Test Match Special - Behind the scenes at the PCA Awards

Episode Date: October 1, 2026

Stephan Shemilt speaks to the winners and special guests at the end of season celebration held in West London.We hear from the Somerset duo who took home the main prizes Craig Overton and Sophie Luff.We also chat with young player of the year Sonny Baker plus two other bowlers trying to establish themselves in the full England side Sam Cook and Henry Crocombe.We’re also joined by England spinner Charlie Dean who found herself leading the team for much of hugely significant summer for the women’s side and Kate Cross who was one of those players honoured at the awards for her contribution to the gameAnd we hear from Blaze treble winners Kirstie Gordon & Georgia Elwiss & Oliver Hannon-Dalby who was part of the County Championship winning Warwickshire side and is also PCA President.

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Whether it's a parley on Sunday or a straight bet on the big game, you get way more with Betway. Must be 19 plus Ontario only. Play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling, visit connectsonterio.ca. This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. I'm Stefan Shemmelt and welcome to the Test Match special podcast behind the scenes at the PCA Awards in White City, London. This is cricket's end of season party when all players come together to celebrate the achievements of the summer.

To come, we'll hear from the Somerset duo who took home the big prizes. That's Craig Overton and Sophie Lough. We'll also chat to the young player of the year, Sunny Baker, plus his fellow fast bowlers, Sam Cuck and Henry Crocombe, both of those trying to establish themselves in the full England team. We'll be joined by England spinner Charlie Dean. You remember she found herself leading the team for much of what was a hugely significant summer. And Kate Cross, who is one of those.

players honoured at the awards for her contribution to the game after her retirement. And we'll hear from Blaze treble winners, Kirsty Gordon and Georgia Ellis, and also the PCA chairman Oliver Hannan Dolby, who was part of the county championship winning side, Warrickshire. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. We're here with Craig Overton, the PCA men's player of the year. Craig, many congratulations. How much does that mean to win an award voted for by your peers? Yeah, it's pretty special. I think any award is special, but when it's voted by your peers

is phenomenal really and yeah, just grateful that everyone's thought I've had a great season and yeah, just happy to be able to contribute to Somerset and try and win games and get as close weekend to win trophies. Talk us through that fall. How did you manage to capture that lightning in a bottle

across the summer? I think with the way the schedule is, I think once you sort of hit a bit of form, the schedule comes so thick and fast it allows you to sort of roll with it little bit and yeah that batting form sort of just kept with me throughout the summer and the bowling form has felt like it's always been there sort of in previous years but yeah just sort of the way I did with the bat this year has probably been sort of the standout compared to previous years yeah come on be honest it's the batting isn't it that you enjoy the most yeah batting's a lot

more fun doesn't hurt as much bowling seems pretty it's pretty grueling throughout the summer so yeah it's nice to contribute with the bat and spend some time out there it meant that bowling was probably a little bit harder as well but spending so much time on the field but no it was great fun to be able to with the bat and it's something that I can do hopefully can do a bit more in next summer. What about that title chase for Somerset? Are you aware as a team that there are a lot of neutral fans out there that want you guys to get over the line? Yeah, I think we're aware. I think we're also probably put more pressure on ourselves than sort of other people do and we're as equally gutted as when we don't get across the line as everyone else. But I think if you spoke to every

other county in the country, they'd be jealous of what we're doing as a club. So we're in a great spots to keep pushing. I think these trials will keep pushing us and we want to we want to win that trophy and hopefully in the next coming years we will get there. I feel it's there. Do you feel it's in touch and distance? Yeah, I think we've got a great group of a lot of senior guys that are getting hit in the right form at the right moment and then with that sort of blend of youngsters that are coming through that are sort of both the roos sort of Archie Vaugh and Josh Thomas those guys that have played a bit of first class cricket now and know what it's like and sort of that will help them come in in the next few years and hopefully those senior guys can keep performing and yeah you never

know look I'm sure you know I was going to ask this but there is an all-round of vacancy in the England test team at the moment you've had a taste of test cricket have you thought about that have you had any contact from the England team yeah I think you're always thinking about I think any kids dream is to play for England and I'm no exception I've obviously had a little taste of it and enjoyed it but it's also it's also a challenge at the same time so it's something that I want to get back into but for me it's putting in performance for my counting forever forever team that I'm playing for and if the call-up comes and the call-it comes and for me it's you can't once as soon as you get too focused on playing trying to get to that sort of end goal you sort of lose

focus of what you actually need to do and that's keep putting in performances for your team and then those call-ups will come have you heard anything do you reach out no I haven't heard anything haven't heard anything since I sort of left the side sort of 22 23 time so but I'm not sort of that one to sort of go out and look for it. I think if I'm good enough they'll pick me and at the minute they're not quite doing that which is that's and that's sort of their prerogative and they see their side going a different way which is which is fine but for me it's just putting performances and making their decisions as hard as possible. And a Somerset double, you're the men's player of the year, Sophie Luff the women's player of the year.

It's been great. The girls have had a great year this year. They've sort of a new side last year and they're quite a young group but the way Luffy's led them this year and sort of their performances have been phenomenal really and they've sort of they have come on leaps and bounds from last year. So huge credit to them as a team and the way Luffy's led them. Final thought, what's next for you? How's the winter looking? What's next?

