Test Match Special - No Balls: A guide to The Hundred (kind of)

Episode Date: January 25, 2026

Kate Cross and Alex Hartley are actually in the same room recording a podcast! They discuss all the big changes coming to The Hundred in 2026 with huge rebrands, players already being signed, and an auction to look forward to! Plus, they give their thoughts on the salary differences between the men's and women's competition.Plus, Alex has her say on Alyssa Healy, Kate has a rule change proposal to better cricket, and can Alex become a 'chef influencer' after her recent Instagram revelations?

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. 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 millimetres and a roof load up to 300 kilograms. Learn more at Landrover.ca. Al, we've got to issue a swear warning because you are an absolute potty mouth. Not another one. And you need to remember that your grandma listens to this.

He does. She also abuses me on social media. But don't worry, we beep it out. See, your kids can listen. And Grandma Jean. Now I'm celebrating for Crossy. That one was for Crossy. That was a beautiful delivery.

The Wobble Ball again from Kate Cross, and that is such an important wicket. Kate Crossing for the Hattrick Ball. Oh, it's so wide. Oh, and welcome back to No Balls the Cricket podcast with me, Kate Cross, and you Alex Hartley. We're in the Pobo Studio. We're in our OG studio, which is giving me throwback.

It's proper giving me throwback. We were going to be sat there with a brew and a coffee looking old chic and TikTok-esque. We've got a blue screen, but we're back. They've covered up the dreary sulphur key behind you with a massive TV. It's got five live on it. The dreary sulphurice is behind you, though. Yeah, you can see that. And look, we're both back in the country.

It's miserly, it's grey, and it's dark. It's January. Yeah. You can't expect anything else in January. Well, I'm so surprised at how, like, I just don't know what I was expecting to be home. Like, it's just cold and horrible. I booked a flight to go to Sri Lanka six days early.

Nice. I thought I can't do this anymore. Get out. So you're home for what? Two weeks? Two weeks, yeah. Leave on Saturday evening. Yeah, nice.

Yeah, yeah. How are you? Yeah, I'm good. But other than the misliness. Yeah. But I've been in India, obviously, so I feel like I've got away from the missal for a little while and then come back and it's not bothering me just yet.

But February is a tough month. I have to say, lovely eyebrows. today. Thank you. Because, let me show everyone. Said to Al, bring me an eyebrow pencil please because... I don't have an eye. Look at my eyebrows. So I look like I need an eyebrow pencil. They're like Basil Brush's tail.

I said I'm feeling a bit washed out. You can't even see that this is an eyebrow pencil because it's that worn out. And this is what it looks. That eyebrow pencil, I'm not even joking. I've probably got in 2007. And then you gave me some mascara and you said, oh, you can keep that. It's dried out.

I'm not going to keep it. I don't want to keep it. Make-up. Anyway, if my eyebrows looking good, it's because Alex has taken me back to 2007. Mac, nice. Oh, is it? No, it can't be.

Is it? Mom must have bought me that for Christmas as a teenager. Deep dark brunette. That is you? Yeah, that is me. Deep dark brunette. Anyway, how is... How is the WPL?

Yeah, it was good, actually. I, um... It was there for about 10 days. I felt like I did a lot of cricket, but it was a really good experience. I felt like I worked at that work trip on. Cricket getting in the way of my cricket tours again No, it was good

Love working with daggers I get on really well with daggers So yeah, it was nice And the cricket was good A lot of high scoring games A lot of quite close games actually Which you obviously want in a tournament When it first kicks off

So yeah Except the one time that I did any training I saw a snake Huh? Yeah I know that you were worried about getting attacked by the dogs Yeah there was a few dogs in the nets And then there was a snake one time

And I was like, I'm just going to pretend I've not seen that. Okay. Put it out my mind. And it did slither off. I didn't, like, bowl with it there. But, yeah. Okay, welcome to India. Yeah.

A couple of rats flying around. No rats, just two stray dogs and a snake. I also want to shake your hand and congratulate you for going to India, not getting a parasite, not coming back extremely unwell. Thank you. It does take two weeks for parasites to incubate, so let's just keep our fingers crossed, everybody. Speaking from experience, how are you? I'm good.

I'm actually really good. I was moaning about the weather and I'm off again, but actually it's really nice to be back. It's been good to know that you're back for a while. Yeah. It was quite funny. We saw each other on Monday, our first opportunity to see each other. And then I was like, oh, I'm not going to see you now until Friday.

