obviously a great batter, - I just need to be trying to be one step ahead of her and just contain her as much as I can.
[Reporter]
Sophie, I was just wondering if there were any conversations had by the spin bowling unit about how you wanted to bowl in the middle overs?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Yeah, we're very good at the minute with me, Charlie and Glenny just getting together after the first one has bowled a ball and kind of just seeing what conditions are. So, I think me and Dino forgot to tell Glenny today, so I think we were screaming from third and point saying what the wicket was doing, but yeah, Glenny's good enough to know what she's doing now. And yeah, Dino bowled the first over at the spinners, so we just have a bit of feedback and communicate to each other.
[Reporter]
And how important do you think it is to sort of contain those runs in the middle overs?
[Sophia Ecclestone]
Because obviously that's where England capitalised and India struggled. Yeah, I think it's massive. I think it's massive that us three spinners play a big part in containing them and taking the game deep that we did today. I think anything could happen today. And yeah, we contained them well in the middle, especially Glenny. She was great today. And yeah, obviously then she got the wicket of Smriti, so it was all working to plan today.
[Reporter]
And just finally, a word on Nat's innings and how important she is for the team and what she brings when she comes out to bat.
[Sophia Ecclestone]
She's also unbelievable, I think, and I don't really need to speak much on that. I think she's one of the best players in the world and all-rounders in the world, and she's so calm at the crease, she's one of the most calm person, one of the nicest people. So, I think for her to keep scoring runs like she does for England is crucial for us to win this World Cup.
