Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast – Retirement reflections and Hundred hangovers

Episode Date: August 31, 2023

Alex Hartley and Kate Cross reflect on an emotional few days as Alex bows out from playing professional cricket and Kate plays in the final of the Hundred. They also look ahead to England’s T20 series against Sri Lanka and answer your questions.

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ever bowler you don't need to do this podcast but why do you welcome to tellender's a lucy cricket base thank goodness to lennon's lucy cricket base with podcast from me chief force him felix white him jimmy anderson match intend to walker distantly tailenders listen on BBC sounds BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Hi, everyone. The BBC have told us that we've got to issue a warning. We swear too much.

Henry does beep it out for us because he's a good man. It is actually so that your family can all listen. Your kids can listen. But we will say... Sugar. I nearly said a really bad one. Cross comes in round the wicket Holder! Boulder! Levering a ball alone, Litchfield.

I think it's the wobble ball and it just nips back, it jags back, it's the nipbacker. That is a beauty from Kate Cross, an absolute seed. That is a beauty from Cross. Hello and welcome back to No Balls or Cricket podcast with me Kate Cross. and you Alex Hartley, hello. Hello. Hello. How are you? I'm well, thanks Al. I've had a significant sleep,

and I'm just a better human than I was yesterday, so feeling good. You've swapped you know the Superchargers bucket hat for your England one? You're backing your new kit. You can still see my Superchargers, well, though it's on my bed in the background. Cut the cord, it finished ages ago. Don't want to let go yet. How are you?

Yeah, I am. I'm good. It's been weird. This has been the quickest turnaround that we've had. So literally finished the final with the superchargers on Sunday and then drove down to Hove on Monday, started training with England on Tuesday, playing on Thursday. So a really quick turnaround. But I'm good. I'm on the treadmill. I'm firmly on the cricket treadmill. I'm going to stay on it for another couple of weeks and then we've got a bit of downtime. Yeah, I was going to say, just don't get off it yet, because once you get off it, it will hit you like a sack of shit. How are you? You've still got the bruises on your head, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Looking back at retirement photos, less good. Yeah, it wasn't until you said, Alex, all your retirement photos. You've got two massive bruises on your forehead. I was like, I didn't even think about that. Yeah. Did the makeup lady manage to cover it up? Yeah, you could see a green tinge, but she did a great job.

Yeah, she did. But no, I'm all right. I am knackered, like emotionally, physically. mentally drained. I'm really not surprised because the 100 tiredness is a real thing, isn't it? Unless you're involved in the 100, no one's going to understand it.

So you've got that. You've then also got to contend with the fact that you didn't get to play a game to give yourself a chance to get through to the final. And then add a retirement into that plus commentary, plus traveling back to Manchester, a whole heap of stuff going on right over there right now.

Yeah, there is. There is. And I was like, oh, you know what, I don't want to think about how I'm getting back to Manchester. Like, I'm not even going to process it. So I just went on the Manchester team bus. Nice. Why not? It's going back to Manchester. Perfect. I thought I'm just going to lie down asleep and not even process anything. So, yeah, I've spent two days asleep, basically.

I'm not surprised, to be honest with you, because you enjoyed the 100. Yeah. You did that. You did the 100. You did it. I went on a stagged do and played some cricket. Basically, yeah. Well, then you.

I made sure to enjoy my last month of being a professional cricketer. Yeah, well, you knew it was going to be your last proper hararding you. Because you were original plowers to go back and play for Thunder and retire with the Thundergirls, but then you decided hundreds are you happy, you're enjoying it, go out on a bang. You actually went out on a big damp squid, but still. Yeah, but I drank Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So it's fine. Yeah, nice.

How are you, like, feeling now that it's actually all over? And you've had two days at home where you've not even had to think about going for a run or think about being a professional cricketer or any of that. How are you feeling? Weird, really, really weird. Like, I'm really glad I've got therapy tonight so I can, like, talk about it. But, like, I feel like... Wait, no, you've got therapy right now, Al.

Yeah, that is true. This is it. I might cancel tonight, to be fair. I feel like really relieved so, like, I can, like, just move on. and just concentrate on work. But then, like, Fee, housemate Fee, has gone to cricket training today and I'm like, oh, I wonder how the girls are.

You're always going to think that, like that, though. Even when you're away commentating, you're always going to think about how thunder are or how you mates are doing. I mean, I know it's the right decision because I'm still so tired. I would have been cricket training all day to day. I'm driving down to Brighton tomorrow.

And then working Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And then I've been at Cricket Monday. It's just relentless. So at least I know have Monday off. Have you spoke to anyone about retirement or people that have retired and what it feels like because I feel like there's never really any, I say proper help with that.

Like there's a transitioning out of cricket and into a real career. Real career. But have you actually spoke to anyone about the emotion of it or how it feels or what they did? No, I spoke to Owen Morgan, Stephen Finn. And like people that have retired. And like, you just ride the wave.

They're saying just ride the wave, but you know that it's right, you know that it's the right thing, and you'll feel good about it. So I'm just riding the wave. We'll ride the wave with you. Yeah. And I know that now, like,

there's just no pressure, like today off, tomorrow I'm working. Friday, I've got a wedding. Saturday, Sunday, work. Monday, Tuesday off. Like, I'm like, oh my God, I forgot days off. Yeah, and days off, our days off. You've not got that guilt of thinking

you should be doing something else. Exactly. It is kind of appealing, you know, like really quite appealing. Honestly, crossing it's so great But you're playing for England And you have a series tomorrow Starting against Sri Lanka

Yeah, we do Come around, quick that, isn't it? I was saying to someone today at training That the 100 for me is like peak summer It's like the middle of summer, it's August, it's hot, Kids are off school, everyone's thinking about the 100 And then the 100 finishes And now I'm like, oh, it's nearly like

End of Season And the party season, holiday season I'm just suddenly like, whoa, no, we've got another series to go but it really switches really quickly and I don't know why that is it does because 100 I guess because it's like it is like the pinnacle of domestic cricket and also you get bigger crowds of 100

than you've had bar the ashes in international cricket so it's like well can go back to England I know and I guess this is the last series of the summer so it really does feel like we're nearly at the end of the season but yeah it's just it's flown it really has flown six games left can you believe there's only six games left for you

no I can't But yeah, we start tomorrow at Hove. Yeah, are you looking forward to it? I am, I really am. It's obviously a really different group. So we've lost quite a lot of senior members with like Nat and Sof, Dunks, etc. So I love having new faces in England kit. I just think it's really refreshing.

Obviously, little big mahika. Has she managed to find kit that fits? I saw her yesterday. I said, what did you get up to in your afternoon off yesterday? She went, well, I got all my kit, so I had to try it on and check it all fit. I don't know how much of it did actually fit her, but her legs are just remarkably long. I swear they come up to my nipples.

They probably do. I reckon her legs are more of you than you are of you. Yeah, she is tall, tall. But yeah, it's going to be good fun. But the 100 nearly completed it, mate. Nearly. Nearly. So nearly completed it.

Got through to the all final, had a team 10 for 2 in it, and then lost. Yeah. Do you want to talk about it? Yeah, yeah. I'm actually fine with not fine with it obviously would have loved to have won but I can really make peace

with not being the best team on the day and losing I think if we'd been the best team on the day and lost that's really hard to take but we just unfortunately didn't play our best cricket on Sunday and I would argue the brave did like how Danny and Georgia batted took the game away from us and we just kind of yeah

I actually thought it was a par score at half time because it was a good pitch and I said that live on TV so I'm just going to keep going with it and say it was par score. What was the score? I can ever remember. I think they got 1-3-4, something like that. Yeah, it probably was par. Yeah, but in a final, obviously, 1-3-4 is a very good score in a final.

Yeah, one of those things, isn't it? It was an amazing experience. Like, genuinely loved my time in purple. Would really seriously think about going back very fast. So, yeah, generally a good experience. Yay. And all I know, Crossy is the girls love. loved having you there.

Well, that's always a bonus, isn't it? Imagine if they were all thought I'm crap. They were like, oh my God, she's so much fun. She's brilliant. How good is she at T20 cricket? Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that's nice, that's nice. No, I did.

I had a really good time. And just a really good group of girls as well, which I think always helps. Not that there's any bad eggs in women's cricket, to be honest. No, but a group can, like, bond Carnet in jail. Yeah. And then sometimes they're all, like, little clicks and like this, this and that.

but I feel like your team didn't have that either. No, genuinely didn't. So, yeah, I keep saying it, but just good times, good people, good cricket a lot of the time, which I think really helps. And you get to a final, like you can't argue really. Do you want to talk about Saturday or no? Well, I just want a rule change, Crossy. And not because we didn't get through.

I feel like finals day deserves a reserve day. Yeah, well, I've never experienced Eliminators because Manchester. have never got there and we never got there with like KSL or anything so this is a first for me and whenever I've commentated on it or seen teams playing the eliminator and then play the next day in the final I've always just thought doesn't really matter there's not there's not much in that yeah however having been involved in it and we didn't even get a result on Saturday so it's not like there was a big high from the win or a big low from the loss it just doesn't need to be done back to back.

Yeah. From my point of view, if you get through to the final because you've finished top of the group, that's the benefit. You don't have to play the Eliminator. You shouldn't then get the double benefit of not having the fatigue of playing on the Saturday

as well. So for me, the finalists get two benefits and I don't think that's right. I think there is no reason why you can't have the semi-final or whatever it's called, the Eliminator on Friday, Reserve Day, Saturday. Final still Sunday, reserve day still Monday. Or just have

standalone eliminators, Wednesday, Thursday, men Wednesday, women, Thursday. Final on Saturday, reserve days, you Friday and your Sunday then. You don't need to cram it in as much as possible. Like, I don't understand the argument about people wanting to take time out of the men's game to make how a fix you play. I don't agree with that. But did you know that's what they'd have done Sunday? Right, I didn't know that.

That's the rule and it always has been the rule. So, like, that's where it's come from. So if it rained for your game on Sunday, the final, and you got 75 balls in, and then you needed 25 balls to make a game, the men's game would have automatically been 65 balls each or whatever it would have been. But I still don't think I agree with that. No, I don't. Someone put it to me the other day that if our game starts at 3 and the men game starts at 6

and there was forecast rain at 7pm, would we play a 50 ball game because there might be rain at 7 o'clock? Like it just doesn't, I don't think it's fair. So I think you need to keep the timing's the same. There's a window to play cricket, and if you don't get it in, that's unfortunate. Or you have your three till nine window. You flip the fixtures.

So the women play the first game first, but they play the second game second. And therefore, if you are going to eat time out of both fixtures, it's always equal because you flip the fixtures. Flick the fixtures. There's going to be a conversation about it now because it's happened. This happened to us in the 2020 World Cup

where we got booted out of the semi-final because our game was rained off but the second semi-played in the evening and the team got through. So since then there's always going to be a reserve day now in ICC tournaments, but I just think they cram and they've crammed this year,

especially the fixtures have all been cramped, haven't they? Because I don't know about you, but they felt like a manic, manic schedule, more so than the last two years. Well, we played Cardiff, traveled to your place, played in Leeds. There before we'd been in Birmingham, it was like here, there and everywhere.

Yeah, so, yeah, there is going to be conversations about it, but I think I misunderestimated, underestimated how emotionally draining Saturday to Sunday would be. And I think that was seen really evidently in the men's game as well, like Manchester Originals were in an absolute thriller, probably not all gone to sleep until 1 o'clock because they're highest kites on the adrenaline, and then they've got to turn up and do it.

the exact same thing again versus a team that's just had five days rest. Also, like, if we'd have got a full game and you wouldn't have made the finals, you know? Well, not guaranteed. I'm messing, I'm messing. So, yeah, there will be conversations, aren't there? But I think it's for us as players to feed that back as well

because I think it's quite important. But I've not done the research to know, but I'd be interested to see how many people have made eliminators, won eliminators, and then gone on to win it. Yeah, I know. I feel like the overall women actually have Twice in a row, maybe. Something to think about

and obviously caused a lot of conversations around Saturday. But Sunday could not have gone any better for one person in particular, could it? Danny Wyatt. Anya Shrubesol got her trophy. I know. I know. She, I went into that final, like, obviously desperate to win.

But a part of me is like, if we lose, I know it's going to be perfect for Anya, and that's a really like fulfilling thought for me so I was happy and content with that but yeah very very pleased for her there was a big part of me that was like Brave were always going to win they've deserved to win for three years

yeah you know they've been the best team they've lost five games ever and two of them have been the final so they've only ever lost three three group games yeah and one of them was to Welsh fire this year yeah so madness so congratulations Southern Brave I don't want you to win it again, though. Congratulations, Anya.

She'll be firmly putting those hooves up now. She's very, very ready to retire, she said. Yeah, yeah, she is. Have you got anything on your sticky note? I'm guessing you've probably not. Oh, my word. Sticky note. What's the sticking out?

Oh, I've got something. Yeah. So I saw Anna, Anna Harris at the after party of the 100. And we just got chatting about Worphy and, you know, the fact you fancy him and she told me he's a vegan and I just didn't know that oh right

it's not really like crazy information to get but I just thought it was interesting that he is a vegan yeah I'd probably fancy him a bit less now is it an ick tell you what is an egg over invincible's men

in a nightclub on Sunday night in full kit and medals on it was like an under 12th party yeah everyone was in there weren't they in the after party the superchargers the brave girls they were the only team in their kit. Big, big, ick.

Tom Curran actually came up to us, didn't he to... Well, he congratulated you on your retirement, gave me a hug to say, well done, and then he had his player of the match because he made a match hero, whatever it's called, on his medal, and you were like, where's the other one? He's like, oh, it's a bit too heavy. I was sorry.

All right, then. Sorry about you. He went, it's weighing my neck down. I've got nothing on my sticky note, crossy. That was it for me. It's been a lean month for the... old podcast, hasn't it? Yeah, it has. It has. No balls, though. We've got 44 emails. Oh my gosh. I mean, we have to go upstairs with Alex Worf now because we've just found out he's a vegan.

I also woofed it in live on the radio the other day. Oh, okay. That's fair enough. It's ballsy, but it's fair enough. It's good, isn't it? Ready? Bring more gear. Carry more passengers. Face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space, and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. Ever wondered what the world's wealthiest people did to get so ridiculously rich? Our podcast, Good, Bad, Billionaire, takes one billionaire at a time and explains exactly how they made their money. And then we decide if they are actually good, bad, or just plain wealthy.

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Available now on BBC Sounds. Hi, Kate and Alex. Avid listener. The notification of a new episode is my favourite time of the week. My question is, is there a player in the current game you have yet to be on the same team as that you would like to be.

Keep being awesome. Hopefully you get to London at some point for a live show, and that's from Kate. Who would I want to? Do you know what? I really wanted to play with Shabbs, and the fact I've played with Ishmael throughout this whole of 100 has been an absolute whirlwind.

She's great. She's a belt her. I got everyone to sign my shirt, and she put, I love you, Shabbs. Oh, that's really nice. But she is a mean, scary fastballer with a heart of gold. Nice.

You don't see, and that's the stuff you don't see when you play against people. Yeah. You know, she's got a little gold tooth. I thought she'd be scary, but she's soft. I think my player would be Cappy.

I've never played on the same team as Cappy, and I think getting to, like, open the bowling with her would be pretty cool. Yeah, it would. She's a great girl as all. Good question. Not had that one before. Hi, both.

Loving the podcast. Just a quick one. I'm wondering if you're able to give me any insight how come brianie smith isn't getting in the england squad she's the highest english run scorer in the hundred at the moment she hits it far and hard she captains southeast stars who have also been doing well she fields she can bat across the top order and she's a handy off spin option as well to bowl in the power play and at the death am i missing something dave i don't select the teams no me neither i also feel like she's she has played for england she's had her opportunity

she's failed and she came back for the Commonwealth Games also didn't do well but now she's changed a game again and she's very much a player that I say this to Tammy as well let the runs talk and yeah the selection will come just keep doing what you're doing I think briny is probably good enough now but just keep scoring runs and let the runs do the talking yeah great advice for anyone out there as well hi Alex and Kate shame to hear of your retirement but it will be great to hear you in the comms box. I enjoy the 100 and I do prefer the women's matches. They are better cricket rather than the men's.

