Jafta: SA ready to reset after 'blowout' against England

South Africa's wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta has welcomed the change in venue - they have moved to Indore - after being skittled for 69 against England in Guwahati on Saturday. South Africa will meet New Zealand in Indore on Monday, nearly a year after the teams had faced each other in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Dubai. New Zealand have already played a game in Indore in this World Cup.

"We always knew coming into a tournament like this, games like this happen," Jafta said. "Because it's such a long tournament, we just have to accept what has happened. Laura [Wolvaardt] capped it off nicely and said, we don't become a bad batting unit overnight. Obviously, homework was done, and now we're just looking forward to the next one.

"We had to leave the town [Guwahati] behind us. When you look and you're coming into Indore, the people have been fantastic. For us, it's like a fresh perspective. We saw the first game they had - it was a high-scoring day. For us as a batting unit, it's just to knuckle down and bat. Don't think too much about the outcome. Just take it one ball at a time."

While Jafta admitted that South Africa had erred with their approach against England, she said her team "won't dwell' on the batting collapse.

"We were a bit rushed," Jafta said. "We weren't really present in that moment. When I went back, I realised I wasn't really present in the delivery I went out. It wasn't a good day, but we won't dwell on it. We've got another opportunity."

That opportunity comes against a New Zealand side, which is also coming off a defeat, against Australia. Jafta said that South Africa will not underestimate New Zealand whom they have not faced in an ODI since October 2023.

"You have the likes of Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine - players who've been playing for a really long time," she said. "But also, you're not underestimating your Georgia Plimmer, your [Maddy] Greens, your Izzy Gaze - she came off. For us as a bowling unit, it's about being very disciplined in how we go about our things."

Execution, Jafta said, will be crucial, something the team has focused on during their recent tours of the subcontinent. South Africa won a T20I series 2-1 in Pakistan before the World Cup and took part in a tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, where they lost three out of four matches, in May.

"We've been playing in these conditions - it's nothing new," she said. "I always make a joke, we've probably faced all of these deliveries in net sessions. Why can't we just go into a game and execute? We had a blowout, but we've got New Zealand ahead of us.

"We know that when it comes to being tactical, they [New Zealand] are probably high up there, so we have to bring in full intensity. Coach has said, 'Leave everything behind. Tomorrow is another opportunity.' A lot of different individuals will put up their hands in tomorrow's game."