Watch England vs India live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3.30am on Thursday
Wednesday 4 March 2020 14:21, UK
Danni Wyatt blogs on England's semi-final build-up - including the pesky rain, Sophie Ecclestone's rise and watching Justin Bieber...
I'm very excited about our semi-final against India - even for me!
There has been a lot of talk in the media about the possibility of rain but that's something that's out of our control.
With no reserve day in place we know that if we don't play we don't go through, so hopefully we'll get a game in even if it is just 10-overs-a-side.
We've prepared the best that we can and we'll be ready for whatever comes our way and it was good to train outdoors today. We've got to keep working hard and preparing well - and trust our preparations so nothing goes to waste in the game.
Personally I've felt a bit out of touch, especially at the start of the tournament, so it was good to get a few against West Indies.
At times I've felt like I've been playing too early rather than waiting for the ball as well as I'd like but I was happier with the way I played at the Sydney Showground Stadium.
I've been working hard in the nets with Gareth Breese on some basic drills - both top hand and bottom hand, with a focus on waiting for the ball.
It is difficult to fulfil my role and go hard from ball one on these wickets, but we said in that West Indies game that whoever wins the powerplay will win the match.
With the outfield slow we also spoke about the importance of running well, which Nat and I did - so it was very annoying to get out to a full toss, although it was a good diving catch to be fair!
I'm hopeful that a big knock is just around the corner - and the semi-final wouldn't be a bad place to start!
Everyone is really relaxed and calm at the minute in the camp at the moment and we remain confident about our chances.
We were very disappointed after that opening defeat to South Africa but we've bounced back really well.
Heather Knight and Nat Sciver have been outstanding for us - and all the bowlers have kept their good form going from the Tri-Series, with Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn proving real match-winners.
I'm really proud of Sophie, who is now the No 1 spinner in the World T20 rankings! Sophie is one of my best friends. I first met her at Heathrow Airport when we were about to go to Sri Lanka on boot camp and we clicked straight away.
The first time I saw her in the nets I knew that she was going to be one of the best bowlers in the world - and she's got to No 1 already and she's only 20 years old, which tells you all you need to know about her ability.
She takes everything in her stride and nothing phases her - she's so laid back she's horizontal! She loves to go shopping every single day and has just bought yet another pair of trainers!
We've covered a lot of miles on this trip so far but it doesn't faze me, although I have to admit that Freya Davies and I are the worst fliers!
I've had experience of adapting to different venues during my time in the Big Bash as my attitude is just to get on with it - adapt quickly and stay fresh.
Some of the girls haven't had that experience so it's important to make time to recharge the batteries.
We had just the one day off last week when we went to Manly beach and I enjoyed visiting Canberra Zoo with Georgia Elwiss and Fran Wilson, but otherwise it has been pretty full on.
But there is downtime too and I've just recently got into 'Shooter' on Netflix and I'm also watching Justin Bieber's 'Believe'!
Overall I think the squad has done well to adapt - and the girls are loving life. Who wouldn't, flying around Australia and being treated like royalty?!
That said, we appreciate how lucky we are to be representing our country out here and are fully focused on beating India.
Danni x
Watch England Women's semi-final against India Women live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3.30am, then stay tuned for South Africa Women against Australia Women from 7.30am.
