Test Match Special - No Balls: Kate on tour!

Episode Date: December 3, 2024

Alex Hartley & Kate Cross discuss England’s dominant displays in England’s T20 series win against South Africa Women, and how the tour is great preparation ahead of the Women’s Ashes next month. Plus, they ask you for your best cricketing look-alikes after Jacob Bethell was likened to… Pat [e-mail] to every game of England's tour of South Africa on BBC Sounds, with commentary of the first ODI in Kimberley at 11:45am on Wednesday 4th December.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to 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. This podcast is brought to you by Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. With Wise, you can send, spend, and receive up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Plus, Wise won't add hidden fees to your transfer. Whether you're buying souvenirs with pesos in Puerto Vallata or sending euros to a loved one in Paris, you know

you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit Wise.com. Tise and Cs apply. Well, if you don't like it, go watch the paint dry, watch the grass grow and have a cold cup of coffee because this podcast includes swear words. But don't worry, we do beat them out. See your kids can listen. Cross.

I'm doing round the wicket. Boulder, Boulder, leaving a ball alone, Litchfield. I think it's the wobble ball, and it just nips back, it jags back. It's the nipbacker. That is a beauty from Kate Cross. An absolute seed. That is a beauty from Cross. Hello and welcome back to No Balls to Cricket Podcast with me, Alex Hartley and you, Kate Cross.

Hello, how are you? I'm really well. Well, I'm not, but I have been really well, how are you? I am well now. I've not been very well, but for very, very different reasons to you. I'm just going to put a disclaimer out now. Sorry, Jack, I feel like the Wi-Fi's not great here in the middle of Africa. Oh, no.

And then Kimberly, I'll literally dropped in the middle of Africa. feels like there could be a line outside of my door. There's not. Have you, oh. Have I checked? I'm not what you're going to ask. So yeah, if I disappear, sorry, don't get annoyed at me. Oh, well, don't worry.

We'll just do a short episode and I can go to bed because it's currently 32 minutes past nine and I'm ready to be tucked up. So why have you not been well, Al? What's been going on? Just had a really long weekend at work. I worked Friday, Saturday, Sunday at the Rugby Sevens.

and, you know, I had to stay up late watching the Sugar Babes and Stormsy. So I text you today saying how mad it is that Lank's cricket have basically just put reel after reel after reel for three days of you and Tom Hartley getting on their social media. I'm Fee Morris. Yep.

Yeah, and I wasn't even working for Lanks. Brilliant. Amazing. Yeah, an amazing weekend yesterday as it was last year. Wine tasters get drunk for a living. They get paid to get drunk, so... I could quite easily be a... cricket ambassador around the world if I get to go to events like that.

Yeah, I mean, it did look pretty cool. I'm not a rugby fan, but it looked like I would want to go because it looked fun. Crossie, you would be a rugby fan if you saw these rugby seven people. Oh, we've got a document now that we have to follow. Oh, and we've not followed it, yeah? We've not followed it, so should we just nip onto it? So it starts by saying there's a typical intro. I think that's what we've just done.

You getting drunk. Then four to five minutes, what have you been up to? Crossie is out in South Africa. Alex wearing a dot dot dot pilot helmet Is Crossy, what have you been up to? I've been poorly, really quite poorly. You should have said I'm in South Africa. Oh.

The Crossie, what have you been up to? I'm in South Africa. How is it? Today's been a good day. I got out in the sunshine today, so good. But yeah, I picked some like flew up on the plane or something. So my first three days were in bed, slept a lot. Oh, that's actually really annoying

because you're trying to build up to the ODIs. But England women won the T20 series? Sorry, no, that's... We've got four to five minutes of what's it like on tour first and then we go into the South Africa T20 series, Alex. Can you please read the notes? Sorry. Okay, then.

How's your prep been? Good. It's been good so far. For the one day that I've done, that I've been able to be out of bed, it's been good. But it's actually been really cool being back with the England team because without realizing it,

I've done six months away from this group of girls. Have you? Yeah, so our last England series with, I say the full squad, not the island touring squad that didn't go out to the World Cup. Yeah, it was the New Zealand series in the summer, so it's been six months since I've been like... So what was that, June? July? June-ish, yeah, before the 100.

So, yeah, it's been nice. It's been really nice to be back, actually. Anyone changed? Everyone's the same, basically. Yeah, always happens. Sophia Custon's hair. a bit blonder actually. She's got a few more blonde highlights.

We've got Seren Smale with us, who sadly for her has had to miss her driving test to be out here. She got called up because Bess Heath has broken her thumb, I think. So she got flown out.

You know what it's like? It's chaos. You get the call. You've basically got to get yourself to Heathrow and, you know, you go million miles an hour. And her driving test was booked for December the 4th or 5th.

Obviously she's going to miss it. And then the next one she can book on is April. Oh, no, this keeps happening to her. She's cancelled a few, or she's failed. She's definitely failed. This one's been booked in, but Ada's Headpads could be, like, fuming. She said, Den is absolutely fuming. Surely there'd be, like, she can just look at cancellation of that.

Look, I'm representing my country. She said she sent a polite email, and she's not heard anything back yet. So, DVLA, if you listen to this podcast, let the girl off. She needs to learn how to drive, or a dad needs her to learn how to drive. tell you he'll be able to do something about it. And I wonder if he still listens. The Coldplayman must have some contacts. Oh, yeah. Coldplay man, he, oh, surely he can just sign her of a driving license.

He's got power. He does everything. He's got the power. I'm sure he's got a song about power as well, isn't he? You've got a higher power. That's what he needs to sing to the DVLA. You've got. Help me out. Sarah needs a license.

Yes. Sorted. We'll get it sorted for you, Sarah, don't worry. Okay, next, we've gone to. but this was only four to five minutes out. Al, you were wearing a pilot helmet. Do you want to explain why? I was not wearing a pilot helmet and I'll send you a better picture so we can put it up or I'll just put it up because I also have the social login. I was dressed as a disco ball so the theme for the sevens this year was festival. Yeah, and last year I didn't dress up

I just went in casuals and this year having been here a while, Georgia Ellis said do you want to dress up with the rugby girls, they're all going as disco balls. So we got a bike helmet, stuck loads of reflective things on it. It was made ourselves, slash, someone made it for me, because, you know, I'm like, and I ordered disco ball clothes, and I went as a disco ball. Nice. I was just looking on Google, actually, because I don't know, did you ever see the Jetsons when you were a kid?

The people that lived in space? Well, it reminded me about this guy. that looks like my dad everyone looks like your dad your dad is a versatile creature anyway I think that creature

I think he was called George George Jetson anyway showing Alex a picture of George Jetson so did you have you had fun and you run well now mentally and physically I had great fun

yeah I'm in I'm going to rehab for the foreseeable future having said that the F1 starts on Thursday I've got tickets Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday okay that's a few days away isn't it

yeah it's fine it's only Tuesday, Monday. Fine. You'll be fine. You're used to this. This is what you build that of resilience for over the years. I have, yeah, it's true. It's true. You actually play a game very soon, Crossy. Wednesday. Wednesday? Okay.

I know you're going to say you can't say anything, but you're going to be fit because you've been poorly? Yeah, I've fully trained today, so I would hope so. It's very hot in Kimberley. I literally are in the middle of Africa, and it was like 38 degrees today, so hot. T20 series, are we allowed to talk about it now? No, we missed out. What's it like on tour?

Everything organised for you, meals training schedule. Have you seen any of the animals? Al couldn't name in the last episode. Where's the best place you've been or stayed? I haven't got any of that. Oh, have I been sent the detailed script to get us through this episode? Let me have a look. Maybe I need to refresh the script.

Jax, I did two weeks since I last went on it. that's why. Got to have it up and live, Alex. We're a new organised podcast with a good producer who helps us out. Oh, and he said to me before he went, if I'm too involved,

let me know. It's like the more you can actually come on. Like, do it for me if you want. Perfect, yeah. Keep the group chat alive, Jack. What's it like on talk about? Well, everything is organized for me like my meals and my training and my schedule.

He goes camera off today, so we can't see him and be laughing or rolling his eyes. We can't see him rolling his eyes. We, that is exactly what it is, Al. You get a tour itinerary. It's like when you went on your Conteke and you have to be on the bus at certain times. And if you're not on the bus, the bus goes. Food is laid out for you after training. People help you out, taking your bags from ground to ground.

You get on an aeroplane. You go to Kimberley. But this one's been a bit poor for me because I didn't get to go to watch any of the T-D 20 games so I got here for the last two and couldn't go because I was poorly I've been poorly if you've not if I hadn't told you um you sound a bit poorly a bit nasal aren't I it's tough with this nose as well you don't want too much stuck up there you can fit in here I reckon not now it's bit but um but touring's great because you get to go to like I get you've said you've never been you've never heard of Kimberley you've not been to Kimbley you get to go to

these places that you just wouldn't ever go to but cricket takes you there and then there's just always a cricket ground dropped in the middle that you just get to play cricket at Heather said that the girls obviously love exploring new countries that they've been in you know they're going to see places the girls went on safari the other day which looked incredible you missed it you were poorly yeah paid to go on it I missed it been poorly oh hammer blow tough tough to take what when my alarm went off at 630 though I thought to myself you've seen one lion you've seen them all

so I thought you know what go back to sleep and I did I slept till 3pm that day so I obviously needed it but they all seemed to enjoy it and I think it was good for the girls to get out a little bit as well because we're not allowed to go out of our hotels in South Africa

because of safety reasons so I think it's almost felt a bit COVID-y so I think the girls were quite pleased to get out and explore and see the animals that you couldn't name in last week's episode right come on i named way more than was necessary no you named animals but you didn't name the south african animals i've been on a safari and i saw birds yeah of course you saw barry the bird was

it still waiting for that video want to get that on barry the bird eddy the eagle um can we please talk about a t20 series now i'm desperate too i think we nearly yeah i think we've done enough time on that now yeah the girls are back 3-0 yeah after a disappointed World Cup everyone must be buzzing yeah but obviously I wasn't at the World Cup but the vibe I'm getting

from the girls who have been at the World Cup is that actually everything was really going in the right direction bar that last game against the West Indies so do you remember when we played that World Cup in New Zealand where we couldn't win a game we were we fielded terribly we dropped everything

we scraped our way to a World Cup final and then lost to Australia when Healy got that 150. Yeah. That felt like a bad World Cup. Whereas I feel like for this one that's just gone in Dubai, it wasn't a bad World Cup. It was one bad game where they were outperformed, like quite significantly in that obviously meant they were booted out of the World Cup.

So I feel like it felt like all doom and gloom from outside, but inside everything's been quite calm and the girls just wanted to get out there and play again. and like prove that they are still better than the team that got to the final yeah and they've been because that can happen in t20 world cups on it like you get knocked out like england did south africa i've got to two t20 world cup finals in a row which is no coincidence in itself like you have to perform well in tournaments but england are a better team than than by a country mile well it i think it just goes to show and highlight how different tournament cricket is and you've you've actually probably played more world cups than me would you you probably

did actually didn't you i've only been involved in one yeah that's played in oh you won yours though that's annoying um lookie look it um but it is it's so different because it's different grounds every game and it's different people like you're playing against every game and it's there's just nothing really that preps you for it other than tournament cricket so and i'm not being funny like tournaments are a lot bigger now than they were when i played mine like a lot bigger like yes we sold out loads but actually you get thousands of people playing in all thousands of people watching sorry in all the games now it'd be hard to score runs

that would be wouldn't it um but also the prize money equal prize money every single game that you play you get prize money for we didn't get that we didn't get match fees or anything so there's actually so much more pressure yeah on you guys because you lose that game to the west indies that's a difference between like 40 or 50 grand and you like it's such a big difference don't get me wrong we like the girls would have gone out there and known if they played their best game of cricket that they would have won that against the West Indies. But also there's an element of West Indies were underdogs. They had nothing to lose that day. They could just go out, be so free. And they did that and they

won. But again, we talk about it all the time. Pressure does so much funny stuff to people. And tournament cricket, I think, really does highlight it. I've got a fun fact for you about this England team this year. Is it on this sheet that I'm reading? No. Oh, okay. because I did some research. England now, or third, for the most wins in a calendar year.