There's an I.R. auction tomorrow. Hopefully you get picked up in that. And then the Big Bash is set in stone. So that would be good fun with Jamie. So it would be quite nice to sort of play with him again after six, seven years and have a bit of fun out there before he shoots off to probably to our South Africa with England. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I've never done the Big Bash.

So it's something that's going to be a lot of fun. It looks a great comp from the outside. and yeah, can't make to get going. Enjoy, thank you very much. Congratulations. Cheers, thank you very much. Sophie Luff, the PCA Women's Player of the Year. Many congratulations.

Tell me about the feeling and the emotions of winning that award. Yeah, it's obviously a huge honour, isn't it? And an award that's voted for by your peers, teammates, opposition across the country, makes it all the more special, I guess. Somerset double as well, you and Craig Overton? I didn't know that Craig had won. I was hoping that it might be a Somerset double,

which is obviously great for the club. Yeah, we've both had tremendous season. probably hasn't resulted in the silverware that we want as a club but yeah great to be recognised what you put your form down to have you done anything differently this year I've played a different role I've been batting at the top of the order which has been great looks like it's kind of worked out for me it's allowed me to free my mindset a little bit and yeah had backing of a new head coach coming in and yeah I've been supported by my teammates along the way as well why do you think that's worked for you batting at the top of the order I think it's just allowed me to play in a way

that has freed my mindset I guess batting in T20 money in the power play you want to play in a certain way. Only two fielders out. It's allowed me to access boundaries more easily and take the game on basically. And yeah, I've really enjoyed it at the same time. It's rare for a player who hasn't played for England to win this award or not played in that summer. That says something, doesn't it, about the strength of the domestic structure and the opportunities that are available to women at the moment.

Yeah, absolutely. I feel like we've got two really good formats, the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the Vitality Blast, where we get to showcase our skills and our product. basically. So, yeah, it's been great for me to bat at the top and be on that stage, I guess, even though not at international level. And yeah, I think we'll see a lot of young players come through. We'll probably recognise them tonight as well, and there's a lot of talent in this country. The Blaze have done a domestic treble. It's only September, but are you now already thinking about how to knock them off their perch next year? Yeah, it'd be nice, wouldn't it? Someone's got to knock

them off anyway in one of the competitions. They've had a tremendous year. They're well, I guess well run. They've got a lot of experience in their squad and yeah, Somerset we've had a great season ourselves. We've really built on last year. We feel like we're moving in the right direction and hopefully we can challenge for silverware next year. You are part batter, part captain, part broadcaster.

Tell me about that, I don't know, dipping your toe into commentary and how much you like you enjoy doing that. Yeah, it's something I really enjoy doing on the side. I probably haven't done as much of it this year just because I've been playing so much. I was obviously back involved in the 100 this year winning the competition with Trent Rockets was awesome

probably hasn't meant I've been behind the mic as much but it's something I really enjoy easier talking about cricket or playing it probably easier talking about it to be fair absolutely that's why I do this job but yeah something I really enjoy especially down at Somerset watching the boys play it's what I grew up doing

and obviously got me into the game and yes best view best seat in the house and I mean this in the nicest possible way the longer you're not commentating means the longer that you're playing. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I feel like I've still got a few years left in me yet. Obviously, had probably the best year of my career to date. So, yeah, long made that continue.

Congratulations, enjoy your evening. Thank you. So I'm here with England Test Bowler and the PCA men's young cricketer of the year, Sunny Baker. Sunny, congratulations. What does it mean to you to win that award after the 12 months you've had? Oh, yeah, it's awesome. Obviously, it always means more when it's coming from guys who you, respect and you know play against and yeah it's a massive like honor for me to get voted by the rest

of the guys and there's some pretty cool names on the on the trophy there so yeah guys have gone on to have phenomenal careers so yeah very very proud thank you 12 months ago and you and you and i've spoken about this before and the feelings that you had around your international debuts one day and t20 and the thoughts you had after that tell me that about the 12 months you've had since then firstly pulling on a test shirt for england and also the i don't know doing your self-justice in whiteball cricket for England as well. No, thanks. I appreciate that. Yeah, it's been good. I think it was always tough emotionally to manage that, even if you can look at the context and go, for example, in my ODI debut, like,

oh, well, you know, they're chasing 130, it's a good wicket, very good batter and strike, and Ada Markrum. Oh, it's tough, but also still, it's still going to bother you, so, you know, just trying to be as resilient as you can and look at things objectively. And I took some really cool learnings as well from my T20 debut particularly in that you know as much as it was tough I think the rationale behind why it was tough was probably because I was still trying to clutch back how my ODI debut went whereas then my biggest commitment on my test debut is I'm just going to be myself and I know it sounds incredibly cliche but really trying to commit to do things how I want to you know I'm a bit of a carry on I'm high energy you know like be yourself out there and that made a

really big difference in terms of not only performance but how the outcome went also and then similarly in whiteball cricket in the t20s and then odi recently the you know the way i went about it was just really trying to commit to to doing things how i wanted to do them and how i normally do and how i've done for hampshire and you know yeah it's been it's been good fun so i feel i've made some real progression there and yeah very very happy as i said do you feel more at home more comfortable than international cricket now yeah i think so i think it's always you want to have um like the lads are so welcoming off-field that you do everything you can off field whether it's you know playing cards you know playing perudo whatever it is going for dinners like just you know

having general chat off field is always good but i think that there's nothing quite like putting in performances for the team where you feel like you know lads are getting behind you and really think you can do a proper job um so to have done that in t20 cricket and and gone right in the odi as well was was really nice to go you know what yeah it's okay like the boys are behind me this is this is really good so yeah i feel as you say much more at home and content with stuff so it's been awesome. And away from England as well, quite a summer for you, taking Hampshire all the way to T20 Blast Final, winning the Fundred with the Super Giants, away from the England set up, it's been an incredible summer, hasn't it? Yeah, the elephants, yeah, it was top draw. It was really good.

