Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - 'Bread knife-gate' continues and we check in with Scotland at the T20 World Cup

Episode Date: November 8, 2021

Kate Cross and Alex Hartley speak to Kyle Coetzer, the man leading Scotland through a memorable T20 World Cup. Plus, there's LOTS of talk on how Kate's kitchen should be arranged.

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Available now on BBC Sounds. Now, back to your podcast. Hello, you're listening to No Bowls the Cricket podcast. And unfortunately for you guys, my co-host, Kate Cross, is a bit of a potty mouth. So you might hear... No. No.

No, you're not allowed to say that because that is what I plan to say. So you might hear the occasional and... But please don't turn off because our producer, Henry, is very good at. beeping them out. So don't

stay with us. Enjoy the podcast. 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 and welcome back to No Balls of Cricket Podcast with me And you, Alex Hartley, she's got a BBC mic. She's very official. How you doing? Straight from work. My, well, as we discovered last week, my microphone wasn't working. We've just plugged in a different one and it's the microphone that's broke. So I am now very official. I feel like I'm doing an actual interview. Yeah, so it wasn't working and we thought you were doing something silly. And it turns out it was actually broken. So bye-bye microphone. Yeah, this good one that we got a little freebie a while back, she gone.

it's probably when it traveled around with us for the entire hundred and we were just literally lugging it and smashing it and doing all sorts to it yeah i think we've broken it all right probably a little bit broken otherwise how are you doing i'm all right thank you i'm all right i well we got up the stupid o'clock this morning for our guest didn't we no we got up at stupid o'clock because of you yeah yeah yeah for our guest yeah yeah so we've got a guest we only have we've got a little guest um But yeah, I'm tired. Really tired. I've just done a full day's work on two cricket games that were by average. Oh, really? Yeah, it's just been one of them days, a long one. What about you?

Same really. I've got up early to do our guest and then trained all day. And then trained all day. And when you text me saying you were tired, I was like literally just finished training. So can relate. Yeah. But I've got the giggles. so I text you're saying let's do the pod before dinner

or before I make my dinner probably just going to have some hummus to be honest because it's 7 o'clock now. Nice, nice. Shall we, because we didn't do it last week, should we go into Trough and Peek and Peek of the week? Trough and. Peak of the week.

Peak of the week. Have you got anything? Mine are rolled into one actually. Okay. You don't need to go first because you look very unorganised and don't seem to have any kind of notes this week. I haven't got one note.

but this can be my trough so it's fine okay cool so i did something on friday that i am never going to be able to say again that i've done so i went to six's cricket club to do a appearance yeah with my sponsor and i got to bat an innings of the hundred with joe root nice the joe root the best one of the best batters in the world Actually, probably only just recovered from a back back from carrying England all summer. Yeah, his shoulders did look larger. Yeah. Said he'd come on the pod though.

He did say he come on the pod. Need to work out how to get in touch with him now. He actually said he's really disappointed. He didn't invite him on the pod. Yeah, a little bit sad about it. So it's good to know that we're getting the name out there. And Nobles is literally going. I mean, I say global.

It's going to the men's dressing room and they're aware of it. That is good. It is good. So, yeah, a peak of the week. week. I got to bat with Joe, like, partnered him. Yeah. Trough of the week. Okay, here we go. We scored 167 in our 100 inning. So off 100 balls, 167 runs. Good score. Did you do 50 balls each? Yep. We went 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5. All the way 3 to 100. 167, good score. You'd take that a half time, wouldn't you? Yeah, it definitely would.

Joe scored 117. Right. You got 50? I got 50 and I raised my bat. But I got 50 off 50. He got 117 off 50. I was like the Jack Leach to the Ben Stokes. You know, I was just the supporting role.

Yeah, but Crossy without you, there ain't no partnership. That is true. I did get out three times to Adil Rashid's Yorker as well. So didn't learn my lessons, but can happen. It can happen. but that's your is that both trough and pique because you did it with joe but he was really good you weren't yeah so trough was not being as good as the best batter in the world Pete being got to bat with the best batter in the world nice and he was really he actually was

really sweet about it all as well like i played like a shot for three and he felt oh good shot that sweet sweet or patronising no it actually came across sweet i think others would have probably taken as patronising but i bat number 11 for england he about number three or four, whatever you're back now. Four, I think. Happens. But you had a good day? I had a lovely day, yeah, really good.

I think we should go there. I think we should take the team. Yeah, I do. Well, we're going to do a live podcast from there, aren't we? Mm-hmm, yeah, promise them that we'd go back and do one. Yeah, so I will leave the broken microphone at home and take this official BBC one. Yeah, nice. Yeah.

I haven't got any peaks this week, but I've got a few troughs. Yeah, all right. Well, maybe we'll stumble across a peak. Well, you're going through your troughs. Yeah, maybe. Fitness testing this weekend, wasn't it? Hmm. Yeah, I...

I actually, I walked in on you doing the yo-yo, as in I was at Al Trafford and happened to need to go into the indoor school whilst you were doing it. And your face was like the colour of our logo, the no-balls logo. Crossy, that's the first running session I've done. Probably since the whole.

100. Yeah. You have an off season. Yeah, I'm very unfit. I'm very out of shape. I've put on a bit of podge. You know, these things happen. So that was fitness testing, but I'm counting it as the first running session of the winter because it was horrific. That's what October's for, though, that, you know, your men are enjoy your time off, you men are go on holiday, you're going to drink, you men to eat. And you did all that. You just didn't do anyone in between to kind of counteracting. Just rang my mum on the way. How did your fitness testing? going. I said, not great. It's just burst out laughing. She's like, well, it's a starting point. Exactly. You're only going to get better from here, which is, we'll look forward to hearing your

progress on the pod. Well, January last year was the fittest I've ever been. So I've got till January to get where I was. I don't need to be any fitter than I was because I was stupidly fit. And there's no need when you just feel it fine leg. So we're going to find a happy medium. Do you know what I heard today, which I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing, but I think the Southeast Stars made their girls fitness test the day after the cricket season. Oh, that's savage. But now they don't have to fitness test until January. So now they're kind of smug about it.

