NICK HOWSON: The new women's head coach called for a change in mentality from the team after some "safe" performances in pressure situations in recent years and appears satisfied ahead of the T20 World Cup
Jon Lewis has challenged England to maintain their new positive approach during the T20 World Cup.
Lewis' tenure as the new women's head coach couldn't have started much better, after a clean sweep of the one-day and T20 international series against West Indies.
In truth, it was a one-sided tour which will have taught the former Surrey and Sussex seamer little about the group, though he admits to being closer to identifying his first-choice XI for the tournament in South Africa starting in February.
But the most pleasing aspect of the performances across the eight matches, which included record-breaking ODI scores in the Caribbean, was quickly implementing an attacking style of play.
"The thing I've been most pleased about, irrespective of the actual result, is the way the girls have attacked their cricket and the mindset they've tried to adapt to," Lewis said.
England wrapped up the ODI series with aplomb (Randy Brooks)
"I've talked to a lot of them over the course of the tour and you can hear loud and clear the way they're thinking and the way they're trying to go about their business.
"That's the most pleasing thing for me, the shift that they've made in terms of how they've tried to approach cricket, in terms of putting bowlers under pressure and taking wickets at every opportunity and working really hard in the field.
"I think regardless of the actual results in the games, the way that we've been able to attack our cricket and try and play the way that we want to play as a group has been really, really pleasing."
"I've had a really good chance to look at people in game situations which isn't always the case on tours.
"We've had a good amount of games to play and it's been a good opportunity to show me what they can do. So I've been pleased with that aspect as well."
But Lewis is well-aware that if England are to claim a first women's T20 World Cup since 2009 and end Australia's stranglehold on the sport, they'll have to reproduce these performances against the very best.
West Indies were out of sorts throughout the tour (Randy Brooks)
"Whilst the challenge of this tour hasn't been as great as we would have probably liked, there have still been some pressure moments in games where people stood up and took responsibility to do the job," said Lewis.
"There's obviously greater challenges ahead of us. There are some really good teams out there in women's cricket. It'll be exciting to see how they cope with those pressures.
"I said I was more than happy to lose games on this tour as long as we shifted the way we wanted to play. And that's the thing I'm most pleased about, the way that we've approached cricket, the attacking mindset they've taken into the games.
"I feel like it's a real shift from what I've watched in the past and the times I think they've played safe. But there's been a real shift in the group in the way they're talking and the way they're trying to grow their game."
The composition of Lewis' squad in South Africa will be dictated by the fitness of Alice Capsey, who lasted just a single game before flying home with a broken collarbone.
Lewis' side signed off by bowling West Indies out for 43 in the fifth T20I (Randy Brooks)
The 18-year-old allrounder is understood to be making good progress in her race to be fit for the tournament. England kick-off their campaign against West Indies in Paarl on February 11.
"I'm getting some really positive noises actually, which is a bit of a surprise to me once I'd heard what she'd done," Lewis revealed.
"I didn't realise that those injuries could heal as quickly as they can. So there are some really positive noises coming out but she's still got quite a way to go to make sure that she's going to be fit and available for a World Cup.
"I think probably the hardest thing for her will be when she starts hitting the ground again, diving. So that's probably just building her confidence in the work that's been done on her collarbone.
"But as far as I know, from all the information I've got from the medical staff, she's progressing really well which is great."
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.