And then on Wednesday I was like, wait, be free. Yeah. I messaged you, didn't I say, you around? Yeah. Cancelled on one mate, is it you? But it does feel weird to know you in the country and not see you for like five days when I know you're clearing off again soon. I know.

I know. Can we tell everyone what might be happening? Yeah? Guys, Crossie might have to move into my house. Oh, the tables have turned. Oh, my God. It's unlikely.

It's a possibility. Oh, I was, I think it might happen. You are going to give me a key to your flat. Today? Today, just in case. Well, because you're busy, you might not be home until like eight. I don't even know when I'm home, yeah. So, yeah, there was the possibility.

I was like, can you just leave me a key just in case? But I've sold my flat, so that's why. Congratulations. I love the fact I was telling the girls from home yesterday that you said, can you bring a key for your flat tomorrow? And they were like, the confidence that woman has to say, can you just give me a key knowing that I'll be like, yeah, move in. You suggested it first actually.

You were like, you can move into mine. And I hadn't thought about having to rent somewhere for like a couple of months maybe. And then you were like, just moving to mine. I was like, oh, yeah, you owe me like a year. Yeah, I know. So I've got a year to play with. I actually kind of want you to move in,

but I know if you move in, I won't be. there so it's like what's the point? Someone, I was telling someone at cricket, it might have been Clarkie. I was talking to Fee and Clarkie was there and I was like, I might have to move in with Al and I'll be at Al through the summer. And then obviously with cricket, it's going to be less likely

that I'll find somewhere and I'll be busy and housevians, etc. And so I was like, I'll probably end up being there for the summer and someone was like, do you think you can cope with the 100 for a whole summer? As in the vibe of the 100 living with you. I was like, oh my God, yeah, I'm really going to have to think about that. I'm not there in

100, it's fine. as in your lifestyle is very 100esque. Oh, oh, right. And so it would be a whole summer of 100esque. Yes, yes. It would be very fun, but I'd have to think a lot about it. Tor Alex and Home Alex are two quite different people. But Home Alex with Kate Cross living in your spare room would be a very different Alex as well.

I'd be like, shall we go to the Alchemist for a wine? Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, maybe. So guys, very, very exciting. Watch the space. Yeah. I know you were going to say no to this, but have you got anything else.

sticky note, which is a proper throwback. I do have one thing, but it's not for now. Okay. It's, um, do you know when someone says to you, if you could change a rule in cricket, what would that rule be? I thought of one the other day randomly, so I wrote it down so that when someone asks that question, I'll be ready to answer it. What rule would you change in cricket, given the opportunity?

Well, no, I was going to wait for the opportunity. I was going to wait for someone to ask it. It's because I feel like we get that every third podcast. Oh, okay. You know what I mean? Questions. Questions, yeah. I could, I could do it.

Go on do it. We'll get asked, then just do it again. Right, so I think there's going to be a game happen where I need to get this right in my head I wasn't prepared When someone gets hit on the pad And it's given out Yeah, it becomes a dead ball

You and Dan Norcross need to talk about this If that ball is reviewed And then it's an inside edge And it could have been a run The team obviously lose the opportunity To get that run Because it's been given out on field There will be a game

where on the last ball that happens and a team loses because they haven't had the opportunity to score that so I think the rule needs to change that it either becomes the ball gets replayed or you can't have the run because obviously the games Now the ball's not dead until it's dead

No but if it's given out it's dead Yeah but if it's given not out and the team then But that's not the rule I'm trying to change But then the team can review it So then you still don't get the run So it can become quite tactical Yeah but the rule I want to change is that it could stop someone scoring because of a mistake given by an on-field empire.

So that has to be some... And it will happen. They will happen in a game and then the rule will change because of it. So I'm foreseeing it. It will only change when it happens to India. Yeah. Okay. That's one we'll see it.

So that's random, but it's on... There we go. So have you got anything on your sticking out? I've got loads on my sticking out. Well, we just wasted two minutes on that, then haven't one. Mine's a bit... Sorry, my trousers are very... They are all, are they?

Very noisy. You've got bin bags on. Sure about that right, I'll be... We're going to talk about the hundreds, there's no need to go into that just now. I actually wanted us to talk about, I know we spoke to Grace Harris about it, but I want me and you to talk about

Alyssa Healy's retirement very briefly. Can we just say how good of Grace Harris was? Yes. What a hero? Very, very good. We had a lot of comments on Instagram saying, please, can we get around every week? And my social battery wouldn't be able to cope with that.

Mine would. Yeah, you'd be okay. You weren't even on it. Yeah, it's not you're here to be here, by the way. Someone said to producer Jack. It's the easiest money Alex ever earned. Yeah. I was on the call, but for just like seven minutes,

the technical difficulties. Anyway, no, I want us to talk about Alyssa Healy because I don't think we quite did, me and you didn't do her justice. Okay. Because she's been such, like, we'd said she's that annoyingly likable, isn't she? Yeah.

And everybody, when she first came on the scene, was like, oh, Alyssa Healy, she's a brilliant player, a brilliant person. and it is actually a bit of a shame she's not going to be here at the World Cup. Yeah, I'm a bit of sad about the World Cup because it feels like a nice sur-ending for her. Yeah. Obviously, she spoke quite a lot about the Home series being against India,

being a good series to go in, but it kind of in my head feels like this is my opinion. That bit might not be her decision. I wonder if they're going elsewhere for the World Cup, because you would want to try and finish on a World Cup. I think, well, she said, didn't she, that the last World Cup would have been perfect. Yeah.

They didn't obviously win. But then she gets to retire at home. So there is that as well. But I think her trophy cabinet is just so full and deservingly full as well. My mum rang me. She sometimes rings me to just talk about cricket mom, which is, yeah, it's so annoying sometimes

because, you know, when you, cricket's your job. She doesn't listen to this podcast. She doesn't know, it's fine. I can slag her off. Cricket's my job. My hobby's cricket. A lot of my life is cricket. And then your mum rings you

and you just don't want to talk about cricket but she's so sweet about it because she doesn't actually, she follows it but she'll be like, oh, so Alyssa Healy's retired. What is she going to do now? And I was like, Mom, she's not going to need to work another day in her life.

I made a joke to her when I was in Australia. I was like, oh, how's your 20-acre house in Sydney? She just like snapped back and like, basically said, bigger than that. It's not obviously. She did invite us, didn't she, on the pod? But to actually be serious about her, yeah, she's been a huge part of the Australian team, hasn't she?

And I think she probably went, not unnoticed, because that's not the right word, but when Meg was captain and they were winning everything, she was just such a big part of the team, but obviously the focus probably goes a lot to Meg being the successful part of that. But I do wonder what Australia will be like without Alyssa Healy, because it's all I've known, really.

And she is like the one, Like the old school where she'll have a beer after a game. She like relaxes. She'll want to go play golf. Like she's like that she's this old school style Australian greater that wasn't a robot. And she's never, I think it's credit to her. She's never become a robot either and she still managed to stay at the top of the game. Grace said that, didn't she?

She said that's one of the biggest things that she's noticed is that she's never changed throughout a career. I wonder if that is influenced by Mitch because I feel like it's almost like a very male way of approaching. being a professional cricketer. He didn't drink a torture in the ashes, though. I didn't have his foot. Didn't have a drink. I don't mean like drinking,

but just the fact that he has to have, or I think male cricketers in general have had to have a better balance because they've had more cricket in the calendar longer than females have. Oh, so the balance. Yeah, I wonder if that has probably been influenced by him in a way. I don't mean getting lashed after every game.

That's not getting to that. And we're looking at you, Harry Rook. Do you want to come on the pod, Harry? Are you welcome? I know. I say, I'm not going on that podcast. Stop asking me. Stop asking me, I'm not going on your podcast.

Anyway, but yeah, Australia will miss her. Who do you think is going to captain? Well, I would have thought, if you'd have asked me a year ago, Talia McGraw, she ain't scoring any runs. I don't think she'll be in a squad. I don't think she will either. So therefore, I kind of look at Ash Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield.

She might be a bit too young. I thought Ash Ash was my instinct and she's obviously doing more captaincy now she got the sixes and she's doing the Goodgeret team in the WPL

I think with Talia I think it probably goes to show how strong that Australian line up is that one of your all rounders seeming all rounders so like I know they have a lot of them but it's generally

there's less seeming all rounders in teams the fact that she cannot get her role in that team as vice captain goes to show how strong it is. I know. I know. Scary. Anyway, Alyssa Healy. Congratulations on a lovely career. Congratulations. I also

just want to say, I think we're going to see a few retirements after that T-20 World Cup. It feels like the end of an era, doesn't it? Oh, yeah. England as well. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Right. I'll announce mine.

My international retirement. I'm thinking about announcing my international retirement. You would do at the same time? Yeah. You have an international retirement party. Okay. Lisa can come We were never dropped

We just retired We just weren't picked again Well as you got any sticking out Right You know I'm going to talk about this I did my cooking vlog Obviously Jack didn't watch it I spoke to him about it the other day

You didn't watch it But it sent the internet absolutely west Like properly people absolutely loved it They were like you are Wild And me not using oven gloves But using my jumper Yeah you do that a lot

also sent people west and it brought me back to the bread knife thing of, you know, we... Can I just ask what people found interesting about the Yorkshire pudding story? Yeah, I don't know. I think it's because it's chaotic. I don't know. Someone said, not only do you talk like us, you behave like us, you're so relatable. I don't know if that's a good, is that a compliment. I don't know. It's a back-handed compliment. All I was doing was cooking in my kitchen and I thought it would be funny to record it because I've never made a Yorkshire pudding before.

So it brought me back to the bread knife thing of do you wash it? not. Surely there are other people in the world that just use the jumper that they're wearing to get things out of the oven. I've never heard of it. I've only ever seen you do it, but you're someone who I only see do things. It's quite common for me to look at you and your behaviour and go, that's not normal and then not question it. Yeah, that's true. Unwell, that's my friend. Yeah. But I support you. Yeah. So I use the oven gloves to get it out the oven because that would be psychotic but then if I'm transferring it from one kitchen counter to the next I just use my jumper you might be unrelatable there because not many people have two kitchen counters oh you've just become

unrelatable oh no you've got a kitchen island it doesn't work for everyone I've got dishwasher as well and so that was that so I would like to know if people do what I do so on that video I thought I don't know why but I thought that you didn't have a baking tray so you would upturned a, you know, one that you make cupcakes in, it's got the... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I thought you'd upturn that, and that's what you'd poured it on, and that's why it looked the way it did.

No, it just... Again, you didn't question it. Didn't you. Didn't you? Just thought that's what you did. So, I'd use self-raising flour instead of normal flower, which went off in 2023. Like that eyebrow pencil.

Yeah, another story went through all my cupboards the other day, and do you know when you're like, oh, just don't live at home anymore, or 22 that went out of date, 23, that went out of, just have emptied the covers. I'll show you later. It's well impressive.

Anyway, so I used self-raising flour and I used milk because I don't want to use dairy milk. So it was a bit of a guess making this Yorkshire pudding. It really, I found it funny as well because the photo that you put up as in like the ta-da,

was the worst thing I've ever seen. It tasted okay. Yeah, but that's not what people can see on Instagram. It's a visual thing. And I'll hand two fingers text me and said, do you want some... Drinking game?

I said, do you want some feedback? And I said, of course, I would always want, because they love their cooking. So I always want feedback. They said it looks like a cat's been sick on your plate. I was like, that's not feedback. That was great feedback. It's to the point. It's great feedback.

Yeah, so that was my next sticky note. Okay, nice. Next one. Are we going to see any more cooking videos? I think so. Oh, God. But then I did stab myself and hurt myself. Oh, yeah.

How is that? So, you know, for everybody else listening. She's not put it on Instagram, so no one knows about it. I didn't put it on Instagram because I thought I might. and get told off of the violent image. You know, you can't put, like, blood and stuff on. I know it's only a cut. You've got a paper cut and you're going to get kicked off Instagram.

So, I'm emptying the dishwasher being the chef that I am and not eating out every day, which is unrelatable. I know people eat at home. So I'm empty in the dishwasher, and I've learnt a valuable lesson. Always do your knives and forks first in the box that they go in. So all that's left is my knives and forks, and the bowl, the mixing bowl

that I'd mixed the Yorkshire pudding stuff in. And I'd go to grab the mixing ball and I stab my thumb onto the knives and forks and somehow a fork goes straight between my nail and my finger. Do you know, like, and I went, like, stacked my hand away.

And I knew it wasn't that bad because it blooded straight away. Do you know when you really hurt yourself, it doesn't bleed? And you're waiting for it. Yeah. No, show me the pain. Yeah.

But I looked at it and it was like squirting blood out the end of my finger So I was like, actually it's fine. Okay. Yeah. But why would it matter if you took the knife? You could do that anyway with the knives and forth. Well, I only caught my thumb because I was going for the ball. If I was going for the handle of the knives and forew it.

Oh, I see. I see. Yeah. But then you made a valuable point. You said, what, if it was a knife? Oh, yeah, you'd have lost your phone. I said, you'd have to come pick me up because I don't have a car. I've sold my car.

I'm on the Shulace Express. God, you've sold your car. I've sold me flat. It's all changing, guys. We're in the bad studio again. I mean the old studio. And speaking of it's all changing, I've had a real thought.

Right. And I want your reaction to this. Okay. I might find... Oh, don't talk. That tuck-took. I might try Footfinder. What's that?

What you're sell pictures of your feet? No, we're not talking about that on this podcast. Why? People don't need to know who you are. I'll recognize it's your feet anyway. I think. I want to see how much money I don't invite people just buying pictures of my feet. Don't tell me about it if you're going to do it.

Don't talk to me about your feet. Don't bring the feet up again on the podcast. Don't show me your feet. Put them away. Anything else when you're sticking out before we actually go into that? This is cricket. Okay, well let's slide into some cricket now because this was meant to be a very crickety episode.

I got giddy because I'm with my friend. I know. I'm in the studio. I know. England men are in Sri Lanka Crossy. They are. Feels like a minute ago they were in the ashes. Yeah, and they have just lost to Sri Lanka.

Yeah. In their first game... Got no way to that. By a smaller margin than they should have lost by, let's just say. Yes. A game nearly a good game. There is one thing that every cricket fan, England fan, needs to sort of keep an eye out for,

is the 27 World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. England might have to go to the qualifiers. Do you remember when you used to think it was called Nambia? Yeah. That wasn't that long ago. No. Another thing you never questioned. Just assumed that you knew that you were saying it wrong.

But that's not good, is it? So they, when did the last World Cup happen, 23? Yeah, 27. So they've had such a poor runner form. I think I saw that they've lost 11 out of the last 14 ODIs. Yeah. Something like that. So they really need to win some.

some games. Yeah, so they're playing Sri Lanka, and then Bangladesh and West Indies are behind them, basically. And Namibia, Zimbabwe, sorry, qualify automatically, because it's split. So West Indies and Bangladesh, if they win a few more games and England lose, then England will slip down.

It'll be the first ever time they've got to qualify for a World Cup. It's during the Ashes, isn't it? It's in the lead-up to Ashes, Prep, yeah. Well, at least they'll be playing some cricket then, and the Ashes prep. True. And the golf courses are going to take a hit, aren't they?

Well, no, because they'll actually have some cricket to play. Yeah. But Bangladesh, England are better, obviously, than Bangladesh and West Indies, but Bangladesh have got a home series, which will obviously suit them because they can play on spinning pitches. So there's actually this context

to this three-match series in Sri Lanka. It's actually quite big. Yeah. It's a worry, isn't it, actually? And it's crazy to think, in the grand scheme of, like, big picture of England and whiteball cricket is they were the ones who changed what whiteball cricket looked like under Owen Morgan. Yeah. And now they don't know how to play it.

It's actually a bit mad. It's whiplash to the extreme. Yeah. So that was my concern. It is a concern. It's a big concern. Bring more gear. Carry more passengers.

Face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of the world of. Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space, and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. Right, we mentioned it briefly. The whole premise of this episode was that we were going to do a guide to the 100, because a lot of information feels like it's come out in the last couple of weeks,

isn't it? Yes, and it has. And so much so, it's really aged you, actually. Yeah, what's happened there? Let me get that up. Congratulations on being signed for the Sunrises. Thank you. They're not Sunrises leads.

Sunrises leads. You were being retained, direct signing, whatever it may be. Whatever image that one of the people have used to say that... It was some random company. It wasn't an official one. You look, you look haggard. You look 65.

It's like you've put an old filter on you. Do you know what I don't understand about these? things. There is photos of me on the internet. There's photos of me and Kit. They've used this. Can we do a side on, side to side? Do I look like that? I know I've got a few greys, but...

What is that? It gets better every time I see it. For everyone that can't see that, it's me if I sat in the sun every day for the next 12 days with no sun cream on. No, no, no. 12 years? Yeah. My eyebrows probably look a bit better in that, actually, though.

Not used your gammy pencil. Yeah, so... It's neither my mouth. No, you... They've given me jowls. It's Zach Crawley's mouth, I think. Is it? You look like you, Zach Crawley,

Harry Brooke and... Uh, wolf. That's not even my earrings. What is this? AI needs to sort itself out. No, they're not your earrings. You wear hoops. I've won the same hoops since you got that pencil.

