Talking within the lead-up to Sunday’s first T20I towards World Cup runners-up South Africa in East London, Wyatt-Hodge insisted that England had not “grow to be a foul aspect in eight overs”, after an error-strewn efficiency within the area had allowed West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph to romp to fast-paced fifties, en path to a spot within the semi-finals at England’s expense.
England’s poor efficiency drew an unprecedented response within the media, not least from the previous World Cup winner Alex Hartley, who referred to as into query the gamers’ health ranges – some extent that was flatly rejected final week by their head coach, Jon Lewis. Nevertheless, Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that heightened scrutiny was an inevitable consequence of the expansion of the ladies’s recreation.
“That is a part of the sport now is not it?” she stated. “We put ourselves on the market, individuals can say what they need, however all that issues is in our circle, and we’re all working actually exhausting every single day in coaching and video games. We wish to maintain enhancing individually and as a staff. And individuals are entitled to say what they need out of this group. That is positive. We all know what is going on on, in order that’s all that issues.
“We have performed some excellent cricket over the previous couple of years, and we performed some nice cricket all through the World Cup as nicely,” she added. “And we’re all right here now in South Africa, and we’re actually excited to get going. We simply wish to deal with taking part in that fearless model of cricket that we have performed during the last couple of years, and simply take pleasure in it.”
South Africa went on to defeat West Indies of their semi-final, earlier than dropping to New Zealand of their second consecutive look within the T20 World Cup ultimate. Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that they’d pose one other stiff problem to her staff, regardless that they’ve chosen to relaxation two senior gamers, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, at this early juncture of their multi-format sequence.
“We’ll sit down and take a look at what they do, however they have some excellent gamers on their staff, like Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt. They are a very difficult staff to play towards, nevertheless it’s all the time actually good enjoyable to come back out right here and play towards them of their circumstances. We’re actually buzzing to get going.”
“Filer’s bowling has actually improved during the last yr or so,” Wyatt-Hodge stated. “She’s very scary to face within the nets, and particularly out right here, the pitches are fairly fast and bouncy. So she’s going to be a handful to face out right here. She’s been working actually exhausting, and if she will get an opportunity, I am certain she’s raring to go.”
The timing of the sequence, and the multi-format nature, implies that England are certain to have one eye on their Ashes tour of Australia in January. However Wyatt-Hodge recognised the importance of the tour in its personal proper, particularly given the necessity to bounce again from their latest disappointments.
“This can be a huge sequence for us, main as much as the Ashes as nicely. We wish to go on the market and showcase our abilities, and present everybody how good we’re.
“We have had a number of conferences, there’s all the time methods we will be higher,” she added. “Personally, I’ve bought issues on the work on, like lots of the different women, so we wish to maintain pushing ourselves to be higher and higher.
Despite the fact that I am 33, I nonetheless really feel like one of many children, I really feel about 23. I simply wish to have enjoyable, but in addition, after I’m on it, I am on it and I am targeted. I simply wish to maintain working exhausting, and hopefully the children see the likes of me, Heather [Knight], Amy [Jones], Nat [Sciver-Brunt] wanting to maintain enhancing and dealing exhausting. We wish to encourage them as nicely, to do what we’re doing.”
The tour will conclude with a one-off Check match in Bloemfontein, beginning on December 15, and although Wyatt-Hodge insisted “I simply play what’s in entrance of me,” she admitted the prospect of including a 3rd Check cap to her tally was an attractive one.
“We do not actually play that a lot of it, so each time I am picked in a Check squad, it is a actually particular feeling,” she stated. “To make my Check debut within the Ashes Check couple of years in the past was the most effective days I’ve had in my cricketing profession. It hits completely different, a Check match does. All of us actually benefit from the problem. It is simply so completely different, so having a Check match right here towards South Africa goes to be nice prep going into the Ashes.”
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
