Okay, what do you see? All right, so if

I walked in, and this was laying on the dresser in my bedroom, I would think my wife has got a picture holder here.

It looks like a picture holder.

For some weird frame that kind of like...

So it's like flat on the back, comes out a bit on the bottom, like at a 90-degree angle, and then comes up at like a 45-degree angle on the very tips, one's longer than the other one.

I would think that she has some kind of a...

Picture.

National Guard.

I call that the parenting problem.

This is a crazy story.

During the Revolutionary War, there were – there were actually like what we might consider to be like bio, there's like bio warfare going on.

Because if the enemy soldiers got smallpox, that was like a great boon to you.

And so the British would actually try to put people who had smallpox in the path of where the patriots were marching in hopes they would contract it and get it there.

So actually in the winter of 17, the first winter they camp after 1776, right? After Trenton and...

You know, crossing the Delaware.

didn't know

Even though it, it's the same for healthcare

...

the work that you guys do, the work that you guys do, right? I mean, when I went into this surgery, like when I came in with cancer, I will tell you that a large, a large portion of what made me feel good about what was going through was knowing the people that I was working with were professionals.

They were invested in it.

They cared, and this was their life's work.

And I knew going in, you know, there's a potential, like a small percentage you could die on the operating table.

Okay, that's a statistical, you know, possibility, right? Like a small.

Corrupts them.

In Congress, July 4, 1776: The unanimous declaration of the 13 United States of America.

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

The State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for the Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us in times of peace standing armies without the consent of our legislatures.

So going forward, any of those experienced players might get a crack?

Yeah, I think we'll sit down tomorrow, obviously, as a staff and selectors and have a look at it.

yeah, like I said, I, again, I still feel like with, with bat and ball, we've, we've done quite well with the bat.

We've, we've scored 160, 150 today and on a good weekend and thought that was enough.

And, and then again, you know, the other night created 10 or 11 opportunities and, and today it was, you know, seven or eight as well.

So those areas of the game, I think we're, you know, we're competing and competing well and should have won both matches, but, yeah i yeah i'll put my hand up that i'm at a loss with the fielding um yeah it's you can work on it i guess recreating the pressure of a world cup and and the moments is something i can't recreate out and on the practice field but it's um yeah it's something we've got to turn around quickly and yeah i'm not sure where it's come from because obviously we dealt with a hell of a lot of pressure last world cup and yeah just haven't been able to aim up this time Coach, you've been

What do you guys do to sort of have a bit of self-reflection and also to, I guess, release the pressure on you guys as coaches and selectors too, Ben?

Yeah, at the moment, everyone's probably in their own rooms doing a little bit of that.

So going forward, any of those experienced players might get a crack?

Yeah, I think we'll sit down tomorrow, obviously, as a staff and selectors and have a look at it.

yeah, like I said, I, again, I still feel like with, with bat and ball, we've, we've done quite well with the bat.

We've, we've scored 160, 150 today and on a good weekend and thought that was enough.

And, and then again, you know, the other night created 10 or 11 opportunities and, and today it was, you know, seven or eight as well.

So those areas of the game, I think we're, you know, we're competing and competing well and should have won both matches, but Yeah, I'll put my hand up that I'm at a loss with the fielding.

Yeah, you can work on it, I guess.

What do you guys do to sort of have a bit of self-reflection and also to, I guess, release the pressure on you guys as coaches and selectors too, Ben?

Yeah.

You do all of that, and you come back to a world that is major cities are destroyed.

You've convinced the rest of the world to use your currency as their currency backed up by gold.

You then loan hundreds of millions, and I don't even know what the number is in, in today's terms, to the rest of the world, and they pay you back with interest.

Uh, it's the Best Buy model, right? That's the reason they always try to get you to get the credit card.

Because the sale is sweet, but getting interest on it's even sweeter.

And we had a sixty percent of the world's industrial, uh, you know, capacity by the highest estimates, somewhere between fifteen and sixty percent.

[laughs]

Is that likely to continue with Bates?

No, not necessarily.

I, I, I don't know, to be perfectly honest.

It's, um, you know, we've looked at, at Georgia and Izzy and, and I think, you know, in the past year they've, they've had some really good strike rates.

Um, we've had decent partnerships up top.

Obviously Milie's been a part of that as well.

Um, yeah, we wanted to have a look at Suzie today.

Is that a concern?

Mm

... it's just being able to kick into gear a little bit quicker and, um, you know, the, I guess, I don't know, 10 years ago it was probably a run a ball and, and now it's probably, you probably need eight off six to, to be really competitive and, you know, if everyone's getting eight off six off the, their first six balls, then I think we're in a really good spot to, to post a big score.

So that to me is the biggest shift.

I think in, um, ODI cricket, it's a bit more decision-making.

It's a bit more, "Where's the game at?" Um, there's not a lot of time for making, you know, decisions out there in T20 cricket.

It's a, it's about getting on with it quicker.

So to me that's the biggest shift and, and that's the cool part about both games.

In terms of, um, what you've seen so far, Ben, from, from the hunger in this group, and, um, yeah, I'm, I'm sure there's plenty of it, um, what do you have to focus on as a selector and, and as a coach in terms of making sure you find that right balance?

Mm

... it's just being able to kick into gear a little bit quicker.

And, um, you know, the, I guess, I don't know, 10 years ago it was probably a run a ball, and, and now it's probably, you probably need eight off six to, to be really competitive.

And, you know, if everyone's getting eight off six off the, their first six balls, then I think we're in a really good spot to, to post a big score.

So that to me is the biggest shift.

I think in, um, ODI cricket it's a bit more decision-making, it's a bit more where's the game at.

Um, there's not a lot of time for making, you know, decisions out there in T20 cricket.