If you've got photos of us, don't go and use AI then. Yeah, so Sunrises Leeds have the oldest signing in the 100. Well, until Jimmy signs again, I'm probably going to be it. Right, let me get back onto my detailed list of what we're going to talk about. It's exciting though, Crossy. It really interested me how people have moved outside of the auction because I was under the impression, which is wrong,

but I was under the impression you could only retain or get picked up in the auction. But I didn't realize that there's a direct signing thing. So then there was all the, ooh, Danny White Hodge has gone to mum. by, oh, someone else's gone there. So it's been quite interesting to see the women's movement in particular. I'm less surprised by the men because I feel like the men move around a lot more than the women have historically.

And you've done loads of research today, Al. You've even sent over how much people have got left in their purse to spend. I know, because I wanted to see how much people have gone for because I'm nosy like that. I really actually want to talk about how horrific Manchester's new badges. It's the worst thing I've ever seen. Aren't you glad you're not playing for them? Not only is it really bad

They've used an African elephant They've not even used the Indian elephant As the logo for a team that's based in India Look now Have you seen Joss Butler's reaction to it? I can't watch it He goes Yep, that's nice

Oh no, he's not a good liar That's tough to get put on the spot like that A few things about the Manchester thing actually. Did you see the CEO, I think it was the CEO's video? Yeah. And he got every female player's name wrong. Yeah. Meg Canning, I don't know who she plays for,

or where they found her. And I love the fact that he just said. And Sophie Akelston is a good bowler. Yeah, yeah. Not the world's best. The best that we've ever probably produced. She's a good bowler. Yeah, well, keep Sophie Ackleston

because she knows Manchester well. I enjoyed actually, we've had our complaint with social media, but one of the things I love about social media is how quickly the internet moves when something happens. And when that Manchester logo came out, it was spot-off.

It was so good, was it? So good. It made me think we should be on the internet more because it could have... It was so good. I just don't know what they're thinking. And look, I love the people that work at Manchester that we know them really well.

Obviously don't know the new owners, but what is that? Like, what is that? It's got to go on a shirt. It's got to be pulling. plastered everywhere. That badge is going to be around the city centre. And it's not even like, you think about Looknow Super Giants and the logo they have, it's nothing to do with that either. It's not even relatable to know that those two teams are...

Because I really like the Looknow one that they've got in the IPL. Yeah. And then I really like... Like wings, isn't it? Yeah. And then I really like when they've done the team in South Africa, it's got the South African colours. So I thought, oh, well, the Manchester one could be like black and white or something. Do you think they've maybe chosen elephant because it's quite grey here? If that's what the reason Then clutch It's loose

It's very loose It wouldn't be me without a little moan But it's not a moan It's an ironic Laffable event Oh what have you done No no no It's other people

Every single person I believe That opposed the 100 And moaned about the 100 And said it's ruining County Cricket And every cricket in the UK Now

Once it all to go back To how it was last year They're all now moaning That it's changed again Those same people Yeah And it's just made me laugh so much that...

Take it back to its original. Yeah. Well, if they changed it again, it was... Yeah. It was a good thing. But the crown and the elephant crest is not a good thing. It's not. Right. Sunrises. Our new favourite team, lovely logo. Do you like that one?

It's not the best, but it'll do. Orange, we're going from purple to orange, which will be... Purple to orange. Fine. Absolutely fine. Annabelle Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, and 65-year-old Kate Cross. Oh, good. Orange and purple are two words that you can't rhyme anything with as well.

Okay. Not sure they were going for that. No, it's nothing to do that it just came to my head. So yeah, we've got Belsie, Litch and me. I got my offer. When did I get it? It was before Christmas. And I wanted to stay at Leeds. Obviously, not sure about cricket next year and was all a bit there, but felt like I've got a retention offer, so that's a good place to start.

