Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - EMERGENCY! Kate's a Yorkie!

Episode Date: March 24, 2023

After a dramatic Hundred draft, Kate Cross and Alex Hartley discuss it all. Plus, all the latest from Lancashire's tour to India, including a trip to Sachin Tendulkar's old club!

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We swear too much. Henry does beep it out for us because he's a good man. It is actually so that your family can all listen. Your kids can listen. But we will say... Sugar. That's not a really bad one. And cross strikes in the first over.

It's what England we're looking for. Hartley Falls. Down the track comes scoring. This time she connects. It's either six or out. It's six. Hello and welcome to the emergency no balls. The cricket podcast with me.

Cross. You Alex Hartley, that was awful. Yorkshire. Yorkshire I'm going straight in I'm not even warming you up okay wow wow um how do you feel I don't know no I don't know and that's the end of that goodbye um I'm going to use this podcast to process because it's been not even 24 hours since we all got our news about the 100 draft that happened last night so let's just talk it through it's therapy Okay. What a stressful day.

Awful, wasn't it really? We went through it with the WPL about a month ago, and it was gross, and then it was just equally as awful yesterday. I think it was worse, because the WPL, we really, really didn't think we were going to get picked. It was more of a what if. But this is like, oh my God, I was like, what if I don't get picked? Am I a worse cricketer than I think I am? Well, you knew what you were going to do if you didn't get picked.

Yeah. You told me. Yeah. But I've been picked, so it's fine. I don't need to go into that. Right, okay. Good. And then you, Crossie, so we had it on.

We watched it together. You had your appraisal as well beforehand, your England's appraisal. Yeah, stressful day. So we had it on in my room. We were watching. We weren't really watching. We were chatting and we were just, I don't know, we weren't expecting you to go in the top pick, I guess.

Not at all. Literally not at all. And then I glanced at the screen and I saw your name in purple. I screamed, jumped up, like basically hit you around the head with the pillow. And I was like, buzz it, buzz it. buzzing and you were like I don't know literally like silent

that was me actually being doing an impression of me yeah but how good that is so good crossy it's so strange to find out information at the same time as everyone else like whenever we normally get this information we find out two weeks before it goes out to public

yeah like selections like just all that kind of stuff you find out about, don't you? And then it comes out in public. You've dealt with it. You've processed it. Whereas we found out when everyone else found out yesterday, which I think is the thing that I'm struggling with the most

because I was getting so many texts and so many tweets and stuff, people being like, congratulations. But I didn't look at the money at all. I wasn't bothered about that. But I knew I wasn't playing for Manchester. Yeah. And I'd been picked up by their rivals. The Superchargers, who are based in Yorkshire,

who, for a Lancashire girl, it's quite a big move. It's a huge move, a huge move. and some people had an idea of where they were going so some people in the draft had been told look we're going to use our right to match or we're going to pick you up at this we had nothing literally nothing

you had a plan with Manchester which went pear-shaped yeah so I might as well just tell everyone what the plan was because there's no secrets on this podcast so we had the right to match card I knew Manchester weren't going to right to match me if I went at the top bracket so they wanted to use their first pick

which was the third pick of the draft for an overseas player. We half presumed that I just wouldn't go at top pick and Manchester would then going to buy me at 25 at the second bracket. So it would have been like the eighth pick of the draft or whatever it was. Because by the time everyone used their right to match cards and some people had already used their brackets and retention. So I was just like that will happen.

Like I've just convinced myself that'll happen. And for the full day I was like, you need to wrap your head. around the fact that you might go somewhere else. You never know with drafts, something could happen. So I thought if it was going to be anyone, I thought it would be Wales and Superchargers. And then my name's in purple. Oh my God.

I mean, Crossie, you are ranked in England for the Superchargers, the best humor in the country. Danny Hazel, what a woman. Oh, my God. I am, like, buzzing for you. And I was buzzing for you last night, and drinks are on you. Yeah, 50-P drinks here in India.