I have to say that the Welsh fire shows with the white bit on the collar make you look like Vickers. Once you see it, you cannot knock. All the best, Peter. Yeah, it is. I actually really like your kit by the end of the tournament, you know. I thought you had one of the better ones. Yeah, me too, but also we do look like Vickers.

Hi, Alex and Kate. Alex, congratulations on concluding a good. great playing career. They say you know and the time's right and you sounded very happy with your decision on no balls. You have a tremendous future as a summariser slash commentator slash broadcaster. Your clear diction is a joy to hear. Your analysis is always crisp and to the point. You capture the optimal balance between levity and seriousness. I love listening to you on TMS, much more than some of the more experienced summarizers. And that's from John in deepest West Wales. Thank you, John. I'll give you that fibre later.

Dear Alex and Kate, I would like to thank you both for rekindling my involvement in cricket. Listening to your podcast from the beginning, I was drawn into your obvious love of the game, and over time I began to realise I was missing playing. This led to last Saturday after a significant time since my last game. At the tender age of 51, I stepped out onto a cricket ground again. Not only did I run around the field, but I bowled eight overs, took a wicket, held a catch, and although not many, I scored six runs, which included a sumptuant. leg glance actually an inside edge before and thoroughly enjoyed my day and it's down to the pair

of you for getting my cricketing juices flowing again thank you rob yes rob love that love i love it when people like go back to a sport that they used to play and they still love it as much yeah me too wonder if that'll ever happen with me no you've given all your kit away i did oh that is exactly what i did i gave away both my backs my thigh pad four shoes four spikes my sunglasses literally everything I own and then my cricket bag was empty and I said to one little guy I went I'm so sorry I've run out of kit he went well can I just have your empty bag I was like sure

yeah of course get rid of that and my mum and dad well we were getting on the team bused back with us and my mum went right you've got a garage full of stuff you can do that with next time as well yeah you can have so much to get rid of big old charity hall incoming hi girls firstly you're two of my favourite players and characters in the modern game I always enjoy

watching you play or doing pundritory slash commentary for TMS and Sky Sports. I also would like to wish Alex all the best in her retirement. What Kate said in the last episode about when she met Stuart Broad reminded me of a question that I've always wanted to ask experienced players such as yourself.

Are there any players in the men's game that you are good friends with off the pitch? If so, who? Thank you and greetings from Derbyshire. Jonti Rhodes. We've got loads of friends in the men's game, haven't we? I do genuinely think the 100 has allowed that to happen,

hasn't it? because, I mean, you're like really good mates with Sam Hayne now because of the first year of the 100 and played with him at Welsh Friar, second year. Like, Glenn Maxwell follows all our cricket. Literally everything. Yeah. So you do make friends.

You're probably not like best mates that you're going to ring up if you've got emotional, but there's always someone that texts you to say, well done, or they're following their career more now because they know who you are. Yeah, I actually text Sam Hayne yesterday. a picture that was, because they lost the semi-final in the Royal One Day Cup. It was a savage game, wasn't it?

And it was a picture of a big, strong dog of Warwickshire in the group stages, and then a picture of a dog, real limp crying dog. It's Warwickshire in knockout games. What did he say? Something like, New Number, who's this? He said, he sent a picture of me crying. I'd from my retirement day and said, this is me today.

Oh, bless him. Also, I crack myself up on the BBC bit where you're crying at your mum and dad's video. Everyone's like sending really heartfelt things. I was like, I saw you cry on the telly. Cry on the telly. I did. I didn't just cry on the telly crossy.

