Moreeng satisfied with direction of his team

Cricket365
June 30, 2017

South Africa women’s head coach, Hilton Moreeng is satisfied that his team is headed in the right direction in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in England and Wales.

The national team came out on top in their first tournament fixture, clinching a three-wicket win over an unpredictable Pakistan side, but had their momentum briefly halted by a rain affected match against New Zealand which abandoned without a ball bowled on Tuesday.

While Moreeng found the weather disappointing, he knew it was to be expected given the tournament’s geographical location and believes that his team are still on course and mentally switched on for their next challenge against the West Indies.

He said: “While the Pakistan game was a tough one, we regrouped and took a lot of positives out of it because it was the first match.

“It’s a bit frustrating now with the rain and we obviously can’t get outdoor facilities, but we’ve been making the best of the indoor facilities and the opportunities that they afford us.

“Right now the key is just to focus on our next game, Tuesday’s game is not something that we could control, but nevertheless, a point is what we get and we have to be happy with that and move on to the next game.”

Moreeng acknowledges the volatility of the West Indies team who slumped to a seven-wicket defeat to India today and says preparation for their clash on Sunday has already begun.

The team returned to Leicester from Derby on Thursday and had an indoor training session at Grace Road with the continuing downpour.

“They play a different brand of cricket,” he continued. “We sat down and analysed their game and we saw that they bring something completely different to what New Zealand would have brought to the table. Our focus is switched fully on to Sunday’s game.

“Today’s practice went well even though it was indoors. We got to work on a lot of specifics. We know we can’t control conditions and things like weather, so we concentrate on what we can and so far, I think the girls are on track.”

The team have a three-day gap before their Windies clash, but the coach is confident that his side will remain focused and mentally switched on.

“The ladies know we’re in a World Cup and we’ve said that we will play every game like it’s a final. They know they have to work for every win and make sure that they execute all the game plans and that requires them to keep their eye on the prize.”