25 March - Wellington - Australia player Beth Mooney post-match press conference
Reporter: How did you find it out there?
Beth Mooney: Cold, very cold and windy and it was a little bit dark towards the end as well, which we've sort of discussed as a group what we'd do differently in those conditions next time, but ours was a difficult case in the end, I thought Bangladesh bowled extremely well and obviously the conditions weren't that favorable today.
Reporter: How did you approach your innings when you got out there and with the side in a little bit of trouble?
Mooney: I think just taking the sting out of obviously Bangladesh being pretty highly emotional at that point, having taken two or three wickets in a row. We know that's sort of what they get like - what teams get like when they're on a roll and they're taking a few wickets. They ride on that emotion a little bit. So I sort of just knew that we needed to go to partnership somewhere along the way, to take the sting out of that a little bit and come home strong but obviously we lost a couple more wickets than we liked - but I thought we came out and played a really good innings.
Reporter: Having thought through it, is that a good thing, the teams who have been through this experience, the tough conditions heading into a semifinal?
Mooney: Absolutely, Obviously we're not sure if we're going to play the semifinal here in Wellington or in Christ Church - so we could be thrown in those conditions. Again, if we do play the semifinal here and obviously with the late start as well, and not losing too many overs. With no lights being here in Wellington. It can make for quite a dark second innings once we’re out there - so to be put under some pressure and playing those conditions and be able to learn from it and have that kind of pressure thrown at us leading into a semifinals is absolutely critical for this group.
Reporter: Just a question about Salma and I suppose the threat that she posed obviously was very successful. Against the top order - Yeah, what was it like facing her with how she's been a real stalwart for Bangladesh over a long time.
Mooney: Yeah she was super impressive today. Obviously she took three up front. So whenever someone new came out, I sort of just said she was the main threat that we had to nullify – she's a crafty spinner and got a lot of changes and can really settle on a length which is probably what we let her do a little bit today's is settle on us a little bit more than we would normally with that wind playing a factor as well. So she is extremely crafty and she bowled really well today, so it's no surprise to me that she has been a very successful player for Bangladesh.
Reporter: And just one about yourself - you pulled Australia out of a few tight spots in the last little while. Are there any - Yeah, does it feel sometimes like you're the sort of the - in case of emergency - break the glass and Mooney comes out?
Mooney: I don't know about that. I think we've got a lot of players who can play different roles in this team. I think that just comes with the job of batting at number four or five in this team. We don't - I don't often spend a lot of time out in the middle because our top order is so good and has been doing such a great job for a long time but I know if I do come in in those situations and it's my job to see it through and bring people along with me. So fortunately enough the last few times I've been out there it's come off alright, but we also know we've got batters within that lineup that can win a game from any position as well.
Reporter: I have two question. Did you expect this kind of fight from Bangladesh?
Mooney: Yeah, I think so. I think we've seen in this competition that every team can win a game from anywhere. We talk about it within our group that when teams come up against us they find another level and we have to always try and match that - obviously Bangladesh had us under a lot of pressure early in that batting innings with how well they bowled and the fields that they set as well. And no - they're really crafty bowlers and they know what they're doing and know how to put us under the pump. So yeah, I think we certainly do expect teams to play like that against us. No doubt there's a reason every team's here playing in this World Cup and that's because they're all proper cricket teams that can challenge anyone on their day.
Reporter: Australia have lots of experience, you played a lot more cricket than Bangladesh - what is your advice to Bangladeshi girls?
Mooney: Yeah, obviously, they're hopefully going to play a lot more cricket in the next World Cup cycle leading into their next edition in 2025. So it would be just about learning and making sure whatever situation you're in, that you learn from it, and yeah, enjoy it. These experiences don't last forever, and you're long time retired. So just the opportunities to be out there running around - You can't say no to
Reporter: Today's innings kind of must have reminded many people about your innings against India at the Mackay. So comparing this with that one. Which one is more special?
Mooney: I think every game I get to play for Australia is pretty special and to be part of a win as well is exciting. I certainly don't take these opportunities for granted, I think where I feel really privileged to be part of this Australian team at the moment with some absolutely world class players that are going to be remembered for a long time. So just to be out here in this World Cup, obviously we had to wait a year for it has been really special but there's been many innings I've played and been fortunate enough to play that - I guess I hold differently.
Reporter: Also a word on Ash Gardener who today completed her 50 ODI’s and you guys have debuted more or less together, so how have you seen her growth as a player alongside yourself?
Mooney: Yeah, she's been an incredible player for this team for a long time, she ran out for a Hundreds game in all formats the other day as well. So for her to play 50 ODI’s is very impressive. She's still quite young, sometimes I forget how young she is. So I'm sure she's going to be around for a long time to come and hopefully we see a 50 or 150 More from her.
Reporter: My question was about that little exchange you had with Farzana Haque at the end of the match, which is really heartwarming. So can you just tell us a little about that, like what the conversation was like, because it looked like two top order batters talking to each other and having a good time. So what was the conversation like?
Mooney: No, she just came up when she shook my hand and sort of asked how we do it. As in sort of going out there and working through a batting innings. She said how impressive I've been and how impressive this group has been batting wise and asked how we do it day in and day out and I just sort of said, If you give yourself a chance, then you're always in with a shot to win a game and if you don't give yourself a chance and believe that you can do it, then it's never going to work out - so I thought they were outstanding today with the ball and as I said put us under a lot of pressure. But yeah, I've been really impressed with those girls. They're a great bunch of girls, and hopefully they have a lot of success in the years to come.
Reporter: As you may be aware that the third and final semifinalists of this World Cup cannot be decided before the last match - the last league stage match which is between India and South Africa. What in your opinion, does this say of this World Cup and the competitiveness you have seen in this edition of the tournament? And do you have any predictions for who could hat final semifinalist be?
Mooney: I think predictions have gone out the window pretty quickly in this World Cup, we've seen some unbelievable games unfold. Which is why we have to wait until Sunday night to see who's in the semifinals. I think the impressive part is teams have come and won games from nowhere and defended games from nowhere and it's been - as a fan of the game and a bit of a snuff myself, It's been really impressive to watch the skills that have been on show and it just goes to show the investment that the people making to cricket can go a long way to making an exciting product for everyone to watch and be a part of. So hopefully there's a couple more exciting games to come leading into the semifinals, and we can finish this world cup off exactly how it started - with some high quality cricket being played and a lot of respect among the teams as well.