I then got offered a out-of-draft auction signing by Mumbai Indians. and that really, the two places I would want to bowl in the whole of the 100 would be Lords. Yeah. I quite like bowling ahead in me and the other one would be the Oval. Mumbai Indians is the new Oval Invincibles,

which in itself is confusing because there's two London's now. Yeah, there is, isn't there? So there's London Spirit, which is the OG. That's Lords. So you wouldn't have been at Lords, you'd have been at the Oval? Yeah, but I was saying that the two places

I would be happy to move to would be Lords or Oval. Right. Other than that. I'm very happy to stay. So then I saw sense, and the reason that I retained, was because I don't want to have to bowl at Fiebel Litchfield

or Annabelle, Sutherland, 100. And I thought, very good. If you can't beat him, you've got to join them. Yeah. MI London slash Oval Invincibles, you'll be bowling at Danny Wyatt Hodge, Merely Kerr and Haley Matthews.

That makes more sense. All of them are a bit Mumbai Indians linked. Linked, yeah, except for Danny Wyatt Hodge, which was a surprise for me, I thought she would probably have stayed at Southern Brave, but she's not. So other moves, everyone's kind of, there was maybe three or four that I was surprised about. They were Capsie.

Where's she gone? She was at the Oval and she's now gone to Birmingham Phoenix. Yes. Lauren Filey's also gone to Birmingham Phoenix. Siver Brunt for me, not going to, am I? Yes. I'm not surprised about that because she will want to be at home. And obviously she lives local to Trent Bridge.

So I am surprised but not surprised. I thought she might have been forced a bit more or not forced. That's the wrong word. encouraged by Mumbai Indians, but she obviously hasn't been. Mahika Gore going to Spirit, I think that's a great signing. Heather Knight, obviously now doing the signing. She's the O.C at London Spirit. Yeah, they've done well there.

I think when I'm looking at the teams, where is London Spirit on this list that I've got? Here it is. Yeah. Marazan Cat, Mahika Goh, Charlie Dean, Grace Harris, decent. The other signing that really caught my attention was Smriti Mandana, because that surprised me. Manchester was not on my radar for her.

No. I heard a rumor she just decided, like the day before she was going to play. Yeah, I heard that. Yeah, she's like, fine, I'll play. Manchester Super Giants now. Yeah. Or Super Elephants. Yeah.

Manchester bad logos. Phil Salt going to Welsh Fire. And Captain him. And Captain must be big money that. Yeah, I think that would be big. I've heard massive rumors. And Chris Wokes. Good on you, Chris Wokes.

Yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing Wokesy play. Everything else has been relatively, not as you would expect, because it obviously looks a bit different with the fact that they've done out of auction signings. But the auction I'm fascinated by because it's the first time that we've done it in the 100 where there's not a certain amount of money you sign someone for. Yeah. You can bid.

Yeah, because someone said to me the other day they were like, oh, so like what's the brackets? And I was like, oh, well, Crossies signed, so I guess she's on the third bracket. And then I was like, oh, no, it's not. There's no bracket. So each team's got a purse. So that's the way they've done it this year. So you were saying that the men, what's the men? Yeah, just over two million.

2.05 million pounds, great British pounds. And you split that between 16? Yes. That's new this year, 16 in your squad. Yeah, not 15. You can play four overseas this year. Yes. Yeah.

That's new. I don't know how I feel about the men being 2 million or over 2 million and the women being under a million, 880,000 is a lot of money. I know that, you know, the likes of the best players in the world, Meg Laning, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Eccleston will be earning over £100,000 a year for a tournament. Amazing. It's still not an equal tournament, is it?

I think, I get what you say in. I think, again, what we're doing is comparing the men's and the women's, which we've actually always said we shouldn't do. No, I'm not, yeah, I know that. Comparatively, it looks bad. That's what I'm trying to say. So this is conversations that I've had quite a lot with because I was quite disappointed that it was as different as it was.

And actually I think the gender pay gap has widened again, which it happened last year. And the ECB said it ideally wouldn't happen again, but it has happened again. And I do understand that to attract the best men's players in the world, you have to pay them a good amount of money. So do get that that's why that's gone up so much. The women's has doubled.

Yeah. So if you look at it in isolation, It's amazing. Yeah. And people will be earning doubly what they did last year. My worry is that with the salary, with the Percy, sorry, teams can bid for the best players. And the best players' monies always go up. That's always.

Even in the women's game, the best players earn the most money. What I would have loved to have seen was the lowest amount that you can enter the draft in the auction in, be lifted. So that then the players. who possibly like the difference of 5 grand, 10 grand, is big to them because it's the difference between maybe not having to work that second job or you can move out your mum and dad's. This is the women's game, sorry.

