We Didn't Execute Plans Well with the Ball: RCB Coach
Ben Sawyer with Mike Hesson (Twitter)
Royal Challengers Bangalore faced their second loss of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 season, as Mumbai Indians decimated their bowlers to secure a comprehensive nine-wicket victory on Monday, March 6 at Brabourne Stadium.
Shedding light on the same, RCB Women's head coach Ben Sawyer stated that their bowlers were below par and failed to execute their game plan well, allowing Mumbai Indians to get a tight grip on the match.
Mumbai Indians' opening star batter Hayley Matthews and Natalie Sciver-Brunt looked in sensational form yet again as they tore apart RCB's bowling attack to chase down the modest target of 156 runs in just 14.2 overs.
RCB's struggles with their bowling were evident in their first match against Delhi Capitals as well, with their bowlers conceding a tournament-high of 223 runs while managing to pick up only two wickets.
Reflecting on the match during the post-match conference, Sawyer delved into team's bowling issues, acknowledging their shortcomings and offering his insights on the areas they need to work on:
“With the ball, we just didn’t execute. I saw the pitch map; we sprayed them pretty much everywhere. We understand that and we just get back to it and understand the areas we’ve got to get better at."
Sawyer further highlighted that RCB's bowlers are currently failing to put any pressure on the opposition, leading to their struggles in recent matches. The 45-year-old is also confident that RCB Women will bounce back stronger in their next match.
“We looked at it and we probably only had one over without a boundary. We’ve just got to get better at stacking up the balls a little bit. Making sure that we can grab a few dots and then build a little bit of pressure. We’re just not doing that with the ball at the moment.
It’s not through lack of effort or planning. It’s just a little bit of execution at night. I am confident that they can get it done in the next few.”
Proud of Shreyanka and Kanika: Sawyer
While RCB's batting may have struggled to get-go, Sawyer was quick to acknowledge the efforts and performances of India's uncapped players.
After losing half their side for a meagre score of 71, Shreyanka Patil (23 off 15) and Kanika Ahuja (22 off 13) staged a remarkable recovery, helping their team finish with a decent total of 155 runs. "
"Not the start anyone from the club wanted. Our uncapped players tonight were outstanding. To be five for 80 or whatever we were, for the likes of Shreyanka and Kanika to do what they did, that’s really good. They’ve got those experiences now."
"To lose all our international players before the eighth over probably made it a bit hard. But I'm really proud of the effort in the back half from those girls.”
 "Shivani Shukla")
