Mott puts heat on his Southern Stars after disappointing performances in Twenty20 fixtures
Pressure on Australia batters in Auckland
Australia coach Matthew Mott has put his batters on notice, saying there are several players "who know they need to make big scores" ahead of the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars' three-match one-day series against New Zealand.
The White Ferns v Southern Stars first ODI will be live streamed on cricket.com.au from 9am AEDT
Australia will meet the White Ferns in the series opener at Auckland's Eden Park on Sunday, with the batters in particular needing to bounce back after crumbling to 66 all out - their lowest ever T20 total – at Adelaide Oval last Wednesday.
"The last couple of T20 matches were bitterly disappointing but this is a World Cup year and (one-day cricket) is our primary focus," Mott said.
"The area that clearly needs to be fixed is our batting unit, they're under pressure to perform.
"Having someone like (recalled batter) Rachael Haynes around adds pressure to the unit and there are a few players who know they need big scores.
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"For me, it's about the batting group taking accountability for the entire innings.
"Too many people threw their wickets away during the T20s …. I'm looking for hundreds or match-winning not outs."
With a 50-over World Cup title defence looming in June, Mott can see the potential benefits of that added pressure to perform, with his players knowing spots in that World Cup squad are at stake in New Zealand.
"To be honest, that (pressure) is what we wanted," he said.
"I think over the last few years it's been a bit too comfortable for some players in the side who haven't been pushed from below.
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"Jockeying for places is healthy.
"In professional cricket in Australia there's going to be a lot of that with more players coming through.
"While it's nerve-racking for the players, it's also where you sort out the best players and hopefully that drives our standards even higher."
Adding to the pressure is the fact Australia will likely be without vice-captain Alex Blackwell and allrounder Ellyse Perry for Sunday's series opener.
Blackwell is still recovering from the mild hamstring strain she sustained in the loss in Adelaide, while Perry is also on the comeback trail from a more serious hamstring injury picked up during the Rebel Women's Big Bash League.
The pair is expected to return for the second and third matches in Mount Maunganui, with experienced NSW opener Rachael Haynes, who was called up as cover for Blackwell, set to play her first match in Australian colours since 2013 on Sunday.
"We'll err on the side of caution and assess risk versus reward," Mott explained.
"Haynes is an experienced player who can slot in there and we've got a big year ahead, so the last thing we want to do is risk a form player (in Blackwell).
"(Perry's) reached most of her benchmarks and we were hoping she might be available for the first game but there's no point taking the extra risk.
"The extra days off will let her get some bowling into her, because when she comes back we want her bowling as well."
But in some more positive news for the Australians, ODI opener Nicole Bolton has linked up with the squad in New Zealand, Mott expecting the Western Australian to add stability at the top of the order.
"We get Nicole back, who's been in really good ODI form over the last couple of years," he said.
"She's a quality player who adds a lot of stability at the top and puts a high price on her wicket.
"She's evolved a lot over the last couple of years with her strike rate as well."
While the pressure is on Australia's batters, it's a different story for the bowling group, who restricted New Zealand to 111, 101 and 113 across the three T20Is.
"I'm very happy with the way they're ticking over," Mott said.
"We've got match-winners taking big wickets and young bowlers who've come in and done well."
The Southern Stars fielded a four-pronged spin attack during that series, but with off-spinner Molly Strano not part of the ODI squad in New Zealand, there may be an opportunity for an extra pace bowler in either Lauren Cheatle or Rene Farrell in Auckland, while right-arm quick Perry will return to the XI in Mount Maunganui.
"Lauren is certainly a player we're looking at with her left-arm swing, she can exploit some Kiwis up top," Mott said.
"She certainly in calculations and Rene is a proven performer who is ready to go at any stage.
"It's a tough team to break into at the moment from a bowling perspective."