Yeah, absolutely loved it. It was, again, being in a bowling attack with Tongue and Gus was a lovely touch. Like an England attack? Oh, yeah, I mean, to be fair, yeah, you could see that side bowling in a T, and Dorse as well. You could see that side playing for England. as all three. So it's four, sorry, with Dawson and myself. So, yeah, it was really, really good. And passing on experience from those guys, you know, asking them, oh, what do you think the right option is?

And, you know, tongue in particular, is communication with me on the field has been absolutely top drawl. So, you know, that makes a big, big difference. And as you say, yeah, similarly, yeah, Gus also. It's been really good. After the summer you've had, what do you want to achieve over the winter? There's lots of England cricket to go out. There is.

There is. So how'd you look ahead to that? Well, I think the beauty of it is actually trying not to look too far ahead. Because obviously there is so much on, you know, potential tour to Pakistan. They're going to Australia, then South Africa, then Bangladesh. There's S.A. 20 in the middle. There's so much going on that the further ahead you look, I think the more trouble you're going to get in. So for me, the main thing is just trying to work on each section of the winter and then the year ahead.

What am I trying to get out of it? What do I think that I'm trying to improve over that period of time? What am I trying to learn during that block? And then if you keep stacking those periods of time on top of each other, you'll continually improve. And that's the main thing for me, is just trying to continually improve. Yeah.

Do you know what it looks like for you? Or can you not give too much away? I've got no idea. There's so many moving parts, honestly. I've got absolutely no idea what it will look like. But, you know, playing for England will always be the number one for me. So if I've ever got choice, that's what I'll try and do. but it very much depends on context, on what you feel you can learn the most from,

because, as I said, continuing improvements number one. So there's obviously lots of other opportunities over the winter to learn some really cool stuff. So I'll very much, as I said, take it as it comes with that stuff. It's hard to plan that far ahead. But you said it's hard to plan ahead. You'll take as it comes absolutely fine. Next year there's an ashes and a World Cup. You've just told me you're a carry-on merchant, you get excited.

You'd only be human if you had those in your back in your mind, would you? Of course you know they're happening, but as I say, the more you think too far ahead with stuff like that, it does become, you need to worry about the now. I think that's where guys do get in trouble is thinking too far ahead of, oh, what I need to do right now to demonstrate to get picked for this or get picked for that. Like, just worry about continually getting better. And over that period of time, you will demonstrate what you can do and you'll demonstrate that you've continually improved. So if you keep doing that, those things take care of themselves. And, you know, you've got a fantastic squad right now. So, you know, in terms of the Red Bull stuff, those guys are absolutely flying.

And same as in the 50 oversquard, got a very strong attack with lots of different options. And one of the things KP's spoken about actually since coming in is got so many different people who can fill in for different roles. And that's what happens in World Cups, right? Guys go down with injury or they miss games or for whatever reason things happen. And people have to be able to come in and do a job. So, you know, it's just trying to be able to be ready to do that if required. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Sam Cuck. It's lovely to see you on an evening like this where, I know, the game gets together and celebrates the summer.

The whole game getting together, people that you've sort of fought against throughout the whole season, it's always a great dude. The PCA do an amazing job, putting on a fantastic event. And, yeah, it's great to spend some time off the field with those guys that you've been sort of butting heads with all year and competing against. And it's good to catch up with mates in the game as well that away from cricket and still talk about cricket inevitably. as us cricketers do but yeah it's always a great occasion and yeah just great to be here again how have you found your own summer to be so regularly around that england test team yeah it was it was brilliant obviously i was i was desperate to get back into the england squad but tried to do it in my own way and go back this winter to sort of basics and and sort of think about what i needed to do to get

back in that england squad and yeah had unfortunate injury at the wrong time just before that new zealand series but to get back into the squad for the Pakistan series was hugely pleasing and to be back around that environment was fantastic and yeah obviously I want to play as many games as I can for England and try and cement a place at that level so yeah it was fantastic to be to be back around it and yeah it's only sort of spurred me on to try and keep improving and hopefully be involved in the future when you say you had to go away and have a little bit of think about it what did you think about yeah I think it was sort of just processing obviously the one game I got the year before and I think a younger Sam would have probably taken that to heart a bit more than the more experienced cricketer that I am now.

So I sort of reflected on it and another day I could have had three or four wickets to my first spell in test cricket and things look a lot different. So I think just having that slightly wiser and more experienced head on the shoulders allowed me to sort of process that experience. But take a lot of learnings from it as well in terms around the preparation and the demands of test cricket. And also the experiences in and around the test squad, last couple of years not playing but just sort of understanding how and what it takes to operate at that level. I think I'm a better cricket to call that now and sometimes it takes a little bit of time away from the game reflecting on that not actually training and playing to realise that. So I think fortunately this winter I managed to do that and yeah I felt pretty good with the ball

most of the year. Was there ever a time when you thought that the way that you bowl wasn't particularly fashionable and that maybe the way that the game changes? there is now more of a role or more of a recognition of that skill and the value of what you do? Yeah, potentially, I think, like you say, in cricket, there are trends, aren't there? Whether it's whiteball or red ball cricket, you see different ways of operating. There tends to be trends within the game. And obviously, I think the one thing is sort of the ultra-positive approach to batting in test cricket, which we've seen over the last couple of years.

I think seeing, obviously, the keeper up to the stumps, coming back into the game as a, as a big weapon, probably pricked my ears up a little bit because it's something that I'm used to doing. But also, I never really thought that there wasn't a place for what I do, because I think you look at some of the best test teams that they've been. There's always been sort of a bowler in that team that operates with line and length and seam or swing or whatever it is. And there is generally always an operator of that consistency, which is the role that I'm going for, and I'm fully aware of that. So, yeah, I don't think there was ever a point where I was like, no, there's not a place for me. Similarly, I wanted to try and maximise and be the best version of myself that I can be.

So, yeah, it's motivating and, yeah, obviously seeing that coming back into Tess cricket a bit more fashionably now as drives you on even more. So, yeah, hopefully I can bring that at some point. Does it put, I don't know, a bit of joy in your heart when you see what Olli Robinson has done in the latter half of the summer, becoming the attack leader and you thinking, you know what, I can do that as well? Yeah, potentially. I think I've spoken about Robo a lot over the years in terms of how someone that operates at sort of a similar place to myself. He's a phenomenal bowler and I'd love to be half as good as him and hopefully at some stage produce something similar to what he's done in the last few years. But he's someone that spurred me on for a lot of times since he's broken into the England team and seeing someone operate at a similar sort of pace to me. I mean, his skills are phenomenal and I'm not trying to say that I'm anywhere near the bowler that he is yet.

But it definitely spurs you on and inspires you and sort of that extra bit of drive and determination to keep pushing yourself forward to hopefully. if there's an opportunity, be able to replicate that. Stephen Fleming coming in as test coach. What have you made of that? And you're looking forward to working with him. I think you've got a bit of a past relationship with him. Yeah, I was very fortunate to work with Flemm in the SA 20 a few years ago. And he was just fantastic.

I absolutely loved every minute of working under him. And I must admit at the time, I was very pleased when I saw his name announced as test coach. Because he's a phenomenal guy, a phenomenal coach. And I think he's a really good fit for the England great. group and the change of room. So yeah, really excited if I get the opportunities to work with him. But obviously having that slight sort of personal relationship with him already, I think makes that sort of transition potentially back into the squad very, very easy. And I'm very much looking forward to if I hopefully get the opportunity to work with him, reconnecting. And yeah, so yeah,

it's all very exciting, I think. What's he like? What can we expect? He's brilliant. He's very calm, very clinical, but he's got a phenomenal cricket brain. I remember sitting. on the bench with him at Joe Berg whilst the game's going on and just listening to the way he talks about the game you know you see this tight in cricket every now and then with with these guys that have obviously played and competed at such a level and coached at such a level just the way they see the game he's he's his incredible tactician and I think the way he thinks about the game is very simple but very exciting so yeah I think he's a perfect fit and he's going to be a I think I'm sure he's going to do a great job you have the nudge yet of what you

might be doing over the winter? Not yet. I think at the minute I'm trying to enjoy a bit of time away from Priggett for a couple of weeks and see the season's only just finished. So I think it's very important to have a bit of downtime and get away from the game for a few weeks and then switch back on to how that winter looks. But we'll see, fingers crossed, I'd love to be involved at some stage and we'll see over the next few weeks where that transpires. And the big question, you're a Man United fan. Anything to say about Manchester City? No, I don't want to throw that out there. but yeah, I mean, it speaks for itself, doesn't it? I think, yeah, I mean, I don't begrudge any team,

but it's obviously disappointing to see if that is the case. I know they've been charged with us. Do you want some trophies? I mean, I wouldn't mind seeing Scott McTominee and Fred get a Premier League winner's medal. I think they deserve it. But yeah, I mean... And you'll be there celebrating.

Oh, absolutely. Open dock bus parade or whatever it is. I'll be there, so yeah, no. Hopefully they can get another trophy or two in the cabinet, and I'll be laughing for it. Thank you very much your time and enjoy your evening. Thanks, mate. Thank you very much. Henry Crockham, it's lovely to meet you, especially on an evening like this.

If I told you at the start of the summer you would have the season that you have had, what do you think you'd have said? I think I wouldn't believe you, to be honest. I think it's been very busy for me. There's a lot been going on. A lot of things I wouldn't have expected. Then again, it sports a funny game and things happen very quickly for you. I think I'd put myself in the best position to have a good summer.

had a great winter, sort of got myself stronger in a really good position. But no, it's been a world win. It's been all over the place, but it couldn't be happier. What should we talk about first? Being around an England squad, or lots of England squads, or two hat-tricks back-to-back. What's given you most pleasure? I think, I mean, there's nothing better than getting in an England squad.

