LEICESTER – Proteas all-rounder, Marizanne Kapp says the time for talking is over when they take on West Indies in their third match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at Grace Road in Leicester on today.
South Africa have only played one match in the tournament so far, with their second fixture against New Zealand abandoned without a ball bowled in Derby on Wednesday. Kapp believes the team had ample time to prepare for their next assignment and it’s time to play their best cricket.
“This tournament is quite a long one so the three days’ break we’ve had has gone a long way for recovery and preparation for tomorrow’s game,” said Kapp. “While other teams will be tired, we’ll still be fresh. The training has gone well these last few days and we’re up for tomorrow.”
Having snuck a three-wicket win over Pakistan in their first appearance last week, Kapp believes that the players have gotten over the nerves that came with that match and they have settled in nicely in England and have adapted to conditions accordingly.
“The first game didn’t quite go as planned,” she commented wryly. “We didn’t play our type of cricket in the second half but I still think a win is a win and we’ll take it. Previously, those close games went to the other teams but this time around it turned in our favour.
“We had a lot to work on but we’re still positive, we know what type of cricket we can play. We’ve settled in nicely now, we have a few games in Leicester and hopefully tomorrow we can show what we’re made of.”
The number one ODI bowler in the world is also satisfied with her own preparation and says she has worked on a few areas in her own batting game that she found wanting in their first match. She is eager to get some runs under her belt and build confidence heading into some tough matches against England and India next week.
“To be honest, I’m still not quite happy with my bowling, I don’t think I hit my areas in the way I would have liked to in that first game against Pakistan, but I can only get better from here though. Batting-wise, I know that I owe the team a few runs. I’ve been hitting the ball really well and hopefully tomorrow is my day.”