Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - Alex's record-breaking day...

Episode Date: July 21, 2022

World Cup winner Alex Hartley and England bowler Kate Cross chat through Alex taking a record 6-24, plus Kate's very excited about preparations for the Commonwealth Games.

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It's Waddingham. Looking for. Hartley Falls. Down the track comes scoring. This time she connects. It's either six or out. It's six. in the wild podcast. No balls back to no recording equipment. We are using a mobile phone to record this podcast episode. Let's set the scene. We are currently sat in the away dugout of the T20 team at Chelmsford Cricket Club. A lot of people are setting up as a T20 match about to happen. Yeah. We recorded an episode last week. Crossy, I cannot tell you how bad you sounded. What do you mean?

Like, you're, you sounded like you're in a tumble dryer. Oh, I thought you meant like, I just sounded pathetic of podcasting. Yeah, well, last week was a pathetic episode. It was bad, wasn't it? We weren't in a good place last week. So it's probably a good thing that that episode didn't go out. However, we've now not got any recording equipment. We are sat together.

Like, this is nice. Yeah, I don't want them together for a while. But we've got our phones to record. So it's episode number one all over again. Isn't it? I do feel very, like, back to bed. So if this is a bit not as good quality

We have got some recording equipment provided by the BBC on its way We should have that soon which is exciting I don't know how our microphones broke But they have So back to old school Shambles podcast Shambles podcast

However right So we've not done an episode for a while Because the episode didn't go out Because I was so bad in it I was in my tumble dryer So we're going to try and recreate that episode But also do this episode So it might be a little bit longer.

I'm not setting a timer on this one. No, I think the timer, we've sort of put pressure on ourselves with a timer. It's been hard, hasn't it? So we worked out last year. We were so mad busy, but we were kind of on the same schedule, whereas now we're just not on the same schedule anymore because you're running around doing photoshoots for a bank, throwing your credit card around.

What is that about? When you've got cricket at six, but you've got to be at the bank at nine. And I had an appearance with them yesterday, right? And they were like, wear jeans and we'll provide you with a polo. I was like, brilliant, perfect, got there, trains got cancelled, I was half an hour late, the thing was only an hour. I've got white chinos on with some trainers, and they gave me a white polo, so as soon as I went on the stage,

I was like, I don't always wear my cricket whites. You do, it was a strange picture, because you're in the test, you're in test kit, but like old school test kit, and you've got a little credit card waving your credit card around. I'm like, you use this, you'll get 1% cash back, baby. Love it, we've got so much to talk about. Um, first and foremost, though, how are you? I am better than last week. None of you heard, but last week I had a proper breakdown.

I was like crying on the podcast. I was like, I'm just not okay. I think I was just really tired. I am much, much better this week. I've been here, there and everywhere. Yeah, very busy. Got two days in the flat until the 4th of September now, which is daunting in itself. But I'm all right. How are you? Yeah, I'm all right. I'm a lot better, actually. We will touch on this, but I was recovering from COVID last week. so I also had a mini meltdown on the podcast. We weren't all right, were we? No, but we were due on.

We were. We've been good for a while. And I'm sorry for all you that listened to the podcast to relate to our mental health, because now we're fine. And that podcast didn't go out. But it does go to show if you ride the little wave, things do you get better. There's light at the end of the tunnel, so keep going. Keep going.

And we're not relatable because we've not been sad for such a long time. No, but also I'm glad last week's episode didn't go out because you actually started the podcast by introducing yourself. as me for weirdly the third time in the history of this podcast. Yeah. Hello, welcome to Snowballs with me, Kate Cross. No, that's not you.

Not you. And I did call myself Kate in it as well. Yeah, well, we weren't good. Anyway, we were a lot better. We're going to try. So we've actually tried to plan this episode so it might be a bit alien. Yeah.

I don't know. So what's bullet point number one? Bullet point number one is the fact that we've played an ODI series. You just said I need to talk about the oddies. The oddies? I was like, what on earth is an oddie? I thought they were those like boxer shorts, oddball boxer shorts.

Well, we can talk about oddball boxer shorts if you want. I'm all right, thanks. Right, let's talk about the oddies then. Let's talk about the oddies. Three-nill, baby. Our first three-nill series win since 2019, I think. Wow. Yeah.

Was that against South Africa as well? No, it was in Kuala Lumpur. We played against Pakistan. And I think that was the last time we've had a three-niller. So that was really good. It felt like a really. like exciting week of cricket because there was a lot of new faces a lot of things seemed to happen there was a lot of first a lot of not first for tammy like scoring her ninth hundred and

joining lottie at the top of the tree and just being our goat of odiye batting ridiculous and to do it in the manner she did obviously didn't get picked in the commonwealth squad she'd have known for a while but it just got released and she basically went out and was like yeah so that yeah there's a lot to talk about with them one person i do really want to talk about about though and she deserves her day on the podcast because she does listen she's going to come on as well she's going to come on is she's meant to be on well she was meant to be on the last episode but she wasn't yeah we've again we had this meltdown and we just forgot about the podcast so emma lamb what a series what honestly right she's been tearing up domestic cricket for like a couple of years

now and she's been absolutely bloody brilliant sorry um and she's made international make it look even easier? She, so we've talked about this on the last episode, which was probably about a month ago now. When Lauren Bell came on, throwback, and Lammy had said how she just wanted to score our run for England because she played a T20, she played two ODIs, and then was making a test debut,

and she just wanted to get off the mark. And she batted so well in that test watch, didn't she? And then she's come into an ODI cricket, and it's like she's played 100 games. It's nuts, isn't it? So good. She's been brilliant. She's been so good to watch.

The first game got 50. second game got 100 first game got 100 first game got 100 second game got 50 third game got 50 alright Lammy and her and Tammy

obviously opening the bat and it's a new partnership they've scored two they've had two 100 opening run partnerships which England haven't had for such a long time it's just been so good to watch

and obviously we're very biased because she is a thunderbird they surely won't and got three for four for or whatever it was two for oh do you even go to these games but I've not got my

not got my notepad I've had a notepad problem and I left my note pad at the headingly test and it's been AWOL since so I haven't written any notes

No producer Charlotte's got it but she forgot to give it me in the last game so I've written no note so let me got two for player of the series FYI producer Charlotte is also we do have a new person

helping out of that Charlotte no we've never mentioned Charlotte before oh yeah if we suddenly start mentioning Produce Charlotte everyone's we're going to be like where's producer Henry yeah well producer Henry's still around

he's just very busy he's ordering us some new microphones he's very busy Emma Lam, though, just to kind of put a little bit of background into who Emma Lam is, she is going to come on the pod, so everyone will get her. But she had a little bit of a sore back after the first game. So we turned up to Bristol. Carrying the bat in order.

And she got this little hot water bottle stuffed in the back of her trousers. And it needed refilling. So in Bristol she went and poured some, like, from the, you know, those little taps that you can get, specifically for hot water. The urns. Yeah, that's the word. Oh, I thought you meant one of them taps that's like cold water, boiling water, which are well good. The big urns that they put out in the catering area.

So she fills it up, she pops it in her back, and then she's like, smart's a bit of funny this. And we're like, well, where did you fill it up? I mean, she put a hot coffee in it. She comes in a coffee machine and put hot water bottle and had it popped on her back. Emma Lam, everyone. That sums Emma Lam to it, too. I want you to clarify, clarify, clarify, clear something up for me.

she got asked to practice short leg for the test match did she or did she not put her batting pads on to go in her short leg? Yeah she did this was way back when we were training and she ran off to get the pads on and Dunks had said they're in there

though they're in my bad or Tammy had said mine are in there or whatever and she couldn't find them so she was just like oh my batting pads are here so I just pop them on so she did she do it in a batting pads yeah not for very long

she just ran back out with the pads on for a couple of overs love that she's bloody brilliant yeah I've played two of the three ODIs. Yep. But before then, post-test match, you got the dreaded COVID. I finally got it, yeah.

Two and a half years. I was worried about you because you've actually had COVID when it's not been trendy. And I was worried that you haven't got enough friends because you're not got COVID. I did see that about a year ago. It said if you've not had COVID yet, it probably means you've not got many mates to hang around with, which is actually quite true. You're busy. I see Hen, obviously, but they've had COVID about seven times now.

They really have. They really have. So yeah, you know what? At the time I was like, this timing couldn't be more perfect. I finished the test match. We've got 10 days to the ODIs, the oddies, great time to get COVID. Turns out, it wasn't a great time at all at all. There's never a good time to get COVID.

No, so you've been struggling. You were really struggling. I was poorly at the time. Like, the weekend after the test match was really quite poorly. And then I tested negative on the Thursday, joined up with the squad at North Hans on the Thursday afternoon. to have a little bowl to see how I was and I actually felt alright so I was like yeah sure no worries can play

Monday rolled up with the first game the hottest day at the time that we'd had of the decade and I did not cope very well you weren't okay not good not good at it like my lungs had been fine in training which everyone's been talking about like everyone said that they've really struggled

coming back and heart rate's been really high even though there's walking around and then in the game I was like I can't breathe I actually couldn't breathe Tammy was talking to me at mid-off asking me what side of the ball I want to shine. I was like, oh, no, I'm really just concentrating. I'm trying to fill these lungs up at the minute.

Do what you need to do with the ball. Oh, so, yeah, you struggled more than you thought. Yeah, really did. Then I got snipered. Yes, you did. Yeah, I thought, that's it. Knee has gone. Yeah.

If you were holding your knee or what looked like, you were holding you, rolling around on the floor, be like, ah! Someone was like, is she all right? I don't know, because sometimes she's quite dramatic and sometimes she's really injured. So I didn't know where, I didn't know where my face. emotions were. So I got cramp in my calf and it was like I knew

I knew it was coming I'd felt it for like 10 overs I was like I'm not okay here really hot trying to get fluids on really struggling can't breathe got cough in the cramp when I was going for that it was a half chance calf in the cramp I got calf in the cramp I did that's what it felt like there was so much more cramp than there was calf at that point so I've gone for the catch it was like a half chance catch and dunks picked it up and throws it in and we get the run out but I didn't see any of that

because I was too busy being sniper holding my calf Brunty comes running over to save the day she's like you're alright love I'm like I've got cramping my car so alright sorry but I was right in front of the crowd

yeah so as Brunty's then going over to the crowd letting them know that I'm okay it's just cramp then comes back to stretch me yeah yeah she did start stretching my hamstring I was like when it's in my car

he's like that's my hamstring literally yeah and then on the big screen I'm lying down half dead on the floor and then I see on the big screen we've got the run out. It's like, oh wow, I've done, Dunks. Yeah, great work. Yeah, but Dunks didn't know whether to go and celebrate

or come and check on me. She checked on you, she did a bit at half and a half. I kept getting you mixed up for Natsiver that day. I'll take that. Starting to look very similar. We do get that a lot, actually. A lot of people say, especially when we've got our hats on and Sunny's on on the pitch that we do get mixed up.

I will take that. You actually had to have some magic juice for your cough. Yeah, we've got this cramp juice. So we've got, I've told you new nutritionist Rob, comes in and does the tuck shop, and it's amazing. So he's got this little cramp juice, and it's like liquid salt and vinegar crisps. Well, it sounds awful. And the idea of it is that you shot it, you put in your mouth, you swirl it around,

and then spit it out. So I also had to do this in front of the crowd, so I was very apologetic for that. But then, I've, like, worked out, I really like the taste of it, because I like salty food. Yeah, disgusting. You need to try it before you judge it. So then when I did 12thers in the second game, Dunks had a really great. great game she had scored her made an oDI hundred and then she did loads of field in so i was really

concerned that she might yeah and it was also still really hot at this point um so i took her the cramp juice around it's still really hot now crossy yeah it's 23 degrees and we're like still hot you've got a jumper on yeah yeah yeah tell me there's been a mini heat wave without telling me but dunkey funniest thing i've ever seen so i was like dunks right you got put this in your mouth swill it round because you need to get it to the back of your throat because that like apparently it's i can feel it like under my ear already yeah yeah yeah yeah that's literally exactly what you've got to try and get it and i realize now we're on a podcast i'm probably not gonna be able i'm gonna have to describe this really well but i was like so you need to swirl it around like mouthwash and then spit

it out she's like right okay so she puts in her mouth and instead of swirling it using like her cheeks and going like can you hear that like you would do if you had mouthwashing she moves her head so she's like moving her head like she's on a roller coaster trying to swill it around a mouth and used gravity and then spit it and spite out and she nearly vomited on the pitch that's what i'd be like yeah so um but yeah little magic cramp juice yeah didn't work for me though back to back to the oldie eyes well i was to talk about them the most ever 50s from individual players in a three-match series really like it was just class there was a lot of run scored we seemed to play on a lot of roads it was good though that's what we've been after good for the batters

good for the batters not good but if you got at sevens like you're actually doing an all right job. You know, that last game where we played at Lester, we scored 371? Yes, something like that. We were six runs, seven runs away from beating our highest ever ODI score, and Nat Siva wasn't even playing. Honestly, the amount of caps on that bench, Nativa, Catherine Brunt, Sophie Eccleston, I was like, how did Sov take not playing?

She was fine, yeah. I think she wanted a bit of, I don't know, she did want a bit of downtime, actually. Don't believe it for a second. I reckon she'd have been fuming. in. First time she's ever been rested. I've got a little story from that game. It doesn't involve Sophie Eccleston. It involves our friend Sue Redfern. Yes.

So I bowled at Sue's end and I was coming down the hill. There's always a chance of bowling the old no ball down the hill obviously. Ishmael bowed plenty of them. Ishmael said she really struggled actually. Because it's a tough ground to bowl at Leicester because the ends are very different. But then it also raises onto the wicket. So you're kind of going downhill. Then there's a little bump and anyway. So I'm bowling at Suzanne, and she's like, you're getting a bit close to that front foot, crossy.

So I was like, okay, no problem. I was like, but it would be very buzz if you called a no ball for me. So I bowled this first over, and I don't know if you remember it. I remember it really vividly. I remember it very, very vividly. Possibly one of the worst overs I've bowled in my international career. You brought it back very well. So my first three balls were terrible.

I'm open to admit that. My last three, I didn't think were that bad, but Woolfart played a good shot off me. So she's hit me for three fours in my first three balls, dot, dot, another four. So I'm like, brilliant. Gone for 16, great. Leading the attack for the first time ever, like, was the most experienced bowler out there. And I've gone for 16 in my first. So I'm like, really, really not okay.

Before this had happened, I was having a little chat with Sue. I was near a square leg. And she's had COVID as well. So I was like, how were you? Yeah, I was really struggling. She was like, yeah, I've been really poorly. And she's umpiring in the Commonwealth. Okay.

And she was a bit worried that if she has a PCR now, which we are doing, we're getting PCR to go into. the Commonwealth that it'll still show up as positive and she might not be able to umpire so i was like oh well our doctor i said this might not help you now but oh we're just checking the sound system at the ground sorry about that um so yeah she was a bit worried that if she got tested in a week's time it might still be in her system so i said this might not help you now but our doctor thought about this at the time and got me PCR when i was definitely positive to prove that on that day i had COVID so if it comes up in a month's time that i've got COVID okay anyway so

I bowl this over them. And then as Sue's giving me my cap back, she goes, Cossie, do you think I need to get a PCR done tomorrow then? Should I speak to someone? Should I ring the doctor? What do I do? I was like, Sue. I've just gone for six days.

Not now. Like, read the room, Sue. Not now. I've just bought the worst over of my international career. Sue Redfern's going, oh, should I go for a PCR? Who's your doctor? Will you put me in touch with them?

I was like, let's talk about this in three minutes times. Yeah. He's let me codified, like, and just gather them. my thought and just wipe the tears away from my eyes thank you so much oh the commonwealth crossy the commonwealth i've not spoke about this at all no because you've known the squad for ages firstly congratulations thank you you are in the t20 team well not the team the squad and the commonwealth squad easy for me to say we're actually sighted chamsford because you're playing tonight i don't know whether you're playing or not you never tell me anymore anyway um because

you know radio hartley or just tell everyone We've got this really good friendship where we tell each other everything, except I can't tell you anything about England cricket because you're now a journalist. I'm not a journalist. You are a journalist. That makes you feel sick. You're a journalist. I'm not.

I'm a commentator. I'm a journalist. Anyway, congratulations. You are in the T20 squad, which you probably weren't expected to be in. Nope. Not been in one since. I've not, well, I've not played a T20 game since 2019 for England, the ashes, that infamous ashes. Wow.

And not been in a squad since bar the T20 World Cup. and you basically weren't in it because you did your ankle yeah that one's got bad times bad times so yeah are you looking forward to it I'm not bothered about the T20 series against South Africa I'm bothered about the Commonwealth yeah you know what I wasn't all that fussed about it and I say that because I hadn't thought about it

and then we did a kitten out day the other day and we went to Loughborough and there was this big team England set up where it really felt like you were part of something that's bigger than cricket well because you are yeah and that's the thing that I've not thought about Like when you are representing England, you're representing the ECB and obviously all the cricket fans out there. But now we're going into a different, we're playing a team sport, but representing another team as well.

So we've got Team England kit on. It's all different. Honestly, it's going to be amazing. I'm so excited for it. Yeah, of course. Yes. I'm honestly, like, so excited. So I remember going to the Commonwealth years and years ago and watching the athletics.

And I was like, this is so great. cool like so and you're playing in that it's honestly it's going to be so good we're going to be at fortress edge boston i don't think we've played international cricket there or if we have it was a very very long time ago um and we're obviously based there for the whole of it so that's going to be pretty cool dodgy wickets by the end of it surely i've heard that we've like sold out 50% of the tickets already which is incredible um but i feel like more so i'm i'm more like when i remember things like this i always think about the olympics but i am a big fan of the Commonwealth Games, I always watch it when it's on.

But you just watch everything. You become like an absolute sport badger. But you've become really good. Well, you think you're really good at like understanding lawn balls and like... Yeah, and you'll like watch the gymnastics, but oh, that was an eight, that was a ten. And you think you're dead good and you're not. But there's going to be people now doing that for cricket, which is just exciting because hopefully it will bring in this new audience that the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics do.

Because you can, you can buy tickets for each individual event, but you can also go into like a ballot. Is that what they're called? and you get given tickets for stuff. And I know a lot of schools have been given tickets for the cricket and I think it's going to be class. I just hope this nice, lovely weather we've got stays. It's going to be short and sweet.

Like, I think we're literally there for about 10 days. Yeah. I'm glad it's going to be short and sweet for you. We have a game at 11 o'clock in the morning, then a break and a game at 6 o'clock at night. It's long days. Long days. Long days.

So you're there commentating? Yes. I've got a Commonwealth mascot as well from my appearance yesterday. What is it? It's like a cow. Have you not seen all the advertising stuff for it? No. Like a multicolored cow.

Okay. Yeah. I should have brought it really. Well, no one can see it. Like me doing my impression of dunks. Oh yeah, that's true. We are a podcast. Yeah, so the Commonwealth's going to be amazing.

And yeah, do you know what? I just hadn't thought about it and now it's starting to think about it. It's like being able to tell your kids that you've been part of the Commonwealth games is going to be pretty cool. Being able to tell your kids? You're not pregnant, by the way. No, I'm not. Right. I don't have kids. I've got you. You're my child.

Being able to tell me, no, you're kids, that you've potentially got a gold medal, silver medal, bronze medal, like, whatever it is. I'll show you'll probably get the gold medal, let's be honest. Do you know what it's funny thinking about that? We got a silver medal in the World Cup and we didn't want them. Yeah. And now we could get a silver medal at the Commonwealth's and it'll be like, oh my God, I'm going to show my kids this medal. Yeah, but now it's so different. Just hope it's the stepping stone to getting it into the Olympics. Yeah, I do hope so. I do think. If they do the Olympics, though, they need to have men's teams as well. I think that'll be...

Yeah. Yeah. In the meantime, in all of this that's been going on, in the oddies and the COVID and the Sue Redfern talking to me about COVID test, you only went and got the best figures ever in the Rachel Hayho Flint Trophy. Look, should we do a little no-balls, slap-a-slapp. Slap at the inside thigh. Congrats. Thanks.

What a mad day it was. and I'm going to say this once or once only should have got eight for okay nice there was number 10 was batting the Andrew Dotting's feeling an extra cover catch goes up where's Dotting she was on the ring

oh no I was like get catching oh no number 11's on strike bump in front of middle not out but you know it was still a great day so in the in the tough times that Thunder are having at the moment there was a shining beacon of light that was

Alex Hartley, taking a nice little six-first. Yeah, we still lost. So it sort of takes it away from it. Everyone, like, do you want to do a newspaper article? Not really, because we're still lost. Yeah, but you're still, like, you've got... This is where cricket is so unique. We spoke about this.

You've got individual performances within a team sport, and you can't have one without the other. Yeah, it's my first ever time being a professional cricketer that I've got the ball. Really? First ever. As in the first time you've had a fifer? Yeah, in professional cricket. wow yeah so I was like I went up to your sister's like have you got neat handwriting like

crossies she was like yeah I was like well you write stars versus thunder on my figures for me I bet it looked really good didn't it she's got great handwriting yeah yeah I didn't put the date on do you men I put the date on if you want to do what you want well I don't want to write in it I'll ruin it that is true someone someone came up to me at one of the games they're like I need your autograph because I've seen Hartley and I've got her autograph and I need the nobles like completion and I said tell me what you think about Alex Hartley's autograph and And this kid was like, yeah, it's not the best, is it? I was like, it's like she's signing a library card.

Alex Hartley, kiss-kiss. I do. I've started putting kisses on, only to people that I like. So sorry if I've ever signed something before you and you know, I've got a kiss on it. Have you seen the top Trump's cards for the 100 this year? I knew you were going to say this. Your batting's gone up, mine's gone down. Yes.

They've seen. How can my batting got down when I didn't batting the 100? I think that's probably something. If you're not batting in the 100, then there's a reason why. But I think it should have stayed the same. Yeah, that is true. It's tough sport. The cards are funny because the kit, I mean, red kit.

Yeah, it's not quite right, is it? How are you feeling about this now? Because we're not far away from you going to Cardiff. Well, I thought I'd been missed out of, like, group chats and email list because I haven't heard a thing. Anyway, got added into the group chat yesterday. So, we haven't got a head coach or an assistant coach. Well, you do. Well, I know we do, but I know.

I said to this coach and said, hey, you got something to tell me, went, they went. Don't give it away. Best kept secret in the country, that isn't it? I was like, see you next week. It's going to be amazing for you, I think. It's going to be so weird, though, going to the originals

and not having you there. Yeah, I'm... Dreding it's the wrong word, because it's not. I'm really, really looking forward to it. But I've played all my cricket with you throughout my whole career. And, like, we had such a great time. Yeah.

And I'll still see you, but, like, we'll be competitive. Yeah, that's going to be so strange. And thank you, by the way, to whoever sent us the T-shirts. Victoria, Vicky. We've not spoke about this. You got a little present, didn't you, in the post? And we've had, like, the Battle of the Spuds T-shirts. Yeah.

I don't know when we wear them, but... Not sure. They're both still in my kitchen, actually. Right, okay. So I need to give you yours. I'm not sure you wear it. Yeah. But, yeah, Battle of the Spuds.

Battle of the Spuds. It is going to be weird. Like you said, we've played. We've played, like, other than the Thunder stuff when you're not there and I'm not there, like we've not played against each other. Probably since the Big Bash when you were at Hobart and I was at Perth.

Yeah. Or like an England warm-up game, which, like, they don't count. They're not competitive. Although they never were when I was involved in a year. See, it's going to be really weird, but you know what's going to happen? I'm going to get, like, four for it against Manchester. Do you reckon?

Yeah. Been the full of my life, Trussie. I mean, off a six. Six for, love it. You might get the best figures ever at the 100 in, against Manchester. Six for five. Six for five. And you'll be playing at Old Trafford, so it's not like it's a new ground for you.

No, but I'd never bowl well at Old Trafford, do I? Well, I'm glad you said it, not me. Yeah, never bowl well. So now it's time to break the boundaries, whatever it's called, break the mould. Hopefully you'll be breaking the boundaries. Should you do some questions? Yeah, there's one more. thing that I think we should touch on.

I was going to do that at the end. Oh, right, okay, we won't touch on there. Because we've done 26 minutes of us waffling on. But we did say this is going to be a little bit of longer episode. You sure? Yeah. There's been some big news in the men's cricket world. We've just ignored it.

And we've just completely ignored it. We ignore a lot of the men's cricket world, actually, because we forget more than anything. Well, Angio Root won't come on the podcast, so I'm making a stand. Yeah, we did speak about that last week, didn't we? Yeah, he's ignored me again. He did pie you. Should I see if he's ever read it? He said, I'm not pieing you, and then pieing you, and then pieing

you? Joe. Hey Joe. Congrats this week. Just wondering if you've got a free day coming up that we might be able to record the podcast. Fingers crossed, don't pie us. You part?

I replied. That was on the 7th of July. Having said the message, read the message before that from him. Not trying to pie you, we'll definitely do it. I'm sure it'll be great fun. I've just got a hectic few weeks. See you around. See you around?

That was all. We should have seen that. That's so much of how I'm not doing. anyway we'll just keep badgering him yeah we'll see him in the hundred that's what we'll do yeah and we'll be like you said you weren't going to pie us yeah i mean he's very good at cricket and very busy at the minute so maybe we should leave him alone yeah i reckon so anyway men's cricket world two people have retired and one of them we did speak about on the last podcast but you well we both made it a bit of a cryptic clue because we never said his name oh yeah your celebrity crush

yeah oh in morgan oh in morgan has retired yeah but you know that's great i get to spend time with him in the commentary box yeah I thought that you did say to me he said morning to me today and I just made my day wonder if he knows that like I'm a proper fan girl I'm sure he will do by the next time I see him no I don't do that I don't do that I don't even follow on Instagram

because I'm like playing it cool what I swear he's married and gone kids he is yeah he's not going to even notice that he probably he probably follows you he does he does he does so the other big one is Ben Stokes is just announced his retirement.

From the oddies. From the oddies. Yeah, not full retirement. No, yeah, he's not, he's not. Because he's not a car and you can't just fill him up and send him off. I enjoyed that. I really liked that.

I really liked it. Yeah, because sometimes you do feel a bit like that, don't you? They're like, well, you've got a rest day Thursday. I need more than a day. Yeah, literally more than a day. And he made the point that they played that test match whilst there was an ODI series going on. Yeah.

And it was just all a bit crazy. Yeah. I think it's a shame for cricket because when you think of Ben Stokes, you think of the World Cup and you think of him just being an unbelievable cricketer but it's going to prolong his test career

and also do you think there's a little bit of his decision has been, I've done it I've completed Audie Cricket I've won the World Cup I won the World Cup for England I mean how good would it be if you like well he did win the World Cup for England

and also I feel like Audie Cricket is actually the hardest format to play because No the easiest What? I love oddie cricket No no no no I'm not saying from a skill point of view, I mean, physically. Oh, okay, yeah.

Because they're actually, the horrendously long days, probably longer than test cricket, because you actually only go on field for two hours at a time in test cricket. T-20s is three hours and you're done bish-bash-bash. Yeah. 100 is obviously shorter than that now. So it is probably... Physically, it's probably one of the ones that is harder to do.

Yeah. It's a shame. It's a real shame. I just want to say a little bit on the men's whiteball team because it's been really winding me up that people on Twitter have immediately started talking about Joss as a captain and whether it was the right decision and he's obviously not had a great start. Do people realise that the team that have been playing recently

is not the same team that won the World Cup? Missing half the bowlers. Literally not. The bowling attack is caught. Other than Adil and Moe, the bowling attack is completely different. So that's the buying line up. Can we give these boys a minute to just work themselves out in oddie cricket again? Just let them figure it out.

Yeah. They've lost Morgan, the greatest ever leader of all. all time, and now they've lost Stokes. Yeah, they're going to lose a couple of games. That's like 300 caps between them, all that experience. I saw someone tweet the other day being like, this is very pre-2015 oddie cricket from England. Oh, shut up.

Shut up. Shut up. Right, should we go upstairs? Yes. I think it's only fair to go upstairs with Sue because she burnt 2,000 calories in that game on Wednesday. People who aren't over or aware of what whoop is, the whoop band that we all wear,

Sue wears one, and she put it on Twitter the other day, and Al, her day, bear in mind she's coming back from COVID, so I'm hoping that this is one of the main reasons why it was such a high day. Yeah, I was worried when I saw it. No one's heart rate should be that high for that amount of time. She had a bigger day than me, and I was running past her six times in and over. That way of score should not be. So that is just goes to prove how tough COVID is.

And umpiring. And umpiring. Yeah. Right. Let's get our email. Right, here we go. This is from John. Spreading the legs gate was hilarious.

I presume your colleagues won't... We'll never let you forget about that. John, P.S. Are either of you doing Freddy's Field of Dreams, but for girls? Right, so... We need a lot of context behind all of this, because I don't know. Spreading the legs gate? Right, so, thunks hit this amazing shot down the ground. and I was like, Sophia Dunkley just spreads her legs.

But what I was men to say was, has given herself a strong base. Ah. So she spread, and Henry knew what he was doing because he looked at me and went, and I was just to say, carry on, so I just laughed. So I apologise that that came out of my mouth. Sophia Dungley spread them to give herself a strong base. Got you? Mm.

Okay. Freddy's Field of Dreams. You've seen it? I've not watched it yet, actually, but I've not seen a bad review of it yet. Honestly, the best cricket documentary I've ever watched. Really? I cried. Okay, I'll put that on my list of things to watch.

I've just finished the staircase, so I'll go on to that next. One of the cricketers is now tearing it up. Really? They found this cricketer and he's playing for Wiggin in the first team. Oh, amazing. Yeah, it's class. That's so cool. Hi, Crossie and Alex, this email is titled, Help My Mum.

She needs reply. Crossie, I need your help. I've never emailed him before, but my mum has decided it is now the time. I've been a long time listener and occasionally I listen to the podcast in the car with my mum. That's how she knows who you are as she doesn't follow cricket. Yesterday, this was Thursday the 7th. I was down visiting Loughborough as I hoped to go there once I leave school. Essentially, whilst I was away, my mum bumped into three of the girls from the England team.

I wasn't there, but my mum knows I'm a big fan, so I decided to try and work out who they were. She claims they had England kit on and had just been given new kit bags and were rushing to their cars. Once she'd built enough confidence, she went up to them and asked them if they'd, played for England. They said yes. She tried to have a conversation telling them that I play for Scotland age group teams and asked them about Birmingham, but she didn't ask their names. For the

last 24 hours, this is all she's talked about from her vague memory. We've decided it may have been Danny White, Nat Siver and one other, but we need clarification. Also, in the least talkish way, she tried to take a photo of them but failed miserably. I've attached it as it may help.

It's just downloading. This is from Emma and P.S. Oh, she's got an LBW. My LBW is that I wear shoes on the bed as long as they feel comfortable. No. Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, start that again. My LBW is that I wear shoes on the bed as long as they feel clean. And please could you explain why the intro is Crossy doing well, but Alex's doing shit.

Because we started this podcast when I lost my England contract. So, we're just seeing the photo. It's people's feet. Yeah, you can't see who it is. I mean, does that look like ADR's carves to you? I was going to say ADR, actually. Honestly, I've got no idea who those three people are. Tell your mum, she needs to figure out how to use her camera.

That is more a photo of a pavement than it is of three people. Yeah, terrible. Anyway, carry on. Why is the intro like it is? Yeah, because I lost my England contract and you're doing really well. So we just thought it was quite fitting. We did ask, didn't we? We said there's a moment in the 100 last year where you bowled and I took a catch for you. And I wondered if we could maybe use that as our intro now. We have asked.

Yeah, but I quite like it. It's very the show, isn't it? Yeah. It's very me getting my act together and you not. Yeah, exactly. Hey, Crossy and Hartley. I only discovered your podcast last week after one of the coaches in Brackett's Briannie at the Cricket Club I'm at the Shepherds Bush, C, recommended it to me. I wonder if that's Brianne Smith. I've been watching cricket since the famous Stokes' Head and the innings. and have been a bit obsessed since. Just watch my first ever women's match,

the ODI versus South Africa, and thought it was an awesome match. Just writing in to say that I've binged loads of the podcast episode as I'm in a job that means I can listen all day to my phone and it really keeps me going at the moment. My life has been a bit tough the last few months and cricket has been a great consistent, constant, sorry.

I do have a question. Get there in the end, Lil. Is there a website that displays all the matches, all formats to see what's coming up to buy tickets? Thanks for the laughs and the chats, Lil. Yes, head to ECB. They've got an app and they have all the women's fixtures and all the men's fixtures on, and it gives you like a calendar, doesn't it,

so you can see what's coming up in the next couple of days. An ECB website, I'll have tickets on. Yeah. This is titled A Dumb Thing. Hi, Kate and Alex. Firstly, hashtag Trisclothic. Oh, I did say that on the radio. I've heard about that.

Well, I saw it, actually. You said you could do it and you didn't do it. Yeah, I can say Triscothic now. Yeah, see? And I didn't do it. And I didn't do it. Yes. For Hartley.

And hashtag asparagirus. Asparagus. Yeah, but they've spelled it asparagrus. No idea. No, I can say asparagus. All right. I don't know what that means then. Secondly, something I thought was real as a kid that I didn't realize.

Oh, throwback. Wasn't until I was 16. I thought the Wambles were real and the TV show was like a kid-friendly documentary. Keep up the Good Word. Love the Pod. All the Best Lee. Yes, Lee. Never seen the Wambles, sorry.

Cricket in the Heat Wave. Hi Kate and Alex With the heat wave happening How do you keep cool While playing professional sport Is it all about being hydrated How do you cope with 50 overs in the field Thanks Daniel

All about your preparation Don't get COVID and try and play You will get cramp But drink your cramp juice Before you get cramp That's what it's about Don't drink it after you've got cramp But also you do have other things

Like you've got hydration tabs You've got ice in those tuby grips Yeah we've got Which really made me laugh Because Sue Redfern had an icy tuby group every three minutes. Yeah. We call them the ice sausage.

Yeah. So, yeah, it is genuinely all about your preparation though, because you can't, once you're thirsty in the heat, it's really hard to then get hydrated. So we always get told, think about your cricket match 24 hours before. So eat the food that will fuel you and drink. Make sure you're hydrated before you go into the game because it does help. But yeah, we've got all these tabs and things that we put in our drinks that help.

Hi, Kate and Alex. I hope you both doing well. Love the podcast. I recently started listening to it and it's become the highlight of my week. Not too long ago, I decided to switch from gully slash tapeball cricket to hardball cricket due to my ever-growing interest in the sport, especially the women's side of it. Although I'm still learning to play properly, I'm quite certain I want to make a career out of it in the future. However, my parents are strictly against the idea of me playing cricket and I'm not sure where to go from here.

On one hand, I have my parents to think of, and on the other hand, I have the profession I've wanted to adopt ever since I was a little girl. I'm truly stuck and would love your advice on the matter. Anyway, keep the pods coming and stay safe. You go? So it is a really difficult one because your parents, when you're a young age, are obviously quite involved in...

Well, for me, they were very involved because they took me to my cricket training, they took me to my matches, and I couldn't have done that without them. So not having them on board is going to be difficult. But also, when I was a kid, there wasn't the option of having cricket as a career as a female. So I think the fact that that is now a thing,

maybe they need to sit down and talk to their parents and say how things have changed and it is a viable career option now and if she wants to pursue that, then she can do. I think, well, our job, we've... It sounds silly, paved the way for the next generation. I wish I was five years younger because it is a career option. I think it's not...

It's only like saying, it's only like your brother, if you've got a brother saying, I want to be a professional football, and I'm on the Liverpool Academy. It's a genuine career option, so sit them down, go for it. I think, yeah, have a really honest chat with your parents and say how passionate you are about it and how much you want to give it a go. How much you'd love to be like Kate and Alex?

You also only get one opportunity to do this. Like, it's not something that you can come into at 35, 36 and change your profession into professional cricket. You have to do it when you're young. So it is kind of like a one-chance thing. Not to put pressure on you, but have a chat with your parents. No balls. Completed it, mate. hi ladies it's taken me over a year but i finally finally listen to every episode you've both kept me company on my lunchtime walks when i get away from my desk in that half an hour or so so to summarize

wash the bread knife keep our toasters on the side we take our trainers off and we wear jeans indoors even if we're not going out i have loved listening to you two especially how frank and open you have been about mental health i decided right from the start not to be afraid to share my experience and it's been great to hear you two doing the same I have a question. The first question is, what's your issue with the Southern Vipers? In one episode, you mentioned them with disdain, and I wondered, what's your beef?

I asked because I'm a Vipers fan. I think they're just really good at cricket. It does annoy me when teams are, like, overly good at things in any sport. Like, it kind of annoys me a little bit in tennis. Like, you know that Federer Djokovic, those kind of players are probably going to make the finals of a lot of the tournaments. and it just gets a bit boring. Yeah, like Southern Viper, Charlotte Edwards.

Can you just like have a year off and let someone else win? Basically that's all it is. We're just jealous. Yeah, it is. It comes from a jealousy point of view that Thunder haven't yet lifted a trophy. Slash won a game. Can happen. Hi, Kate and Alexis titles Cricketing Injuries.

Really enjoying the podcast, they keep me entertained on my daily commute. Since I started coaching the ladies team at Market Deeping Cricket Club last year, it's a strange name for a cricket club. I've developed a real passion for all formats of ladies cricket and it's great to see the game growing each year I know you've previously discussed strange injuries I'm currently 51 years old however around 10 years ago I was playing in a local league game

when I was batting I got hitting the belly button and it knocked the ball off my belly button piercing Oh okay so it like took a piercing out When I checked the area I noticed that the ball was off the ring and I started the game to put the ball back in the ring keep up the good way with the podcast and have a great season all the best call

okay there is no question there okay so have you ever had a piercing fall out while you've played cricket I think is what I'm taking from this

my belly button why have you got your maternity pants on what are they what are those yeah my belly button so I just had that in my t-shirt at my diving I love ripped it out

oh that must have been so beautiful I was like, what was I thinking? Yeah. Yeah. I remember when I got my top ear pierced and I had to wear a helmet the next week and, oh my God, the pain, eish. Cricket fans, hi Alex and Kate.

Yes, I was first. This is Tiffany. Love you, Tiffany. Love the pod and enjoying the England versus South Africa series. How do you meet other cricket fans? My ex got me into cricket and none of my friends are into it despite my best efforts.

It's kind of lonely and me just following on the radio and attending back matches can get pretty lonely. Best wishes, Tiff. Speak to people. Go. There's a lovely cricket fan called Abby Slade, and she is the most welcoming human. I think she's got a friend called Ree. They are brilliant. Like, find them, follow them on social media, and message them. They'll sit with you.

Also, cricket, for me, is all about community. Like, every person that I speak to, they've got friends around the world because of overseas players that have come and played at their club. Got fake aunties and uncles who looked after them when they were kids. Like, just cricket is all about community, so embrace it. as it is, and I think this is where you're a little bit dreading the 100, you're always going to be anxious meeting new people, but it's always fine. It's never as bad as you think. Very true.

Hi, Kate and Alex. I just want to take this opportunity to thank the pair of you. I started listening to your podcast late last year. I don't listen to many, but yours is my favourite alongside Zero Ducks Given. I only really picked it up because I loved listening to Hartley on TMS, but Kate's presence in the England team during the washes and the washes and the World Cup got me into women's cricket. I even got up at 4.30am on my 21st birthday to watch the World Cup final. Sorry about that. Still drunk having gone to bed at 2 a.m. after family

celebrations, I would have barely given women's cricket a second thought 12 months ago, so I want to thank you both for getting me into it. I also want to thank you both for helping keep me sane during my final term at uni and making me realise that it was okay to accept I needed a bit of help, no matter how superficial it initially seemed. I don't have history of mental health issues, but I took up CBT in January just to help me get over the line and I'm so glad that I did. CBT for anyone that doesn't know is cognitive behavioural therapy and it's basically a way of talking about your mental health

with a counsellor or a professional. Glad you told me that because I thought it was that oil. No, that's CBD. No, we're not, no, no, no, no, no, CBT, not CBD. The skills I learned to help allay my worries combined with the wonderful platform your podcast gives to mental health help me push through and come out the other side a better person. It wasn't easy. There were many times that I thought I wasn't going to graduate.

I even had to get extensions for my final two essays after I mentally drove myself into the ground. But I ended up getting a 68 on my dissertation as well as first on both those essays. And I'm so proud of myself for achieving this. There's an outside chance that I could now graduate next month with first class honours, which I thought wasn't possible at Christmas. Even if I don't, a 2-1 is still a great degree. I got a 2-1, and she didn't go to uni. Apparently went to college.

Yeah. I'll be forever indebted to you both, knowing I could be on the verge of a first combined with a recent work experience at Wisden Cricket Monthly feels that I'm now on top of the world, proving that you should never be ashamed to seek some form of help if you feel like you're struggling. The end of my last journal entry to my CBT supervisor reads as follows. Kate Cross, one of my favourite female cricketers and co-hosts of one of my favourite podcasts has said that she has a quote tattooed on her to remind her of a mental situation that she experienced to help keep her inspired to carry on

and it's a quote that is now going to inspire me. Aw. Tough times don't last. Tough people do. So once again, I just want to say a massive thank you to you both and please carry on being amazing. All the best from your biggest Yorkshire fan. Whoa. Jack. Whoa.

Whoa, Jack. Congratulations on everything. and thank you so much for getting in touch. I've got one more here from Ferret. Sorry? Yeah, before we sign off. A massive thank you. This makes me like, when people email us,

like, we forget what we're doing for people, don't we? Yeah, well, we don't, because it's always part of everyone's, when they get in touch with us, there's so much of it, isn't it? Yeah. That they say along real similar lines to, like, what Jack just said then. Hi, a fellow psychopaths. I just wanted to say, massive thank you for your superb pod.

I'd not heard it before it appeared on my TMS subscription, but now I can't even think of what my cricket life would be without it now. Even before playing the latest episode, it puts a smile on my face just by appearing as available and subsequently takes absolute priority than any other podcasts I've queued up. It's wonderful stuff, regards, Beret. We'll have a lot of people being very surprised when this notification comes up on their little phones

to say that we're back, we've done an episode. Literally. Um, before we sign off, high above. Can I just do, okay, I've got one more. Oh, go on. So this is from a little girl age nine. Okay, we'll do that instead of mine. Mine was just said, crossbatter three, question mark, question mark, question. Yeah, let's not talk about that.

This is 100 plus quiz, and it says, hi, Kate and Alex. This is the second time I've emailed you, but my granddad has told me I have an LBW, and it's the ideal cards clockwise. Oh, yeah, that is weird. I do anti-clockwise. I do clockwise. I think I'd do anti-clockwise because I'm left-handed I thought you had to go clockwise

I thought there was a way of doing it that you had to deal to your person to the left Who knows? Who knows? That is now why I'm emailing you again My dad recently revealed that I'm going to Old Trafford to watch a match of the 100

and that match is Cross versus Hartley Yes! So now it's quiz time Question number one How many times did Cross you get a wicket in the latest test match. Four.

What? Three. What? How many wickets did you get? Six first. Oh, shit. Gosh, you did. Yeah, gosh, you did.

Question number two, and you know the answer to this. Did anyone shout, cake ball? Me? You shouted the cake ball. I got a cake ball for Wongie's first international wicket from Slip. And I'm pretty sure someone else shouted a cake ball on the side. So, sorry, I forgot about your six first. That's all right.

It was a one time ago. Told you I didn't have a notepad. Question. Number three, what's your favourite moment? Of what? She doesn't specify that it's the test, so I'm just kidding, what's your favourite moment? My favourite moment has been seeing

how successful MLM has been at international cricket. Yeah, I think it does mean the test match. If you could change anything... My favourite moment in the test, actually you're getting six for. Me, get a three-for. Question number four, if you could change anything that happened, what would it be?

Um... Um... I don't think I'd change anything. I love my life. I'd change the bad days sometimes I think she's talking about the test man oh

oh the rain yes good one the rain good one five days we've not even spoke about five days have we anyway best wishes in future matches and training and that's from Charlotte

and she'll be at our spud battle yes and with that I think you need to get ready for the game tonight I think we do yeah it's been a pleasure it actually has next time we'll probably sound a little bit better

because we'll have new microphonies If we don't, we'll sound the exactly same as we did today. Yeah. We hope everyone's well. Yes, I do. I hope you email us on. No ballspodcast at BBC.co.com. Noblespodcast at BBC.com.com.

It's so good. They've said it twice. So much better when we're together. Bye. Love you, bye. And cross strikes in the first over. It's what England we're looking for. Partly balls.

Down the track comes scoring this time she connects. It's either six or out. It's six. Hello, I'm Stefan, the BBC's gaming reporter. I'm also the host of PressX to continue the BBC's gaming podcast, and I think you might like it. On the podcast, we talk gaming news and reviews. We had such a nice early start to visit. year with February just having great game after great game after great game.

We discussed some of the biggest games of the moment. The characters all have their experiences that they bring to it and you feel, you know, kind of part of that puzzle. And we get into some of the things the gamers are talking about right now. Elder Ring is a game where it wants you to kind of talk about it with other people to kind of decipher different things and discover different things. Oh, I didn't know you could do that. That's Press X to continue the BBC's gaming podcast available only on BBC Sound.

Probably can't say that going to.