As a player, that's something you strive towards. So, Chuff to have done that, I think you probably hasn't sunk in quite yet. The fact that I've got in white and rebel squads, I really wouldn't have expected that, but the hat tricks were, yeah, they were quite something. Cricketers go all their careers trying to take one hat trick. You did it twice in two weeks.

Yeah, no, I don't know where that came from, too honest. I've never done it before in anything. So to get to... Is it genuine your first hat trick? Honestly, it's my first hat trick in anything, as far as I can remember. Back to when I started playing when I was about six years old or whatever. It took me a while to get there, but yeah, come quickly.

And then look into the first. future for you as well. New challenge on the horizon with a move to Surrey. Yeah, now I'm really looking forward to obviously I've been at Sussex for quite a while now. It's gone so quickly, I've loved my time. And no, it's obviously a new challenge in somewhere where I feel like I can only improve my game. There's a lot of really, you know, top quality players, England players that I can learn off, so it should be a really good time. Worked hard by Alex Stewart. Yeah, definitely. And what about the winter? How does it look for you? What do you want to achieve? You've been around those England squads. Where do you think you're going to be over the next few months?

There's a lot going on in terms of tours. I mean, there's lines and first-seem tours all winter. Obviously, I'd love to be on the first-team tours as much as I can. Yeah, if I get my chance, I'll absolutely take it. Hopefully, you know, I'd like to debut, of course. There's a lot of 50 over and T-20 cricket coming up in the next couple months. I hope they're getting an opportunity there. That'd be great. Good luck. Enjoy your time. Congratulations on a fantastic season. Thank you very much. M.S podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Charlie Dean, tell me about your summer.

And have you been England captain many more times than you expected to be? Yeah, I think definitely. Sort of the start of the summer, I don't think I would have expected what kind of transpired. And yeah, it's been an amazing opportunity to Captain England. And, yeah, get to a World Cup final at Lords in front of a home crowd. Yeah, it's been a really exciting summer, one with lots of learnings and growth. And yeah, it feels like there's a path for growth. And there's something really cool on the horizon, which is a really exciting place to be in as England cricket.

But yeah, it's been a cool summer. What do you know now that maybe you didn't know in April? What have you learned about, I don't know, yourself as a cricketer and as a leader? I think I've grown in confidence massively. I think captain's something that is a skill that's learned just alongside your batting, your bowling, your fielding. So I guess growing in those areas, like growing in confidence, feeling really assured myself. And yeah, I guess learning on the job a little bit, which is always hard to do. But I've had a brilliant support system behind me and Lottie and the coaches and all the girls have been really supportive.

And it's been really exciting summer. And I'm really looking forward to what's come. How much do you have to do differently just as a person or as a player? I mean, I remember you're coming into the England team as a young player, playing the guitar, cracking a few jokes. But how do you, I don't know, have to change as a person when you're, wow, I'm the leader now? Yeah, I think really making sure that I'm looking after myself. It's really important.

I'm maybe a bit more reserved. I'm not, I'd say I'm an extrovert and intrep. So making sure that, you know, with captain C comes a lot of speaking in front of people and trying to maintain my energy levels as much as possible to be able to give the best version of myself and be as consistent as possible and show up when people need you. So yeah, learning my ways of looking after those little things.

And yeah, I think I do it in my way and I'm definitely still cracking jokes. They're probably not as good as they were, you know, a couple of years ago. And, you know, there's moments where you have to be serious and, you know, have really, we'll pretend to have intelligent discussions. So, yeah, but try not to change too much, but I guess growing and learning and being the best version of myself as possible. I'd reflect on the summer from an England team point of view, not quite the results that

you guys wanted. How did you look back on that? Yeah, I think first and foremost getting to a World Cup final, which is something that we haven't done in, in, well, years since I've played for England. So my first year playing for England, we got to a World Cup 50 over World Cup final. We haven't done that since. So to be able to break into that again and perform how we really want to set ourselves up to.

So that's been really cool. And then a few ups and downs as well along the way. Obviously, we didn't win that World Cup final. We had a really exciting opportunity of a test match, which wasn't quite how we envisioned as well. So lots of learning, lots of growth still to come. But equally, the opportunities that we're getting now, hopefully that we're going to be in much better positions every time that they come up. What do you think about the transition of the team? Because tonight, Heather and I and Tammy Beaumont are receiving awards in recognition of their fantastic careers, but they're not

around anymore. You know, we've just spoken about when you came into the team and you're a young player and you would have looked up to others like that. Do you look around now and go, wow, I'm one of the old ones, this is my team now, I'm one of the experienced players, I really have to step up. Yeah, I think the dynamic of the grief has changed so much over the time that I've played and it really feels like with the players that were the young, inexperienced ones, are having to step up now, which presents a really exciting opportunity and I feel like we're all growing as leaders in our own right, not just, you know, it's not just me as the standing captain, and it's all the girls around me that are really growing into those roles

and becoming senior players and what does that look like. Yeah, it's going to be different without Tammy and Heather. It's going to be weird touring around and them not being there. But equally, it brings opportunity for other girls to really give it a good go and, yeah, really excited for next summer, Ash's summer and, yeah, looking forward. How's the body? You have to nurse yourself through the summer a little bit? Yeah, I guess a bit of work loan management throughout the summer.

So I'm excited and I'm in a really good place, which is really nice to say. So, yeah, I just can't wait for next summer already, to be honest. Winters can be a bit long. But yeah, I'm looking forward to a bit of cricket in Australia and then, yeah, in the subcontinent. And then an Ash's summer. So hoping to be all in one piece and I'm ready to go. Well, you've mentioned it a few times there. Ash's summer next year.

It's already in the back of the mind, already starting to get excited about that? Yeah, massively. I think it's something that as a cricketer you always want to be available and selected for and yeah, it's always a cool dynamic to be involved in. You know, I grew up watching Ashes cricket.

So to be involved in a squad potentially for next year would be an exciting opportunity. I think it's also an opportunity to show how we fare against one of the best teams. in the world right now. And hopefully we do enough talking,

but we also crack on and get some work done on the pitch as that. Has that planning begun? You've got a new boss arriving quite soon. It is an Australian. So have you already started to have those conversations and to think about how you can beat the Aussies over that elongated series? Yeah, I think there's lots of planning

that goes on behind the scenes, you know, that the girls I have no idea about. And I think they sort of started as soon as that World Cup cycle ended. I think there's a bit of Red Bull cricket for us on the horizon, which I'm really looking forward to, I think, sort of one of the purest forms of the game, and the more we can play that,

the better that we're going to get at every format. So, yeah, I think there's a lot of planning and thought going into our next sort of movements, and yeah, we'll see what that looks like. Well, until then, enjoy your evening. Thank you for talking to us. Yes, thank you. Kate Cross, always lovely to see you,

particularly on a night like this. I guess the first thing to say is congratulations on a magnificent career thank you very much yeah I'm not sure it's quite sunk in yet I have told everyone that I feel like when I should be back playing cricket that's probably when it's going to hit me and I'm going to be wondering what the hell I'm going to be doing but

no I feel really happy content and obviously really pleased with the career and probably not not being able to sit back and take it all in just yet but yeah it's been it's been a really lovely process actually I wasn't too sure what it looked like or how it'd make me feel but as overwhelming as it

as it was when I announced it, it's been a really enjoyable process. Where have you told that little girl who was playing with the boys up in Lancashire that she would achieve all the things that you've gone on to achieve? What things she would have said? I think she'd have probably said go and do it. Go and give it your best go. And that's probably all I did, actually. I never obviously played cricket to try and, I don't know, be the first to do a few things.

But I think just the nature of where the women's cricket game was out, and where my journey went, it just, that's how it happened. So I feel really fortunate that I've played a lot of cricket, and I feel really fortunate to have been part of a generation of players who've had to knock the door down a little bit. You know, it's my journey. I've said it a lot in interviews and in the podcast and stuff, but my journey's not been too dissimilar to every one of my age group,

but, you know, everyone had to be the first to do, to be the first female academy player at their county, etc. So it's been a collective effort to get to the game to where it is now, and I just feel so fortunate that I've played a really, part in that and get to walk away from the game in a really healthy place, which is incredible. And that's probably the bit that the young Kate wouldn't believe is where the game is at now. You mentioned knocking the door down, and there are other players who've been on that journey with you, and there's players like Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont have been honoured tonight.

Do you almost feel fortunate that you knew what it was like before? Because there are actually some young players in the room tonight that won't know what you guys went through, that they'll just take, I'm not saying they take professionalism for granted, but to them it is normal and so are you actually quite pleased that you went on that journey? Absolutely, I would not have changed it for anything. Obviously now being a youngster coming in

and knowing that cricket is fully professional is a completely different journey so I imagine when you speak to Davina Perrin in 20 years time when her career ends her whole look of what her cricket career looked like will feel completely different to what mine did but it's also we're so grateful and particularly me, Heather and Tammy

this year to kind of all retired together. I know Tammy's going to continue playing domestic cricket, but I feel like we're also grateful for the players that went before us as well and got us to the point where we were able to take the game into a professional era. So I am, like I said, I keep saying the word grateful. I feel like I've said it a thousand times since I announced my retirement. But I'm grateful for my journey, but I also know that if I'd maybe got the opportunities that some of the girls are getting now, that my journey would look also a little bit different.

So I think there's pros and cons to everything, but like I said, I wouldn't change my journey for anything. Does it feel normal at the moment, as in you've just finished a cricket season and you do that every year? And I don't know, in some point in a couple of months' time, you'd go back to training or whatever, and you won't do that. So do you know what your next few months look like? Is that when you actually learn that your life is now different? I imagine. So I think that's why it's not hit me yet, because it feels like off season.

