24 February - Cape Town - England Captain Heather Knight post-match press conference
[Reporter]
First thoughts on what happened after Nats' wicket and the part when Amy came in, what was the conversation? How it turned after that?
[Heather Knight]
Oh, I think we still believed we were going to win. I think mine and Nats' partnership was going quite well. The rate was about nine or 10 and it felt very chaseable on that wicket is very good wicket. So, it's like getting one boundary and over and trying to pick up off the rest. And, yeah, it still felt very manageable just trying to take it as deep as we can and try and give ourselves the best chance. But obviously we lost those wickets trying to find those boundaries. Unfortunately, left ourselves a little bit too much to go, but I think that's still believe even when I needed to take two six, I still believe that that we were going to do it. So yeah, I think credit to South Africa, I think they bowled brilliantly. They had a very clear, simple plan, took a lot of pace off and made it very tricky for us to get the boundaries.
[Reporter]
You've played against South Africa a lot in semi-finals and beaten them a lot. Did something feel different this time? Was it an energy or a strategy or just what was different?
[Heather Knight]
I don't think so. I think we certainly believed as a side that we could win and certainly at halftime - for them - yeah, I'm not too sure really. I think the crowd behind them was certainly a factor. You certainly felt it as the opposition. I think the support that they had for the South Africans, yeah, I think they held their nerve pretty well. Their bowlers took it as deep as they could, and obviously we picked up a few wickets, which meant the rate climbed quite quickly. So yeah, they seemed pretty clear under pressure.
[Reporter]
How would you look back on the 20th over delivered by Katherine Brunt Sciver - yesterday in the semi-final against India, Renuka Singh's final over against Australia was as expensive. Do you think that is where – or that over proved a particular turning point in the larger scheme of things today?
[Heather Knight]
No, I think it's a really tough job bowling in the death overs and certainly the last over. And I think it would be unfair to define the score they got by that last over. I think there were a few little mistakes. I think we felt the pressure potentially a little bit in the field and we were a bit scrappy at times and let them get a few too many runs that we would like throughout the innings, not just that final over. I think it certainly is a tough job and Katherine's done it for a long time for England. So, I think it's unfair to that, to be the story. Cause it was throughout the innings, we let them get too many.
[Reporter]
You have won a home World Cup yourself. What do you think winning a home world cup does to a women's team given South Africa is not one of the nations like Australia or England where the women's game is growing by leaps and bounds. What do you think if they go on to defeat Australia in the final can do to a country like South Africa and the women's game here?
[Heather Knight]
I think this tournament has done loads for the game in South Africa. Just seeing the crowd tonight, I tried to soak it in a little bit with that final over and how noisy the crowds was. And I think it's great to see people coming out to support. And I think it proves that if you market it, properly you invest and then people come out and you have a ticket for today or yesterday, you certainly will be entertained with the standard of cricket on show and the obviously closeness of the game. So, yeah, certainly think it's been an awesome tournament for the country and yeah, we'll have to see. I think it'll be a great thing for South Africa to obviously win over here.
[Reporter]
Heather, when the South Africans were piling on the runs like that, did you consider a different bowling option yourself or Capsey perhaps?
[Heather Knight]
Not, not really. I think when you're playing six bowlers that have had a lot of success in this competition, it feels like we've got really rounded attack as well. I've got really good, different options to choose from. Obviously, spinners that spin it both ways or all types of spinner. So, no, I was backing in the bowlers that had been so successful for us this competition and I think it's quite tough. Obviously, we've only used the six bowlers, throughout the comp. So, I think it'd be tough for myself or Alice to come in then - so no, in hindsight, I wouldn't do anything different.
[Reporter]
Is there something in the nature of John Ball, as we've been calling it, that actually makes it possible that a situation like that could happen just because it is quite a risky strategy, do you think? And do you still believe in that strategy?
[Heather Knight]
What do you mean by bowling another bowler?
[Reporter]
Sorry, I'm talking about the batting now. So, in terms of that really aggressive risk-taking strategy that England seemed to have adopted, do you see that as kind of inherently risky? And do you kind of retain faith in the strategy, even though sometimes you'll lose?
[Heather Knight]
Well, I think we, we got pretty close to chasing the world record score. So, I think it proves that it's a pretty good strategy. And I think Sophia and Danny at the top of the order were outstanding, got us ahead of the game. We were well ahead of obviously where South Africa were. But they were able to obviously pile runs on at the back end as we weren't able to take the wickets, unfortunately. But, yeah, I think the mentality has been outstanding, particularly in the batting group. We've really looked to adopt something a little bit different. It's something we've laid the foundations for, I think before John came in but I think it's - yeah, we've noticed a real shift and I think it's proving that it's entertaining. It's good to watch and we always talk about trying to fit the mindset to the conditions as well and being smart with it. So, it's not purely about risk taking and as a batter, it's always about weighing up your risks to reward. But in T20 cricket, you don't have too much time to not take risks in my opinion.
[Reporter]
I think it was the 17th over when Katherine was bowling and she swapped Alice and Charlie at mid-on. It wasn't so much an expensive over, but just in terms of - it felt like in the crowd momentum changed a couple of twos, maybe a catch just fell short. Did that over in particular feel like a bit of a momentum changer in their innings?
[Heather Knight]
Not massively. I think obviously when you have batters that are set up - Tazmin Brits in particular played outstandingly with her innings. But no, I don't think so. I think they put us under pressure at the back end and that's something that you're trying to get the fielders in the best positions and that's just a normal thing in the group to try and do that. So, I didn't feel out there. I think they obviously scored a lot of runs in the backend, and yes, it's a little bit too soon probably to unpick particular overs and particular balls and see what went wrong. That's obviously for the coming weeks.
[Reporter]
Just generally you say they put pressure on you. How do you think you responded to that at the backend?
[Heather Knight]
With the ball? Oh, I think, okay - I think there's certainly things you can do better and did the normal thing, trying to slow things down and sometimes it doesn't quite work out. But yeah, I think the experience of playing under what was an awesome crowd was a great experience. And I think the younger players in particular will learn a lot from that. A lot of them have played in front of big crowds, but when there's so much on it and when it's a World Cup semi-final, that does add to it. But no, I think remembering as a side, this match doesn't define us - as well I think the way we've made a mentality shift and I guess change the way we want to play a little bit and really tried to take the game forward is something we should be really proud of. And I think we'll keep faith in T20 cricket, sometimes you're going to lose games unfortunately. And today wasn't our day.
[Reporter]
Heather, you mentioned a little bit scrappy in the field today. Do you put that down to nerves?
[Heather Knight]
No, I think in the first 10 over, we actually fielded really well. So, I don't think it was nerves. I think maybe just a little bit of pressure and yeah, sometimes it's really hard to describe, explain fielding sometimes and obviously it was very loud out there and stuff, but yeah, I think it's something we'll look into in the coming weeks.
[Reporter]
And just what's your key takeaway from this tournament as a whole and this match performance?
[Heather Knight]
I think it's been a brilliant tournament, but I think it won't define us as a group. I think the way we've been playing and progressing, there's certainly been a mentality shift. And how we want to do things. And there's always ways you can do better. But I think the way we've played has certainly been entertaining and it's certainly the way forward, I think to being successful as well. There's always risk in playing that way, but I think it shows that we've nearly chased that down. That is the right strategy to go forward. And I think the balance of youth and experience in this group is a really nice one. I think we're building something nicely, obviously hasn't quite come off in this tournament, unfortunately, and today, but yeah, I think the future looks bright.
[Reporter]
Just a question on both semi-finals, - the team batting first one - should we read something into that and maybe just your thoughts on the last five overs, u The pitch playing a little bit more difficult, - late in the afternoon?
[Heather Knight]
Yeah. The South Africans obviously bowled lots of cutters, which started to grip and the ball did keep a little bit low at times. But yeah, certainly the toss I wanted to bat, the pitch was a little bit dry. So, I thought our spinners would certainly come in the game back end. But yeah, the toss is unfortunately It's 50-50, isn't it? But, yeah, we certainly believed at halftime, we had the capabilities to chase that.
[Reporter]
Just your thoughts on Sunday. South Africa, do you think they're mentally strong enough? Do you think they played their final now, or do you think they'll be up for it on Sunday? Are they balanced to beat Australia?
[Heather Knight]
Oh, I think so. I think anything can happen on the day. And I think for them, playing in their first final it's a bit of a free hit for them and a chance to go out and enjoy it. And obviously the crowd will be behind them. And I really hope that Newlands fills up and everyone comes out to support. And I'll certainly be watching either here or on a telly somewhere and hoping to be entertained.
[Reporter]
It's a larger question conceptually. Since we have a rest day tomorrow, do you think going forward, should we have a semi-final - the losing semi-finals should clash for the third position? Do you think if that - yes, because it would do justice to the fans who've come all the way from wherever. And second is if that was the case hypothetically, do you think India and England could have been treat for the fans? Your views?
[Heather Knight]
I think I've never been a huge fan of third, fourth playoffs. We used to do them in the 50 over World Cup way back when. And yeah, it's quite hard mentally to just turn yourself around for that. And obviously everyone wants to be in the final. I think, yeah, it would be entertaining for people to watch, but I think people want to come out and watch finals and sometimes third, fourth playoffs just don't quite have the same spice, I think. So, yeah, not for me.
