Test Match Special - Ashes Daily: Ask Katherine Sciver Brunt

Episode Date: June 25, 2023

England cricket legend, Katherine Sciver Brunt, answers your questions. Hosted by Henry Moeran.

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Best Men, listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Podcast. How to win the Ashes. The untold stories of three key Ashes series is available now on BBC Eye Player. I'm Henry Moran and welcome to a bonus Ashes Daily podcast. England's leading wicketaker, Catherine Siverbrunt, has joined the test match special team this summer and we've been putting her under the spotlight by asking your questions. The TMS podcast on BBC Sounds. Let's start with Daniel in Leamington who asked a question. You miss it. playing for England. Of course, as recently is, what, six months ago you were. Are you pleased to be watching now? No, I can't say I ever really enjoy watching because I enjoy periods of play like what I've just

seen, get all excited and into it. I was actually, you know, obviously quite animated just what when you were leaning out of the window shouting and come on? That'll be the one. Look at there, there's no camera in there. So that was, you know, that went over everyone but yeah I mean I can't not miss all the things that were great the crowds the atmosphere having a ball in your hand and being in control being able to do what you want with it and have success like the moments that you have that are successful are very rare so those moments were always really really big like way bigger than anything else that you did so it just made up for it and and they're the they're the bits that I miss I don't

miss warming up and don't miss getting hitting the inside thigh in the nets and I don't miss my back hurting because I've bowled 40 overs that week yeah do you still have a little element of the lifestyle and the link just because Nat's still in the team and you of course

inevitably are going to be in and around the squad yeah definitely and I think people know but me and Natalie have spent every minute of every day together just because of that particular fact like we go on tour and obviously see each other every day all day at practice not at

practice on days out and then when we come home we're together every day there's no other jobs that we do that are separate and so we've gotten very used to be in each other's pocket so when it comes to what's happening now I'm very much going to follow her all around the world and support her every step of the way. So I'm going to have to get used to watching the cricket. Yeah, well, and I know it wasn't easy watching that the other night. And Grace Thompson asked the question. How does it feel to play alongside Natalie?

And what are your emotions if, say, when you were playing together, she drops the ball off your bowling? I mean, it is an interesting dynamic. Yeah, it is. You're, like I say, I spent every minute of every day with her. So I know her potential. I'm sure you know it now, but I knew that 10 years. ago and like I said I set really high standards for myself and for all my teammates not just

Natalie so when you know things like that happen you absolutely have to keep you cool no matter who they are whether it's her or not but if somebody somebody's always got to get the grief don't they and it's either because that's just how human human emotion works somebody you're going to take it out on someone and you're going to feel bad about it but somebody's got to get it and generally not you know for want to the better word bore the bed the brunt of that but there was always a way where because she's so patient and mellow she would just you know that would be like water off a duck's back and then i'd be like oh i think i was a little bit mean then i'm ever so sorry we're my friends now right yeah so and we never fight we never fight

because she is like what she is and that's why we are together because she's perfect for me and I'd like to think you know in the same way and you're that sort of yeah yeah yeah that's exactly it and it wouldn't work otherwise it just really wouldn't because of you know my personality and how I tick so yeah that was kind of the dynamic but we also brought the best out in each other I've been probably bowling at Nat since she first came on the scene and we'd have battles all the time. I always wanted to be better than her because we're all around us. Her very much are batting all around her, me are bowling all around her.

But I would constantly want to be better at her at both. And in the beginning, it was always that way. And I would like to think that I helped encourage her to be better. You've got to replicate the middle, the fiery, very extremely competitive stuff that goes on out there. replicate that in training and I very much had that with Natalie. And we spoke before play actually about where England would find that fire today and I think they have shown a little bit more of that. Do you look back and think that was part of my job in that team was being a little bit of

that voice, that noise, that passion? For the first 10 years, Lottie used to throw me the ball for that specific reason. So I'd open the bowling, I'd finish the innings, and she'd lob me the ball at the power play at 34, because she wanted something, she knew that she would limit the run scoring with me, but she'd always want me to, there'd be other times where she needed a wicket,

and if she did it, she'd lob me the ball, because even if I didn't get a wicket, there would be animation. I'd make something feel like it was going to happen. I don't like, I like being entertained. I have a short attention span, as people can imagine, and I like to entertain myself. So I would bring something from somewhere

and generally that would be from just who I am and how I am, how I wear my heart on my sleeve or how animated I am. I would like to create something from nothing because, believe it or not, when the crowd get going there, it helps Lauren. It helps her running fast.

It gets her excited. She suddenly had a smile on her face. Yeah, it was a bit wayward, but that's what comes in with charging in and bowling. fast. It's going to be wayward, but there'll be that ball in the middle that they can't handle. And that's what

you saw there, and the crowd don't understand how important they are for that. Yeah. Do you think that passion that obviously caused such success and energy in the England's like, do you ever think do you know what? I probably didn't need to get, you know, quite as vocal.

Because you are some that expresses himself and expresses frustration at yourself, at others, at opposition, at umpires. That's just part of who you are. It's true. It is true. And I always wished I could limit it or harbour it or channel it in some way. And it's just me. Like, I do not mean it in a malicious way, in a negative way. It's just pure, raw emotion. I am human. And there are sports where you can get away with this. Like, I watch boxing and I like the UFC, funnily enough. And you watch the press conferences, the interviews, the way they talk on the media. It's awful. There's so. swearing constantly they're being absolutely vile to each other but it's okay but when it comes to us you're on a pitch right if you're a batter you get a first baller you walk off you can destroy the changing room yeah about two and a half minutes later you're a bowler you're having a bad

day you are on show for hours what where do you cry where do you where do you scream who do you shout at like it's impossible and people just don't give you a break they don't understand what that feels like what that fire in your belly

is doing and you're constantly trying to keep that at bay because not only are there microphones within metres of you but you're on telly

and there's six different cameras from six different animals my mum used to say I can lip read you know after every game I can lip ren and just be like I can't do anything but do you think

there's enough spoken about that because it is a challenge for playing. We've seen it the history of the game. You see you know, bowlers, particularly bowlers, so frustrated and having to really bottle it up. Yeah and I have

I, from experience, have a lot of sympathy for them because this is the pinnacle we're on a world stage. We're the best in the world. This is no joke to us. This is life and death. That's the way I see a game of cricket when I play it. It's not just a game. It's not

just for a laugh and I wish I could think more like that. The people who show no emotion and smile when they get smacked for six I'm so envious to those people because I'm like, are we in the same game? This is like a world, this is a World Cup. I've waited

four years to be here. It's a short career. I'm representing England like I'm proud and passionate and then it just doesn't bother them. If we make a mistake and When all you do day in, day out as an athlete, is strive for perfection and to be better. Those things bother you way more than they should.

Sadie asks, if you could play one cricket match ever again, what format would it be? Who would you be playing against and where would you want to play it? Oh, it was obvious. It's ashes against Australia. Wacker. Okay. I loved that pitch. It's why I went to the Perth scorches.

in the first place I love bowling fast I miss bowling fast I used to bowl fast but I had to change nearly three back surgeries because I like charging in

and I very much had to turn into a school for bowler who was accurate because I would not have lasted more than five years so I miss that I miss being young watching phyla is hard

because I can taste It's what, how that used to feel. And we had a test match for Australia at the WACA. And some of the happy, my disc was hanging out my spine at the time. And I had surgery not long after that. But I nonetheless charged in. And for those that haven't bowled at the WACA and their aspiring seamer, it's fun.

There's pace, there's bounce, there's fire. And against Australia, because... Because why not? is that the team that for you and I guess that's what Sadie's getting it is that the team that you just

really fires you up yeah and I would take it personal because that's how I tick I have to have a fight so I wonder if I'd been good at UFC

just so it came into my head so what I do right this is what I do I get into a game and I look at the opposition and I go right who am I taking on who's I got to be better

than today on the scorecard and in my heart I've got to be better than them today and I would ask the girls who are you taking on today so Nat you're taking on Pez I'm taking on I don't know and I wouldn't go I wouldn't make it easy so it wouldn't be I wouldn't be taking on Darcy Brown I want an all-rounder two because I have pride in my batty and I want somebody better I guess so I'd I would normally say I'll take Pez and I think that's why that's five has always been there for her because I would always be, it would be something like Sophie Divine,

at least Perry. I would go after the best all rounders in the world. I want to be better than them every single time and that's what got my juices flowing. Santos in West Bridgeford, not far from here, says that the success of the Women's Premier League in India, how far do you think the women's game can go and is it possibly a danger that franchise cricket

could take over from the international game? Yes, of course it can. The introduction of it is unbelievable. It's the best thing that's ever happened to us because it now is, for instance, my wage v James Anderson's wage. It's not, it might be 3% of his. It's just not, I can't secure my life with that,

but he can. He can make investments and by the end of his career I could never do another job and doesn't have to earn another penny if he doesn't want to. It's different for us, so this, coming along helps us secure the rest of our lives so that we don't feel so bloody crap and

anxious whilst we're playing about oh I didn't go to school because I went straight into play for England I don't have an education to fall back on oops like I don't really want to go back to school at 40 do you know what I mean this is like a picture I'm trying to paint for the women

it's changing now of course but slowly and steadily but the IPL has brought in that figure of money that's life-changing for a lot of people and that can only get better so I absolutely am all for it because if our countries don't do it it's got to come from somewhere and yes people will maybe have to make a choice as they get older because your body can only be stretched too far and this is the conversations I'm having with Natalie at the minute and they're ongoing but

she's very much like me we're very passionate we want to represent England for the whole time that we play our careers and nothing will tear us away from that but you've got the rest of your life to think about and your body and how you abuse it if you like and those opportunities are fantastic they're 15 years too late um but they're here and we'll concentrate on that instead the tms podcast keep up to date with live text and highlights during the match on the BBC Sports website and app. To embrace the impossible requires a vehicle that pushes what's possible. Defender 110 boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, a weighting depth of 900

millimeters, and a roof load up to 300 kilograms. Learn more at landrover.ca. Money, glamour, politics, spying, violence, takeovers. kidnapping and photocopying this is sport strangest crimes from the man who tried to buy cricket one night one game one or take all 20 US million dollars the kidnap of a super horse it must have been terrifying of course it was how we got through they're not a trillion dollar takeover which never took off broadsters of this level they will never stop and an ill-advised errands changing f1 forever It will haunt the people involved for as long as they live.

Sports, strangest crimes. Listen on BBC Sounds. The TMS podcast. Hear every ball of every match in the men's and women's ashes live on Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds. Do you view yourself, and though, of course, you know, any cricketer who's retiring now would want to be 15 years younger, just because it is a different world.

But do you see the significance? of the role you played in playing over such a sort of developmental time in the women's game in getting it from where it was to where it is? No, it's not hard to see, is it? Because I've lived every day of it for 19 years. So that's obviously a very long and slow time for me. Whereas if you looked back on my life now in a, I don't know, a highlights package, I could probably see it.

I'd go, oh, crikey, look where we were when we wore that. and when we bowled like that and when we batted like that and our bats were pants and we could barely hit it off the square and yeah like so if you did that yes I can see it but

from like in my heart it's hard to know I was you know I was part of I know I am but it's hard to see it yeah and when people say it it means a lot I have a lot

I had so many messages when I retired and it meant a lot to me like it was It was overwhelming, actually, the amount of love and support I got from people. Well, Jim and Haworth says congratulations on your retirement. I mentions a career spanning 20 years and asks, is the lengthy career now potentially a thing of the past, given the fact that so much more cricket is being played?

Yeah, it is, especially if you choose to do everything. So if you're a Nat or a Sophie, you're playing. So Nat and Sophie are different in that there's a gap in age. So Sophie's going to do everything She's going to say yes to everything She's going to do the IPL She's going to do WBBL She's going to do Fair Break

She's going to do the 100 She's going to do the three England tours You have in the year She's going to do her Lancashire stuff And you know all that That's a lot You're at home for two

Three weeks a year If you do that The mental side of it Will catch up with you You don't see it but it will With Nat She's seven years older She's more mature

She looks how after her body more. It's just how it works. When I was Sophie's age, I did the same thing. And you start to prioritise. And so Nat will miss a tour here. She'll say no to Fairbreak. She'll say no to the WBL,

which she has done for now, three years in her own. Prioritise England, but prioritise maybe where she can help her family with the BBL. So it's different, isn't it? But it's grueling, savage, isn't it? I mean, when you put it like that two or three, weeks at home a year and it would be if you added all out absolutely because don't forget we're at luffborough every week all year other than when you get three weeks off twice a year and even then

it's interrupted so don't forget like they say oh it's six rich i only get two weeks a year and four weeks don't you normally normal jogs so yeah but our bodies will break down we like your body needs that it's a must so yeah so those people that live away from luffber like um sophy and if you like in manchester that's a lot of travel there where that's where you miss out on home me and myself myself and natalie have more time at home because we made the decision to move to luffborough so we wouldn't have to travel for those Loughborough weeks so that we could sleep in our own beds because that was important to us

and yeah there are some decisions to make if you want to protect your mental health I guess I remember seeing in late 2018 arriving at the team hotel to do an interview in the 220 World Cup

and you were on the back of a golf buggy your back had gone and I thought this player's never playing again but you did and you kept playing for another five years but how is the body now Because it's, you know, it's been through a lot, injury-wise. It has, I have put it through a lot.

I've been, I've been bad to it. Some of the things I've put it through are unreal. In that 2018 World Cup, I went away injured. And I don't know how I did it. I went through nine weeks of hell. It was hell. And just wanted the surgery, just to make it stop, just to make the pain stop.

But a third surgery at that point would have spent. the end so I didn't really want to take that risk and I just went through it so that I would last but it's just in my head it's my head can't stop you can't say no I don't know how I retired to be honest really yeah because I'm still good enough I'm still ready but the last two years I have not dedicated myself to cricket in the way that I have before so I felt I owed it to stop if I couldn't give it everything and that should have been two years ago because that's where I was that in my head

so for instance I used to be for a decade and a half the fittest and the strongest and the strongest person in that team and no one will beat me because that's my mentality not no one

I didn't want to be second in anything so when that teetered off I knew what was capable of but I just didn't want to push myself. And I thought, well, I'm still first in the team and still doing all right. Maybe I don't need to. And as soon as that creeps in, that mentality,

you shouldn't be at the top because you're not giving it all. I didn't, when I'm on the pitch, I'll give you 100%, but my skill level isn't to 100% because I haven't put the 100% in before that. But I never gave anything less than my all when I crossed the line. That will never be questioned.

but yeah and I have to live with that because that's not a good feeling no but it's one I think that is recognisable for people in all sorts of life situations in the fullness of time you can see it can't you yeah people our age will know it gets harder as you get older and they've got that to find out

rich in Birmingham saying I was hoping to ask Catherine about a certain situation that recently arose in the men's game Jack Leach got injured people searching high and low for an English spinner who would ideally be world class and able to bowl consistently on a 50 pp You know where this is going.

Maybe have a bit of height, bounce, plenty of spin, control, and variation. Sophie Eccleston, question, mark. Could she do a job? I mean, this is a question. It happened with Sarah Taylor. It'll happen again in the future. Yeah. What a question.

It's funny that it comes up, isn't it? Like, we haven't spent our entire childhoods facing, because don't forget, Sophie's got to face 90 mile an hour bowling. She wouldn't last two minutes. She'll tell you that. She would go for it, because she would. She's played plenty of men's cricket. She don't care. She's very much one of the lads. But she wouldn't last, like, but had she grown up 10 years facing 80 mile an hour

and being in that hostile environment facing that shorter length at boys bowl on her as a normal length, maybe. But they shouldn't be asked, like, they should just not be a question. Like, she is very good at what she does. And yes, I do believe she could probably hold her own. because she does bowl. Nathan Lime balls 57. She can bowl 56. Like, she's tall. She has a man's statue like she's strong.

