England wicketkeeper Amy Jones insisted there was no extra pressure going into Sunday’s penultimate match of the Women’s Ashes at the Ageas Bowl.
Heather Knight’s team have stormed back from 6-0 down to level the multi-format series after they triumphed by two wickets in the first ODI in Bristol on Wednesday.
Victory in Sunday’s match in Hampshire would put England one win away from regaining the Ashes for the first time since 2014 and inflict a first ODI-series defeat on world champions Australia in a decade.
Despite having the momentum on their side, Jones does not believe the mindset of Jon Lewis’ squad will change.
She said: “I think everyone is feeling pretty relaxed. We had a good review of the game, looking at areas where we can improve still, which was really motivating as a group after a win.
“We’ve obviously got an opportunity to win the ODI series tomorrow so everyone is pretty excited about it.
“We’ve gone the whole series feeling like underdogs and we’re just trying to keep that mentality of acknowledging how good a side Australia are, but sticking to our strengths and trying to put them under as much pressure as possible during the game. It will be a similar mindset tomorrow I think.
“I think there was more pressure when we were 6-0 down than there is now.
“So, I don’t feel like there’s any extra pressure now. I think, if anything, it’s just doing what we’ve been doing and trying to stay in the moment and play each game.”
England had not tasted success against Australia in three years before they edged a thrilling T20 at the Kia Oval earlier this month.
Jones admitted it boosted belief, but credited their tour of the West Indies at the end of 2022 as the beginning of a period where they have consistently played bold, aggressive cricket under captain Knight and head coach Lewis.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re playing a different (Australia) side. It just feels like we’re a different side and the way we’re going about it is different,” Jones explained.
“Obviously they are best team in the world, have proven it for many years and although leading into the series we spoke about how we feel, we are good enough to beat them – I think until you do, you are not 100 per cent certain.
“Definitely to get the wins in the T20s, to win the series was huge for us as a group. We’ve taken a lot of confidence from that and hopefully we can carry it forward into these last two.
“Something we recognised back in the West Indies, we sat down and thought about how we play our best cricket and it is when we feel backed, supported as individuals and we do play with a smile on our faces.
“In the West Indies, it felt like a turning point in terms of how we all were around each other, almost a bit of release of pressure that we just put on ourselves over the years for whatever reason.
“Lew’s main message is ‘inspire and entertain’ and that is huge, I think, because it just takes the pressure off win or lose.
View this post on Instagram
“I think with all of that, it promotes playing with freedom, playing your shots, people come to watch good cricket and an exciting cricket and having the freedom to do that without too much fixation on the result and if you get out, as we saw it in some good entertaining cricket.”
England will play in front of another sell-out crowd at the Ageas Bowl, having seen attendance records broken throughout the Ashes.
The series has captured the imagination of the public and this week saw the ICC announce their tournaments would see equal pay for men and women teams moving forward.
Jones is excited about how far the women’s game continues to come, adding: “Yeah, it is a great step. Obviously a really positive move for women’s cricket and a great show from the ICC of how far our game has come along.
“Everyone’s absolutely loved it (this summer) and it’s the first time we’ve played at the big rounds consistently.
“The marketing of the joint Ashes and everything, to see all of that work behind the scenes pay off and people do want to come out and watch us and we can fill grounds, it’s a brilliant feeling and we’ve definitely thrived off that.
“It is sold-out again tomorrow, so another great atmosphere and hopefully a good match.”
Hendricks ton steers South Africa to series win over Pakistan
Reeza Hendricks plundered 117 as he helped South Africa to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their second T20I, giving them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
After impressive performances from David Miller, who missed this match with a calf injury, and George Linde in the first T20I in Durban, Hendricks took his chance, helping the Proteas surpass their 207 target with three balls left.
Pakistan lost Mohammad Rizwan in the powerplay for just 11 runs, but Saim Ayub, who lasted the entire 20 overs, steadied the ship as he steadily racked up 98 off 57 balls.
Babar Azam (31) and Ifran Khan Niazi (30) pushed them towards their respectable 206-5, though they will feel they could have got more if they had not lost three quick wickets between the 12th and 15th overs.
South Africa got off to a slow start though, with Ryan Rickleton dismissed for just two runs by Jahanad Khan (2-40). However, his fellow opener Hendricks, who scored his first T20I century, soon found his rhythm with Rassie van der Dussen (66 not out).
Pakistan had no answers as they put together a 157-run third-wicket partnership, and though Abbas Afridi finally ended Hendricks' stand in the 18th over, Heinrich Klaasen (eight) stepped in to help get it over the line.
Data Debrief: Record-breaker
Hendricks was by far the stand out for the hosts, hitting seven fours and 10 sixes in his knock, as he claimed his first ton for South Africa in the format.
It was also the 18th time he has racked up a score of 50+ in T20Is, the most for South Africa, surpassing Quinton de Kock's record.
His partnership with Van der Dussen on the third wicket is also a new high for the Proteas, with their 157 runs beating AB de Villers and Richard Levi's tally of 133 in T20Is.
Pakistan contribued to those new records as well though, with 416 the highest match aggregate involving the two teams in this format.
Woakes replaced by Potts for final New Zealand Test match
England have replaced Chris Woakes with Matthew Potts for the third and final Test during their tour of New Zealand in Hamilton.
The visitors are coming into the Test with the Crowe-Thorpe trophy already secured, having won in Christchurch and Wellington.
