Slight easing of Covid rules allows players to feel more relaxed, vice-captain Sciver says
Speaking from Adelaide, where the squad held their first training session since introducing new, slightly eased Covid-prevention protocols, Sciver said the players had enjoyed a feeling of “calm” after being “very frustrated” by strict social distancing protocols. The shift was a physical one too, with the group holding their first in-person team meeting and allowed to gather in small groups outside.
“Being together and being as one as a group is part of why we love touring,” Sciver said on Tuesday. “Being away from your family is hard and being away from your home, but then when you have that group and […] just being able to go around to someone’s room, it makes such a big difference.
“That is one of the rules that changed for us. As we’re now Covid-secure, the group is secure and we can mingle a little bit more – still in smaller groups, but yeah, I think that feeling was back again today.
“Today’s been the first day where I think everyone’s feeling bit more calm, whereas last week everyone was very frustrated with the rules that we’ve had to adhere by. I think everyone took a breath and enjoyed themselves. Before that, everyone was like: ‘Well, when are we going to be able to meet out? Are we going to be able to hug each other?’ The unknown was stressing people out a lot.”
“It’s been quite challenging already and quite difficult to keep remembering that we have done the training and we have done the work,” Sciver said. “That’s why today’s been really good. I think that everyone was in a really good place today and keeping those thoughts in their mind… in the moment it’s hard to remember that it’s not the be-all or end-all, the game that we just played.”
On her own form, Sciver said she felt she had made improvements after lean returns with bat and ball at home against New Zealand last year. She played four of the five ODIs against the White Ferns, scoring 53 runs at an average of 13.25 and took three wickets at 31.66. She managed just 20 runs across the three T20Is at 6.66 with a highest score of 14 and took two wickets.
Before that, she was the second-highest run-scorer behind Mithali Raj in the ODI series against India, having scored 142 runs at 71.00, while in the T20Is she was third-highest with 98 runs, including a top score of 55. She took two wickets in the ODI series and three in the T20s.
“I feel good,” Sciver said. “I feel better than I finished the English summer, so I’m happy with where I am at the minute and, like I said, preparation wasn’t ideal, but I think I got the most out of it and I’m raring to go.”
And she revealed her strategy for managing the demands of being an allrounder ahead of not only a multi-format Ashes series – the three T20Is will be followed by a Test and three ODIs – but also England’s 50-over World Cup defence in March.
“Breaking it down has been a bit easier,” she added. “I think if I think of it all at once it can be a bit daunting. But I know that the role that I have to play is is very important and I wouldn’t want my role to change. So I know that there’s going to be hard work coming up. I’m going to be probably be very sore, but that’s where I guess all of the work that we’ve done fitness-wise and gym, strength-wise and just being on it with your recovery comes in.
“Hopefully keeping physically fresh will take care of itself. Keeping mentally fresh I think will be a bit more of a challenge.”
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo
