Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - Alex has some news...

Episode Date: May 26, 2023

Cricketers Kate Cross and Alex Hartley are back again to reflect on a busy week. In another frank episode, Alex wants to tell the No Balls listeners something important.

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Hi, everyone. The BBC have told us that we've got to issue a warning. We swear too much. Henry does beep it out for us because he's a good man. It is actually so that your family can all listen. Your kids can listen. But we will say... Sugar. That's not a really bad one.

and cross strikes in the first over it's what England we're looking for Hartley falls down the track comes scoring this time she connects it's either six or out it's six hello and welcome back to Nobles a cricket podcast with me Kate Cross and you Alex Hartley Good afternoon. Afternoon today, not evening. It is approximately five minutes past five.

Technically the end of the working day. Oh my God. That's a long day for us. What have you done today? Nothing. I went for brunch. Yeah, nice. I made some brunch about as far as I've got today.

Nice. How are you doing? Yeah. Yeah. I'm not good. I'm not good. I feel a bit better because I've done something really big and brave today so I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders

so hopefully this is the start of me getting mentally better yeah do you want to tell everyone what you've done or do you want me to I have decided to step away from cricket for the foreseeable future and you feel relief I feel sad right now but yeah yeah you're going to you've spoke to the coach today didn't you? Yeah and I guess for me and we've spoken about it a lot is that I've been struggling mentally for we laughed last week about somebody emailed me in February and we laughed didn't we and I was like quite it's been a while and I have I have felt like a different person

I have felt flat and I've not felt like that bubbly character that I normally am and that that person that is excited to go to cricket and every time I've pulled on my cricket shirt the best feeling has been at the end of the day when I can take it off again and I want to get back to that person that fell in love with cricket is playing cricket because she enjoys it and at the minute I'm I've got no confidence that person that stands at the end of a mark

and believe she's the best in the world right now I'm standing at the end of my mark going anything could happen here and that is a horrible horrible place to be yeah and I said to the coach I was like I'm going to step away for the foreseeable future and he's like oh but you'll probably play tomorrow I went, but the point is I don't want to play tomorrow.

I want to be able to just watch tomorrow and just try and find the love for the game again. And we spoke about this and it's really important and loving cricket is the reason why anybody plays and right now I'm not loving it. So, yeah, I've stepped away and it might be for a month. It might be forever. I'm not putting a timeline on it

because I don't know how I'm going to feel tomorrow or the day after. And already making the decision has made you feel a little bit better and brighter. You actually rang me just as you spoke to the coaches and your voice just sounded different. You sounded like Al again. I honestly, I went for a meeting with Luke Sutton this morning, my agent, and I needed it, but he's like, look at the state of you. He's like, you're not well.

He's like, stop. He's like, do what makes you well. People just want you to be happy. And I guess there's part of me that's worried about losing my identity as a cricketer when I do step away fully. But cricket doesn't define me. You know, I'm Alex Hartley, that's what defines me. Yeah, and you've got to remember you felt like that when you lost your England contract

and look at what you've achieved in the last four years. So like you said, cricket doesn't define you. It's part of you because it's a big part of our lives, but it's not who you are and whether you should have your confidence or not. Yeah, and I think mentally I'm in a similar place as I was when I lost that England contract without anything happening either. So for me now, it's just step away and enjoy life and enjoy being me. and trying to get that bubbly character back

and trying to be at my best again. And as soon as I told people, it was like I'd had a big poo. I felt so much better. We've had a few of them in the last few weeks, haven't we? So yeah, Alex Hartley is taking an indefinite break for cricket. Alex Hartley refers to herself in the third person. What's that about?

Yeah. God, my brain's not well. Do you know what, though? You said it's big and brave and it is because you run a cricket treadmill. you're on a commentating treadmill which is going to start and get hectic for you next week when the test matches start

you're also working hard to do appearances you've got your clothing stuff you're going to London doing photo shoots for and it's like a treadmill and it's hard to get off so the fact that you've given yourself the time to step away like you said it's the best thing for your mental health and that is what's most important yeah I guess I would have stepped away a few weeks ago

but I didn't want to just make the decision overnight and I've slept on it now for a long time and not slept on it I'm not sleeping well at the minute at all but the reason I haven't retired is because I genuinely feel like I could get that love back for the game and I feel like I could get back to that person

that plays in the 100 and really enjoys it so I'm giving myself that opportunity to get back there I think if I retire now I'd probably regret it further down the line so just doing a little break yeah and you can't make those decisions when you don't feel like yourself

because you making these decisions right now isn't you making the decisions? No it's not it's yeah so well well you not easy we'll obviously miss you at training and stuff but you said you might pop in sometimes well i went down today to obviously tell the coaches i was like i'm having a break but i was throwing seam in my crocs brilliant the coach is like you having a ball i's like no it's like i was like if you bringing it down for your house me i was like no why you i'm here

i's like we need to chat yeah we need to talk we need to have a chat it's not it's not you it's me i'm the problem it's me but i feel so much better and i feel really and I'm, I just feel like I've laughed today. Yeah. And do you know what I did this afternoon? I went home, sat on the balcony and I had an un-alcoholic beer and it felt great. You can't have an alcoholic beer now. I know, true, but I was like, I can't do the podcast.

Well, you've definitely done one with a few beers behind you before. Yeah. I think we should just say a huge, massive thank you to everyone who's got in touch with us in the last week. we put a little bit of a plea out on Instagram for you didn't you having a very bad day so come and cheer up and everyone was just so wonderful and so lovely and people have been in touch about

Mental Health Awareness Week you did your post on Instagram so yeah you're all wonderful thank you you are and I read those messages while we're out for lunch and I was like gosh I'm going to cry again and I'm sick of crying so hopefully this is the end of me crying but crying's good and fine and normal

yeah but not every day for three months And only about cricket. And only about cricket, yeah. How are you? I'm better. I feel like I've said that a few times on this pod. So I'm going to, there's no word in here to touch. So the 11th lot of medication, I am just finishing now.

So Saturday, it's Friday today. I finished that tomorrow on Saturday. And then it's basically going to be a bit of a waiting game to see if this thing is gone. My real hope and positivity from this medication is that there's no one in the history of the world who has had this parasite, taking this medication and it's not killed it. And if I'm the first person, you won't be the first person. Positive vibes, today's a great day. Tomorrow's an even better day because thunder are playing again. It's the end of your medication day. Great day. Great day. Speaking of great days, I text you yesterday. Yes. I woke up from a dream

that I had. And in this dream, I was playing for thunder. We weren't playing at all traffic, but we're playing for Thunder and we'd had a middle order collapse. Shock. And you came in at number 11. Yeah. And you scored the best, fastest 100 I've ever witnessed anyone. Yeah.

And it was amazing. I mean, I should have known that that's not real life because then I didn't end up playing yesterday. I got dropped. Well, I was like, I've not done myself today. You scored 100 last night. It's going to be a great... You said it's going to be a great day.

And then you got dropped and Thunder lost. Yeah, not. Not a great day. It was actually not a good day. But I'm really pleased that I scored 100 in your dream. And that actually reminds me that Mitch, the scorer, got into it yesterday and said, catching up on the podcast, you've shot up now to 189 runs prior to today's game. 160 wickets.

Go, I'll see you later. You've nearly got more wickets than runs. I reckon I actually have got more wickets than runs. But yeah, it was a great dream. And the thing that I loved most about it was the whole team. was behind you and everyone loved the fact that you scored these runs and you're like bunting it over point it was great if only i was that good if only i could do that but also in the same round of dreams i dream that phil salt lived opposite me and he helped me carry my dog up the stairs

yeah not real life these tablets that i'm on could cause hallucinations so i think there's an element of that i think i might be at that stage the um the side effects of these meds that i'm on the doctor had to ring me to tell me that they're quite severe side effect. So one of them, I could turn yellow. Yep. Which actually yesterday you did look quite jaundiced. It looked a bit yellow yesterday, didn't I? Or the other thing is a psychotic episode,

both of which I was willing to take the risk on. We went and saw Harry afterwards, didn't he? And he was like, I felt sorry for you. He said, I've never seen her look so poorly in my whole life. And I was like, the poor girl's just on a podcast on camera. When the stuff went out last week, I took one look at it. I was like, no, I can't watch that. I know.

Awful. I watched it for you. You were fine. But you're looking better. You're sounding better. You're putting weight back on. Yeah, a little bit of weight. It's good.

I'm eating so many jaffa cakes. You said to me the other day, actually. You're like, this is really good because I can just buy everything I ever wanted from the supermarket. And you went through what you bought. And I was like, it's my weekly shop. That's the normal. I was like, that's not everything you ever dream of. That's just normal.

No, it was just like a bit chocolate, basically. Yeah. Have you got anything on your sticking out? No, I've not. I'm being well. You're not on. Have you got anything on yours? I've got a few things actually, yeah.

Shout out to my brother Bobby, who listens to this podcast religiously. And he played a game of cricket last week. He's not played for a while. He's been a bit poorly himself, had a chest infection. And when he went out to bat, he got asked if he is Kate Crossy's dad. Oh, wow. And he was mortified and devastated. Oh, that is sad that, isn't it?

Yeah, so I said I'm just going to bring that up on the podcast. Yeah, no, no, not that. Older brother. How many years? older than is he? He's nine. He's going on a bit now. Yeah. But then so are we. That is true. So, yeah. Yeah. It's my 30th this year and I'm worried about it because you told me that you dealt with your 30th absolutely fine, but you're 31st. You were like, oh, it's hit me. 31 hit me. Because 30, everyone's celebrating with you. Yeah. 31, no one cares

and you're in your 30s then. And I was like, gosh, I'm in my 30s now. Like, I need to start being an adult. How have we got to that age? Do you not remember when our parents were taking us to cricket. When I first passed my test and drove us down to a cricket map, did crash the car that day. Yeah, yeah, you did. Still one of the best stories of my whole life. We told it on the podcast.

I think we did pre-BBC. Go on then. Yeah, so I was driving. I'd just pass my test and I think we even asked your mum's permission if she was happy for me to drive you down because I'd only just passed. Yeah, my mum was like, thank God you take her. Yeah, fine, four hours that I've got back in my day.

And we were coming home, weren't we were near the, we were near May golf club and I just drove into a car at some traffic lights. Yeah, that did happen but the car in front slammed on a orange light and there was a bit of green in it. You definitely could have gone. So they slammed on and you went, oh no. And I tried to swerved in and then a car came in the other way and so I'd swerved back and then I hit the car in front and I was like gobsmacked, shocked. And you're like, are you okay? Are you okay? Is everything okay? And you just, I remember it so vividly. I was like, I better go sort my insurance details out with this man.

A 17 year old not really knowing what that means. And that's been 15. I just turned to you and you had a packet of giant share buttons and you're like, do you have a button? I was like, not now at all. I remember you're going,

I should probably get this guy's good details. I'm just going to sort this out first and then we'll eat the chocolate. Look us now. I can't say 15 years later. I don't. I'm not, um, it's not real. No, it's not.

What else you got you sticking out? It's just one that, um, the baby that we were naming apparently Dougie was a close second but they've named him Harry Horn Don't laugh

I'm sure Harry Horn's in They're not a comedian That's Harry Hill Harry Hill Harry Horn I'm sure is a detective in a book Yeah But anyway congratulations Harry's a great name

Should we just call him Dougie? Yeah congratulations Dougie Don't Dougie's doing well That's it I'm sticking out That's it Yeah

We'd best go upstairs. Who do you want to go up with? I feel like Anna Harris will be sad that I've stepped away from cricket. I think a lot of people will be sad you've stepped away from cricket. Everyone will be glad that you've done it for you. I think a lot of people will miss you. Shall we take them all up? Everyone.

Should we take every umpire that we've ever been upstairs with up all up at once? As a leaving party. Last hurrah. Well, not for the podcast. Not, for me. Yeah. I want to go out with a bang. How Do You Cope with Ellis and John?

We want to tell you about the brand new series of our podcast How Do You Cope available now on BBC Sounds. Let's create spaces where young people feel confident to say, actually, I need help. Each week we speak to guests about some of the challenges they've had to overcome throughout their lives, all answering the question, how do you cope? You should let it seep out from every pore in your body and let it be physical and rageful so that it can leave. They've been some of the most illuminating conversations I've ever had. From BBC Radio 5 Live. How do you cope with Ellis and John?

Listen on BBC Sounds. Evening both. Evening. First time email a long-time listener. Kate, so sorry to hear that your illness is still with you. I've got an LBW. People who walk with no arm movement. What's that all about?

I keep my toaster in a cupboard but don't hold that against me I really enjoy the pod I'm a 55 year old male and have been a follower of women's cricket for about 10 years Alex are you really as mad as you make out thanks again for the pod

Ritey I am I am a normal day not right now but normally yes I am as mad as I make out people who walk with no arm movement yeah I'm just looking outside because the beauty of the BBC

as you can see outside and I don't think anyone's walking about any arm movement he's got his hand in his pocket but... Yeah, strange one. This one's called the Alex Hartley position. Hi, watch the Strom versus Thunder game on YouTube just now, Storm. When Sophie Lough was fielding at Short Fine Leg,

the commentary team, around 15 overmark, kept referring it as being the Alex Hartley position. High jump had the Fosbury flop named after Dick Fosbury. Boxing has the Ali shuffle and cricket has the Natmeg and the Mancad. Would Alex rather be remembered as a World Cup winner or to have a field in position named after her for the rest

of eternity? Do you have anything else in your domestic or international teams that is nicknamed after a current or no, where we're going with this, current or past player either on the field or off it? Keep up the good work, all the best, Dary. I would love to have a field in position named after

me. Not a stand, not a pavilion or an end. Go down and stand with Alex Hartley Go to Alex Hartley Go to Alex Hartley It's a tough position that you know Sit on the ring Take the World Cup winning medal

Have it Have it? I want a field in position I have always said I really really really Please Lancashire Daniel Gidney I hope you listen

I just really want to be a floodlight Just really want to be a floodlight No one names floodlights Exactly I want to be the first If you get something named At Lancashire before I do Well I'll retire before you do it

this rate. Yeah, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you get what you deserve. I just want a floodlight. You could have a floodlight. We could write Alex Hartley on a floodlight. But like the Alex Hartley floodlight shining down on what she loves cricket. Do you love cricket? Not right now.

Not right now. Eventually. Yeah, I had buzzers nicknamed after me, didn't I? Yes. So I went through a phase where an international cricket, I'd throw the ball for four. mostly off my own bowling I'd throw it back at the batter and it'd be so wild that it went for four

Did you know once hit the batter on the helmet It went for four? Yeah I wasn't bowling though I was at mid on then Yeah Good view and area I so then you decided

That we'd call them Crossies from now on Yeah And someone did it the other day And you actually shouted Crossies And I was like I'm so over that now Yeah you've not done it for such a long time So you'll do it tomorrow

Probably I can't wait to watch tomorrow I got, Grazzez. Hi Alex and Kate. Oh, she's not well. Do you know what happened today as well? Henry message was like, please. No, not today.

Henry was like, please will you read through all the emails and decide beforehand what you want to put on there? And we said we would. We did a little bit. We did it for two minutes and then we got bored. Sorry, Henry. Hi, Alex and Kate. Long time listener, first time email that

massive congratulations on the awards very well deserved. This email is mainly just to thank you. you for being my go-to podcast from last year. You guys are seriously great. Also, did you guys choose the intros to the pod for Alex to be getting hit for six and Kate to be bowling someone? Just curious. Yeah. Well, yeah. Yeah, we did basically because it was at the time I lost me England contracts. So we thought it'd be funny. Me getting hit for six, you still being relevant by out the park. We do want a new one though, don't we? We want to maybe get some commentary of either you commentating on me or something, but we'll

find something. Yeah, we'll figure it out. Random question, what's the best piece of advice that you've ever received and or what is your favourite quote? I'm sorry if you've already asked these. Best wishes, Kitty. Remember why you started playing cricket. I'm having to

remember that right now. Start playing for the love and enjoyment. Don't ever lose it. I always shave your legs. I'm joking. Never eat yellow snow. My best bit of advice we have definitely spoke about this on the pod before

but very similar to you is obviously enjoy what you're doing if you're not enjoying it there's no point doing it and I remember my dad saying to me about professional sport that the highs are very high and the lows are very low and if you can stay constant then you'll probably stand yourself in good stead because you're not constantly like this how's that comfy?

Yeah I think I'm quite constant actually Yeah, you are. I don't get too low when we lose and I don't really get massively high when we win. No. No, you're great. Oh, thanks. You're great.

Hi, I hope this is this week's email. Hi. You were both amazing last week when you played at Bradshaw. Yeah, we've not had that one. Crossy, you were doing the leads run and came over afterwards. My daughter Alex got to meet her two favourite women's players. I've never seen her so happy. Thanks for signing her cap, which I will never be able to wash again.

Her question to you is, when does your dad stop carrying your kit and stop doing your washing and when do you pay for your own kit? This sounds a lot like the dad's question, not Alex's question. Do you get a new shirt every match? You're both amazing.

Alex age 11. I'm hoping to follow you and play for Lancashire one day. Amazing. My mum and dad never carried my kit. No, mine didn't. They were like, you want to play? You carry yourself and those bags are big and heavy. Yeah.

When you're like on the train every now and then when you've got your cricket bag people often ask you if you need if you need help and you're like I'm just so used to carrying this bag and an overall bag and a rucksack you just get so used to it don't you? You often have your cricket bag that way and your rucksack on the front

and your overall bag around the side and it's like how many bags and my mum stopped doing my washing when I moved out and then moved back in does that make sense? Yeah so she stopped when you lived there again she didn't get your washing But she said if I put it in the basket, she would do it.

But I felt bad, so I would always make a little my own pile. Yeah, when I moved out, I think I was 25 when I moved out, so, yeah. And when do you pay for your own kit? Never. Your dad should always pay for your kit. Never, always ask for stuff for Christmas. Then try and get sponsorship, that's the best thing. Yeah, dads are always treat their little princesses.

And in terms of kit, we don't get new shirts every game. We get two, three shirts a season. And we, obviously, it's our responsibility to wash and try them and wear them. Hi, Alex and Kate. Love the pod. This one's called Village Cricket Conversation. I made sure I put Alex's name first. Thank you.

As an Aussie listening to this, I'm cricket tragic and we'll be cheering not only the Aussie girls during the washes, but also hope Kate has a great series and cracks the T20 side. I also hope Alex has a great domestic season. Sorry about that. And we'd love to have seen her in the WBBL, especially she should get in touch with the Brisbane heat. I have a village cricket moment from a few years back when I was playing local cricket for my old junior side during university on a Saturday. We were playing a team at our home ground, which is located right next to a pub slash hotel. During the first innings, a ball was hit for six smashing the windscreen of a cab in the car park.

When the cabby returned to his car and saw the damage, he wasn't too pleased and proceeded to drive and park his car on the pitch, asking for the batsman, to pay, batter, to pay for the cost of the repairs. I've attached a photo of the story in the paper and shared and shared run it got on the cricket Australian Facebook page at the time. It also made the Channel 9 news here in Brisbane. Wow.

Wow, there's literally a picture of him. Wow, so taxi, mistime, drive halts cricket match. There you go. My nails look nice. Oh, I forgot where we run the telly now. There we go. Yeah, that's bad.

Imagine, like, come on. It's so bad. Wow. It's so bad. Astridorff pitch, though. Get in the bin. Yeah. Hi Alex and Kate.

Thought I'd email in after playing a game at uni this week. Our team were fielding and after a week it fell, a teammate says, let's clap the batter on. To which a few of us said, what do you mean clap the batter on? Don't you clap them off? It appeared to be a bit of a north-south divide, with many of the northerners saying you clap the batter off while the southerners saying you clap the batter going on

would love to hear your guy's opinion on whether you clap them off or on or whether you've ever heard of this before keep up the good work congratulations on your awards that's one of those things that I'd completely forgotten about from my youth of cricket like you know when you're always like walking in with the bowler that's something that you'd say on the pitch

obviously you don't need to say it now but I remember you would you'd be like clap the batter's off yeah clap the batter's off never on no but there's nothing worse except that time when we did with Jule and Goswami in her last game at Lourdes and she got a first world duck.

Yeah, I'm looking, clapping. I clapped her off. It was all the same clap. Clapman, stop. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it when you go 50's up or 100's up. I'm like, it's their job to score runs. You'll be doing that tomorrow.

I won't. I refuse. No, you will. And when a bat. Because you'll be really pleased when we get to 100. Yes. When a batter gets less than 15, I ain't clapping them off. They don't want the patronising clap off.

No. When a bat of scores runs, I'll go, mate, that was brilliant. Clap, clap, clap. When they're coming off and they're going, I do, I hate myself, I don't remember, I should have played that shot. They don't want, going, well then. Yeah, you don't need that, do you? No.

But yeah, you'd never clap them on. Always off. I could clap you on tomorrow. Please do. Oh, crossy! This one's called Live Podcast from Taunton Question Mark. Sounds like it could be fun, but are there enough tranquilizers on the planet for poor Henry?

Alison. Thanks Alison. We are. We're doing a live at Taunton and we're doing a live the night before the five-day test match at Trent Bridge, which is mint. Again, we said this last week, but yeah. And you can hear every ball of every game live on BBC TMS and BBC Sounds.

Well done, Alex. We forgot to... That was like the one thing we had to say last week and we forgot it. So, hope you happy, Adam. But yeah, that's going to be fun I honestly don't know how we're going to do it We need to sit down with some producers And work out what we do

Well, we just do this, but live Yeah, but I'm going to have to have a glass of wine We're going to have to You can't, it's the night before a test mine Oh gosh, yeah Well, I might be able to at this rate You never know You're like, sorry guys can't make it

I'm in the squad Yeah I'm actually in Manchester Can you pay a taxi for me to come down I've got the shits I can't drive Oh gosh Is it my turn? It's your time

This one is franchise leagues Offering All Year contracts Oh I'm not ready to talk about this No I just not sure I know my opinion But read it out and I'll go Hi Alex and Kate I hope Kate is doing better

Gone are the pre-BBC days Where all my emails would be read out On the podcast But here I try Here we are, we're reading it There has been a lot of talk Over offering players a contract That would make these franchises

Their primary employer and players would have to give up their central contract. What's more, if these players are to represent their country, the board will need permission from the franchise. Trent Bolt gave up his central contract last year, but he's still a free agent. The new system will blind the players. I know women's cricket hasn't quite reached a stage

where players will get such offers any time soon, but there have been a few retirements recently where it seems like they would rather play for franchises than play for their boards. I, for one, don't find it wrong, with a sports person's peak years being extremely limited as compared to other professions. Where do you think cricket is headed in 10 years?

Take care, Schenhal. I think women's cricket is in a very, very different place to men's cricket. However, we have seen the likes of Liselle, Darnay, Mignon, Mignon, probably less so. DeAndre. And a lot of it is not that they want to play more franchise cricket that they have to because the money isn't good enough with their international teams

my understanding. So they can earn way more playing in the leagues around the world? And they're not controlled by their governing body which means that they can go and play in every tournament without needing to get

these NOCs signed by the governing body because if I wanted to go to the WBBL I have to have permission from the ECB. Those players don't anymore. The men's game, however,

money talks, doesn't it? Yeah. It is. There's something going on, obviously, with the franchises. I don't hate it. I think it's moving with the times, isn't it? And there's so much franchise cricket now that you can understand why people are doing it, especially if they're not breaking into their international teams frequently. Also, your career is so short.

Earn as much money as you can while you can, because it doesn't last forever. If someone not being funny, if Mumbai Indians said to me yesterday, we'll pay you a million to play for us, I would not be taking an indefinite break from cricket. Yeah. I'd have been like money talks. Yeah, I'll be there. So I think cricket is, I think in a way it's being revolutionised, isn't it? Yeah, it's just changing.

And it's changing. That's the thing. It's scary because it's change and it's not what people are used to. Trent Bolt, actually, I find a really interesting one because he did retire from his contract, but then he was disappointed not to be selected for the test match. He was still available and he was still the best bowler that was available for New Zealand at the time. but they went with contracted players and he said he was down the road in Mount Manganoi

just watching? Waiting, yeah, waiting for a call which I find interesting. I wonder if there's... That's what happens though. Discussions that need to be had between the boards about I'm actually not going to sign for you but I'm still available.

That's what Roy's saying. He's saying look my contract isn't... He's basically saying ECB aren't going to pay me during that window doesn't mean I'm not available for them it means I'm just going to go earn money elsewhere. That's fine. It's interesting though.

This one's called Thursday the 25th of May afternoon. Oh, it was only yesterday, well done us. Is it? Yeah. Well, you've been reaching out the ones from December, so afternoon to you both. Your podcast was on this afternoon on five sports extra, which I have on most days. Was it really? We didn't know that, did we?

What? Today, I had it on whilst I was ironing, oh joy. Thank you for talking about your issues. It made me feel I wasn't on my own. I don't have the same as you, but since being a team, teenager, I have had issues with my bowels and going to the loo. I'm nearly 60 and most of the time manage. It was your comments about nicar incidents that this happened to me and it is an awful feeling. Mine happened when I was out and had to get to a shop to buy pants, wet wipes, etc.

I totally understand how you feel. Thanks for talking about it. I now know I'm not on my own. Never told anyone about this before. Oh gosh, sorry, we're telling 70,000 people now. Hope you feel better soon. I won't say your name. Just to keep, yeah, P.S. We'll do my best to find your other podcast now. Oh, that's sweet. Crossy, see, even like, right, us being silly talking about that and the tough time you're having, people do sit on it.

It does happen, isn't it? I think everyone that I spoke to about this, because someone asked me how my day was the other day and I had to tell them what happened because I was just in such a bad place. You didn't tell me about this because you didn't want me to say it on the podcast. You didn't trust that. No, well, no, I don't want to go into detail about it.

I'm not ready to talk about that in detail yet. No, we're not going to do that, but you can still tell me these funny things. Yeah, well, that was more that I wasn't ready to laugh about it, and I knew you'd laugh, and I just wasn't ready for that. So I came to you when I was ready to laugh. But so many people have then told me their stories of when it's happened to them, and I'm like, oh, right, okay, so it is just normal. Well, it's not normal, but...

I can't wait, Crossy, while you're finding another email. All the email's like, get well soon, Crossie. Hope you're all right, Crossie. Next week, I'll be like, hope you're right, Alex. it's topsy-turvy isn't it oh yeah it's we had one week where we're both unstable and now we're on the seasaw we're on the seasort i think everyone is though aren't they there's light at the end of the tunnel and always how happy i am you're smiling i know it's great i think we sound a bit brighter this week but it's not 10 p.m so yeah that is true that is true we're gonna like go

for waggon mamas or something yeah have a nice dinner we need i've been thinking about this we need to get a guest next week. We do. So send us in your suggestions. I really think we need to get Brendan on because you said that you'd get him on before the test start and the test start next week.

Oh, that gives me a fear. I'm going to have to slide him. I'm going to have to do it. Hey, Baz, long time not see you. Hey, B. So yeah, send us in your suggestions. You slide him. Only if you get suggested.

Everyone's going to suggest him and it's suggesting. Yeah, okay. Hi, Kate. Hi, Alex. Fairly regular listener. Why not regular listener? Excuse me? First time emailer and very part-time off-break bowler. It seems to me that all the international women's cricket is played down south. As a cricket lover from Warrington, who follows Lanks and, of course, Thunder, when finances allow, I'd love to attend a Washy's Test match. Having been to at least a day of each of the last four men's ashes matches at Old Trafford, there is a sizable northern contingent in the squad. Yourself, Kate.

Oh, yourself, Kate, that's me. Lamy, Sof, Lauren, Nat, etc. Any idea why these are all played down south? Are there any northern games coming up and is this down to a southern bias in women's cricket? Great work, by the way, and hope you are better seeing Kate and back on the field,

representing us northerners on the national stage. Go spuds. There's one at Durham this year. Trent Bridge. There's Trent Bridge. Edgebaston. Old Trafford really want women's cricket. Their goal is to get women's cricket.

And I hope they do in the future. I think that in the past, the problem has always been that we've never sold enough tickets to warrant being at all traffic. The grounds are too big. Well, if you've got 3,000 people in a 25,000 pound, 25,000 capacity stadium, then it costs more money to put on than you get from the revenue. Now, this ashes, I think, could be a huge turning point

because we were playing at Lords, we're playing at the Oval, Edgebaston, Aegeas, all the big grounds. 70,000 people have already bought. ticket. And if you compare that to when we play at Bristol and get 4,000 and that's a good day, we're already way ahead of where we've been in the last three, four years. We've had this argument before though. You can't sell out a big ground if you don't ever try it. Exactly, yeah. You can only get 3,000 at Taunton. Obviously, you're only going to get 3,000 at Taunton. And also, the World Cup in 2020 when the MCG was like, when Australian cricket would fill the

MCG. 89,000. It goes to show that if you mark it, make it visible. Yeah. They will come. We will play cricket in the north I have no doubt about it But until then, Thunderplay at Old Trafford all the time And we're playing there tomorrow I would love, like one of my goals Career goals

is to play an England game at Old Trafford Might have to play an England legend's game With an Alex Hartley floodlight Shining down on me Yes Fingers cross Daniel Gidney don't give me a plug A floodlight after this

He probably will Yeah Anyway Anyway Thanks for listening Well done you Thank you Thank you for being a true friend this week

Oh, you messaged me last night saying I appreciate you and it was really sweet I literally appreciate you so much Oh, don't Yeah Oh Anyway crossy-h-hast herself again this week See you later

God's sake And cross strikes in the first over It's what England we're looking for Partley falls Down the track comes scoring This time she connects It's either six or out It's six

Need more than 90 minutes Hello and welcome to football daily Can't get enough cricket chat Welcome to tail enders My name is Greg James This is a cricket podcast for the cricketing curious Fascinated by sports Darkside An improbable lo-fi crime

Nearly brought Formula One to its knees This is sports' strangest crime We've got Sounds for that. It's more than just the game with amazing sports podcasts like football daily, tail enders and sports strangest crimes. Listen on BBC Sounds. I sh** myself without a parasite. Yeah, that's true.

You did have pork that day though. I'm allergic to pork. It's allergic to pork.