She's repeatable, of course. But it's silly to think that, you know, Moines Alley, do you know what I mean? I almost don't want to answer it. It's that awkward. Yeah. There's plenty of very talented Englishmen's cricketers that could do that role.

We just, you know, haven't tapped into them yet. We all often have this debate, don't we? We do. And it always seems to pop up. But yeah, so, this is one from the WBBL fan page. How does it feel to be watching an Ashes test from the sidelines? Because you say Ashes Cricket, you mentioned the Wacker in 2014. Is this the absolute pinnacle?

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's the most asked question I've had this week for sure because, well, it's here and everybody knows I love it. Test cricket is the be all and end all for me. It's what I enjoy watching the most and even more than that playing. It's great because there's so many, it's a ride, it's an emotional journey and it's a test of everything to its absolute fullest. And I love that and love getting in the dirt. and being ground to the bone physically and mentally, like

at the time you don't think you do. Why? I don't know, because I just love giving my all. I love trying hard. I love challenges. I like people doubting me. I don't know. And I love helping people,

supporting people. Like, every time I've come on, it's to help my team not to be, to get a wicket for me. do you know what I mean I couldn't care less I want us to win I'm going to try and help that and yeah

if I see it going badly well I want to change that like yeah it's hard to it's hard to describe Becky asked do you think we'll ever see a Washes series with multiple tests or even just test cricket rather than the multi-formats

is it something that you and other players would like to see or would you like to see maybe even three tests three ODIs 3T20s to differentiate the ashes from other multi-format series Um, no, I don't think you will see it. Um, would I like to see it? Yes, of course. We wouldn't want to see it. For me, I would like to. But the reason I say it won't happen is because women's cricket especially is definitely going more into the white ball side of things because it's the most watched.

We, at the end of the day, to keep our sport going forward and thriving, we have to put bums on, seats and viewers tuning in. And the only way to do that is to provide entertainment. I think the stats show that, well, they've changed recently. It's been brilliant, but people tune in more, entertain more by our white ball format. And that's what we're governed by, regardless of what we want, what we prefer, or what we like doing. We're not governed by our feelings. We're governed by numbers and figures.

Well, I think it's the same the world over across men's and women's cricket. is whiteball cricket is often the thing that generates. Yeah, and that's why Brendan McCormick and Ben Stokes are trying to make it sexy again, if you like. That's the word that's thrown around. It's an entertainment, inspiring, entertaining. And it's the only reason that that crowd at Edgebaston was going off until the very last ball.

It's because they're changing the way people view that form of the game. One little stat from yesterday is over 7,000 here at Trent Bridge, and that number is more than attended the whole of the taunton test. match four years ago. That's a little bit of an indication of where the growth has been. Right then, Alison says, what was your favourite ball to bowl

and who would be your choice of death bowler? You can't say yourself? Yeah, no, I wouldn't actually. Not in recent years, maybe back in the day. Favorite ball to ball. It has to be in the swing. The wobble ball was the dangerous one because you've got less time to react.

And sometimes through the air, if you're the bats, I mean, it does feel like it's not coming back. So that was the best ball I had, but my favourite one to ball is there's nothing better than seeing it hooped past them or hoop back into the pads like that was my favourite.

After that actually, when the one out the back, the one that, you know, out the back of the hand, the slowball, if that moves when it lands, that's also pretty exciting. And then what was the second question? Death bowler, who do you choose? Death bowler, who would I go? Chris Jordan.

What? A yorker bowler. Oh, um, death bowler. You know Sophie Eccleston? Mm. She's not showing you a lot yet, but... And this is the funny thing between training and playing, and what really annoys me is we can be so good at training.