With the pressure off to some extent, England are using it as a chance to rotate their seamers, with Potts winning his first cap since playing against Pakistan in October.
This will be Potts' 10th Test cap for England as he faces the same opposition against whom he had success in 2022 during his first summer as an England international.
"We're looking forward to giving Pottsy an opportunity to see what he can do this week," said captain Ben Stokes.
"He's got a massive engine on him. He can go all day and bowl a lot of overs, but not just that, he's a very skilful bowler.
"He's a versatile bowler, you can use him with the new ball and the short-ball plan that we go to because he's so fit. He can bowl you 20 overs one day, then rock up again and bowl you another 20."
Potts took 14 wickets in three Tests four years ago and, now 26 years old, will be aiming to stake a long-term claim for a place in England's pace-bowling options.
Woakes might have been expected to keep his spot in the team had the series been alive, having resurrected a previously floundering international career.
Despite a disparity between his figures at home and on the road, he ended the year with eight wickets at 35.63 in three overseas appearances.
"Woakesy came into the winter tours with a bit of scrutiny behind his away record, but I think what he has done has proved a lot of people wrong," said Stokes.
"He's been fantastic for us, he was great in Pakistan and pretty influential over here too.
"At 2-0 up, you put yourself in an easier position to make that change, and we want to be giving opportunities and experience to the guys who don't always get that."
‘It's great to see the progression’: Windies captain Hope views sweep of Bangladesh as step forward in pursuit of consistency
West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope exuded pride and optimism following his team’s commanding 3-0 series victory over Bangladesh at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
The clean sweep, achieved with wins by five wickets, seven wickets, and four wickets, not only marked another feather in the team’s cap but also reinforced the strides they have made in recent months.
“Anytime you win a series, it’s always good. Before the series, you could see a group of guys raring and ready to play cricket, so you can’t ask for a better result than 3-0. We’ve been planning well, and we’ve been playing good cricket, so it’s just great to see that we can get over the line and actually sweep the series,” Hope told reporters after Thursday’s final game.
One of the standout features of the series was the collective effort from the entire squad, as Sherfane Rutherford (113), Hope (86), and Justin Greaves (41 not out) stood out with bat in the first game, while Romario Shepherd (3-51) did damage with the ball.
The second contest saw positive knocks from Brandon King (82), Evin Lewis (49) and Keacy Carty (45), while Jayden Seales (4-22) shone with the ball.
Meanwhile, debutant Amir Jangoo with an unbeaten 104, Carty (95), Gudakesh Motie (44 not out), and Alzarri Joseph (2-43) stood out on Thursday.
Hope highlighted the significance of various players stepping up at crucial moments rather than relying on a single individual to carry the load.
“It was pleasing for me as a leader to see everyone putting their hands up in different situations,” he declared.
“There’s not one particular guy doing the bulk of the work every single time. Sherfane [Rutherford] has been consistent for the last three series, and it’s great to see guys contributing when the team needs it most, so I’m very happy with where the team is at this point,” he added.
Jangoo’s century on debut was a crowning moment in the final match, as the 27-year-old joined Desmond Haynes as the only West Indians to achieve this milestone. His unbeaten 83-ball knock, alongside Carty’s half-century, was instrumental in chasing down a challenging target.
“It’s great. I always speak about the accolades and milestones coming after the fact, but the way he played throughout the innings was impressive. It’s great to see him get a century while winning the game for the team. I’m very happy to see him get runs on debut,” Hope noted.
While the batting unit garnered much praise, the bowlers also played their part in containing Bangladesh to totals of 294, 227, and 321 across the series.
Hope addressed the consistency of the bowling attack, particularly in the challenging conditions of Warner Park, affectionately known as “the bull ring.”
“In this day and age, 300 is a par score, so I think the bowlers did very well, especially here in St. Kitts,” he explained.
“To restrict a team to less than 290 without bowling them out is a great sign. In the second game, the way we came back after their strong start was fantastic. Today’s (Thursday’s) pitch was the best of the three, and even though we didn’t start well, we had it under control. But again, as a strong team, pulling ourselves out of different situations shows that we’re building something,” Hope stated.
That said, Hope acknowledged the strides the team has made in maintaining intensity throughout a series as the back-to-back series victories—2-1 against England and now 3-0 against Bangladesh—reflect a growing consistency in their performances.
“The progression is showing. It’s clear we’re improving because before, we would take one step forward and two steps back. We would start a series well but play mediocre cricket in the back end, but we really keeping the foot down now, especially when we're up.
“This time, I challenged the boys to keep the foot down, especially after that England series. When we have teams in strong positions, especially at our home, we’ve got to finish strong. We got to make sure we can finish the season and try to win a lot more three-nil if we can,” Hope stressed.
With the Darren Sammy-coached team, currently ranked 10th, targeting a move up the ODI rankings and, by extension, a spot at the 2027 50-over World Cup, Hope is encouraged by the emergence of batsmen stepping up in recent series.
In fact, he emphasized the importance of providing opportunities to new players while identifying areas for improvement, such as in their spin options.
“There’s good competition among the players, and it’s giving us a better understanding of what the guys are capable of at this level,” the Barbadian said.
“The more opportunities they get, the better for us, especially now when we’re doing well, so I’m just happy to see the guys getting opportunities and grab them with both hands. I think we need to find more spin options, especially wrist spinners, and we’ll get there one step at a time, but it’s great to see the progression,” Hope ended.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