The only thing you don't get, is your captain's bonus. Stinker. Yeah, but that's okay. That's okay, you've got the top pick. It's really okay. Honestly, my mum rang me, and my mum's one of those people who, like, tells me everything will be okay

because this will happen and this will happen and you'll be with new people and it'll be all fine. And I was like, I know all that. I literally know it'll all be great and fine, and I love it. But it's just such a big thing to get my head around the fact that I won't be playing in the environment

that I've grown up playing in my entire... Well, I didn't play cricket when I was a newborn fetus but you know what I mean a long time all my cricket has been in one environment one club one place and then I'm just over

to the Benines well I can tell you now it will be the best thing look at the colour of my toes I've got purple toe nails on oh well it was meant to be I should have known it's meant to be there

they are they're purple so yeah I mean everyone's had their opinion on it obviously because that's what elite sports about and it's couldn't be weird not playing against, well, it's going to be weird playing against Manchester, it's not going to be so weird not playing for Manchester, but

that was the point of the draft, wasn't it? It was to mix things up and try and settle the score a little bit. What is good, you always play well at Headingley. I do like Headingley. I always think there's something in it for the Seamus. Yeah, nips a bit, doesn't it? Early on. So that was my news. So

thanks to everyone that's messaged me, it's been a world within 24 hours, not even yet. Been even weirder because I'm with the Thundergirls who are mostly the Manchester girls so it's been breakfast was strange this morning but I'm going to love it I'm going to give everything to the team that I play for because I always do and the superchargers and the best thing that happened today is you got a hat trick when we played and me and me and Phoebe G were just chatting Yorkshire and then you got two in a row and made your hat

trick and we were like the aubergines done it the aubergine purple obergene you had a different day so you had a anxiety-induced day. You knew you were not going to Wales. They'd not retained you. There was talk that they might do, talk that Trent might sign you, and then it got to, like, the last pick of the evening.

And it's Alex Hartley, Welshfire. Oh, my, because you, like, I guess with you, you know you're going to get picked up somewhere. Like, at some stage, you know, you play cricket for England. But for me, it's like, I know I've played well for two years. I know I had a really good year last year, domestically, and in the 100, but you just never know. Yeah.

And they didn't retain me, but then they were like, we might get you, we might not, but we're going to say we're not. So I was like, right, okay. And then Trent were like, we're keen. So I was like, all right, okay, I had a good chat with Manchester. They were like, we're keen, but maybe not in the draft. We've got to see how it goes. And then Trent Rockets picked up Kirsty Gordon.

I was like, right, that's it. I'm done, because if Wales were going to keep me on the same money I was on last year, they'd have just retained me. So I was like, right, okay, okay, I'm going to just get... My mum actually text saying you could have been filling potholes for a living. Yeah, Julia. Perspective. But the very last pick of the draft was Alex Hartley.

You got what you wanted. You wanted to go back to Welsh fire. Yeah, I wanted that. I wanted to go back. I loved it there. We were rubbish last year, but I just really enjoyed the environment. I really liked... I guess I liked being away from Lancashire and liked that change of scene for a month.

So, yeah, I was... Honestly, like, shaking before my name came out. I checked my phone, which I shouldn't have done, but I knew that I'd been picked because I got a text. Yeah, we were a bit behind here in India, weren't we? You were like a child when they, not like a tantrum, but when they've not got a sweet, and then they get a sweet, and like your whole demeanour just changed in that second.

You were literally like a nervous wreck, and then you were like, oh my God, buzzing, so happy, so happy. and like yeah you hold the meaning and just completely changed which I'm going to say this on the podcast so that it's written in podcast history forever goes to show how much you care about playing cricket and how much you're not willing to let this go yet yeah I've we're on our preseason tour now

we've done Dubai for a week we're in Mumbai it's the last day today and I have had a dicky shoulder and I didn't get picked for one of the games because they wanted to rest my shoulder and I cried and cried and cried and I was a few minutes and I was gutted and I think It's really shown me how much I enjoy playing cricket. And when I got picked in the 100, I was like,

yeah, like, I'm so happy. You've got to remember those moments when you have bad days in cricket because you have so many bad days in cricket, it's so easy to be like, I'm thinking about retiring. Oh, I can just retire now because I've had a bad day. Yeah. And then we've just finished our game. We lost.

Everyone was still happy. It's been a great tournament. And the head coach went same again next year. I was like, I'll see next year. I was like, I love to buy. I'll see you there. It's been a great week, hasn't it? We've had, well, two weeks now.

We said we were going to do tour diaries. We didn't. We kind of forgot. No, no. Yeah, you've been really poorly. I've been really poorly. The one thing I don't want to do when you're really, crossy, can we do an Instagram story?

I was literally in bed for 15 hours one day, wasn't it? So not great. But still, like, we went to the Oval Maiden where, like, if anyone hasn't seen or doesn't know, it's the big, like, square, oval maiden. Well, it is a square, but it's called the oval maiden. Yeah, and it's just where everyone goes to play cricket,

and there's loads of nets, and there's a kids playing, and we had a bowl at some local people just playing cricket. Yeah, it was so cool. And, like, all the games cross over, so you can be stood at fine leg on one pitch, but long off is stood on your pitch as well. It was just such a cool experience. That's actually where NASA Hussein saw Jimmy Rodriguez playing cricket,

and was like, watch out for that girl. She's going to be good. Yeah. And then, like, five years later, she's in the W. Yeah, smashing it. Quick overview of the draft because this is an emergency pod. Are you surprised by any picks?

