Dobson upbeat despite defeat

England Women's Head Coach, Mark Dobson is confident of his side's chances as they go into a five-match ODI series against Australia despite losing by 21 runs in the Twenty20 opener at the MCG.

"We didn't perform as well as we'd have liked to have done," he said the following morning. "There were some outstanding bits of fielding, namely Jenny Gunn's run out and an excellent bit of fielding on the boundary from Lydia Greenway to save a six, as well as notable contributions with the ball from Rosalie Birch (1-12) and the bat from Claire Taylor (34).

"There was also some sloppy cricket - too many misfields and too many extras. In terms of the batting we never really got to grips with the run chase and were always behind the required rate. It was an achievable target and at the interval we were more than happy to be chasing such a total.

"Unfortunately we did not make the most of the powerplay in the first six overs and that set the tone for the remainder of the game."

With Australia taking on India after the women's game, the seats in the MCG started to fill as the women's game drew to a close with a crowd of up to 25,000 there as the final overs were played.

 "It was a superb experience for everyone involved," continued Dobson. "Not only to play at the MCG, but also to be invited by Cricket Victoria to enjoy hospitality for the Australia v India Twenty20 game which followed ours."

The ODI series starts tomorrow, February 3, with the first two games being played back to back at the MCG. Dobson is confident that his side can overcome yesterday's defeat and emerge victorious from the forthcoming series.

"If we play the good cricket which I know we're capable of we have a good chance of success in this series. To do this every player must play her part and give a match-winning performance.

"We've got the talent to take on the Australians. They are good players, but they're not invincible. They have been at the top of the women's game for a long time now and we're keen to challenge them for that position."

Holly Colvin flew into Melbourne late last night and will be a welcome addition to the squad in Australia.

"The arrival of Holly Colvin will add strength to our bowling line-up. Not only does her presence add competition to selection; an extra slow bowler gives us more options tactically.

"Tomorrow is a huge day for us. It would be nice to start the series with a top performance at the
MCG."