23 February - Cape Town - South Africa Captain Sune Luus pre-match press conference
[Reporter]
Yeah, I guess this is exactly kind of the position you guys wanted to be in but there'll probably be some areas that you've targeted for improvement in the semi-final, what are they.
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, hundred percent I think, you know, it's always a great honour to be in a semi-final and I think it was hard work to get into the semi-final so really proud of the girls. Yeah, I think we're also searching for that perfect game where all three aspects of the game click together and work together nicely so I think for tomorrow that's definitely something we're going to be focused on for the batting to work on our KPIs and, and for all those boxes to be ticked, as well as in the bowling and fielding departments.
[Reporter]
And can you describe your own emotions like having got here and knowing what you might expect out there tomorrow with hopefully quite a big crowd.
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think I'm very excited for tomorrow. And it's the first time - it's a home semi-final, and it's the first time the crowd is going to be for us and not against us, so just very much excited for tomorrow and can't wait to take the field.
[Reporter]
And did your parents make the flight.
[Sune Luus]
They're still here I didn't send them home my brother just missed his flight so that's not ideal.
[Reporter]
A lot of people always reflect on how this is supposed to be the most enjoyable time of their lives. Have you guys been able to enjoy the tournament. Despite all the pressure and being so much the focus of everybody's attention and if that is the case what has been the most enjoyable part of it for you.
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, 100% I think if you don't enjoy what you're doing then then I don't really see a reason why you're doing it so if we've 100% enjoyed the tournament I think being at home with a crowd especially I think they've been pushing us to keep going and keep enjoying it. I think that's been the best part of it all and especially being home. Seeing all the people in the crowd it's been very cool.
[Reporter]
England are being considered favourites. Your thoughts on that?
[Sune Luus]
Oh, that's great then there's no pressure on us then, then we can just go out enjoy play freely cricket. Enjoy the moment and, and try and do our best.
[Reporter]
And there were a few jitters in that in that Bangladesh game. What were the discussions after that game to try and prevent those same things happening again.
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think obviously we need the stakes for that game. But I think the way, after those 10 overs that the two batters out there gone about the chase, I think that's the way we want to start tomorrow. So I think just without attacking brand attacking cricket and just the plan they had around that last 10 overs I think that's definitely we want to start the game tomorrow.
[Reporter]
Just a bit further on that I guess a couple of times in this tournament, notably that first game against Sri Lanka, and then again against Bangladesh. It's looked quite nervy at times a bit panicky. So, how do you as captain, help to keep a lid on that when it comes to a final and the pressures increase and there's a big crowd like is there is there something that you're going to have to keep a lid on because it has looked a bit panicky at times.
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I guess obviously it's going to be a big occasion tomorrow. But I think we've been on the other side of it too many times to know exactly what it feels like so I know that the girls today – in our meeting we just said we know how it feels like on the other side and we don't necessarily want to be there again so I guess there's, there's enough motivation for us to just go out and enjoy the game, I mean nothing to lose. So, I think we're just going to try and play our best cricket and try and enjoy the moment as well.
[Reporter]
And if I could just ask you mentioned KPIs, where do KPIs come into things like - you go into a game, what are your KPIs?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, just Key Performance Indicators, it's just something you measure yourself after a game whether you've ticked those boxes. And I think that's just something I think every game or every team has it, just to know whether we're improving or not.
[Reporter]
England to some extent have kind of sailed through to their semi-final whereas you've had to really fight hard. Is there any advantage in actually having had to fight to get here and would you rather have had your route to the semi-final or England's?
[Sune Luus]
I guess it doesn't really matter how you get to the semi-final, I guess to be in a semi-final, it's going to be hard work and I think they've also worked hard, I don't think it's just been smooth sailing for them, I think they've also worked hard to be here. But no, I think both teams are very excited and I think it's going to be a tough match tomorrow.
[Reporter]
I just wanted to know; how do you tackle Nat Sciver in this sort of form? And have you had any sort of discussions around how to get the better of her in the semi-final?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, she's been on great form and I think England's batting performance really relied on her for the bulk of the runs. So, I think for us it's just about trying to keep her quiet, if not strike early, try to get off strike and let the other batters try and do the bulk of the runs.
[Reporter[
And what are the areas do you think South Africa can really hurt England in tomorrow's game? Excuse me?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think if you look at England, I think they're playing a very attacking brand, which I think can play into our advantage. I think once they lose a wicket, they don't stop being aggressive, which I think can definitely play into our advantage tomorrow.
[Reporter]
How pleasing was it for you to see Laura Wolvaardt amongst the runs after a slew of not-so-great scores? And before that game against Bangladesh, did you have a chat with her at a personal level as to how key a role she can play in the batting order and then her having delivered? What do you make of that performance heading into the semis?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think that was crucial for her. I think just to remind her that she still can play cricket. I think she's been contemplating her whole career over the last couple of weeks. But no, I think it was really crucial for her and just in terms of confidence going into the semi-final, just to know that she can still hit the ball and she's a very key batter for us at the top of the order. So I think it was really important for her confidence and I think she'll feel much better for tomorrow's game.