In terms of, um, what you've seen so far, Ben, from, from the hunger in this group, and, um, I, I'm, I'm sure there's plenty of it, um, what do you have to focus on as a selector and, and as a coach in terms of making sure you find that right balance?

Coach Ben Sawyer joins On The Front Foot and says they achieved some of the improvement they needed from the South African series, particularly in batting consistency.

Yeah, I guess before South Africa and coming off the back of Zimbabwe it was, um, posting those bigger scores.

And when I say bigger, we've, we've, we've done our work, we've done our research.

I think, um, the last, uh, four years of international cricket in England there's been series against Australia, India, and South Africa, so, um, four of the top countries in the world if you count England.

And the average first inning score in T20 has been 170.

So we set out at the start of the summer that, that that was our benchmark, and I think that first game against South Africa we scored 190.

Um, we, we chased, uh, two of our, I think, top four ever chases against South Africa in T20 cricket, so it's just more of that.

And your confidence in Melie Kerr as captain of the side?

So what has been the reaction? What has been your message to some of those players to, to ensure they stay ready?

Yeah, it is.

It's, uh, like you said, it, it's not anything you look forward to, and especially the night before you make the calls, you don't get a lot of sleep thinking about exactly what you just said, players that have worked so hard that, um, they are gonna miss out on a World Cup.

But, um, yeah, look, for a lot, the players that did miss out, um, there's opportunities coming around the corner.

I mean, you've all spoken about [laughs] there's a number of retirements, um, happening at the end of this World Cup.

So, um, while it's an easy thing to say that there are going to be opportunities down the track for, for players to put their hand up and, and take the position of some of these legends of the game that are, that are stepping out.

So, um, we've also got an A trip going on at the moment or, or going on at the same time as we go to England and Sri Lanka.

[laughs]

[laughs]

And, and whereas, like you said, two years ago nobody, um, was even talking about us.

So yeah, it's a little bit of a different level of expectation but, I mean, yeah, look, the one thing we, we haven't exactly spoken about it yet but that we will speak about and been working on the last few weeks is, um, you know, we're not there to defend that title.

Um, we're there to try to win a new one.

That, that one's done and dusted, and, and I think the whole ...

You know, I know it's just a word, but that word around defense- Um, little bit of a negative mindset, a- and we're there to attack.

So, you know, for us that, that best form of, you know, defense is attack.

Mm-hmm

[laughs]

... and yeah, you, you probably shouldn't be focused on that, but like you said, mate, it wasn't even so much the catching.

I just thought our bowling was exceptionally poor, if I'm being honest.

Uh, it was a green wicket.

I, I know it didn't turn out to be like that, but I just think we got a little bit carried away with, with over pitching the ball and, and didn't learn, and that's the important part for me that, you know, when you get driven down the ground seven or eight times, maybe you adjust.

So that's something we gotta, we gotta work on, but, um, mate, Dean-o was outstanding.

He, he sat there and, uh, I'll actually never forget [laughs] what he said.

Would that be true?

[laughs]

And yeah, you, you probably shouldn't be focused on that, but like you said, mate, it wasn't even so much the catching.

I just thought our bowling was exceptionally poor, if I'm being honest.

Uh, it was a green wicket.

I, I know it didn't turn out to be like that, but I just think we got a little bit carried away with, with over pitching the ball and, and didn't learn, and that's the important part for me that, you know, when you get driven down the ground seven or eight times, maybe you adjust.

So that's something we gotta, we gotta work on.

But, um, mate, Dino was outstanding.

Would that be true?

Um, i- in terms of your time with the White Ferns, are, are these some of the hardest selections you've had to make?

Uh, 100%, definitely are [laughs], and, and especially with the bowlers, mate.

I do think the bowling group in particular, uh, we've left a lot of good players off.

Um, people like Molly and, and Hannah and, um, I think you saw Kaylene Knight in the Zimbabwe series shows that I think she's got what it takes for international cricket.

Um, and, and they have been really tough decisions.

And, and I guess for me, um, coming into this role when, when I first got it, that was, you know, one of the remits that they had was to, to build a little bit of depth and hopefully been able to do that in, in my time here and, um, but it's all down to the girls and the hard work that they've put in.

But yeah, it is challenging and, and those conversations are difficult to have, but, um, it, you know, I think that shows the sign of a good team and, um, while that makes it hard for coaches and selectors and, um, it's awkward and not nice at times, it's, it's a great thing for the side.

How, how will you approach that a- as a coaching group? Will you look to, to, to seal the series and go 4-1, give other players opportunities? How do you go approach the Wednesday's performance?

Um, i- in terms of your time with the White Ferns, are, are these some of the hardest selections you've had to make?

Uh, 100%, definitely are, and, and especially with the bowlers, mate.

I do think the bowling group in particular, uh, we've left a lot of good players off, um, people like Molly and, and Hannah and, um, I think you saw Kaylee Knight in the Zimbabwe series, shows that I think she's got what it takes for international cricket.

Um, and, and they have been really tough decisions and, and I guess for me, um, coming into this role when, when I first got it, that was, you know, one of the remits that they had was to, to build a little bit of depth and hopefully been able to do that in, in my time here and, um, but it's all down to the girls and the hard work that they've put in.

But- Yeah, it is challenging and, and those conversations are difficult to have.

But, um, it, you know, I think that shows the sign of a good team and, um, while that makes it hard for coaches and selectors and, um, it's awkward and not nice at times, it's, it's a great thing for the side.

How, how will you approach that a- as a coaching group? Will you look to, to, to seal the series and go 4-1, give other players opportunities? How do you go approach the Wednesday's performance?

Uh, I think it's important that we keep the same formula.