We've finished a tough season and obviously not been as successful as we would have liked after last season with Lancashire. and it has, it's looked different, it's felt different. But I feel like at the minute, it's just party season, as I like to call October and set at the end of September. So, yeah, I'm sure it will hit me at some point. I just know I need a little bit of time off. I feel like I've been quite run down and quite tired, so I'm looking forward to spending some time with the family

and just moved house, so I've got something to keep me occupied in a new garden that I don't know anything about, so I'm going to have to start doing some gardening. And that's what's going to ask, what comes after party season? What are you going to be doing yourself, you know, through the winter and into the spring

and into next summer. What are you going to do? I will keep myself busy, I'm sure, but honestly, I actually just want to stop. I think the cricket treadmill is something that really can sweep you up and you end up being on the hamster wheel for quite a long time. And I've played cricket. I say professionally, it's not been professional for the whole time, but I play cricket for 22 years. So I just feel like I've kind of earned the right to have a couple of months of just

resting and relaxing and going on a few holidays with the family and probably playing a bit of golf. So, yeah, I'll just kind of take a little bit of stock and then, see where, almost see where the wind blows me and see where I had to next year. But obviously it's going to be an incredibly exciting year next year with the Ashes. And we saw what 2023 did, what that was like as a home series. So it'll be hopefully be able to be a part of that in some way. But it'll be another amazing summer for the England girls to get the teeth stuck into.

I'm glad you've mentioned the Ashes because I want you to put your Pundits hat on for a moment. I've had lots of cricketers come through here, men and women talking about next summer, how exciting it is. And from the women's point of view, the question is, can England match, catch up with, beat the Australians? Catch up with is always such an interesting term because I don't feel like we can ever reduce the time deficit that we had from when Australia turned professional domestically to when England termed professional domestically. So we will always have that time lag of five, six years, whatever it might have been. Do you think that's damaging? Not damaging, but a factor still? Right now, I think it is.

Obviously, if you look at the game in 100 years time, that five-year deficit will not make a difference because everyone will have caught up by then. But I think this tale that England had been chasing for quite a while is obviously a significant one. But what I do know is the domestic season and the domestic structure we have here is the best I've ever known it to be. It's still in its infancy.

We only turn professional domestically in 2021, I think it was. So still so new in terms of that. But what I would like to say is that I hope that there's so much much confidence taken from 2023 and although we didn't come away with the trophy we beat Australia in two white ball series which had never been done before so or hadn't been done for a very long time sorry so hopefully there's a lot of confidence that can be taken from knowing that the home support and the home advantage is is there and yeah I think the talent that that that team has now there's so many youngsters coming through that are doing well domestically doing well in the 100

going to the big bash and doing really well in there and the WPL etc so I feel like the the strength in numbers is definitely getting there. So I'm hoping that that will create an incredible spectacle next year in the ashes. Can they do it? Yeah, they can. I hope they do. I'm England's biggest fan now, so it'll be great to watch it. Will it still be party season by next summer?

Well, I can't say no. But the way it's going, I'm not too sure when it ends. So if anyone wants to invite me to a party, they are welcome to. I'll be there. There you go, open invitation, get crossy at your party. Congratulations and enjoy your evening. Enjoy party season. Thanks, Stefan, thank you.

Kirsty Gordon, Georgia Ellis. If they put any more medals around your net, you're not going to be able to celebrate this evening because the Blaze have done the treble and you've got all your silverware on right now? Yep, we want to celebrate it as much as we can. It's obviously a bit unprecedented. A team winning the treble.

Might never be done again, who knows? So, yeah, we thought we'd get them out on show and enjoy this evening. George, are you all right that with all those medals around your neck? Yeah, definitely. Like Kersa said, it's just been an unbelievable season and we thought if we can't celebrate it and lap it up a little bit tonight,

then when can we? But I cannot believe that you haven't been celebrating already. No, we have. Rest assured we have. We've not stopped, actually. We're not stopped, so. And like you said, unprecedented

to win a domestic treble. So how's it happened? How did you guys get to the top of the mountain in three different competitions? Yeah, I mean, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? I think there's a lot of factors. I think we've got a brilliant side that's probably been building over the last number of years.

Last year we fell short in all three semifinals and I think that really gave us a lot of belief and I suppose motivation to go better next year. Obviously Craig is second year in charge with the team so I think a lot of things have probably come together and when you

win the first one and we probably qualified in the blast had had a bit of a dodgy run so to go out and produce two brilliant games of cricket on Blast Finals Day. the confidence that gave us on that day sort of just continued on through the rest of the season. What's your take on it, George, on how you've managed to have success across all those competitions from everything that you've seen in your career?

Yeah, I think squad depth massively this season. We've, you know, lost players to certain things, which has been brilliant. We've lost three of the Scotland players of the World Cup, England players sort of coming in and out, also overseas players changing. But to be able to call on different members of the squad at different times and different people have stood up. I think it's probably one of the closest player of the year discussions that we've had really because at some point different people have stood up and everyone's known their roles as well

I think we've gone into games and the opening bowlers know that you know they're they're doing their thing and they've been able to show different skills with the new ball at the back end and then the batters have just been able to put on a volume of runs as well which has which has really helped and then I think it's just a desire to win I think it's a team that's just fiercely competitive and whatever situation we're in out there in the middle believe that we can win from any position and it's it's it's yeah just an amazing thing to be a part of there is one problem

with winning everything in 2026 you've got to try and do it again now in 2027 yeah exactly I think that's something that we thrive off is that monkey on our back and that sort of target for people that will be coming after us next year and we want to live up to it again we want to be stood here this time next year having the same discussions um But yeah, ultimately, I think that's the difference between, like, a decent cricket team and, like, a brilliant cricket team is can you back up, can you win trophies again and again and again and again? And that's something that we really want to do. Comfortable with that, Georgia, having the target on your back? Definitely.