But imagine the day after you finished having to go and do the yo-yo. I think Yorkshire did something pretty similar as well, like a week after. Did they? I'd have said to Lewis, no. Yeah. Is they're back in training as well? It's not like they've had an extra week off. No, but now they don't have to have the anxiety of fitness testing now until January.

Yeah, very true. No peak. It's been a very... Oh, not, I've got a peak. Oh, here she goes. I commented my first England World Cup game. Yes. And you got it because you deserve it as well.

You've done so much of this World Cup. Yeah, and it was honestly commentating with Ishigua, Jonathan Agnew. Incredible. Like, I just kept thinking, like, well, how? How am I with these people? Like, it's amazing. and you got to watch Josh Butler

bat one of the innings that I have I didn't know any innings like that could exist Josh Butler do Josh Butler things Like everyone You can't even compare it to the innings that he played against Australia because they were just so different weren't they like he went out against Australia

and took them out of the game immediately this innings against Sri Lanka he had to work so hard for those runs but then still made it look really easy at the end. I know. He said he was like, oh, I thought 120 would be a good score. And then after 10 overs, he just started absolutely

moosing it. And Owen Morgan, getting 40 off 36 balls, he's like huge as well because he's been out of so-called form. But it's not just him getting runs. It's the partnership that he built with Butler to make them accelerate. Like, it was just such an incredible game of cricket. Yeah.

I just, I know we did our predictions last week and I said that it was going to be Australia, Pakistan and then said England are going win but I just don't see how anyone can beat England at the minute. Such a strong team, isn't it? So, so good. Frightingly good. Come on England. Come on England. Have you got anything on your sticky note this week? I've got a few things on the sticky note that I just want to address. Oh yeah. First of all, we need to touch on it because it was a big deal last week. People really latched onto it. The bread knife debate. The bread knife debate. We've had so many emails. It's, um, it's, it's

really half and half of me. I'm seeing a lot of people for you. I'm seeing a lot of people team crossy. Like there's, there really is, it's just one of them things that some people do and some people don't do. Yeah. We've actually had someone get in touch of us saying, please don't tell me you've got one of those things that you put your knives in, which you've got. So like a knife holder, because he said there's so much bacteria in one of those. There's more bacteria in one of those, there is on a toilet seat? Well, there must be more bacteria in the ones where you don't wash the bread knife and just put it back in. So technically cleaning the bread knife and then putting it in must mean there's

less bacteria. Yeah. Something has happened in this house as well. Got that on my sticky note. Yeah? Again, I want to address this. I want to talk to people because I've got a bit of flack for this. You have. Rightly so. Yeah, rightly so. It's not something that I do normally. The toaster in the cupboard is psycho-behavior. I fully admit it. I've never lived anywhere where the toaster has lived in the cupboard other than this flat. And the reason for that is because I don't have a big kitchen. I don't have the luxury of toaster space on the counter. No, you don't. But

because you live there and because it's so much effort for you to get the toaster out of the cupboard every day. No, no. You've changed it because you got so much black on social media surely that toaster will be back in the cupboard the second you leave that flat trust me because i don't use it every day i don't use it every day you do apparently i do i do use it most days so it lives on the top of the microwave now which is also a bit weird yeah there's nowhere else for it to go a bit odd but and then we've got no room for the fruit bowl but the fruit ball's normally empty so we decided that we use the fruit ball less than the toaster of us now in the cupboard

where the toaster lift. 10 athletes, everybody. Yeah, we've actually got a basket for our potatoes at the minute because we've got so many. That needs to go as well. That's terrible. Yeah, it's like this little golden basket and it's just got three potatoes in it. It's awful. I got a birthday present in it

and now it's a potato holder. Awful. Anyway, another thing on my sticking out. I want your honest opinion. Okay. on the red trousers that England wore. Striking, but I like them. Getting in the festive season, getting in the festive mood.

I didn't mind them. The thing that I hated was that the red of the trouser didn't match the red of the top. And that really, really got my OCD. Yeah, it didn't match did it. But I actually quite like the flare of it. And I got used to it, but it didn't look right with the blue pads. That was illegal. yeah that's a get in the bin yeah put them in the bin they were they were very i don't even

know how to describe them they were just striking probably is the right word actually but they came from nowhere as well well you you had a great phrase actually because we said oh they've probably come from some Dubai market and that england are sponsored by new balance and you said yeah probably some no balance ones from the local market last thing on my sticky note which i really want to talk about before we go into our emails, we've not even touched on the fact that Ben Stokes is going to the ashes.

Oh my God. And we're not even touched on the fact that you predicted it weeks ago. Told you. Literally told everyone. Well, no, I told you. Right, everybody. Crossy text me, I want to say, four weeks ago

and said, I've got a feeling. I said, go on. What is it now? What is it this time? What is it this time? You said, Ben Stokes is going to Australia. to which I said they've announced the squad

no he's not I just he put so much stuff on his social media of him batting and bowling and I was like why is he doing cricket now when the next cricket that he

was going to play would be the season next year or potentially the West Indies tour in February March so I was like he's going to Australia he's getting ready to go and lo and behold Ben Stokes

going to Australia how good it is so good and someone asked me about this in an interview the other day actually they said you know what does it do to the England team

and I was like I don't even really care about the England team but first and foremost Ben Stokes is okay yeah yeah he went through such a tough time

yeah and he obviously like when you hear someone's just got a finger injury you think it's so minor but he was obviously in so much pain and it was two operations still didn't get it sorted so there's nothing worse

and playing the sport that you love, but feeling like you can't play it properly. Yeah, and he ended up having him break for mental fatigue, didn't he? He wasn't quite right, gone through a really tough time. And the fact that he's got through the other side of that, and that just shows, guys, that, like your tunnel scenario, some people's tunnels are shorter than others.

You just don't know how long the tunnel's going to be, but there's always an end point. There's always light at the end of the tunnel. There always is. Right, before you make me cry, if you do some emails. Yeah. Who should we go upstairs with this week? There's an umpire crossy.

I don't know if anyone knows this. I'm going to do some breaking news. In the World Cup, who's been told he can't umpire for six days because he broke the COVID bubble. Oh, who is it? Michael Goff. Right. Michael Goff. Let's go upstairs and sneak around with Michael Goff. Let's breach some COVID protocols. so good I wonder what he was doing

wonder what he was doing hear both it's so good to hear the pair of you again and that you've both had decent holidays with regards to Alex's non-functioning mic is there a red button for her to press

best wishes Phil there's a black button that I still don't know when it's down is it on and if it's up it's off I don't know but we always have a flick around and see what the buttons do but she's gone

she's gone P.S. Whether to wash the bread knife or not depends on whether anyone else is there surely on your own can be as dusty and as grubby as you like it's the same with the dusting quentin crisp famously didn't dust saying that after the first four years he didn't notice it

that's disgusting that is gross filthy we've got so many emails titled bread knives toasters wash the bread knife. Hello ladies. Great to have you back.

I cannot put into words how important being able to switch off from the tantrums of the last 18 months by listening to your podcast has been. It's chaotic bonkers and has the chuckle muscles going and the tears rolling down my face at times. Please don't change and hopefully

you will look at doing some live shows around the UK. Thinking about it. Thinking about it. Anyway, on Thursday the 21st during the ICC World T20 Commentary on TMS, Alex talked about wearing a shirt from the World Cup consistently in 2017. Right, basically, during the 2017 World Cup, I wore the same shirt every game because we were winning it and we did well.

Obviously, I washed it in between. Anyway, my questions are then, what is the longest period of time you've worn cricket clothing, not personal clothing, or without using the washing machine? Probably when we used to play county championship cricket and you used to go away for like four or five days and play four or five games of cricket in that time and there was no way of washing the one shirt you got given

so you just literally had to stink. Yeah, and you'd get to day four and everyone would be like, anyone got any deodorant. But everyone was in the same boat, so you just kind of rode the wave. Yeah, and question number two was when will TMS let you joint summarise on commentary together?

Probably never after you today. I'm probably never going back. You Clinton-Baptiste over there. Oh, yeah. Hi, Kate and Alex. I'm confused and here's why. I've heard you both say on your truly excellent pod previously that the women don't play enough cricket

and probably spend too much time training, especially in contrast with the men. However, as we've now completed the 2021 season, I've seen a few folk on social media state that the women must be knackered, given all the international and regional cricket that has gone on, and one or two have speculated that this is why we've seen so many batting collapses from the top slash middle order in recent weeks,

both international and regional. Importantly, I don't recall seeing any player actually say this. Obviously, it's been far from a normal season, both with ongoing COVID team management scenarios and the introduction of the 100 tournament, but too much cricket. Given you both have done double duty as commentators throughout the summer, as well as playing, you both must be truly knackered. Seriously, what's your take on it? So, basically, we need to play more cricket.

was the start of us playing more cricket but because it's the first time we've played cricket week in, week out from April through to the end of September, everybody was tired because we're not used to it. Yeah, and to add another layer onto that, last season I played two competitive games of cricket because of COVID.

So we've gone from one extreme to the other. So no one is complaining of having too much cricket, if anything, we're just not quite used to the balance of how to deal with that. The guys literally have done it since they were 12 years old. and we're just new to it. So that's why we got tired. We're just figuring it all out.

Have we got time for one more before we move on? Yeah, sure. Hello, Alex and Kate. I've been thinking a bit about the structure of domestic game recently and wondered, given how positive you've both been about getting more women's test matches, whether there would be room for teams like the Thunder to play three or four day cricket alongside Whiteball stuff.

We've been, we would say, we said, yeah. I think, we said this, we spoke about this on the podcast before, but I think Thunder should play diamonds in a three-day game, Vipers should play Storm, vice versa, and let's just get that bowl rolling. Why not? Yeah, I don't think you're going to lose anything from doing it, but you might gain a lot because, like we said,

when you're trying to pick that test squad for England, no one knows who's good at three-day cricket, because no one does it. You're just guessing you play one warm-up game, and you go, they did all right, get a test cap. Yeah, I mean, yeah. This then posed another dilemma. We already have got Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachel Hayho Flint Trophy.

Could Jan Britton step up to the play as she did during the inter-squad matches during lockdown? But then it suddenly all clicked and the light bulb came on. Stella contribution, playing for England. Tick. Wonderful service to umpiring. Tick. Cult hero. Tick.

The Sue Redfern Trophy, it is. Oh my God. Playing four, five-day cricket. I'd be well up for that. I'd play in the Sue Redfern trophy. I think I'd be up for that. Yeah. Get your whites on.

Sue would unpire her own trophy? That'd be pretty cool, wouldn't it? That would be cool. Yeah, I'm keen for a Sue Redfern trophy. Yeah, maybe we get that trending. We've got a lot to get trending at the minute. We do. Get your flop on is another one.

