30 March - Christchurch - England Captain Heather Knight pre-match press conference
Reporter: First of all this for the upcoming clash, just wanted to ask about in almost every match someone or the other has stepped up and performed for you especially in the batting department. But apart from probably the first game, England has still yet to collectively deliver as a batting unit in the same match. Is that something you have talked about with your batting group?
Heather Knight: Probably not saying we've talked about it specifically, but I think you're right. I think it's great that individuals are stepping up at different times. I think we've had each batter win us a game at some point, but I don't think we've put it all together yet, I think you're right and what perfect time to change that than the World Cup semifinal. I think the signs are really good. We probably haven't gotten the start we quite like I guess. But we're really clear as a batting group, how we want to do things how we want to play and how we're going to improve on the performances we've had so far. So yeah, I think it's a really good place to bat as well, we've enjoyed playing here at Christchurch, we’ve played on this wicket before, albeit now it's probably going to be a bit dry than it was against Pakistan. But yeah, what an opportunity for us as a batting group to nail our collective efforts with the bat in a World Cup semifinal, hopefully we can do that.
Reporter: On your personal form as well, apart from that 150, you haven’t been able to deliver much of a big knock so far. It's yet to come from this tournament. How do you reflect on your batting form so far?
Knight: Yeah, I've been a bit frustrated. I've got a few starts, a couple of 40 odds and I guess a couple of not outs in there as well. So I haven't really been able to make that match defining contribution I guess but I feeling pretty good here, I feel like I'm hitting the ball well and had a really good session today. So yeah, again, I'd love to be in a World Cup semifinal. I don't think I'm too far away. But yeah, I guess there's been a bit of frustration that I haven't been able to contribute as much as I would like. I guess I keep finding little ways to get out, different ways to get out, which happens sometimes, but for me, I guess it's a little bit frustrating. But like I said about the batting group as a whole, it's a chance for me, a World Cup semifinal to go and deliver for the team in the biggest game for us.
Reporter: Obviously, India and South Africa played at the same ground a few days ago. Were you watching that match and what were your takeaways from that particular match, especially given that you're playing the same opposition?
Knight: Yeah, I watched the second half. We were obviously playing earlier in the day so managed to catch the second half and what a game it was - it was absolutely brilliant, tense game to watch with really good cricket on show and I thought South Africa played amazingly that obviously got very close towards the end and they’ve been quite successful at chasing, I guess, they chase together quite well. But yeah, we've played against South Africa a lot, we’ve played them in this competition in the warm up game as well. So we've played them twice already. And I think we're pretty clear on our plans for their different batters. I think, as a bowling unit in particular, we're in a slightly different place than what we were at the start of the tournament. And as a fielding unit, I guess as well. We managed to create a lot of chances against South Africa in that first match but weren't able to be clinical enough and take their chances and put them under pressure that we gave some of their batters two or three chances. If not more, so. We feel like our bowlers and fielders are in a much better place to try and capitalize on that going into it, but they're a very good side. They obviously rank second in the world. And they've got some outstanding players that are having very good tournaments, so we'll certainly have to be playing very well to obviously beat them.
Reporter: Just wanted to ask what's the mood in the camp like, having come through a tough group stage and how happy are you with the way the group dealt with those early setbacks? And do you think that'll hold you in good stead going into the semifinal or is it now just a clean slate?
Knight: Yeah, the mood is really good. We've been playing knockout cricket for the last four games. So we're so used to obviously having that pressure on us and if we make one mistake we're out and that's perfect preparation for World Cup semifinal where you know the stakes and you know what's on the line and I think it shows a lot about the character in this group after those first three games. We've obviously lost three close games and we're very disappointed and frustrated but the way we've turned it around, I think has been outstanding. The way we've managed to stay pretty positive, change a few things that were in our control. I think that was the most frustrating thing about the first three games but also something that we could change the fact that what had gone wrong were things that we could control - our Fielding, few extras, little things like that, that were completely in our control. So I think realizing that and staying pretty positive and realizing that we're still a very good team. We’re very good players and I think we've just managed to find a way to win again, which has been very nice. And yeah, hopefully will give us a lot of confidence going into that semifinal we feel like we've built a bit of momentum up in the last four games. And that's a nice place to be again into the semis.
Reporter: And just a bit more on your personal form. You did mention how frustrating it is to kind of keep finding ways to get out, how do you deal with that frustration because Anya and Katherine earlier just spoke about how it's kind of difficult to stop thinking about it how sometimes you overthink these things. How do you deal with it personally?
Knight: I think it's probably a positive that I've been finding different ways to get out. I think that means there's no issue I feel pretty confident and I think it's about going on your experience of how you've played previously and how you've had a lot of success, I think and I'm sure Anya and Katherine have the same. They've had long careers with a lot of success. So it's just drawing on those experiences and thinking about the next game. I think that's so important. You can't take the baggage of previous games into your next one.
Reporter: And just finally, a word on Sophie Ecclestone. I mean she started this tournament with her most expensive spell in ODI cricket but she's come back and she's the top wicket taker also the most economical bowler in the tournament. How important is she to the group and also how is she kind of I suppose mentoring someone like Charlie Dean, she's a young bowler herself but how is she as a mentor I guess in the bowling group?
Knight: Yeah, she’s been brilliant. She's taken wickets throughout and she's the sort of bowler you can turn to try and shake things up and try and get wickets at any stage of the game and I think the way she has been bowling has been outstanding. She has probably identified ODI cricket as a little bit of a welcome for her, and to see her do so well put the work in and obviously all the way she has this tournament as has been great. I think she's found the pace of all on these wickets as well she's adapted to them quite nicely, bowling a little bit slow for example in the last game to get a little bit more turn which is really nice and I think something that works really well for Soph that she's tried to pass on to Charlie is how she keeps it so simple. She's at her best when she's trying to bowl her best ball, trying to find the best ball for the particular wicket we’re you're on and trying to stick to that for a long period of time. So they're certainly having chats when Charlie's bowling and Sophie's mid-off, just mainly about keeping it simple, bowling your best ball and trying to be aggressive and take wickets - so yeah, it's quite nice to see them develop a little partnership.
Reporter: Can you just contrast I guess the emotions that you would have had after the defeat you had with South Africa in league play, where you had to sort of run the table through the rest of the tournament. Now you do find yourselves in a semifinal playing those opponents again.
Knight: Yeah, I think it's nice symmetry, isn't it? Obviously the way we felt after that game against South Africa, the girls were pretty down and I guess we've managed to turn around very quickly, which has been outstanding. And I think if you gave us this position a couple of weeks ago we would have absolutely bet your hand off the way we've turned it around. It's been great. And yeah, there was some pretty down people I guess in the dressing room after that but the way we've managed to do and stay positive has been great. So yeah, nice, I guess to come full circle and play South Africa.
Reporter: And just on Hagley Oval, what do you expect from that under lights? Obviously you again last week didn't go the distance, you didn't get too much effect under lights- but it can be quite dewy sort of late in March. What do you expect from the conditions?
Knight: Yeah, we actually played here last year under lights and there was a little bit of dew, just seemed to skid on a little bit more. And yeah, potential got a little bit easier to bat. So yeah, I'm sure that will play into account. Obviously the dew can make it a little bit more tricky to bowl with as well. So yeah, I think it'll have a little bit of an effect and probably both teams will - I think we’ll will know what they want to do at the toss - and obviously it's a pitch we played on before so we can take that learnings from the game against Pakistan into tomorrow as well.
Reporter: My question to you is just you've spoken about the turnaround a little bit. Is there like a point - like is there a particular day or a conversation within the group that you could pinpoint as the turning point during this tournament? Or is it like a collective work over a period of time?