And Kirst is a man United fan, so she knows what it's like to have to try and back up the treble. So we'll... I'm well. Well, you know, yeah, I've been asked over the last couple of weeks, so what is so good about the blaze and what do the blaze do? And other teams want to be as good as us, want to know what our secret is. and I think that will give us the motivation next year to know that we want to keep pushing limits and not just rest on our laurels.

And yeah, we've got the group to do it for sure. Congratulations to both of you. Congratulations to everyone connected with The Blaze and enjoy your evening. Thank you very much, thank you. Olly Hannah Dolby, chair of the PCA. Firstly, what does this night mean to you as the chair and the, I don't know, the leader of all these professional cricket?

I won't say I'm the leader, but it's brilliant to just get together. We go hard at each other all summer, play some brilliant games of cricket, but it's nice to come here, relax, speak to your peers, say well done to each other, give each other a pat on the back, and celebrate the year, really? And celebrating, I don't know, is being done most at Edgebaston right now. I don't know about most. I think the Blazers have had a pretty good year, winning three trophies.

But yeah, we've had a brilliant week at Edgebaston to win the county championship, you know, it's the pinnacle of the men's game for me domestically. And to be able to do that at home in front of a home crowd and have some brilliant celebrations there was, yeah, yeah, it'll live long in my memory, that's for sure. And what about you personally? Because you had time away from Warwickshire this year

and to come back and to be part of that championship winning team. What's that meant to you? Yeah, slightly strange year. I would have never have designed to have gone to Worcester, but really grateful to them to be able to go get some first-class cricket under my belt down at New Road and really enjoyed my time there. And I think that stood me in really good stead personally to be able to go back to Edgebaston when they needed me

and hit the ground running and perform well. So, yeah, if you'd have asked me in April, do you think you'd be county champions? I probably wouldn't have believed you. But yeah, brilliant, brilliant year. and really glad to be a part of it. What about that end of the season, the run of form that you guys got on to win the title?

I mean, you really came up on the rails, didn't you? Yeah, I mean, we're putting ourselves in a really good position earlier on in the year. I think we're third going for that last block of five games, or six games, sorry. I don't think we'd have quite believed it ourselves. You said you're going to win five out of those six. And to win five out of those six,

so convincingly as well, you know, we really did play brilliant cricket and so it ended up blowing teams away in sort of two days a few times. So, yeah, it was outstanding, brilliant to be a part of and we really did just get on a roll. Look, it's a tough time to ask this question because everyone's here having a good time. But, you know, as the chair of the PCA, where did you see the game at the moment?

What have you made of the summer as a whole? Obviously, a transformational summer for the English game with the investment in the 100. Putting your chairman's hat on, what have you made of it all? I think nights like tonight are, you know, a brilliant celebration of cricket, but you'd be stupid to say they're at still, you know, problems here and there. We always chat about the schedule. We always talk about fair pay and, you know, basic standards. stuff like that. Their conversations will have going into sort of later in this winter and into the

new year. Tonight's about celebrating. But yeah, they're definitely still issues there. The futures fund is something that matters a hell of a lot to all the players here. Every time we do a preseason meeting, the players consistently say how much the future fund needs to them. So if some of that investment can get turned towards a futures fund, that would be brilliant. But yeah, nice tonight to be just celebrating cricket. Do you feel like a busy man? At times, yeah, at times. But it's nice to be busy. It's a really brilliant thing to do to be chair of the PCA. I'm very proud to be able to say that I am chair. There's lots of great meetings and lots of great people that you get to meet through it. And just adding, picking up on what you've said

about winning the county championship at the weekend and the attention that that draws and all those people at Edgebaston that were supporting Warwickshire, the appetite for cricket and domestic cricket in this country is so strong, isn't it? Yeah, I think so. And I think one of the brilliant things that came out of COVID are the live streams and the free live streams. And, you know, there's times I log on to some of them and you know see 20,000 people watching the stuff and I know sometimes cricket gets a bad rap and first class cricket in this country gets a bad rap because you are playing in front of sometimes not very big crowds but people follow there might be people at work working from home all day long are out in the office and they've got the cricket on in the background

and that's brilliant to see brilliant to know and I think credit to warwickshire they made the first day of that game free to enter and we saw brilliant crowds all last week at edgebaston and I think you know that's absolutely fabulous to see so you're dead right there is an appetite for first class cricket in this country. And certainly from my point of view as a journalist, one of my biggest frustrations about cricket in this game is that no cricket arguing with cricket, what's better, should we be playing this format, why are we doing this now? Is that the same from a player's point of view that when we're talking about a celebration of the game, all these things can rub along together and actually in this country we have a very fantastic product that anyone

can enjoy the bits that they want and can leave the bits they don't want? Yeah, I totally agree. I think sometimes cricket is very good at having to go at itself, and I think if you look around, It's a brilliant game. You know, it's fabulous stories throughout the season. Men and Women's Cricket, there are some great stories there and great people. And I think if we step back and look at it sometimes, we have a fabulous game that should be celebrated in this country.

You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. It's Five Live Sports to stop out. This shows down the centre. This is sporting events on BBC Sounds. Is Facebook Dying? I'm Tristan Redmond, host of the Global Story Podcast, from the BBC. More than 15 years after the social network, a new movie on the inner workings

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