I actually, I listened to our podcast from last week, and I actually said on it that the hashtag is, Hat stacking. So that's where I've got that hashtag from, but you've been going cap stacking. So there's a bit of a dialander there as well. Well, we've said it on the pod. I'll go hat stacking. So we're changing to hat stacking now. Hat stacking. Okay. P.S. And here it is. If you're after an LBW, I can only do my ironing if I have a cider on the go. It seems to make the time pass quicker. Unfortunately, I live pretty close to my local A&E in case of any accidents. Best wishes, Johnny. really thought about that you know i'm going to have a cider while ironing but i'm not too far

from any in case it goes wrong is that an lbw or is that a coping mechanism i think that's more of a coping mechanism i mean we've got an lbw between us we do not own an iron i don't think that's an lbw see yeah there's been occasions this summer where i've wanted to wear something and it's been horrendously creased that i've not been able to i had to try to and get my hair straighteners on a dress for the tail enders. See, that day was a bad day altogether, really, wasn't it? We were struggling, there was potatoes everywhere, you know, we didn't want to go. We then went, we mustered up the courage to go.

We tried to have another beer. It tasted horrendous. And as I walked past the bathroom, I noticed, you had a dress hung up in there. And I was like, what are you doing? Why is that there? And you were like, yeah, I'm trying to steam it. Yeah, yeah. You've been in the shower for four minutes.

I just needed the creases to come out but I'm actually going to buy a steamer because they're really good steamers are good just the niche aren't they like what how often do you steam things I don't know but I think if I buy one I'll steam a lot of things will probably steam a lot more things but I don't believe in ironin I think it's a myth I think you wash your clothes you put them on the maiden you fold them up you put them in new covers

I did notice you've hung my washing out for me as well thank you you're welcome should we introduce this week's guest let's introduce our guest we've got another special guest for you all this week and it's my pleasure to introduce him we've got all the way from Dubai captain of Scotland

currently at the ICCT 20 World Cup as his background suggests we've got Kyle Kurtzer Kyle welcome to No Walls of Cricket podcast Thanks very much for having me yeah amazing to be on I've been waiting for this opportunity for a while so thank you

well we've got one question for you and then you can leave. Do you listen to the podcast? Yes, I do. And do you clean your bread knife? No, I don't. No, why not? Why are you all psychos?

A little brush off with the kitchen towel, maybe, and away it goes. You two are just dicing with salmonella. Where do you keep your toaster, Kyle? Well, that was the next thing, wasn't it? Toaster definitely stays on the counter Oh, okay, yeah I actually admitted that I know that it's quite psychotic behavior to have your toaster in the cupboard

But I've not got the luxury of kitchen space So you must have a big kitchen It's there's enough space in there But my next question for you is where do you keep your bread? Yeah, well that's a really weird one as well Because he leaves it on top of the spices What? She's got a little spice rack and she just leaves it on there.

No, surely that's the thing that goes away in the cupboard and the toasted stays on top. Maybe when I've got a bigger kitchen, I'll take all this into consideration. But we're not here to talk about bread and toast and bread knives. Where are you at the minute? I mean, I've told everyone where you are, but what you're up to? How's it all going? Talk to us. Yeah. So currently in Dubai, we had our first group stage of the World Cup was

in Oman, which we're pretty lucky to be there, actually, because the resort was stunning. Guys were enjoying themselves. There was a private beach, and so we actually had a bit of space to roam around. But since we've been in Dubai, it's been a little stricter. We can see the pool out my window at the left. I can see the swimming pool, but I can't actually go to it. Oh, not loud. Yeah. Well, we've got a small one around the corner, which is classed as a pool, but it's somewhere for us to sort of dip our feet in, you know. A little puddle. Yeah, just a little puddle and yeah obviously in the middle of the the main event i guess and yeah no wins to our name in the super 12s but well we're about to say so you smashed the first lot of games you go three

out of three what's actually your mindset going into the super 12s like is it like let's just see how it goes or let's go out there and win yeah that's a good question look you've got to try and position yourself in the right place for these games and we have to be realistic at the same time but we also can't be going in there worrying or fearing the opposition if you go in and try and play a brand of cricket's going to give yourself every chance of winning the game of cricket that that's the best chance but we know we've got to play up there and keep raising our bar and that'll give us the best chance but you know how cricket is it's got weird and wonderful ways of keeping you honest and keeping you level to the ground it's tough isn't it because

the teams you're playing against who are them winning those moments are teams that are so used to playing in these big tournaments they're so used to playing in front of the big crowds like for you guys have you spoke about that as a team or are you just trying to embrace it all like what what you're chatting about as a team yeah it's about dealing with the pressure isn't it when the pressure's on can you make a good decision and can you execute it at that time yeah we are trying to embrace it definitely but the pretty pretty tough challenge for us but we also have to be willing to go and go and take them on and not fear them. So, yeah, the experience is brilliant, brilliant for us.

And the only way we'll get better is to continue playing games like that. And ultimately, when we play in tournaments like this, we're actually learning in the game the whole time, you know, because we haven't got the depth of experience some people may have in playing in tournaments like this or whatever. you know, we're learning as we're going along too. I've come to then conclusion that you guys must have somebody that flicks in the nets stupidly fast

because I saw a stat yesterday that people bowling over 140 clicks, nobody's got you out. If we're not faced anyone bowling over 140 clicks, does that issue? I think there's been 17 deliveries and not one has got anyone out. Well, there was also a stat that we just missed lots of straight balls. Oh, no. Can happen.

So your coach flicks fast, but you didn't know where it's going. Yeah. And if they're just blowing the stumps, we just keep getting out. That was, I think it was in the pre-match presentation or something. Scotland, if you just both straight, they miss them. Yeah, right. I'll actually find the stat and send it to you a bit. Don't quote me on it.

Everyone will think you've been doing loads of research, Kyle. I've just been listening to the Odd Bowls podcast. What does it actually mean for Scottish cricket for you guys to get through to the Super 12? Yeah, look, it's a really important phase of our journey in terms of progression, hopefully from an associate member to a more experienced and possibly a full member

further down the line. The exposure and the excitement it has brought back home has just been pretty spectacular, to be honest. Well, the fact that I've been asked to come in this podcast is just showing how far and why. are, you know, the excitement's got. So, yeah, we want, you know, like anywhere in the UK, you want people to be playing cricket as much as you possibly can

and the youngsters to be watching it. I mean, that's where I started years and years ago. I remember George Salmon walking out for Scotland at the 19, I think it was a 99 World Cup and that was something that sort of got me going. So, yeah, look, the exposure, where we've got to, where it's going to, it's only going to improve things. I found the stat.

Did you? Yeah. It's not worded very well. So don't, I'm not saying this. Scotland have found a way to survive against high-paced in this tournament, albeit without scoring particularly quickly, from 17 balls they face that have been 140 or quicker, they've scored 17 runs but haven't lost any wickets.

Yes, yes. Kyle, by all accounts, like we follow you on social media. I follow a couple of the Scottish lads as well. you properly look like you're embracing this World Cup. It looks like you're all having the best time. So we were wondering, can you give us your highlight of the World Cup so far and your low light of the World Cup so far? Highlight.

Can be anything. Okay. Well, I think the highlight's probably going to have to be that, well, the victory against Bangladesh was very, was really special. Just because of, you know, they've come up for a couple of big series, and I think they'd beat in Australia and New Zealand leading up to that phase of the competition. So us beating then was pretty special, but I think the win against Oman, just to seal,

seal victory and seal qualification to Super 12. I think that that's probably the moment. There's a nice embrace with myself and Ritchie Barrington there. It was a nice moment. The cameras captured that, so that was pretty special. And the lowest was probably, yeah, probably the lost to Namibia or Nambia as some people. Yes. Now you do you do listen? That was probably the lowest moment and I wasn't able to play that game.

So it was hard for me to sit and watch that on the sidelines as well. But full confidence in our group, you know, that's only going to make us stronger. But there are the highs and lows. And I hope you've been, I hope you've spotted wavy Davy. Wavey, Davy, can you talk to me about this? Does he just literally wave every time you've got a camera on him? Pretty much. This started going back about.

2015 I reckon and we'd done something back then and then I got a message from from your mate Jack Brooks he says Wednesday when's Wavy Davy coming back out and there we go I just started

slyly catching Josh on the camera and it just started again so it was just been a daily thing just a daily update of Wavy Davy. People are asking for mousandies Wavy Davey TV That's some T-shirts Yeah

before the competition started you actually got voted to have the best kit in the competition was it a young young girl called Rebecca that designed your kit? Yeah. So I mean it's brave letting a young kid

to sign your kit because you could have ended up with anything. We could have done but thankfully it was a competition so it wasn't just you're just one young girl when you design a kit and then it comes out whatever she did so yeah she did she's done a great job rebecca i got a chance to meet her we played zimbabwe in three t20 i's and edinburgh before we left and yeah she was over the moon and yeah she's done a great job i think i think the colors and the

designs is excellent there has been a tiny bit of controversy around you being mostly purple though because scotland's always been the navy blue hasn't it so where's the purple come from Rebecca? Rebecca, yeah, Rebecca, no, I think... She just reinvented Scottish cricket. Rebecca came up with the design, but I think the mastermind behind the purple was our Markom's lady called Adriana Wright at Cricket Scotland.

She's done a fantastic job, and she said she want to be brave and go with the colour, so she went with purple. Yeah, we actually have a bit in common because when we played in the KSL, we didn't win a game one year, but we always said that we had the best kit, but we were, so we're top kit, bottom of the league. So similar to Scotland, top kit, bottom of the league.

Nailed it. Nailed it, yeah. It'll change, won't it? It'll change. Yeah. We've actually got a challenge for you, Kyle. We were wondering if you could jump on board with something that we're trying to get trending on social media. Right. Have you seen the hat stacking?

Yes. So, well, we, you're not going to win the World Cup, but no balls have got the hat of stacking World Cup and you're not up there, you know, up there. How many short am I? It's not about the number, it's about the flare. Have you seen Stoinus with the one forward, one back? No, no.

Right, let me quickly show you. I would get crucified for that, but. One of our favourite ones. Four in a row? Four in a row. One of our favourite ones was marmadulla. Yeah. Oh no, it was Bovuma.

Bavuma had like hats, caps, glasses, all sorts. But we're wondering if you could do something quite flare, but also get a floppy in there. Get floppy on as well? Yeah. Because you're quite boring here, aren't you? You've got a pair of sunglasses, a couple of caps, pair of sunglasses.

Yeah, I'm not pushing the boat out very far, am I? No. We just think that you can do a lot more. So this is a challenge. I've definitely got a thinking face on in that photo as well. Yeah, you're probably thinking, who's next to ball? Who's next to ball and who's bowling the short boundary? Yeah, not thinking, can I get another cap on?

Morg's with a floppy and a hat and some sunnies on. See, there's some options you've got, Carl. You don't, you know, there's competitions to be won here. So we're wondering if you want to jump on board, we will promote you all over the socials. I'm definitely up for that game. Yes. and then when you well we've actually got a question maybe you can answer it so marmadula had four caps on

so he's obviously got his own cap on he's got the bowler's cap probably the wicket-keeper's cap who's is the fourth cap short legs short leg in a d20 love it or maybe he knew about the hat stacking world cup that no balls is doing maybe he did you're going to have to ask him you're have to ask him. I can't wait to watch your next game and in the last Ovet. You've got everybody's caps on. Everyone's cap on now. I'm like just trying to balance the top one.

We'd love that you're on board with it though. I mean, we're tackling the big issues here, guys, the real big issues of cricket. Cal, what's next after the World Cup for Scottish cricket? What, you know, what tournaments you've got, are you got some internationals to play as well? So we haven't got anything until

April time. So we've got a bit of time off. So funnily enough, we've had a huge extended break since the pandemic. And then we have seven full-on weeks. And then we have another extended break. It's just the way things have panned out. But once we do start in April, we've got a series potentially in PNG, which might end up actually being back here in Dubai, possibly. Then we have a series against the USA and a series against Namibia. So we've got, I think we've got four series in, well, during our summer and before the qualification tournament for the 50 over World Cup.

But we've got a load on once we start. It's just one after the next. So the journey is busy. It's a bit quiet to start off with everyone's sort of refresh and sort of take stock a bit. But I think one of the most important things for cricket Scotland is to try and cash in in this opportunity, the exposure that we've got to try and grow the game and, you know, potentially just find a big sponsor who wants to come. come along with us and try and make guys full-time cricketers,

give people a chance to do that. Is that the difference between associate nations and full-time playing nations? Is that professionalism and how much full-time payment? I think it's time on deck, isn't it? You know, like you could have, we could train really well. You know, you have two days training a week or whatever. But people, there's a number of the guys that are still working outside.

There's a number of them that are young enough still living at all. home that, you know, they can just focus on their cricket. But if we could have a, you know, let's say a squad size of 16, perhaps, that you'd come together and your full-time cricket, is it makes a difference. It's time on task, isn't it, where you need to try and improve, develop your game, improve physically. But I think that's a difference. Obviously, there's a lot of talent and skill that needs to go with it.

But in terms of getting guys' mindset and being full-time cricket, that's a difference, I think. there's actually an incredible story in the squad isn't there who's your leggy who's he was working full time and then you just dragged him in for his World Cup and he's them really well yeah Chris Greaves yeah like a number of guys who are just outside the so we've got 12 contracts basically and I'd say the bottom five of them

bottom six of them are basically part-time and so Chris was doing his thing you know he's coming in training as often as he can he's out delivering parcels for Amazon and yeah he came outside the one day dropped up a parcel he came outside he's like oh I must have come out the wrong door now he went back in the building came back out he says no that's only one door his van had been nicked so he was he was his laptop his phone everything was gone and we're like we were all at practice waiting from gruevo's late again

like classics one of these guys he's late for everything and he couldn't even phone he'd no phone though nothing and people started getting worried about him but he's stuck in an estate somewhere in Edinburgh trying to walk his way home trying to borrow people's phone during COVID can I can I borrow it can I please use your phone to make a call people like no no chance you're not touching my phone he was properly stranded

missing his Amazon van and yeah that was that's kind of a story now that he's taking wickets against Bangladesh or whoever in the World Cup I can't believe somebody would steal a van just to see like get all their Amazon parcels like what is the world coming to well you just don't know

what people are ordering these days, do you? Well, very true. Very true. I got to shampoo and conditioner delivered yesterday, so. It's a real, sounds like a real similar story to where women's cricket is slash was maybe a year or two ago with just the odd, you know, five or six contracts that are worthy of like a full-time role and the not much playing, a lot of training, sounds real similar to what we've kind of been through on our journey as well.

definitely i think it is very similar look it's the challenges are trying to balance how you keep improving your game but also you've also got to live as well yeah and also the other similarity if i'm you know obviously correct me if i'm wrong but i think players are often learning as they go as well learning learning in the game sometimes because the opportunity to play the games at a high enough level doesn't doesn't come around as much as what you'd hope so people learn on the you know on tours they learn you know they're often getting faced with challenges that they've never actually faced before and they're playing their third or fourth odi do you know what I mean so yeah I remember making my test debut and I got told to field

at mid off and there was no ring and I said to Charlotte Edwards the captain I was like well where do I stand there's nowhere to give me an indication of where the ring is and she's like crossy there isn't a ring in test cricket and I like I know a new test cricket I watched it but you just don't take that in and that was literally an example of of learning on the job, like in my test debut, I learned that there's no ring. Wow. Alex, do you know that? Yeah, that's a great story.

I'm glad it's come out on the podcast. Kyle, you did a bit of work with England women at the start of the year. How did you find it? I loved every minute of it, actually. It came around as a last minute thing. You know, I think as I was driving down, I think Boris just announced. were going into another lockdown or something like that and I was on the motorway

and the way down, I thought, am I going to have to turn around? Do I have to go back? I didn't know what was going on, but yeah, I absolutely loved it. The opportunity to work with that group of players and players that I'd been watching in the TV and seeing how the team had been progressing and stuff. But I probably got the yips in the first morning, though,

when I got asked, Kyle, do you mind giving Heather some throwdowns? I was like, yeah, I was absolutely buzzing for it. this is great and then I got there and I got oh jeez I just got all nervous all of a sudden I couldn't get to throw the ball down the other end and I had to apologise to her the next one I said I'm really sorry like I don't know what happened

and she says she didn't even realise I had the yet she said she's seen a lot worse so that gave me a heap of confidence she came in at lunchtime weren't that cow's crap where we got him from yeah it was really good like for me what Kate what you said there about the experiences and how players are learning all the time and learning on task was something that I felt I could really relate to with that group.

