"We looked at the footage after the first match and at how some of South Africa's batters were playing and adjusted some of our plans accordingly."
Friday 15 June 2018 13:22, UK
England Women will meet South Africa in an ODI series decider on Friday, live on Sky Sports Cricket, after rallying from an opening-game defeat with a 69-run victory in the second match.
Ahead of the crunch clash at Canterbury, all-rounder Georgia Elwiss explains how England battled back, plus reflects on talking Disney with the All Stars and how her team-mates have picked up World Cup fever…
We didn't read too much into the first game of the South Africa series - there were areas that we knew we needed to improve on and we backed ourselves to do it. The main thing that came out was 'don't panic', because one bad game does not make you a bad team.
I love playing at Hove, it's my home ground and we came out firing as a team and have taken some momentum into the final game. We looked at the footage after the first match and at how some of their batters were playing and adjusted some of our plans accordingly.
Even when we're not in the playing XI, like I wasn't for the first ODI, we like to stay on the same training schedule as the girls. Those of us who aren't playing will go and have a bat, bowl or fitness session to make sure we're ticking over and that our skills are up to scratch.
It means we're still ready to play and those of us who didn't play on Saturday or Tuesday have trained really well and are ready to step in if required, like I did at Hove.
Away from the cricket, we had a Q&A with the All Stars last Friday - as I was walking around the boundary to the nets at Worcester on Saturday, I heard a load of the All Stars shouting, so signed some stuff for them.
It is always important for us to give back to the kids who come and support us and we love seeing them playing with a smile on their faces. The kids threw all sorts of questions at us in the Q&A, like which Disney princess we thought would play the best cricket.
Tammy (Beaumont) said Mulan and I had to question if Mulan was actually a princess but I was quickly shot down by the kids who said she absolutely was. Disney princesses aren't my strongest suit, so I asked the little girl who asked me the question and she said Ariel and I agree!
We were asked other things like if we were bowling at one of the boys which one would we most likely get out and I think it's great that so many of the kids there on that day were girls, with a few boys mixed in.
It shows that we're breaking down those barriers and boy and girls are used to growing up playing together and it's not something that is so foreign.
My little sausage dog, Flo, comes to every match where grounds allow dogs and is a nice little distraction when I'm wondering around the boundary. She makes me smile.
Having to have the responsibility of another living thing that can't talk to me or tell me what's wrong does give me a distraction away from the game, and I've had to grow up a little since I've had her in the last year.
Some of the girls' downtime is also being taken up by doing sticker books for the football World Cup.
Our captain, Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt, Anya Shrubsole and Sarah Taylor, who are sharing a book, have all got involved and as soon as we get to our next place they're looking for where to buy stickers!
Will England or South Africa clinch a series-deciding victory in the final match? Watch the third ODI live on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Main Event from 1.30pm on Friday.
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