I could bowl 20 yorkers in a row the day before. I'm going to the game. I can't land one. And I'm like... It's just like my mind is gone. You add a batter there, and they're just like mess with you. or someday skippers changed your ends that you practice from yesterday

and you're uphill now a bit and it changes things Sophie Eccleson always wins the Yorker challenge always bowling sea no spin because you said she does bowl a little bit and that ball's a heel of it

she can swing it actually back in if she wants but yeah she can she can and why not have a spin a bowl of death because it's sometimes the last thing I expect, but unbeknownst to everyone in the world, she gets that yorking more than anyone I've seen ever in our squads. Rado, Yosef says,

do you support the creation of domestic multi-day competitions the next five years so that the only Red Bull cricket played isn't just the test matches? I mean, is there time, I suppose? Say that again. So would you like to see a Red Bull domestic competition? Like I said, I just don't think, like, look, we're governed by money and opportunity and I don't think facilities-wise, opportunity-wise, ground-wise,

that that would be a possibility just because of how little we play internationally. So it'd be lovely, it'd be so good, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I'm not an advocate for it. I am because then that would make this game better, because these filer would have come from playing, had playing some red ball cricket instead of just being like, here you go, off you go. So yeah, it would be grateful

because I imagine all 120 contractor players we have will be licking their lips and wanting to try this themselves. Definitely. I know there's people around the world, the Kiwis itching to play a test match. Yeah, it's sad that they can't and they don't get that opportunity we do. It's slightly mad, isn't it, really,

that you're asking players to come out of a player format they've never played. I mean, Lauren Bell said it last year. Well, I've played 14 in 20 years, one earth. And that is a mighty test career in the women's game. And with a bad back, you just expected, used to bowling four overs and a spellweather, 10 overs, max and dying.

Could you just bowl 45 to work? But I'd like you to get through an ODI and T20 series after. Yeah. It's just mad. It is mad physically. Joe and Wolverham. Do you fancy getting into coaching? What sort of coach would you be?

That would be rogue. Oh, yes. It would be fun. I'd probably last year because they get sacked because they'd be like, what on earth is going on here? My main priority would be to make all my players feel great. What I hate is...

I've obviously been in the changing room right and behind the scenes, and there's so much bitching. Us girls, we love Anatta and a bitch because we're always emotional because we're all, you know, sink. I'll leave that to the imagination. But I've always been on the thing of like,

how do we make everybody happy? And you cannot, by the way. You cannot make 15 people happy. But you can try your damnness to get near 13, maybe. So it would be to have everyone genuinely believe in you. Because people say, oh, I believe in you, but deep down they don't. They don't believe what you're doing.

And that's only because they didn't get an opinion. So everybody would have an opinion. Everybody would, we would try and get everybody happy. And that would be my go-to first. Because I feel to get the best out of someone. Like I think this game's mainly mental. Because your natural talent, Sarah had 99.9% natural ability and she trained for half a percent.

She'll tell you that. She ain't trained. But that's the beauty of, like, natural talent. But what I'm trying to say is I would work more on that side of things. Because happy players play well. Happy people have a happy life. And I would just be people first. I think to get the best out of someone, you've got to gain their trust, their respect,

and they need to believe in you wholeheartedly. And that for me is when I've worked at my best. Not assuming everyone works like me, of course not so. but I think it's a good place to start and yeah so yeah I would but maybe not a head coach I don't know

it's quite a big responsibility so you'd just be the sort of the hype the mentor I'm happy to try things you know like if an assistant coach assistant coach role came away

yeah okay cool and a franchise thing came away yeah I'll give it a go a mentor a bowling consultant yeah I don't think it'll be short of offers to be honest I think that, you know, brilliant to hear from Catherine Siverbrunt there.

Don't forget you can listen to our Ashes Daily podcast on BBC Sounds, where you also find editions of No Balls, a cricket podcast with Alex Hartley and Kate Cross, plus Terlenders with Greg James, Jimmy Addison and Felix White. Enjoy even more of the Ashes with BBC Sounds. It means everything as a kid. It's a pinnacle of test cricket. Find out what it takes to lift the famous urn in how to win the ashes. I'd already decided how I was going to go about it. If I was going to get out, it was going to take a great ball or a great catch.

And the tail enders boys are back. Let's talk about your Ashes' memories, Jimmy. Talk us through your debut in Brisbane in 2006. Yeah, we got battered. Take the Eshers with you this summer on Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds.