9 March - Hamilton - New Zealand player Amy Satterthwaite pre-match press conference
Reporter: How crucial is having played them - India in the One Day series, just before - how crucial is that going to be coming into this World Cup?
Amy: Obviously, it was both things - a little bit of an insight to their players and some important I guess, information to looking forward to tomorrow's game, but we had obviously a successful series against them in Queenstown leading into this, it gives the group a lot of confidence, both with the bat and ball but we know that you know, it's obviously a one off match in the World Cup cricket - and the series will mean nothing if you bat for zero. So we will use that information to our benefit where we can and then outside of that, we got to make sure that we turn up and perform tomorrow.
Reporter: What's been the biggest work on between our last game and this game – where had the focus been?
Amy: Yeah, it was obviously a slightly different format - playing 27 overs to actually the 50 overs that we'll get into tomorrow. But I think the bowling is one area we’re just tidying up a little bit, the top here and just starting our spells with the ball, just try to be in the areas that we want to be in, to make a little bit harder for the batters to get going. So that's probably our biggest I guess area of improvement from the first couple of matches moving forward.
Reporter: This is a massive I guess stretch of games for you girls. This one obviously, and then England. South Africa, Australia - not in that order but those four teams coming up. Have you circled this kind of what is it about team days in the tournament as the key part of the tournament and how do you kind of approach it knowing that it is such a core part of the outcome of whether you make the semifinals or not.
Amy: I think it's easy to probably look at it and say it's the key four games, but I think the first game showed us that every game is so important, especially in World Cup cricket - that, you know, it's a one off game against that team and you've got to make sure that you turn up and perform and I think we got to make sure that then we just focus on each and every game, we turn up for tomorrow we focus on that one and then we move on to our next opponent after that - and don't get too far ahead of ourselves. We know that we've got to win games of cricket to make the semifinal and regardless of who it's against. So I think we just try to take it one game at a time and not to get too far ahead of ourselves.
Reporter: Do you care who wins the current game between the West Indies and England - I think if the West Indies win - it opens things up quite a lot in terms of the tournament.
Amy: I think that’s the beauty of World Cup cricket - we've seen it in the past tournaments that teams you know I guess beat other teams that you probably wouldn't have predicted pre-tournament but West Indies are a class side and they’ve shown that so far - and in terms of results like to say we’re probably not looking at it too hard. To be honest. We're in control of our own destiny and if we can go out and win games of cricket then we'll be there at the end and in the semifinals and then hopefully the final - so that's the biggest thing and our focus at the moment is not what's happening in other games, but more what we can control and the way that we go out and perform and put results on the board
Reporter: Just wanted to ask - a few months ago when asked who's the biggest fan of you or Grace - Lea said that it's you at the moment and soon enough Grace will probably kick you thee – I see, she's there yes - how helpful or how good has it be to have someone like Grace around through the last year and a half? All through the bubbles - you know to keep the morale with you as well as the team in a positive space of mind.
Amy: Yeah, I think that’s a beautiful thing about children is they bring a lot of perspective and think regardless of how you performed or how the team performed - as a result, you go home and she always wants to cuddle or probably a nappy change and that sort of thing - so she certainly brings you back down to earth. But she's certainly been a bright spark around our group, everyone's welcomed her with open arms and been amazing in terms of the way that – I guess - like I say, loved having her around the group and on tour and I think she brings a smile to everyone's faces and it sort of helps keep everyone in a really good place regardless of how the cricket’s going.
Reporter: My question for you is that the first game we saw in Hamilton - Australia and England they played a high scoring match - so what’s the discussion amongst the group in trying to restrict the opposition.
Amy: Yeah, I think first of all we need to work out where we’re playing - whether it's the same one or a new one and then understand how that might play. I think in Hamilton it can - depending on what surface you are - it can play slightly differently. So understanding the surface and then how we need to approach it from a bowling point of view will be really important and I think that we can then execute that – back our bowling unit, to be able to put some pressure on and be able to restrict them.
Reporter: My question to you is about seeing this match tomorrow against India as a one off, how easy or tough is it or do you take confidence from the 4-1 series win or do you just ignore it and completely look at it as a different game altogether? How is the conversation in the team regarding that?
Amy: I think we have to take confidence. It's not every day that you beat a really quality Indian side for one. So there's certainly a huge amount of confidence that we can take out of that. And I think probably the way that we played the spinners, in particular and the confidence we can gain from that - like we can take into this game and you know, that's the nice part about having played them. And before this tournament is that we can take bits and pieces out of it but like I said earlier, it's also been a one off match and you have to make sure that you turn up on the day and perform with both bat and ball and and then the field and I think yeah, we can take a little bit out of it. But we've got to make sure that we turn up and can execute our skills and if we do that, you know, it gets us to be in a strong position.
Reporter: My question is first of all, congratulations on 50 ODI wickets - My question to you is when was it decided in the previous match that you will have the ball and did you have to kind of convince Sophie to hand you the ball after the initial verbal?
Amy: It's not too often that I get to bowl and the same - at the moment which I think it's a good thing. It shows how well our bowlers is going, but I think it was more in the moment I was trying to make sure that I warm up before the game just to be ready if needed, but knowing probably nine times out of 10 that won't be the case, but that one opportunity that I get I make sure that I'm as ready as I can be. And I think it was more around the conditions and also how the Bangladesh team were playing and they certainly seemed to like the pace of the ball coming on. So there was just in the moment decided that we try and take the pace off as much as possible and got the opportunity and thankfully it came off on the day.
Reporter: Could you tell us a bit about your favorite memories of India versus New Zealand contests you have been part of especially considering you've played a fair bit of cricket against the likes of Jhulan Goswami and Mithali, who are likely playing their last ODI World Cup.
Amy: You're asking me to test my memory but probably not as far back as Jhulan and Mithali. But I think look, you speak of two quality cricketers right there, and, you know, we often speak about, I guess the class that they are and the way that they've been able to continue to perform consistently across a number of years. It's pretty phenomenal to be honest and Mithali - just looks like she's got all the time in the world and doesn't seem to get too fussed about anything. And I think – I can probably take a leaf out of her book and try and learn from her. She's one of the world's best, but it's certainly always an honor to play against India – they’ve got some real quality players and I think even just the way that they're sort of growing as a group and the youngsters that they've got coming through at the moment Yeah, it's always - I guess as a cricketer yourself if you take a step back and look at the class that they've got and you appreciate that and then when you get out in the field, you do everything you can to make sure that you try and be better than them, beat them - but yeah I’ve always enjoyed the contest of playing against them. I think Jhulan in particular is a real class act and really crafty at what she does and trying to, I guess be able to get on top of here and score runs against here has always been a real challenge, and one that I've enjoyed across the years.
Reporter: And would it be fair to say that their longevity may or may not have or may go on to play a part in your decision to extend your career for a few more years for another World Cup maybe?
Amy: I don't know - another World Cup is pushing it quite a way out. I think I'll take it one year at a time. But I think they've certainly been an inspiration to many to be able to play for as long as they have and I'm sure there's people out there that have looked at how long they've been able to continue to play their trade and think I can do it too. So it's - Yeah, certainly, like I said - a real inspiration what they have achieved so far, and I'm sure they'll be remembered as some of the greatest players of all time.
Reporter: My question is about Amelia Kerr, who has been awesome in the New Zealand India series and once again, she did well in the first match. So how she prepares herself, because she has been in awesome form and how much she's you're looking forward for contributions from her in this World Cup.
Amy: Yeah, look Amelia he's got a very mature head on for I guess at such a young age and she's obviously it's been I guess well documented that she had some mental health struggles last year and in a way - she obviously missed the tour to England, but it gave her time I guess to go away and reset a little bit, first and foremost. And then outside of that she has been able to spend a lot of quality time in the nets really working on her game and I think we've been seeing I guess the rewards of all that hard work this season in terms of the way that she's played. The scores that she's been able to put on the board consistently throughout our domestic competition first and then obviously of late in the international scene and she's a very well rounded cricketer. She obviously plays spin extremely well, plays pace well. It's hard to find a flaw and her game to be honest, and I think the way that she prepares is really particular. It just means that she's got a real clarity about her game when she goes out to the play and like I say when you're having conversations with her and just the maturity that she shows, and a real clarity of understanding of her game. It's pretty phenomenal to be honest for such a young person.