5 March - Dunedin - South Africa coach Hilton Moreeng post-match press conference
Reporter: Did you imagine Bangladesh could fight like this?
Hilton: Thank you for the question – we haven’t played Bangladesh in a long time as a team and I think after their first 10 overs facing the conditions… Bangladesh, they used the facilities extremely well, asked all the right questions and we were not surprised that they came with the number of spinners that they did and how they bowled there, they put us under a lot of pressure and put our batting line-up under – and they restricted us to a score that they felt that they could defend, actually chase – but we were not surprised, because we know in the conditions they are a team that can do that, in the past games on surfaces like this, its always been tough playing against Bangladesh, I think over their last 2-3 years, you’ve seen how they’ve grown as a team and they’ve shown why they are capable of doing it and overall it’s a team that has been growing in stature and experienced players of them also now have started to show what it is that they can do. But we are not surprised about the fight at all.
Reporter: What did you think – why did Bangladesh lose the match? What were they lacking?
Hilton: Bangladesh where they lacked – I think they started well with the bat, and I think when you look at how they went about their fielding, I think it’s one of the things that’s also improved, but I think overall the partnership that they had gave them a good start and they just didn’t continue on that to make sure they build on to that, its always difficult for a team when you have two new batter at the crease consistently, and it puts you under pressure and I think its one of those as the World Cup unfolds, I think they can improve as a team also in going into the latter stages and see how they can go in the rest of the World Cup.
Reporter: Hi well done on getting the job done, just in terms of overall mindset, more general question in terms of – we saw batters going at strike rates of 27 and we also saw it in the field possibly not getting an extra catch in – we’ve seen this team play on this wicket before – was it just the nerves or was that a bit of cautiousness today?
Hilton: You're right, I think your first World Cup game is always a tough one, I think there's a bit of nerves there and as you can see, how the game unfolded, Bangladesh bowled well on the surface, especially first between the overs, they put us under pressure and yes – like we said – we’ve been playing a positive brand of cricket and today is one of those days when you can call – we were on the sloping side of the team and once the nerves started settling and we got into the second half of the game, we were 30 -40 runs short on the day to be able to make sure that we can give the bowler something to bowl at on the surface – everyone had to adapt and I think the adaptation for us as a team just took a while longer, maybe because like you said because of the nerves but overall I think we came back and how the players fought on the day has shown the resilience we have as a team. I think today a little bit of nerves here and there because of the first game and we’re just proud of the way how the girls came back and bounced back from the start that we had.
Reporter: Just a follow up – Lizelle should be out by Sunday, but she hasn’t played in a while – is it a case of getting her straight back in or you're going to give her a little more time just to get going again?
Hilton: She has been training in between all the time that she's been home with family, and she’s with us in a week and once everyone feels she is ready and knowing her, she is a very competitive cricketer, she’ll want to jump straight into it, and once she passes through medical and as far as she passes what she needed to do and what she needs to do – we know that she's required and if she passes that then she should be considered for the next setting – but, we’ll take it one by day and we’ll asses from our first practice going into this week.
Reporter: If you can just give us a word on Ayabonga and how valuable the coach has become to this bowling line-up at one point and she's going to be over the course of the tournament and just a word of congratulations on her milestone.
Hilton: Thanks I think Ayabonga Khaka she complements our bowling attacks and she's been one of our unsung heroes of this attack, led by two experienced bowlers being Shabnim and Marizanne Kapp – now as you can see Masabata Klaas also now growing. I think Ayabonga has been one of those very consistent cricketers, quite economic and has worked extremely hard around the game and how to improve it and to make sur whichever surface she gets to bowl on the day, she can adapt. The hard work she's been putting over the years – the professionalism she shows around- everything that she does as a cricketer – she's a very good student of the game – assess the conditions extremely well, as well as oppositions. Maybe that’s why it gives us the edge on days when the chips are down and you can see how she came up today. I think performance like today for us as a team from a bowling unit team – we’re very proud of her and she deserves accolade today.
Reporter: I want to ask specifically about the batting – I mean even in the warm up matches it seems like maybe numbers 2, 3 and 4 somewhere around there, the runs are not coming as much as you would like – are you concerned and what can we do to ensure slightly more consistent performances and build on partnerships?
Hilton: Its not a concern – more a frustration because we know what the players in this position are capable of – I think we have games where its gone well and where games that have been inconsistent – I think this is one of those as a team that we have been identifying and working around to make sure we can improve it – but thus far, yes it’s the first game of the World Cup like I said – nerves in the opening match and the important thing is to make sure you get the job done on the day and post that we can work and how we can improve it, but the players in this position are capable of a lot more and they also know it – but we can ask that as we go along in the World Cup as we start improving and everyone will start seeing what they're capable and what they can do.
Reporter: Just to ask – there is some talk about Marizanne being strapped – is there an injury concern or are there any injury concerns, but for her specifically?
Hilton: Not at the moment, no injury concerns.
Reporter: Just a word on Chloe Tryon, she's had difficult couple of years with injury, but can you tell us a little bit about the work that she's put in to come back much fitter visibly and also how important will her role be especially with the ball in the absence of Dane?
Hilton: Today was evident what she's capable of – yeah she had been struggling with a number of back injuries and coming back from there hasn’t been easy for her and she's realised she had to work extremely hard to get back into the squad, and now one thing that she's been working quite well on that and putting a lot of emphasis on is her fitness and in the way she trains and one can see now the results of today that she's on the right track and we know what an all round performance she can give to the team and I think also being the Vice Captain of the team, she realises that she needs to step up, like you highlighted in the absence of a player like Dane a 3 in 1 - Chloe is more capable, a very explosive cricketer that we have, had to take the leadership role in that department ad thus far is working quite well and she's done well to find herself where she is now.
Reporter: Something a bit more general, this is obviously quite different to the World Cup in 2017 and I'm just wondering what the experience is like apart from much fewer people around – how else have you experienced it differently?
Hilton: The MIQ has been a difficult one for all around; its not something they had to have being used to – its something we can get used to especially in the World Cup – yes absence of crowds – its one of those that we would have loved to have that experience also – but overall as far as the World Cup – we love it today and we take it as it is and you make the best out of it – at the end of the day its still cricket that we play and we have to focus on the job at the end.
Reporter: Thank you.