You know, obviously it's a fine group and quite an experience group, but there are obviously players that come in that are learning, learning on task. And I did actually manage to have a hit later on in the week and, you know, I'll let Kate finish her. Well, my next thing is, rumour has it, you kickstarted Crossy's unbelievable summer. Yeah. I think I play I definitely played my part so Carl was my

you were my first international wicket of 2021 early January indoors dragged on and since then since then so there's been two trends that have started you started cleaning people up and I've started getting cleaned up

I don't bowl it over 140 miles an hour so that's probably why that's why and she just balls straight you fall in that category of just bowl just the right pace to clean me up. Right, we've got some, just some fun questions and you've got to answer honestly. Who is your best teammate?

Who do you love spending time with? Best teammate, Richie Barrington. That was easy. Easy one. Get on with everyone, right? I'm captain, yeah. We've got, honestly, we've got a great bunch of guys here, and people are really comfortable.

mixing with each other and we're very lucky the way things are like that but Richie we've been together since the 2009 T20 World Cup and yeah good mate so we go a long way back worst teammate the one that you think I just really don't want to go for a beer with you tonight you always have to ask those questions don't you yeah I'm going to have to sit on the fence here and I'm going to have to just say it are they going to listen to this podcast you know that's that's the debate isn't it all right all the messiest in the dressing room just the moment

Most annoying. Most annoying. Okay. I'm going to say the most annoying. The messiest in the dress is definitely Mark Walker. Kit gets thrown everywhere. But he is also one of the funniest he'll come across. So I think he'll take this pretty lightly.

The other one is I'm going to throw two out there. If I'm not going to say one, I'm going to throw two out there. Michael Leesk, I've known Michael Leesk since he was a wee laddie, right? And I used to throw tennis balls at him and he still used to smack the ball at the park then. smack the ball out of the park then when he was a little boy. He used to sleep with his bat, all of that, all of the above. And Michael has, he's got a personality that's one of these guys, is the eyes wide open, he never misses a trick.

And he can't sit in silence. So you know when you just, you know those moments where you just actually want to sit back in your chair and you want to stare at a wall. And Michael's in the room, you can just see his eyes, just piercing through your head, just trying to want him to say something. and he just can't, he just can't not, he has to break silence, but he's a great, great friend of mine,

knowing him so long time, but he's moments of silence, moments where you need yourself, Michael's just the one, just piercing eyes. He doesn't understand quiet time? Yes, yes. Yeah.

What has been the best moment that you've had on a cricket field? I've been very lucky. I have a few nice ones. I'm going to say, I'm going to bring up en route to that. I think the England game is pretty good, but we'll pass by that one pretty quickly.

Now, bring it up. Talk about it. I think the best moment was probably the Bangladesh game just because of the level and everything that surrounded that game in terms of trying to qualify for the Super 12s and the whole story behind it. So I'm going to say that that Bangladesh victory, where we were, I think Win Predictor had us at 4%.

We were 50 odd for 6 or something. Well, how good you broke the Win Predictor. We've decided that the win-predictor somebody's just going, that team, that team. It sounds about right. I mean, how could they not tell we would win from 50-odd for six? Well, also, they do a predicted score before a ball's been bowled, so it's like 174.

It's like, well, nah, they're going to get 130. I've seen that pitch. Come on. I know, it's ridiculous. What has been your worst moment on a field so far in your career? I was at North Ants, and I've had my moments in the field over the years. Good, some bad. I played a T20 game that I managed to shell three catches in 20 overs. And that wasn't a good time for me.

So I was like in practicing, taking high balls, and I just kept shelling catches no matter where I was. I reckon I was 10 in 0, however you want to put it, 10 drops before I took a catch that season. Was it because you had three floppy hats? on two hats, three pairs of sunnies. I just couldn't see where it's coming because the hats were on sideways,

somewhere on back and dropping on top. I can relate to that. Even if I could see the ball clearly, I reckon I'd stand a good chance of dropping any catch that's going at the moment. Oh, that's the worst place to be. Have you got the little time on the top of your thing?

Yes. Right, what is the best cricket ground that you've played at? Lord's pretty special. SCG was a pretty cool experience but I'm going to have to go with the Grange the reason I like playing with the Grange it's a feather bed so I can score some runs on it

Nice Worst, where do you go and you're like I really don't want to play there today Abadabee I was just going to say Abidabee I've had some terrible experiences there I've had some good ones but the majority are horrific

Right because you're an avid nobles listener you'll know that every week we do a little quiz with our guest. So we've prepped five questions for you and we're going to see how well or not well you know your cricket career. Okay, let's go for it. Right, I'll kick us off. Question number one, what is higher, your ODI bowling strike rate or your T-20 batting strike rate?

Batting strike rate. Your bowling strike rate is 179, and your batting strike rate is 120.6.3. I think there were a few wickets. I was giving myself a chance. I think there were a couple of tickets than T20. I thought it would be down. What is your highest ODI score? 156. Yes, correct. Who was that against? Bangladesh.

No. That count. That was another question. Sorry, that was just me being intriguing. Question number three. How many international boundaries have you hit? I actually have no idea what ballpark is going to be in. Go on, have a stab in the dark. Let's say, I don't even know how many ODIs I've played.

ODIs only. And T-20s. Interested. Okay, so I've played about 200 games because I only know that because I got given a cap the other day. so let's say 400 I can say two a game

it's not a bad guess but you've undersold yourself you've hit 569 and 86 of those have been sixes getting there you are second in the world

so you've got a record you're second in the world in ODI cricket but what for I am second in the world with an ODI-I cricket. So there's only one person ahead of you in this record, and what is it for?

Zeros. No, you've got the worst ball in average. I thought I was going to have the most ducks or something like that. No, no, you're miles away on that. You've not had the most ducks. Yeah, you've got the second worst, only worst ODI ball in average. Well done.

Thanks. So how many have I got one? One wicket. I know who that one wicket is though. Go on. I'm pretty sure it's Neil Kruger from Holland. Nice. Top of off delivery, actually, crossy a lot like the one you got me.

Nice. Knit back, did everything. Yeah. Nice. And last question. What date did you make your T20 debut? T20, T20, T20. T20 or T20I?

Is there a different? Prince in there. P-20I, yeah, international. I'm going to say it was the World Cup game. 2000, was it 2009, T20I World Cup? No. I'll give you a clue. It was against Ireland in Belfast.

Qualifiers, maybe the year, the year before that, 2008, Malahide or Stormont, something like that. You know the date? September No 2nd of August Oh second of August I was like

He's got it No he's not I'm really bad at this I'm so bad You actually done quite well there compared to a lot of our guests Okay I'll take one in a half for the additional question

Okay Okay all right So we had six questions And I don't actually know how many got right Because I wasn't concentrating no neither but you did you did all right you don't win anything anyway the prizes you've got to get as many hats on your head in the next T20 game

okay deal if I do that I want that BBC Sport mic deal we'll see what we can do gal you've been so much fun thank you for giving us your time as well we know how busy you are over there and we know you've just come from your press conference and that's why you were still in the background of it But you've been, Bill. Thank you. Thanks for having me, and yeah, I'll be listening out for the rest of the podcast. I'll tell you what, what a nice bloke, Carl Kurtzer is.

Really enjoyed having him on the podcast. Great bloke and a great story for Scotland, like genuinely. Yeah. So a bit of hindsight here, because we recorded that episode earlier in the week. He's had two games since, and we sent me a challenge. Well, he's really let us down. It's almost like he wasn't thinking about no-balls whilst he was out playing in World Cup fixtures. How rude that he wasn't thinking about

the greatest game in the World Cup ever. The most important part of his World Cup could have been getting his hands on the no-balls hat-stacking trophy that doesn't exist. The hat-stacking trophy, well, I was watching with an eagle eye today, Crossie, because I was there, not commentating but watching. Did he ever have more than two caps on his head?

No, disappointing. I also told Mark Watt to wear a floppy Just so, Kyle had to put it on his head He said, I can't wear a blue floppy with a purple kit This was an issue we actually spoke about The England men's team only have training floppy So when they had the red trousers The blue floppy just wouldn't have worked

Doesn't look right So there was no floppy involved But two cap, two glasses, pretty poor It's just what we know and expect from him Isn't it which is a shame but genuinely loved having him on the podcast. He was a belter in terms of, I feel like we took the mick out of him and he took it really well.

I mean, did we talk about cricket or did we just take the mick out of him? Probably a bit of both, but again, it's no balls. He listens, he knows what to expect. I love that he's been, like, waiting for, like, three years for his invite. He started listening. So when we spoke about him coming training, he said on his journeys he would listen to no balls and that's how he got into it. So that was, like, pretty sweet.

and then now he's a guest and he's got his story out there for the world, but genuinely, like, a really good story for Scottish cricket. Yeah, and I saw Mark Watts post actually on Instagram just now and he said, obviously, they're disappointed with the results, but what a group of players, and they will no doubt have had an impact on Scottish cricket, so well done, Scotland. I feel really bad for them because they've been in a bubble now for 50-odd days, so they played out in...

Oh, man, they started over there, yeah. Yeah, so then they played a series before the World Cup. they've been in bubble since and they fly home tomorrow morning so they don't even get a chance to go out tonight. We don't get the night out, the end of tour night out, which is a shame. But I'm sure they'll celebrate when they get back here. They've got so much to celebrate. I do.

I feel like we should just touch on J. Roy's injury while we're here. Yes, it was actually one of the hardest things as a cricket fan I've ever had to watch. I was sat here on this sofa as he went down and my mouth was open. And I was like, oh no, this poor bloke. I know, and it was so innocuous, which you know they are the worst injuries, because when no one's around you and you don't twist your knee or fall or do anything, they are the worst. And I was praying.

I was like, please be cramp, please be cramp, please be cramp. But the way he was walking off, it just looked awful, didn't it? Well, he hobbled off and then went again, didn't he? And he's like, ah, and it's not often you see a male cricketer cry on the pitch. No. So you know it's not great. Fingers crossed, he's actually got a scan today and the results come back tomorrow. So fingers crossed all goes well.

Yeah, fingers crossed for you, Jay Roy. But England are through to the semi-finals, which is very exciting. Yes, I cannot wait. Luckily, I've got training that day and that evening. Oh, no. Can't wait. Oh, so you're going to be watching on Twitter? I will have it on the old phone while training.

Where are you on Saturday? Where are you watching the final? I'm free, are you? I'm free. Shall we watch it together? Shall we have a date nights? Yes. Lovely. Okay, let's get that in the diary. I think I'm free. I'll double check. Might make plans.

Yeah. Nighting with you or night. No, I do want to watch the cricket. I actually do. Guys, thank you again for listening to Nobles the Cricket podcast. If you have got any stories, any LBWs, any, anything. Questions? They don't even have to be cricket related. They're the best. Send more of those in. We've really appreciated you sending us all the cricket photos of the hat-stacking competition as well. We're on that this week.

Perhaps stacking World Cup starts the day of the semi-finals and it will go twice a day until the final. All right, okay, we need to plan that. I say twice a day. We might not have that many caps. Wait, this first semifinal is Wednesday. The final is Saturday.

Once a day. We'll work it out. Again, we've not planned this. But get in touch with us on. No Bowlspodcast at BBC.com.com.com. No ballspodcast at BBC.com.com. UK. It's so good. They've said it twice. See you. Bye.

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