Knight: I think it was about not panicking too much to be honest. And keeping it pretty simple and focusing purely on what we can do to try and win the next game which obviously we did against India. I think there's been a lot of jokes flying around the group about people have - that somehow changed our luck, I think our Media Manager’s toenail fell off so they were claiming that was a turnaround in luck and someone was wearing different shoes. So it's quite funny that sometimes the superstitions you get in the group around that, but no, it was purely just being quite honest, trying to change the things that like I said that were in our control that we weren't doing as well as we could have and just finding that winning habit again and just keeping things pretty honest and trying to get individuals in a place to try and perform in the next game.
Reporter: Amy Jones in one of the previous press conferences had said about how close the group is in terms of having each other's back. How much of that has been a part of this turnaround - that you've had some difficult times since coming to Australia and then New Zealand, just how important was it for the group to be such a tight knit?
Knight: Yeah, I think it's really important. I think, when you're in a place where you've lost the first three games and you're frustrated and things aren't going the way that you want them to, I think having the support of your mates around is very important. I think that's something we've pride ourselves on a great thing we do very well and making sure we're looking after individuals and making sure they're in the best place to perform. So yeah, it was certainly helpful and it means hopefully that we can be quite honest with each other as well and decided as a group what we've doing wrong and what we're trying to do about it. So yeah, it's been really nice to have that support. I guess. It's been a long tour for us as well. So having quite a tight knit group is been really key in our turning it around and having the success we've had in the last four games.
Reporter: Is everyone available for tomorrow, all 15?
Knight: Everyone's available. Yeah.
Reporter: You've mentioned about 2017 before the nature of the tournament and how obviously, it ended in a win for England. Actually, there are quite a lot of ups and downs across the campaign and a lot of close matches. Is that something that you think you can take some confidence from going into this semifinal that that was an imperfect one that ended quite well for England. And at the moment, it's an imperfect tournament so far.
Knight: Yeah, I think you forget - obviously we hadn't been successful in 2017. How different players at different times have highs and lows. And I think that's what World Cup cricket is about. And no one will remember our first three games, I don't think if we make it to the final so yeah, it's remembering that and I think it's now a fresh slate where the group stages are gone. Everyone's on equal pegging again, it's all about what happens on the day and who performs the best, who deals with the pressure. And who seizes the moment a little bit. So yeah, I think we can definitely take confidence from that and I think someone like Anya in 2017 was not bowling particularly well at the start of the tournament. I think a few catches went down off her and obviously we remember Anya in the final how she won that game for us. I think as individuals, it's remembering the previous things where things have turned around and it all counts on semifinals day. That's what knockout cricket is about.
Reporter: You mentioned Anya in 2017 as well as the final, she was the head of winning runs in the semifinal against South Africa, obviously same opponents as tomorrow's game. Do you think England can take anything from having been in semifinals - That game obviously ended well and as well in 2018. And having come through them, can you take any confidence from winning ICC semifinals previously?
Knight: Yeah, of course. I think we've been really successful in semifinals over the years. So yeah, we can take confidence from that as a team and also individuals, how they've performed in that moment, how we've dealt with the pressure of semifinals, and particularly that game in 2017 was an absolute nail biter wasn't it and just to get over the line in the game like that, I think was a big part of us winning the competition. So yeah, we can take huge amount of confidence from that. And that's what it's going to be about tomorrow. Holding our nerves in those key moments, being able to seize the game, win is on the line and having individual players soak up the pressure and try and be that player that wins it for the team.
Reporter: And then just finally, you talk throughout this tournament as of your teammates about how the team plays at its best when they're smiling and you've also talked about not panicking after those early three defeats. You think that's something you'd be trying to instill into the team tomorrow essentially, enjoy the moment, enjoy the day and kind of relish whatever happens.
Knight: Yeah, definitely. I think, just because it's the semifinal, you don't want to change too much. You don't suddenly want to be overbearing or change how you do things. So yeah, certainly, that's what I've been encouraging the players to do. Do what we've done so well, we've done so successfully in the last four games that have been must win, and I think certainly having a smile on our face and trying to enjoy the stage of the World Cup semifinal in what's been a brilliant World Cup, is certainly what I've been encouraging and just taking a bit more time with as well when you're under the pump, when the pressures on you just need that extra split second to find your composure and try and keep that calmness under pressure.