Scotland's Michael Jones on rain affected draw with England
04/06/2024
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
04/06/2024
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
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00:00I think we can take confidence from the start that we've had.
00:30Obviously, George and I had a good partnership out there,
00:33and we knew the challenges we were going to face,
00:36the pace that England have through Mark Ward and Archer in particular.
00:41So it was all about trying to combat that,
00:43but I think we take confidence from the start that we've had,
00:46but also match that with some frustrations,
00:49knowing that if the game is going to be restricted,
00:52particularly to five, six, whatever,
00:54how many of us it was going to be restricted to,
00:56we had a really good chance of winning that game, I think.
00:59I think possibly if you asked us before the game,
01:02do you want a point from this game?
01:04We might well have taken it,
01:05but taking on England and being in that position,
01:08it's actually really frustrating,
01:09knowing that we had a really good chance of winning the game.
01:12But yes, the rain beat us, so there you go.
01:16A question about, I think,
01:17there's some curiosity in the press box about that last over,
01:20but you didn't seem to go that mental.
01:22Was there a situation where you thought,
01:24if we don't lose a wicket,
01:25that might be more advantageous in setting them a target
01:28than thrashing them home and risking it?
01:30No, I think I was just struggling to hit it, to be honest.
01:34Well, we spoke about it a little bit before we went back out,
01:37knowing that if we were none down or one down at the end,
01:41we would get runs added on to our total.
01:44Possibly it was in our minds,
01:46but more so at the back of our mind.
01:48I think at the front of our mind
01:49was just trying to clear the ropes as much as we could.
01:54Can I ask you about the shot of CJ,
01:57where you smashed a solar panel in the car park?
02:02Yes, I just put my head down and swung, to be honest with you,
02:06and connected, so that was lucky.
02:10Yes, it was pretty cool, to be fair.
02:13When you guys were off for the rain delay,
02:16a few of the lads came out and were throwing the ball around,
02:19as though you were going to be happy with 6.2 overs,
02:22given the forecast,
02:23maybe you guys wanted to get them in for five
02:25and see how your luck was?
02:27Yes, if that's how we were going to finish the game,
02:30then definitely, yes.
02:32I think the game was more in our favour
02:35if the game was going to be shorter, arguably so.
02:38Definitely, if it meant that the game was only going to be six overs,
02:41then we probably would have happily gone out to field,
02:43knowing that, I don't know how many the total would have been,
02:46but we would have been in a strong position, to say the least.
02:48So that being said,
02:49with the forecast of the sky looking pretty dark overhead,
02:52was there a mistake made in sending you guys out to finish 10 overs
02:56when it looked like there was very little cricket left
02:58when you got five in?
02:59Yes, the decision's not really up to us, to be fair.
03:02We just sort of did what we were told.
03:04I was told I had three overs to bat or whatever.
03:07In hindsight, it would have been nice to have got a game in anyway,
03:12but those are the cards that were dealt to us in a way.
03:16So, yes, obviously, a pleasing performance,
03:19but it would have been nice to have had a bowl.
03:22Matthew Mott said with the wet ball and the limited time,
03:26he fancied one-on-nine luck involved in their grasp.
03:28Was the view in your dressing room that the game involved in your grasp?
03:31Definitely, yes, we felt confident,
03:33which is why it's so frustrating, obviously,
03:35that we didn't get to finish the game.
03:37I think Scotland have been done by the rain a few times now at big tournaments,
03:42so it's obviously really frustrating.
03:45Obviously, Matthew Mott thinks they were confident,
03:48we think we were confident,
03:49so it probably would have been a really good game for the spectator.
03:52Yes, we felt we were in a strong position.
03:58You've got the old moment to come here next.
04:03You're not a bad side, but you don't seem very confident.
04:06Have you thought ahead to halfway through this
04:08that the league table will look quite good
04:10and you've maybe one win away from qualifying?
04:13Or is that maybe a next game-as-it-comes kind of cliche
04:16or are the minds wandering that qualification is within our grasp?
04:20I think, you know, having played this game,
04:24not to look too far ahead,
04:26but I think everyone would be thinking about qualifying
04:29before the start of the tournament, let alone now.
04:32But I think the cliche still goes that we take it one game at a time,
04:35and we've played Namibia before and lost,
04:38and we've played Namibia before and won,
04:40so we've got a job to do in that game
04:42and we'll take it as seriously as every game
04:44and we'll look to get another victory on the board
04:47and then we'll reassess again where we are.
04:50Hopefully it's two points for Scotland.
04:57I thought it was a good wicket.
04:59The odd ball misbehaved a little bit,
05:02kept a little bit low, but apart from that,
05:04I think it was a good wicket.
05:06The seamers had good pace up front
05:09and then the spinners, there was a little bit of turn,
05:12but I think it was a good wicket.
05:30Yeah, like I say, it's really frustrating, to be fair.
05:33I think it would have been a really, really close game,
05:36but knowing the position that we were in,
05:38you've got to feel like we had a really, really good chance of winning that game,
05:42regardless of all the talent and the superstars they've got in the England side.
05:46We also have very good bowlers and we're a really good team,
05:50so, yeah, it's pretty annoying.
05:59What about Rashid?
06:00It's the last game you've been back to England.
06:02Who do you think you're going to save the most?
06:04Off Rashid?
06:05Yeah.
06:06Probably the six I hit straight, to be fair.
06:09I think the chat that we had before the game was
06:11how we're going to deal with Rashid and stuff,
06:14and the comment I made was that he's probably not going to miss full.
06:17He's obviously a very, very skilful bowler,
06:20so it might be off the back foot that we get him away,
06:23and lo and behold, he served me up a half-volley first ball,
06:26which I managed to get away, luckily.
06:28So, yeah, maybe it wasn't the initial plan,
06:31but that's probably the shot that I would go and watch back, yeah.
06:36You were pretty late arrival here, weren't you?
06:40In terms of a lot of teams talk about privatisation, getting ready,
06:44you were back at seven for Durham about six days ago, weren't you?
06:47Yeah, that's right, yeah.
06:48It was an interesting journey.
06:50I had a plane, I think, the Friday night for Durham,
06:52and then up at half three in the morning or something
06:55to get a taxi to the airport, fly to Heathrow,
06:59and then Heathrow to Bridgetown,
07:01and then straight into training the next day.
07:03So it's been a bit of a whirlwind, to be fair,
07:06and it's all happened really fast.
07:09But, yeah, I mean, I was obviously batting in a different position for Durham,
07:14but I do also love to open the batting,
07:17and I kind of knew that might be my role coming into the Scotland side,
07:21and I had that in mind before coming here.
07:24So I suppose it was about getting used to conditions,
07:26obviously as fast as I could.
07:28But, yeah, obviously just pleased to be here now
07:30and happy with the start, I suppose.
07:34Thank you very much.
07:36Thank you.