I snotted like a baby on the telly. You were properly ugly crying. You did well actually. I thought you conducted yourself so well. in that interview. Can I just explain why? Right. Because I know it's time to retire, but if my career wasn't where it's at, I wouldn't be retiring. That makes sense? Yeah. So because now my career has taken off and I'm working full time, I don't have time to play cricket. So the time is right to retire. I still love it. I still wish I could, but I can't. Which is why I think it all just

hit me. And I was like, oh my God, this is it. Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. But also, I think that goes to show that you've done it for the right reason. Yeah, I don't know. I have no desire to get better right now, do I? No. And you're probably not for a few years. No. Really?

We're being honest. Because you know what? As soon as I lost a million on contract, I was like, well, I'm never going to be that good, so what's the point? Yeah. But then we, someone, I can't remember what it was. Well, someone tagged me in something, and you'd commented saying, like, this isn't over. Oh, it was your last.

I was trying to find pictures of you for the Nobles video. That was what he was. So I went back on your Instagram and it was when you lost your England contract you'd put a big post up and then it was like, this isn't over though. Watch this. I might just delete that caption.

Delete that. Just edit. Just edit. Just delete that start again. It is overwatched space. This one's called Bless You Alex. Hi both. Just sat in me garage with a coffee and tilly my dog.

Listening to a podcast with your retirement announcement. I'm genuinely reading this word for word, so it needs a Yorkshire accent. It's not the end, it's the beginning. You've made me cry listening, silly old man. I've told to you this before and I mean it. You're good people you are. That's from Graham. Cheers, Graham. Cheers, Graham. Playing into an ick. Oh, hi Kate and Alex. New listener, first time emailer. However, during drives to Edinburgh and Coventry from Newcastle last week, I've listened to every pod back to the 30th of November 22. Nice.

Unfortunately, while listening to the episode from December the 16th, I've realised something I've done is an ick for you both. Having recently gotten back into cricket in a big way, I saw an opportunity to grow my shirt collection, and this is about 500 football cricket and rugby shirts. I bought a supercharger shirt and got my favourite player's name on the back, Cross 16. My question is, do I get a free pass from the fully grown

men wearing a shirt with the player's name on being an ick, as it's Kate's name, or does that make it worse? Thanks. Oh, I think because it's you, it makes it worse. And this says thanks. It's from Mark, who's 24, and that means I'm 11 years older than Alex's cutoff of 13 for sports shirt wearing. Mark, it sounds like Alex isn't letting you off here. It sounds like you're a big ick.

Yeah. Do you know what, it's even more of an ick, though, and I'm sure we've said it, if you wear your football shirt over your hoodie. Over your hoodie, yeah. No one needs to know you wearing a football shirt that much that you have to wear it over your warmest piece of clothing. But I must admit, right, and this is going against my it, I know it is, but how good is it in the 100 to see so many shirts at the ground?

Yeah, but again, it's because it's young kids. It's under 13s that are wearing them and it's fine. Yeah. I had three grown adults come up to me at the final and congratulations me on my career, I thought it was really nice, and then just hug me. I didn't know what to do because I don't like

hug it and I definitely don't like hug it as strangers yeah it's an interesting one it's like a stiff sausage we had a really really gorgeous moment didn't we with a girl

at Old Trafford when we were commentating with the Bebe and she came over and you could tell she was just a bit lost for words and she started crying

so he gave her a hug and she started crying more and it was really sweet it was a really nice moment I'm not really crying I just rubbed my eyes after handling chili. Nah, I am really just crying. It's been such a joy, seeing Alex play cricket.

Seeing you win the World Cup in 2017 and being so important throughout that tournament was brilliant. It was such an amazing privilege to be at the final. That day, you were an integral part of inspiring so many young girls and women to see cricket as a sport for them. I'll never forget the cues and seeing so many girls at Lord shouting, singing and smiling. The time you and the team took to go around for pitchers and signing everything as well.

You've been such a great ambassador for a game I've always loved. And as a Lankish fan, thank you, Capitals, for the service to my team. Looking forward to hopefully hearing more of you on TMS where you've brought your sense of fun and love for the game, even more. Enjoy having more time for yourself. Those of us who supported you as a cricketer will continue supporting you in the next stage. Go well, and that's from Janet.

Oh, thanks, Janet. Honestly, because I've not had time to read all my messages, Because, I've had thousands, like thousands. And when you said it's the closest to knowing what death feels like, I totally get it. Because I've not even done my WhatsApp yet. Like, and let alone people on Twitter and Instagram. So here's my public service announcement.

Thank you for all your messages. I am trying to get through to them. If I don't reply, it's not because I'm being ignorant. It's because I'm so overwhelmed. And so I can't believe people know who. I am. Like, crossy at the oval, I had to go around to do a BBC interview and the crowd started cheering. That really cracked me up because someone said that you'd done a really understated lap of honour. I hadn't. I thought imagine it. You just went round on your own. I just

went to go to the BBC were at the other side but the covers were so I couldn't go across the middle so I had to go around the edge and it's oh God I was crying like a baby. To be fair I didn't think I'd cry at you retiring but I did you set me off every time you've cried and I cried watching the retirement video that the BBC did for you but I had this moment when I was making that video for the no balls account like we're never going to play cricket ever again together I know it's done like no more crossy do something no more you launching the ball to me and it go into the sight screen like there's just no more of that anymore oh that's really sad isn't it It is sad.

And we didn't know, but we kind of did know we'd played our last game together, but we didn't know. No, we didn't have a clue. I thought you might not get picked for this for like a C-20s and we've been playing for Thunder at the weekend. There was a great chance, to be honest. But it's fine, we'll play some charity games and we'll have some fun. We will, we will.

They're all basically just email saying thanks and congratulations to you. So I'm sure everyone's probably bored of hearing that now. Yeah, I've honestly loved the attention. It's been great. I'm sure you have I'm sure you have and I can't wait for you to come out of retirement

in six months time so you can do it all over again someone commented on one of my posts be like fucking hell you're dragging it out now I'm like okay I'm done I'm done

you know who I was thinking we've not had on the pod that we really need to get on the hoof yes Harry actually said he was like why have you not got eye on I was like I don't know

yeah should we drop her a text yeah she got up at free time now who found Charlotte Edwards be nice And Charlotte Edwards, yeah, the winners, the real winners. Yeah. You can email us on.

No Bowlspodcast at BBC.com.com.com.com.com. It's so good. They said it twice. Alex, congratulations. I'm not going to say it again because we've melted it now. You've been wonderful. I'm glad you got to finish on a semi-good note. It was a high.

It was a high. I'm glad, right. I'm glad you got to finish on. a high. You've got some epic pictures at the Oval, which seems to be the stomping ground for people to retire on these days. Oh, you know, just me and Alice to cook. And Stuart Broad, three greats of the game. No, in all seriousness, I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm very proud of you. I'm so, so glad. I don't have to receive the text message when you come off a cricket pitch going, I'm done with this game, I'm going to retire. You've actually

done it. I'm so proud of you. Just cut the cord. Cut the cord woman. You've done it. Well done. Enjoy retirement. Put those little featies up and relax. Enjoy. Just chill. I might go for a glass of wine. I won't. I absolutely want. Do whatever you want. I can't. The hundreds ruin my liver, my mind, my personality. Crossie, good luck tomorrow. Go smash it. Ball straight. Be great if you're playing. If not, run the drinks of a smile on your face and you will get the opportunity soon enough. Thank you. Bye, everyone.

Bye. Oh, that's... Boulder! Lovering a ball alone, Litchfield. I think it's the wobble ball and it just nips back, it jags back, it's the nipbacker. That is a beauty from Kate Cross.

An absolute seed. That is a beauty for Cross. Hear them do their thing in the Premier League. Then hear what they have to say on BBC Sounds. to the players channel and get inside the footballing minds of Premier League icons from the footballers football podcast

I'm getting stick for arguing with one of their players and that's the player that they was booing themselves too long ago so to football first with Troy Dini and Jermaine Defoe I just laughed of it, don't worry you'll play me next week

and much more to come as we head into the new season real football talk straight from the players that is absolutely outstanding the players channel Listen on BBC Sounds