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ICC WOMEN'S WORLD T20

November 22, 2018

Amy Ellen Jones

North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda

England - 116/2, India - 112/all-out

Q. It seemed almost an understated celebration on the pitch. What's the mood in the dressing room right now?
AMY JONES: Everyone's so happy, obviously. To finish it pretty convincingly, everyone is so, so pleased. Probably not the best at showing my excitement, but I'm feeling very good right now.

Q. When you walked out onto the pitch, with England's opener going early on, what was it like? When you walked out on the pitch for England's opener going early on, what were your nerves like?
AMY JONES: Yeah, there's always some nerves around, obviously. But our prep coming into this game has been so clear. And we knew our game plan. So it's just us feeling pretty confident. And the total wasn't really high. So I know if we just batted through and had a good partnership we'd be in a good place.

Q. At what point did you know it was done?
AMY JONES: I don't think you ever really know it's done until you've done it, because there's always some nerves. So, yeah, the last ball is -- very happy when that passed.

Q. In terms of innings, where does that win rank in your career?
AMY JONES: It's definitely at the top. I haven't played a big role within team at World Cup before. So obviously semifinals, fantastic. So, yeah, it ranks very high.

Q. Were you able to sit and watch the first semifinal before yours?
AMY JONES: Yeah, we had it on in the hotel room and had a little break from it when we were driving here. It was quite a long time to wait for a game, 8:00 p.m., so there's a lot of thinking time. And you try to distract yourself and have a look at the first game, see what the pitch is doing, and just taking any info on it you can.

Q. It's obviously quite a quick turnaround to the final. What do you work on between now and then?
AMY JONES: I think maybe just a little bit of the specific plans, what we're going to come up against with the Aussies. But mainly just keeping confidence high, hitting a few balls tomorrow. And, yeah, anything can happen in the final.

Q. What kind of threat will Australia pose?
AMY JONES: Obviously they are a world-class side, and hopefully it will be a really good game. Just really excited for it, really.

Q. Can you talk about Nat's contribution as well?
AMY JONES: Nat was fantastic. She came in and straightaway took the pressure off, having just lost the wicket. She's an attacking batter and she always goes a straight way, which makes the partnership easier. I could easily take the singles and knew as long as we stayed in together we'd get the job done.

Q. Did you talk as you went through the innings about kind of staying calm and not getting carried away?
AMY JONES: Yeah, exactly. I think once it was under a run a ball and all we had to do was just bat through really, we kept reminding take the easy options, take the runs they give us. So we were constantly talking about that, as you said, and just trying to stay relaxed.

Q. What about, to back into their innings, can you talk about the importance of England's bowling in terms of first strangling them and then obviously bowling them out of the last six overs?
AMY JONES: Yeah, our bowlers were fantastic today. Obviously to restrict them to that total was brilliant. The spinners in particular, Kirstie Gordon has been fantastic throughout. She's really took to international cricket very naturally. And, yeah, the bowlers are fantastic -- made it a lot easier for us.

Q. A much better performance in the field after a few slip-ups in the last group then?
AMY JONES: We hit a few hard catches yesterday under the lights, but I think we were very pleased when Nat took that one.

Q. Is Heather Knight aware that she's now on a hat trick going into the final?
AMY JONES: I'm not sure. She probably will be. It will be a big ball when she brings herself on, she might bring herself on a little bit earlier, maybe.

Q. You and Nat seem particularly successful batting on that pitch compared with everything else that we saw today. Why did you think that you two were more successful than others?
AMY JONES: We worked so hard looking at their bowlers and making sure everybody played their plans, safer places to hit their attack. They're a little bit slower than some of the spinners. So I think me and Nat just really played to that today and it came off well, luckily.

Q. Obviously you're facing Australia in the final. It's a big occasion anyway being the final in a global tournament. Does facing Australia, with that kind of history of the big rivalry, give added flavour as a game?
AMY JONES: I think a World Cup final is a World Cup final. And anyone we're playing, it's a massive event. And I guess it's about just embracing the occasion, and it's a chance to really do something special. I think as a team we've dealt with the pressure well so far in this tournament. So hopefully one more win.

Q. Alyssa Healy, your Australian counterpart, has been extremely successful for the Australians. Do you feel she's a particular threat for you guys going into the final?
AMY JONES: Yes, she's obviously a very dangerous player. She's played really well throughout the tournament. Yeah, of course, they've got some really great players. We definitely won't take anyone for granted and I guess a little bit of planning tomorrow. Yeah, look forward to it.

Q. How difficult was it for you keeping on that pitch and how did you assess that pitch?
AMY JONES: It was quite difficult. Obviously a lot of turn, slow turn and bounce. Missed a couple early. Made me a bit nervous. But luckily got into it. I think I adapted pretty well. It's a fun pitch to keep on because you're always in the game and you always feel like it could be the bat any moment. They're the wickets, they're good fun to keep on even if they're a little difficult at times.

Q. Was that the best performance by spinners that you've witnessed as a keeper?
AMY JONES: Yeah, I think the spinners were fantastic. They happened throughout this tournament, we restricted a lot of good teams to lower totals. So once again they were brilliant and, yes, same again on Saturday, hopefully.

Q. What was your mindset hitting that last ball and getting a half century?
AMY JONES: I was happy to see the fielders come up. Just wanted to try and whack it, really, and very pleased that got through the ring. And very happy to get my first fifty in T20.

Q. Were you surprised with the fields that India used?
AMY JONES: I think it's pretty standard to what we've seen from them before. So it's sort of what we prepared for. No, not surprised. I think we played them pretty well.

Q. And the lengths?
AMY JONES: Yeah, I think that we were, especially Nat, she's really quick to get on the back foot. And I think that was a really safe way to play them high on the ground and it was something that we worked on and it was great to see Nat putting that into practice in the game.

Q. You talked a lot about wanting to get the opportunity to be a first-choice player for England and being a match winner, you obviously took that chance tonight. Was it the proudest moment of your cricketing career, doing what you did this evening?
AMY JONES: Yeah, it felt brilliant. Yes, I obviously saw this tournament as a big opportunity for me with the gloves. And I'm glad that I could contribute with the bat too. And it feels pretty good right now.

In the powerplay if there's one in my area, I back myself to clear the ring and then once the run rate, required rate started to come down I think it's about being sensible, being ruthless in making sure me and Nat were there at the end to shake their hands.

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