Oh, I saw that, yeah. T20, but Thailand are on there? Yeah, it's like Mongolia at the top of so that. But, I mean, great for us. I'm not sure it's Mongolia, but I hadn't heard that they'd been winning recently. But yeah, do you know what? There's loads of stuff that we talk about in our group that doesn't go out to press or doesn't get spoken about,

but we had a team meeting the other day before one of the games and our analyst had done a stat about in the last maybe 18 months of international T20 cricket we've got the highest run rate as a team the lowest percentage of dot balls whatever the highest thing is about runs per wicket

so like we've got the best in that so there's loads of stuff that's going on behind the scenes that we're talking about that we're really pleased about that you know the batting group's actually moving in a really good direction but one loss at the World Cup kind of everyone forgets about that quite quickly yeah that's I guess the like Sykesi and the managers team

to remind everybody about that isn't it so should we get Sykesi on the podcast should get Sykesi on just to big everybody up and tell the press that we are a good team you know sounds like we need to get Mongolia's captain on I know doesn't it just speaking of good teams and good players Danny Wyatt are just getting better with age mad

So, do you know what? I think she just, like, I don't know how to say this without making it sound bad, but I just think she doesn't care. As in, like, she knows her game so well. She knows it inside out. She knows what she's good at. She knows how to exploit teams and bowling attacks.

And Louis pointed out the other day, actually, when we were training at Lufthbrother. He was like, you look around the group and your most experienced players are your most consistent players generally. You look at Danny, you look at night, you look at Heather, Amy, etc. Tammy. So that's what experience brings to a team and that's why she's so important to have around

and hopefully help guide your boosies, your dunks, you know, capsie, the younger girls coming through and be able to give them the opportunity to have the career that she's had as well. But also, like, Dan is so consistent, but I feel like she's at ease in the fact that she knows she's going to get out because that's cricket and that happens. I think that's probably what I mean when I say she doesn't care because she obviously does care. But I think you're right. And I think, again, that comes to. down to Louis and what he's instilled in that batting group is that he wants you to take the brave option and to take bowlers down and put pressure on them and in T20 cricket you're going

to get out in one day cricket in test cricket you're going to get out so you know you might as well have some fun while you're doing it and Danny just looks like she's loving it you sound like a coach that has been quite successful Brendan McCullum I think says stuff like that I've been listening to Brendan what's next on our list what's been like the chat are you seeing it as like an ashes series for the points to win the whole thing or are you doing it get like series by series? Yeah so it's not a it's not a multi-format series in that with the points go into the next series so we are treating it like an ashes to try and emulate what we're going to experience in January. Obviously we had a tough start

to our last ashes campaign with the test match being first but in these series that we're playing against South Africa and Australia now coming up test match is last so it's actually really good preparation for us. I say that, obviously, two months out and this will die a death if we don't win the ashes, but it does feel like it's the best prep that we could have leading into a series. And also like, playing that, going into day three or four of that test match after three T20s, three ODIs, I mean, in the last test series you were spraying your face with energizer spray on day two. Yep, that was me. You were like, this is energizing miss. I'm not sure it's working.

The miss frail, tired her on day, I feel it tired on day one. Didn't work. Get my money back. But that's the challenge, isn't it that we're not used to? It's the emotional, the mental side of it that we're not used to. I'd say, like, physically the team's in a good place to be able to cope with the demands of test cricket now

and the bowlers work loads are up and one day cricket before that helps. But yeah, it's going to be, it's just so much fun. We had our headshots today and I got my whites back on and it's just, you just can't help but be excited. Yes. And there's another team playing test match cricket, West Indies. Have you seen the future tours program? Everyone's playing test cricket now.

It's like it's catching on. Apart from New Zealand. Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Sorry, Susie. Keep bringing it up. Sometimes equal match fees aren't fair. I feel like this has been quite Q&A, actually. Sorry, you just did the middle of the series and I'm excited for you.

Yeah, no, that's funny. I haven't been doing anything. There's nothing new in my life. Other than being a disco ball. Discutting. Disco. I'm going home this time next week. I'm so excited. Oh, okay, good. You're happy. She's happy. Yeah. Yeah. And part from when I'm cold, I'll be feeling.

Should we pop upstairs then? Or have you got anything on your sticky note? Well, no, that this, you feed me to it. It's not on our list, is it? So we missed it. Maybe this thing is our sticky note now. Oh, okay. Let me check my stick now. I think it's meant to be a bit more subtle than we've made it ever. out to be. I do have something. Alex.

What? Do you know what happened on the 15th of November? Not this year, six years ago. No. Right, well it was 15th of November. There was something started. And then on the 23rd of November, something properly started six years ago. Uh, started six years.

A podcast. Our podcast, Al. We're six years old. Do we miss our birthday? We've missed our birthday, yeah. I was going to pop it on socials, but then I thought we'd do it on the pod. But yeah,

we recorded our first ever episode on the 15th of November, and it went out on the 23rd of November, so happy birthday to us. Six years. Oh, my God. Well done. I actually think it's more celebratory

that it's six years of not being cancelled. Yeah, me too. There's been a few hairy moments. Few. Small margins, but, yeah, happy birthday to us. Oh, proud of us. Look at us. And the other thing I got written on my sticky note is that I have said goodbye to Twitter

and not one person has noticed. Yeah, BBC TMS have noticed because they couldn't tag you in the latest podcast episode. So it was like Alex Hartley and Kate Cross. Oh, sorry about that, guys. Henn two fingers, if you're playing a drinking game. They did actually notice and text me. But other than that, no one's really bothered,

which makes me think it was the right decision. Yeah, it was definitely the right decision. The only thing I use Twitter for now or X is someone called Bill tweets me every day with Stunple and I play him at Stunple every day. I don't know who he is. Back on to our big sticky note then. Emails.

Yes, yes. Giles in York says. Wait, who we're going upstairs with? Oh, I forgot. See, Jack, write it down. Yeah, we've got right it down. If we're going off the sheet, we've got it right down. I'm going to read this one out, by the way, because it's long.

Long, yeah. I want to, I don't know if we've been upstairs with him before but I want to go upstairs with Rod Tucker Oh my word I love Rob Tucker He's called Rod Yeah I love Rod Tucker I think

I don't know if we have but I love his surname Okay hello Giles in York Giles says Hi Kate and Alex I hope you both well Regularly you hear comments about a cricketer In every team who goes under the radar but produces consistently effective performances.

Looking ahead to the Women's Ashes series, or Washes, in January, could you pick one player from each side who fits this underrated yet vital role who perhaps we should be focusing on more? Does that not take away from the going under the radar thing if we put the radar on them? Sophie Eccleston. She'll go under the radar, yeah.

Nat Siverbrun. Under the radar, yeah. Amy Jones. players. I'm going to say Amy Jones for England. I think she goes under the radar quite a lot, especially as a wicket keeper. I'm going Charlie Dean. I think she's outspun a lot by Sophie Eccleston and Sarah Glenn, who pick up a lot of wickets, but so does Dino. Nice. I like that. Any Aussies? You want to put the radar on? I don't know. This guy said the same, but Molineu's back from injury. Oh, you can't just pick the two

people he's said. I know. I was always going to say D. You know, and then I saw a Molineau and I was like, oh, it's a good shout, actually. Yeah, and she's just won the Big Bash, and she won the WPL. So, probably Sophie Mollinew. Sophie Mollinew, okay. I would say maybe someone like a Georgia Wareham. I think she always quietly goes. They could go rogue. They could pick this Illyndworth girl.

