Aussies unfazed by World Cup warm-up loss

Coach Matthew Mott says a nine-wicket loss to New Zealand has not dented Australian confidence heading into the Women's World Cup.

MATTHEW MOTT. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images.

Australia isn't worried about their World Cup warm-up loss by New Zealand on Tuesday, even putting a positive spin on the nine-wicket dusting.

Meg Lanning's side faces holders England on Saturday to begin their 50-over World Cup campaign.

Despite a successful Ashes defence last month and imperious ODI record over the past five years, they were handed a tough lesson this week by an in-the-mood Sophie Devine.

The Kiwi skipper belted an unbeaten 161 off 117 at Lincoln's Bert Sutcliffe Oval, carrying her bat through the innings as New Zealand chased Australia's mammoth total of 321 with 41 balls to spare.

Australian vice-captain Rachael Haynes, who said Devine might have made 200 if they played the full 50 overs, insisted it wasn't a negative for the Australian attack.

"It's good for our bowling group to be under pressure ... to be put under the pump particularly in a practice game," she said.

"Sometimes that's really hard to contrive in training. I definitely think it's a good thing."

The unofficial nature of the match allowed Australia to use nine different bowlers, prioritising getting overs into the whole squad rather than winning.

"Bowlers bowled out a position ... if the game was a proper World Cup game, someone else would have filled roles and those sorts of things," Hayne said.

The Australians sat in circles after the match for around half an hour, first in their "skill groups" and then as a whole team, discussing the match.

Haynes said they were "sharpening up any notes on different players and those sorts of things".

Coach Matthew Mott said the result "doesn't count for a lot".

"We're pretty happy with where we're at. Our bowlers got some miles out there the other day, we didn't really show our hand in terms of matchups, and some of the things that we will have planned when we play New Zealand next time.

"We hate losing. No one likes losing. But if you're going to lose, that's the match to lose and learn some lessons before we we start the ones that count for points," he said.

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