[Reporter]
Given spinners have dictated terms to a great extent in this tournament, do you sense that tomorrow could be the day for Marizanne Kamp and Shabnim Ismail to go all cylinders blazing against England?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think if you look at England, they really love spin as well. So, depending on the wicket we get tomorrow, I've heard there's some good signs coming tomorrow so we'll see but it doesn't matter what wicket we play on, the likes of Shabnim and Ismail and Kapp and Aya, they're both, and Klaas as well and Nadine, all our pace bowlers, I think they can make something work on every wicket.
[Reporter]
You've almost got a bit of a paradox of choice with the number of bowling options you have. For example, Chloe Tryon didn't bowl in the first game but has made sort of bowling a bigger priority for her as the tournament's gone on. What's it been like for you managing your list of bowlers because you've got probably seven or eight that you can turn to? Is it complicated by almost having too many options?
[Sune Luus]
No, I don't think so. I think it makes it a bit easier. You don't really have to rely on only five bowlers, you have a few backups as well but I think we've been lucky in the sense that I don't have to use too many bowlers. I think in the game against New Zealand, we had the extra spin option which worked perfectly for that game. But we still have our main bowling attack and our experienced campaigners, so I don't think it will be any different tomorrow.
[Reporter]
How much conversation has there been around what this might mean to Hilton? I mean, he's been in charge for so long and been to all the semi-finals, I guess. Is he different this week or how much do you want to maybe do this for him?
[Sune Luus]
No, I think he's only focusing on one game at a time. I don't think he's thinking too far ahead. But just thinking it will obviously mean the world to him for us to get through that semi-final and get to the final. I think it's always been a dream of his as well, like it's been for us. So, I think whether we win or lose, he's going to be extremely proud. But I think even more so when we do win tomorrow.
[Reporter]
In terms of T20 cricket, we've seen it's quite stats-driven and match-ups are quite the way modern T20 cricket goes. But your team kind of goes the other way in terms of the ones who average high in the middle order, they bat up front and the ones who bat in the middle would average high up front. How much does that actually play a role in the planning?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think we have our options up front and it's been working for us and we obviously want to lengthen our batting down the order as well. So I think it just hasn't been gone 100% to plan at the moment, but I think we still back the batting order we have and we know it will come off and we have full confidence.
[Reporter]
So, does that play a role in how it gets shaped up?
[Sune Luus]
Not necessarily. I think every batter needs to adapt wherever they bat and I think in certain situations, batters can move up the order or can move down the order. It just depends.
[Reporter]
And just in terms of the way if you watch the South African side, when they play a lower-ranked side, then their performance goes that way. When they play a higher-ranked side, then their performance goes the other way. Does that bode well when you're playing a side against England that you know when you play a side that's higher-ranked, then your team's performance automatically raises?
[Sune Luus]
I don't think we do that on purpose. I think it's just something that unfortunately happens, but we always know when you play every single side, you have to play to the best of your ability and I think that's always what we try and do.
[Reporter]
In your last match at Cape Town against Bangladesh, your team easily chased down the target and won the match by 10 wickets. So how important was that win for your team's confidence going into the semi-final?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think it's always good to have that momentum in our changing room. I think the two batters up front chased it down in the 17th over and I think they will really draw confidence from their performances, so it's very exciting to go into tomorrow and see what they can do as well.
[Reporter]
And my second question is that England has been terrific in this tournament so far, winning all four games. So how important it is for your team to believe in yourself that you can defeat England in the semi-final and not get affected by their performances?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think tomorrow is a big game, but we're going to treat it as any other game. I think we just need to stay focused on what we need to do, focus on the basics, do the simple things right, and then you can only control what you can. And then we can try to give ourselves the best chance.
[Reporter]
Actually, I'm afraid it's the England spinners - I mean, you see they took like, I don't know, 15 or 18 wickets.
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, they're obviously top of the rankings at the moment, and they've been doing a great job for England. I think if you can take the spinners out of the game very early, they'll probably be on the back foot in terms of who they go to, so I think obviously you need to try and not get, I think, give them too much or give them too many wickets, and think and try and just consolidate them and try to get six, seven over from there and try and take the game away.
[Reporter]
Firstly, just wanted to ask you, the South African campaign started on a very difficult note with the selection issues and then the WPL distraction, that auction, and then starting with a loss on the first match against Sri Lanka. So, a bit of struggle, how did you cope with the initial stages to come at this level?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think, you know, all those distractions are very much of the past. I think the first game is about a week and a half ago, so we've already forgotten about that and just looking towards the semi-final tomorrow and how we can improve and how we can play our best game tomorrow.
[Reporter]
There have been a lot of discussion about South Africa’s spinners - I was just wondering, could tomorrow be the day we see you bowl at the end, is there anything that you're specifically working on your bowling?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, I think it's just for us to keep our straps, with the obviously very good facing spin. So, I think we just need to keep it wicket and wicket, try and restrict them, not to, you know, to give them too many boundary options. We know that they're attacking batting line-ups, so we just try and restrict the boundary options for them.
[Reporter]
I was asking about your bowling. Will you be using yourself as a bowling option as well?
[Sune Luus]
Yeah, you never know when I might turn the arm around. I think if the conditions allow it, then possibly.