Yeah, what is the lowest? 15K. I would have loved to have seen that be matched to the men's. Which is? 31K, I think. Yeah. So I would have loved to have seen that. And for me, where the 100 now needs to change its perception,

if that's the right word, is that you cannot say that this is the tournament of parity, which is what it was originally very outspoken about, that everything was on a level playing field. Obviously, the money never has been, but I don't think now you can talk about this tournament being equal. Equal. No.

It's not. No, no, no. It's just the 100 men's and women's. Yeah. So that, I'd be, Matthew, I get what you're saying. I think when you look at it in isolation and you don't try and race with the guys. I'm not, yeah, I'm, I'm, it's gone up.

it's amazing, I just think, I'm, I think it looks bad. It always looked bad on paper though, I think. I think when you look at the numbers, it always looked bad. And I'll be interesting to see how they do the auction because obviously there'll be a big numbers flying around in the men's versus smaller numbers in the women, so are they going to keep them separate and not make it as obvious that there's differences in the page?

But, and also all the best female players have already been signed. So what are teams willing to spend? Yeah. That's what I'm interested in, because, you know, Someone, I don't know. I can't even think of a player. I'm just going to throw myself in that. You know, you're a better player.

You've already been signed for X amount. I go in the auction and everyone goes, I really need a left arm spinner. We've not got one. Oh, I'll bid her. We end up, I could end up getting the same amount of money as you and I'm nowhere near the player that you are. You know what I'm trying to say.

Yeah, but that did happen with the brackets as well. Yeah, it did. Because people had to spend that much money on player because that was the only money they had available. So it has happened in the past. But just looking down the list, all the women's team, sorry, this is probably more focused on the women's stuff, but generally they've either spent 310 grand or 360 grand.

Well, the men have all spent 950. Every single team spent 950. So that would leave the women 880 minus 360 is around. I'll tell you. 420. 880 minus 360 equals 5. 20, divided by 14. So you can spend about 37 grand per player

if you wanted to split it equally. So there's still going to be some big money flying around there. Yeah, there will be. And there's still people to sign because not everyone's got all their overseas allocation. So there is players to be hard. Has every England woman got a team? I don't even know.

No, a lot of people are going into the auction. I've not even looked. Oh yeah, I suppose someone like Sarah Glenn and... Yeah. Yeah, players like that. Yeah. It will be interesting. Obviously, the fixture is coming out on the 27th,

so we'll know that soon. but it's just all change, isn't it? Yeah. It's exciting. It is good and it should be good. It will be good. It will be good. The men's will be better because they're going to have better players.

Yep. We always said the 100 is the 100, isn't it? It's going to be the same format. They've not changed that. It's not changed into anything else. So you would expect it to be the same. It'll just be that Leeds isn't purple anymore. Yeah.

And anyone that plays for Manchester, now you know why. Yeah. Little intel. That was kind of meant to be a dummy's guide to the 100, but I think we made it more complicated for everybody. Yeah, well, it was always going to happen. It was going to happen, wasn't it? Right, crossing out, I think we should go and get some tea.

Let's do it. If you want to get in touch with us, you can email us on. No Bowlspodcast at BBC.co.com.com. Noblespodcast at BBC.com.com. It's so good. They said it twice. You can text us on 81-1-1-1. And you can phone us on... O'D-3-8-26.

get in touch with us about your thoughts on the 100 because we'd be quite keen to know about it and also any funny tweets that you saw about the Manchester logo please send them to me because it's really become a hobby of mine. Yeah, and mine, well good. And also, how do you take your things out of the oven? Yeah, I don't think there'll be anyone that says anything other than with another one glove.

Someone's going out, you used me shoes. Yeah, well, it's the weirdest thing you've used to take something out of the oven. Yeah, there you go, see? Jumpers not that weird in the context of the thing. No, it's not. What could you use? What about those people who have the specific grabber things

that you can like, you clip on? They feel more hassle than they're worth. I think I'd panic and if it like fell, I'd catch and then I'd be a hazard. Yeah. You are a hazard. I'm not, you're a hazard. Right, everyone, bye.

Bye. Bye, life sports. Let's get the show on the road on Rod Laver Arena. Good morning, good evening from Melbourne. The Australian Open. How are they both beneath the nerves, Attention, what's at stake. Unbelievable.

Now and the end of the tournament, we will bring you a daily pod recapping the biggest stories and the best of the action on the All About Australian Open feed. The Australian Open 26. Join us for our live coverage on tennis breakfast every morning from 7am

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