Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - The Washes Test Wash-Up!

Episode Date: June 28, 2023

England bowler Kate Cross and World Cup winner Alex Hartley discuss the Women's Ashes Test, plus discover that some people think a cornflake sandwich is a good breakfast option...

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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 that's a really bad one that's not really bad one cross come doing round a wicket bolder bolder leaving 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 beautiful cross. Hello and welcome

back to No Balls the Gricket podcast with me Alex Hartley and you Kate Cross. Hello. How are you? I'm very well, thanks Al. How are you? I'm good, thank you. I'm good. In fact, I'm a bit dusty. I was at a wedding last night, Adam Collins

his wedding, so I'm actually at work at this very moment, but skiving. Nice. You've just knipped back to the hotel. to do the pod so you're still at work technically yeah yeah i've stopped work to carry on working you know how nice is it to be able to speak these words on this podcast without an audience and being live on the radio well it was frightening wasn't it really quite frightening though like amazing wasn't it we loved it i can't believe how many people showed up i so john lewis obviously people who haven't listened to this live episode that we did can go back and listen to it because

it's on TMS's feed. John Lewis thought it was just going to be me, you and him in a room doing another episode, and he rocked up like, who are all these people? Why are they here? Did he mention anything afterwards, like the day after or anything? It sent me a really sweet message, actually, saying, well done tonight, very talented, you're very good at that. And then the next day I was with him and his wife, and we were talking about it,

and he just said, yeah, I can't believe that people were there. I thought it was just going to be me, you and Al. That's so funny. But it was brilliant. I loved it, did you? Loved it. But I had so many people message saying, like, they couldn't make Nottingham. They're not going to be able to make Taunton.

Please, can we do another one in either Manchester or wherever? So I think we are going to have to start looking at this now. Oh, my God. Okay, we'll do it. Let's do it. There you go. Done. Tick.

Let's do it. Daniel Gidney will give us a function room. Surely. Should we try and fill the point? Fill the point? It's like a thousand of people. Well, you've got to weigh him high, haven't you? Well, we did sell out Trent Bridge, so...

A first arena tour, first stadium tour, Trent Bridge, long room, done. Completed it, mate. Anyway, how are you? I'm good, I'm good. I'm back home for a few days, so we finished the test match on Monday. Obviously, not the result we wanted. But yeah, I got a few days at home before we go to the T20s at Edgebaston on Saturday. I'm starting a petition for four-day test matches, take the draw.

I joked about that on Instagram And obviously there were people that took it really seriously And were like, you were the one that wanted five days I was like, I know, it was a joke I'm just joking, joking, joking, sarcasm What a test match, crossy Before we do the test match, Al, how are you? I'm good, thank you, I'm all right.

Yeah, good. I'm all right, yeah. You look great, you're in HD at the minute on my iPad and you look fantastic to say that you're a bit dusty. Oh, thank you, thanks. I've got last night's makeup off. Love it. Always looks better.

doesn't it? It always looks better. Always, always looks better. I went to a wedding yesterday Crossy, got ready in 15 minutes, wash my hair, dried my hair and put my scar on. I went in trainers, no makeup, as in I just had mascara and that was it. And I was like, I should do this more often. Yeah, I love that you had five-fifties on at a wedding. Oh, so ridiculous, isn't it? Yeah, love it. Um, yeah, right, come on, test match. Test match, five days, Trent Bridge, Stukes ball Lost 4-0 down

Thoughts feelings reflections go Really good game of cricket Really high highs Really low lows Lots of tears Lots of hurting parts of the body But I feel like

I'm really glad it was five days Because a result made it a lot better Even though we're on the losing end of it Record test match crowd for women in the UK, I think 26,000 over five days, which is incredible. I think that's only 10,000 less than who came to watch all of the 2019 ashes in England. That's so good. That's incredible.

But yeah, I think from our point of view, there was an hour on day three, the last hour of day three and the last hour of day four were where we lost our advantage. Yes. And that is the margin that you have in test cricket. keep you play all these hours you're out there all that time Tammy had a helmet on for basically five days of her life and it's those really small parts of the game that really affect it so obviously so disappointed with that but equally like Heather said it in the in the press at the end like we went toe to toe with the best team in the world for five days and it could have it could have gone either way on that last day should have gone the other way really yeah like

should have done. It's like they just hold pressure for longer, don't they? They're just so relentless. And when you give them just a sniff, they take it. Yeah. And they jump in and they pile in and they're they're intimidating because they are the best team in the world and you think, oh, you're forever on the back foot trying to prove that you're the better team. I think the thing that we're really proud of though is that we spoke about how we wanted to play our cricket going into this series. And with that, it's quite similar to what we were talking about. on the live pod with Ben Stokes, how you've got to be willing to risk winning to lose and to win.