Oh, yeah. She's really good. Yeah, she was good in the Big Bash, actually. Anyway, Giles, my choices would be Charlie Dean and Sophie Mollinew. Look at that. Who both offer quality spin. powerful lay thought about in prowess and excellent leadership qualities. Having played with both, Kate, how important do you think each of these players

will be across the three formats? Yeah, very important, Giles, from York. Ashy series really, they really do rely on a lot of players, though, don't they? You can't just have Nat winning you every single game. She did try for us last time. Yeah, I think in that first T20, actually, Nat proved why she's so important to the team because she anchored them, England, to that win and that run chase. But Ash's series, last time in Australia, not the one just gone, because the one just gone, everyone performed,

but that one in Australia, she was quite, her and Heather, like, both single-handedly kept performing in different games. Yeah. They must have felt like the world was on their bloody shoulders. Yeah. Well, we had, I remember Catherine took a five for in the test match in Canberra, but I think I went wicketless. God, I don't even know who else was playing in that game.

but yeah you need your whole squad in an ashes don't you especially with how we do it with like there's now actually different T20 teams to ODI teams and like I certainly feel like when I come into the ODI squad I feel like I have to perform because I've not had the opportunity to

be part of the T20s so I feel like a bit of added pressure do you feel like I've not got time to like warm up or anything like the girls have played three games so far this series and if I get the chance to play in any of these birdie eyes then it'll be my first game of the winter so I feel I kind of already feel a bit behind if I get the chance to play across the other leading seamer in the world I think you'll

be okay you don't know Alex I don't but I'd be something wrong with you if you weren't playing yeah you just never know I actually want to talk more about is that pressure just coming from yourself because you're not been involved yeah probably I mean no one's putting pressure on me like It's not like Louis stood here going, you have to perform every game. But I think when you don't play as much cricket now, like when my last game was one of the T20s in Ireland, which was mid-September, end of September, mid-September. You just, obviously, you're just like, oh, I've not played for a little while.

I know I've not forgotten how to bowl, and I know that my prep is always the same and it stands me in good stead. But I think there's definitely an element of like first tour, first game of the tour nerves. and the girls have played three games now. Do you know what I always find tough or found tough I don't find it tough anymore is going into an environment you've not been in

because the team moves on so it's like when you lose your contract to a team or you have a bit of a break or you're not selected the team moves on without you they almost have to forget that you were ever there but then when you go back into it it's like what in jokes what my friends have been talking about

we all had a really honest chat about that this summer actually and because there's so many moving parts now with the women's game which we haven't been used to previously there's something that came up and actually the girls who come into the environment find it quite difficult to not fit in but there's like a

speed of tour life like that you're just not used to when you're at home and like what Jack touched on earlier about what's actually being on tours like is everything's organised for you and this, that and the other but you still have to think about your laundry and your kit and where you are and what you're doing

and all that sort of stuff. And what the girls do really well now is make a huge effort for the girls that come in. So if you've been part of the squad and someone comes in, so like everyone's got around Seren straight away. She's obviously brand new to the environment. Rihanna as well.

Yeah, Rihanna McDonnell Gay obviously called up into the test stuff as well. So everyone just really looks out for each other and I think it probably goes to show the strength of how much empathy is in the group. Because I think it's quite a big thing to be able to say that you struggle with that sort of stuff. yeah massively massively and then for that to be received well and not like a no one got defensive it's hard to be like yeah it's hard to be like sorry i feel left out yeah and it's not being left out because that that sounds childish but it's almost like it's like you said there's like the playlist has already been made so you've not put songs on the playlist so it's everyone else's music you're listening to and there's the in jokes and people just know how or where to order the food from and stuff on delivery because that's what they've been doing for a week and you've

kind of just got to fall into the routine of it. But I think I'm lucky and Tammy's lucky that we've done enough touring over our lives to kind of know what that routine looks like. Yeah. Yeah. But you still get nervous for your first game, whatever tour it is. Yeah, of course you do.

Yeah. It doesn't matter who you're playing. Well, I guess when the washes come around will people be flying in and out at different times? Obviously you won't know yet. No, well it's ODI's first for the washes. perfect you can have a little holiday in the middle

hopefully you'll be picked I'm not holding out for T20 selection randomly in the ashes but you do never know anyway across you we'll be talking all things washes once the South Africa's tours wrapped up yes what it says on our sheet you can easily join the nobles conversation by the way on Instagram we're at nobles TCP

and we've asked you what are the funniest slash worst cricketing lookalikes Alex put this one up by the way and then she put a picture of her next to Rod Stewart who is not a cricketer but still a very great lookalike but this is because you can explain this

go on this grassy is because Stefan Schemel who you'll know from TMS writing on the website the BBC's chief cricket reporter to give him his proper title said this about Jacob Bethel just got a bit of a swagger hasn't he

Jacob Bethel he's got the the Pat Butcher hairstyle you know with his bleach blonde hair and he's got his really stylish don't think he looks like Matt Buncher with the hair with a blood curry hair

brilliant I mean savage imagine imagine yeah I can I can sort of see it though yeah well it's the it's how white it is

it's not a bleach blonde hair it's not the blonde tips that kind of going into fashion it's like my grand goes and gets her head run like that once week at the local hair salon. And I bet she looks a bit more like Pat Butcher as well. Yeah. Anyway, to that Instagram story we put out, we've had loads of responses. We had three.

Three, all three of them. And one of them says that actually you look more like Louis Tomlinson. You get compared a lot to boys, don't you? Yeah, because I used to have short back and sides, crossy. Broccoli. Dot Rob.16 says, I strongly feel that Kate Blanchett can portray Kate in her biopic. Really, broccoli, Rob? Broccoli, Rob.

Do I look like her? Oh. Uh, no, she's got a smaller nose. Everyone's got a smaller nose out. We're not going to find anyone with a big enough nose to play me. There's not very many people that look at you. You like Harmon Preakure. I do.

Everyone says I look a lot like Harmon Preakure. Okay, Kate Blanchet. Like, yeah, I remember when we... we first mentioned to Harman Prie that we thought you looked similar. She was like, the Indian team have been saying this for years. Yeah, they said that I've got a sister in the England team. NASA Hussein. Looks like NASA could play me, to be fair.

From side on. Yeah, from side. Just profile. The whole thing is a profile. NASA Hussein and the goblin with the pointy nose off, noddy. Look at the goblin. Oh, God. Oh, we...

Oh he does NASA You look like the goblin That's I won't be telling him That's so mean See I think Now producer Jack has got rid of his Mustash

I think he looks like my favourite cricketer Olly Pope Yeah I really do I really do look I've already got it up ready to go My is the hair Like there No you look like the guy

Of sex education I've told you So anyway, you actually get compared to, we did this on Instagram, didn't we? But you get compared to a lot of people. You're quite a versatile. You and your family are quite versatile. My dad's a very versatile man, isn't he? Well, what about that guy who looks like Ben Stokes that was in the crowd all summer? Spit an image.

Could be Ben Stokes. Alex Davidson, the Getty photographer, gets called Johnny Berto a lot. Yeah. It starts easy, isn't it? Just ginger. Two big gingers, yeah. Anyway, Crossie, do you want to tell people how they can get in? touch of us.

Yeah, subscribe on BBC sounds or wherever you get your podcast so that you get a notification every time there's a new episode. Make sure you're following us on Instagram so you can join the conversation as well as emails. And you can email us on. No Bowlspodcast at BBC.co.com. No balls podcast at BBC.com.com. It's so good. They've said it twice.

Can I just say something before we leave? Go on. You've got your bangs out today. and I took behind your ears. So when you're straight on, you look very Beth Boone. It's so long your hair once, yeah? Yeah, yeah. That's it.

Brilliant. And when I'm side on, I look like NASA's saying. Yeah, perfect. Yeah, Crossy. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. See you before the test match, probably. Yeah, yeah, good look in the odys.

Have a little chat before that. Please get in touch with us, guys, because other than this note that we've read out word for word, we don't have a podcast without you. We don't know. Jack, actually. Jack doesn't turn up. We've been the use of. Yeah, we'd struggle.

But yeah, nice to see everyone. I don't see anyone. Do you? I don't know why I said that. See you later. Bye. On BBC sounds, Sporting Giants,

delve deep into the lives and careers of some of the biggest names in sports. And hear from those. who know them best, including Pep Guardiola. He is looking always for the perfection. Andy Murray. It was something that he'd worked

towards all of his career. And Billion Albape. When I saw him the first time play, I said, we have police. Sporting Giants. Listen, listen, on BBC Sounds.