Surprise. I think Welsh Fire look good. They look great. They look good. Really good. So much better. Laura Harris for 15 grand is a right steel. Great steel. I think Manchester look good but I really do.

Without you. They've got no captain. Yeah, they've got no captain now. Because I was going to, if I went to Manchester, I was going to captain. Do you know what? I think it's really evened out of the teams, and that's why we had the draft. I think my one annoyance is it could have been a full draft. Yeah, and I don't understand how well they've got the same team, I don't understand.

They've done really well. Yeah, they've just lost Ishmael, basically. She's gone to you. So we think it's done what it says on the tin and even all the teams out. Because there was a lot of annoyance from fans about allegiances, and you follow teams because of players. And we've had a lot of messages, actually, haven't we, about? We were the OGs at Manchester, and now neither of us play there.

And it's just going to look different. But once you're original, you're always in the original. You're always an OG. We've got our caps. Yeah, but it was really interesting. It must have been really tough for the likes of Freya Davis to watch because players for England, you know, was at the World Cup, and didn't get picked up until quite late on.

And she saw other players like Catherine Bryce, Sophie Monroe. Like, they got picked up before her. So you have to feel for those players that are going, oh my God, am I going to get picked up? Fran Wilson hasn't been picked up in the draft. Yeah. It's so strange for us as female athletes because we've not done much of this stuff.

We've not, like this phase now. So for anyone that doesn't know, we go into an open market now, so whoever hasn't signed, it's a free-for-all. It's Carnage, by the way. Phones are ringing all the time. It's chaos. People ring in.

A minute after the draft last night. I had a head coach ring me saying and I have X, X, Z's number. Like it's just it was manic But I lost my train of thought now Why was I talking about that? Manic, Carnage, never done it before

We've never done it before So it's so new for a lot of girls And there'll be a element of panic of I must sign with that team now They've offered me something So I must sign with them But to watch yourself Literally get sold live on TV

For a price that someone values you at Is I can't even describe that feeling No it's weird isn't it? Yeah really weird and I was saying to you actually like if I hadn't have been picked up in the draft it's not that I've not been picked up because I probably would have gone to a team it's more my ego like I am an ego person I'm not going to deny that like and I was like oh I still think I'm good enough to be playing cricket at really high standard but maybe another team doesn't yeah

and actually all the other teams didn't but Welsh fire yeah and they heard you anyway yeah it is just like I was thinking more from like Fray's point of view watching it it's not it's obviously not nice to not see your name come up but she has been picked up and it's now her opportunity to go to Welsh fire and be like this is why I play for England like this why has no one else picked me up yeah exactly and you're you have a great opportunity to get in the team because your top pick you are valued by a team as the best seamer oh my god Yorkshire you're please be kind to me headingly please no do you remember when I went back to Manchester last year and I came on to ball and got boots

Yeah, but I also got booed that day as well I think there was a lot of drunk people in the crowd So I did get booed that day I can't believe I've been booed Someone shouted, oh, the battle of the spuds Is it still the battle of the spuds? Yeah, it's me versus you Teams don't, they're irrelevant, doesn't matter

Yeah, someone was shouting that day She bowls to the left, she bowls to the right Kate Crosser bowling is Oh, didn't bowl well at day actually So it's probably fair But how do you feel now? Now you've had a little bit more time to process it. Being around the girls has really helped today

because they were just great. They were taking the Mick. They were congratulating me. They were like, it's amazing. And I think just being around people who are in that environment or in the cricket environment make it a bit more real.

Like my mates text me who don't know much about cricket being like, oh, what's this team? I need to support now. They don't get it. Yeah. And a really lovely, naive, they're my best mate.

and just want me to be happy and enjoy cricket. But yeah, I think being around people in this environment made it a bit easier. But I don't think I'm probably going to process it until it gets closer to the time. And then I'm going to like, oh, packing my bag's going to Leeds. Yeah, it is up. Your mum actually texts you saying,

we don't have to travel far. She's like, selfishly, it's good for us because we don't have to travel far to watch now. Yeah, ma'am, don't have another bloody weekend in Cardiff. Oh, they love it, though. Yeah, they do. They do. Where do we play each other?

At Headingly. Nice, last game. Last game. 22nd of August I think right see you there see you there isn't on the dance floor yeah we should mention at this stage that we've been nominated for some cricket podcast awards oh yeah are you voting for us everyone because yeah we'd love it if you did yeah please vote for us because we just think it'd be really funny if and when we win yeah and we know we're a shambles today has summed up the shamblesness

of this podcast. We are sat in Mumbai with a rod between us. A literal, it says rod on it. Yeah. Big microphone. Cold showers. I can't wait for a hot shower. That just came right into your head then, didn't it?

Yeah. I tell you what we should actually talk about, which is cricket-based. The WPL final is this weekend. Yes. We've got friends in teams. Your team are not in it. My team didn't even start. So RCB down now

Top kit, bottom of the league Yeah, yeah Fair, yeah, fair UP Warriors, Sophie Ackleston shout out Lauren Bell, shout out Grace Harris, shout out She's a, not your team No, she's got to London

Okay, not shout out, I take my shout out back I'm thinking of your team I've got Larry's, Laura Harris Laura Harris So they're playing tonight Mumbai Indians, Natsiva Brund Nats of Brunt Nats of Brunt home a prequel

the original spud yeah spud the finals on Sunday best of look to everyone the inaugural WPL probably a lot of prize money it's been amazing I went to watch it the other day

and just sat in the crowd and to which Izzy Wong said why didn't you text me how they got your like hospitality tickets but actually sitting in the mixer was amazing

there's like 40,000 people there was packed and I reckon I took 40,000 selfies yeah you basically did we left We tactically left when RCP were going to lose like 40 minutes before so that we didn't get hounded on the way out,

but it was an unbelievable experience. You're glad you went? Yeah, so glad I went. And I got to see RCP live. And you are now shimmying off to Hong Kong? Yes, I am. I'm commentating on Fair Break, which I haven't actually told anyone yet. So there we go.

I'm going to Fairbrikes on Sky. So you can listen to my dulcet tones and see my beautiful face on the telly. So we're probably gone again for a couple. the weeks, aren't we? No, we can do a fair break update. Yeah, we can. Well, when you come back, season starts.

That is mad. The cricket season starts. I'm on the 17th and play on the 22nd. Yeah. How have you found Tor? That's what I want to know. Good. Overall, good.

Really glad I came. Crap being ill, isn't it? Just crap. Literally was ill for five days. I feel like I've lost about five kilos. You look great, though. Do not recommend that. Can you pass it on?

Do not recommend that. But yeah, I've loved being with Thunder. There's such a great set of girls. They've improved so much this winter, like it's stark contrast to last season. I reckon we're going horizontal. I just vertical. Oh. We don't want to go horizontal.

We're going to finish bottom of the league, baby. I just really want us to take what we've done and how we've played this week into the season. Yeah, me too. And not just be scared of failing. I don't think we will, though. No, I don't. One of the girls got out today.

And I was like, oh, I'm really sorry, I missed it. How did you get out? She was like, oh, I came down the track to the spinner and missed it. And I'm really annoyed. I was like, why? I was like, why are you annoyed? I was like, you hit it and it goes before. And she was like, oh, yeah, good point.

I was like, don't be annoyed at that by taking the positive option. You just failed. Have you enjoyed yourself? Loved it. Duff question, I knew you did it. Been great on the field, been great off the field. I've got, I've had you, I've had C, I've had all my friends, and I just love playing cricket. You do? You love it? You got the bug. I'm bowling, like, not great, but that's

alright. Don't, don't peat now. Yeah, don't peek now. Pete on 22nd. Should I have a quick look? What? We've been sent on stuff. Well, while you do that, I'll just talk about the fact that today we played a game of cricket together at Sachin Tendulka's Home Ground. Yes. He grew up playing cricket there. I know. Mad. I mean, I can see why he's good at batting because that track was unbelievable. Yeah, it was. It was really ropey at the start, so I reckon sometimes

he wanted to back first to challenge himself because it's a bit tacky and then absolutely road. I wonder if he'll come on and chat to us about it. Yeah, I hope so. Although I have never been dirtier

than coming off that field today. The soil in India is basically sandy mud. So you get a bit of grass and then towards the rope where you field and dive around. Yeah, you would... The second over of the day.

Dirty. Laura Jackson balls, a short, wide ball, and I'm running around and chasing it. And our new thing is, be thunder, be brave, be smart, be fearless, whatever it is. And I was like, I've got that. I'm glad that's stuck. I've got to dive for this. So I put in a full-length dive. I completely missed it.

And from my eyebrows to my kneecaps, no, actually to my ankles. It was like inside your clothes. Yeah, I don't know how it happened. Took my clothes off in the dressing room and I was just like, it would. It's like you'd had a spray tan and you had a shower mid-game. Yeah, it's a big fine, that, isn't it? A huge fine, yeah. Yeah, I had to take the physios towel because I didn't bring one.

And I was like, please, I have a towel. I showered and then dried myself, and the towel was filthy. Yeah. But it's been an amazing, it has been an amazing experience getting to play in India. It has. Best pre-season tour and best prep I've had for ages. Yeah, unbelievable. And have we got anything?

Yeah, we've just been tagged in something. Not entirely sure that the 100 got this Insta question right yesterday. Oh, nice. And it's Tamar Mills with one of the presenters. And it says, who will be the first pick of the 100 draft? But it actually says, who will be the first pick of the 100 draft? Oh, well, you were the last prick. Yeah.

Well, you're the first prick, I'd say. Yeah, Sophia Dunkley and Lucky, you were the first pick. And Puck, yeah. We have had a message on Instagram. It says, huge fan of the pod. Just wondering what Kate thinks are playing for the Superchargers. I have already answered that. We will be there cheering you on as a Superchargers fan.

Oh, I see. We'll get some more fans, I reckon. Someone's invited you to RCB versus CSK on the 17th of April. We're not here anymore. That's such a shame. But thank you so, so much. Someone, Molly, said the tour diaries were awesome to bring on the emergency podcast. Oh gosh. We're terrible. How are we up for an award? Yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure.

No balls. With Kate Cross moving to Superchargers, you both now get to play at the Ageus in the 100 this summer. I look forward to seeing you both. That's Darren. Cool. Nice. I just had something really remarkable to say,

and I forgot on what it was. Tell you what was interesting last night, that NASA Hussein was talking about the 100, and how the mens has gone back to the original pay bracket. It's gone back to 12500, whatever it is. And he said he thinks that money should. have been put into the women's game yeah well now we've basically seen all the major Aussies pull out because of the WPL because basically their only time off is going to be

around when the 100 is so for them to get any time away from cricket they're pulling out of the hundred yeah shame really um plans for this week you're off on your holly bobs i'm going on holiday you're on holiday and then going to hong kong yeah i've just decided to be that that person that's pop into Dubai for a bit. Yeah, nice influencing. Yeah, I don't know when I decided to be that person. I've got a free meal on Sunday night, I think. Are you going to jet ski again?

As I was the best thing. We had a great time, didn't we? I have never, I don't think I've laughed that much for that years. No, it was, like, there was nothing funny going on, but we were just going really fast on a jet ski, and we were howling, laughing. Howling? The best bit was, you were like, I've not set off quick yet, so I'm going to set off fast now. No, I hadn't done the full finger.

Yeah. So then you went full throttle. lobbed your finger on it, pulled it back so hard. I coached you with your life fest, nearly flew off the end. It was just the funniest, funniest thing. The funniest thing about it actually was Daisy Mullen trying to get on it at the beach. She got knocked over by a stationary jet ski. Yeah, she did.

It was remarkable. It was hilarious. And we were on the bus the other day. This was when you were ill and you weren't there. And the bus like went over a bump and the speech. And she was like, literally, why is it always me? Oh, she's accident prone, isn't she? Oh, poor Daisy.

Yeah. Have you got anything else you want to talk about? I don't have a sticky note. I don't have access to my emails, so it feels like a nice time to say, tarrah. Tarrah. We hope you can hear us through this lovely rod. Yeah. It might be the last for a while because we're both going away.

Yeah. Enjoy Disneyland. I'm going to Disneyland. Yeah, with your family. Yeah. That would be so nice. You've got a bit of time off. Yeah.

See you when I'm back from Fair Break. See you next Tuesday. Guys, vote for us. Please send your emails in. We did get them sent to us, but the email was corrupt and we don't know why. So thank you so much. Yeah, thank you. We could say a load of names, but we'd be making it up.

Tom, Dick and Harry. Thanks, Tom, Dick and Harry. And Susan, Claire and Jemima. Julie. You can email us on. No Bowlspodcast at BBC.com.com.com. No Bulls podcast at BBC.com.com. It's so good.

They said it twice. Ooh. York. Yorkshire. Bye. And cross strikes in the first over. It's what England we're looking for. Partly falls. Down the track comes scoring this time she connects. It's either six or out. It's six. Lusely cricket-based, meaning we very rarely talk about world cricket.

Yes. But when we need to, we can do. Boy, can we deliver. As England's greatest ever bowler, you don't need to do this podcast, but why do you? Welcome to Tellendez, a loosely cricket base. Thank you, Mr. Clarendon's, Lucy Cricket Base. With podcast from me, Chief Force, him Felix White, him Jimmy Anderson, Matching Tendorker Distantly.

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