Yeah. And sorry, you've got to risk losing to win. To win. Yeah, you don't risk winning to win. But we wanted to have aggressive fields. We wanted to leave gaps. We wanted them to drive us. And probably that session on day four, that last hour where, was it day four or day three with the ball?

But whenever we had that bad hour with the ball, like me and Belly didn't execute, we know that, but we still created chances. Yeah. So we're really proud of sticking to the mentality of how we wanted to play, even though it wasn't going our way. Yeah, yeah. No, it was like, I knew your plans,

I knew what you wanted to do, but I was like, oh, crossy, be a bit more defensive, and come on, I just want to build pressure because I felt like we weren't, we'd bowl four dot balls and a four ball. and then it was like there was never any like the world we had bought three maidens the scene was bought three maidens in the first and that's probably the learning for us which is if we could play another test match next week this is where it'd be amazing instead we've got to wait six months now until we do all of this again but what we would do is is know those moments of when to you don't have to go fully defensive it's not like you got all your field is out but it's just knowing those moments and recognising those moments. And because we don't play enough test cricket

and we're trying to be really positive and we're trying to impact the game and move the game forward. We just not, like if that was a one day game or a T20 game, you just know it like that. You know how to make your decisions and when to do it. Because it's test cricket, we've not done a lot of it.

But still, like, was an amazing five days. Sophie Eccleston, oh my gosh. We were just calling her Merling because she was literally, we just plugged her in at one end and she just went and bold. It's like, she didn't even like get worse. or get tired. She just went and went and went. She was class. The only time I knew she was tired was when she asked the 12thers for a drink midway through, like she never drinks. Like, we have to

force alcohol. We don't have to force alcohol down. We have to force liquid down her because she just doesn't drink during the day. And she was asking the 12thers for drinks because it was pretty hot as well. But oh my gosh, she went into that game, never having a five for England and then had two for. A 10? No, she has had a five for England. But not in. Not in test cricket, yeah, and then comes out with the temper. And her celebrations, so all our GPS spikes, you know, like you get your thing about all the whole team are all spiking at the same time because they're just chasing Sophie around.

Oh, because she's like doing a lap of honour. Oh, it was so sweet. She really brought a tear to my eye. Yeah, she was honestly unbelievable. But congratulations because there was a record broken during the test match. There was more than one. But no team ever has lost after a batter getting 200, a baller taking temper.

So, well done. Cool. Well, we've never had anyone get a 200, so that's a brand new start. Yeah, yeah. But how good? Like, Tammy, again. Like, honestly, it was an amazing test match. It was so good to watch.

So Tammy scores a 200, and I'm sat on the balcony, and I'm like, this girl is currently 400 not out, because she was 200 not out in the warm-up game and then just carries on. Like, how good. I know. So, so pleased for us as well, because, like, you could just see in the warm-up games how much she wanted to score runs and not cement her place opening the batting

because she was always going to open the batting but just how much she wanted to affect the game and impact our team and she just was, I mean she kept us alive in that first innings. Yeah, she did. To get up to Parry 2 of Australia was amazing. Yeah. I'm just gutted she got out

because I really wanted her to carry her bat. Yeah, yeah, so good though. And she wasn't, like, then she comes on the pitch, she has like 10 minutes off to probably change her clothes because you only get that 10 minute turnaround. And then she's racing around on the band, boundary and she had all the energy she was unbelievable how good um how's the body how do you how do you feel i'm actually okay um obviously i had to bowl a few more overs than i would have liked on that

first day um nat got a little little niggle in her knee so that's always the scariest part of of test cricket is if a bowler goes down um yeah but genuinely really surprised at how well i've cope with it um obviously tired but you're going to be when you've bowled 46 overs in a week well in four days so um yeah just more battered and bruised than anything yeah well your thumb crossy my thumb like who dislocates a thumb who drops a catch and dislocates a thumb oh i was more embarrassed about that i wasn't going to mention the drop catch but yeah yeah more embarrassed about dropping it than um probably my thumb point in the wrong way but it's okay like it's a bit brute A bit bruised, I'll show it you, just knock my drink over.

It is bruised actually. Yeah, it's quite thick. You don't realise how much you use your thumb until you can't use your thumb. So I was like eating and I was like, oh, this is how I hold a fork now because I can't literally hold my knife and fork. But yeah, it's, I've got a couple of days, it'll be fine.

If I could go back on and field in the test match, then I'm going to be fine. Yeah, I mean, who even dislocates a thumb like? It's actually mad. I don't really understand how it happened. I've watched it all back and the ball hit me on the inside of my hand. Obviously, just hit me. I didn't catch it. Yeah. But my thumb then went backwards. So it looked like a V. So where your thumb is flat, it was like the joint was down into my palm. Was it definitely dislocated?

Yes, Al, my fingernail was pointing, well, my thumbnail was not facing the way it should have been. But I, you just panic, don't you? When you see something like that, you just panic. And I was like, I know this is not good. I need the doctor to put this back in. And then I took one more look at it and I was like, no, I need to put it back in.

So I popped it back in. And then the phys came on and tried to strap it up. And there's a really funny picture of me like screaming in pain and belly's just watching the physio put some tape on me. Yeah, but you'll be all right for the T20s because congratulations, you're in the squad. Thank you, yeah. I got a 16 woman squad for it, it's a big squad.

But yeah, Edgebaston, 16,000 tickets sold, can't wait. Well, Catherine was telling me it's sold out, so I'm telling everyone it's sold out. Maybe that's what we just do, just tell everyone it's sold out. No, because then we want people to try and find tickets. Well, keep looking to buy the tickets because there might be some available, but it could be sold out. Might be a few, might be sold out, who knows.

Before we go on to upstairs with umpires... Already? Oh, we've only been chatting ten minutes. I've not got anything else to talk about. What? What are you on about? Just play five days of cricket. I've got so much context for you. Well, come on then. Anna and Sue were on the pitch. Yes.

Had so much banter with Anna and Sue. Sue wears a pair of shoes for each session, a different pair of shoes. Yeah. That's mad at it. Like, and they had matching shoes. Yeah, that was the session one shoe. So I can't remember the make of them. I think they called it On Cloud or something. But yeah, she was showing me them.

Then we got a little Nike number for session three. But then she changed them up on day three. She started with the Nike ones on session one. Oh. Why are the different shoes? Just, I think, for a bit of difference. I don't really get to that point of asking. But obviously, started to test with a no-ball.

Oh, my gosh. Honestly. You know, and people won't know this, but they should know this. If I'm bowling front foot no balls, I'm really out of rhythm. And that first session that I bowled, that first spell that I bowled, I bought like, what, three no balls, every ball. Anna was like, you're close, you're close. I was like, oh, God. So it's really my head.

And then I didn't bowl another one after that, did I? Because I picked my rhythm back up. Can you explain to people that why you can't just make you run up a step backwards? Because it's not about the distance of the run-up. I mean, it is to an extent, but for me, it's about my stride pattern. So if my strides are too long, then I end up overstretching at the front foot, which is why I bowl front foot no balls, which is then why you're out of rhythm because this is so technical and probably so boring.

But if I'm got a big stride when I deliver the ball, then my front foot is really collapsed and I end up falling away left. So all my body weight goes left and my arms are all out of rhythm. and I can't get any kind of, I don't know what the word is, resistance down the back of the ball. Yeah. Because everything's kind of falling away. So when I've got shorter strides and I hit the front foot line half and half, then I've got more of my body weight transferring towards the batter rather than off towards point, for example.

So you just needed baby steps. Baby steps, yeah. So I think it was probably an element of like really wanting to impact the game and getting an early wicket. and overstriding and being excited and adrenaline and the big crowd. But, yeah, front foot no ball to start the game. How embarrassing. But really on brand. It was so on brand.

Really on brand. Anna, where did she go? Oh, her blood sugar went low, so Sophie had to come on. Yeah, well Sophie said to me day, why she went, oh, I hope I'd have to have to one player. Yeah, she got on, didn't she? She got on. She got on? Can we talk about your unbelievable commentary?

Oh, to the no. Oh my God. Crossie, your ball was amazing. Thank you. Just wanted to bring it up. Yeah. Your commentary was so good, Al, on the ball that I bowled. That was really good.

The knitbacker. I was like, it's the Knit Backer. I think it's the Wobble Wall. It's Nick Back. It's Jagged Back. But you text me, you're like great punditry. I was like, oh, thank you, Rossi. It was really good.

But yeah, probably one of the best balls I've bowled in my life. Thank you. I love, love, love that you got a few. You've got a little bit of leaving twice. One, not out, one proper out. But the first one really looked out, didn't it? Yeah. Really looked out.

Yeah. Like, it looked so out. And then on the replay, I don't believe that. Yeah. But it was out. And then you got out to the ball of the game. Yes. And then you bowled the ball of the game.

Yeah. Well, the pitch was doing nothing. The ball was doing nothing. And then Team Act just suddenly started getting it to hoop and swing and pitch and bounce and bowled me with an absolute jaffat. I knew it was a good ball because when the ball hit the stump,

healy ran past me screaming peach. Peach! So yeah, I knew it was a good one. But I was a bit nervous for night watching having had that delivery and getting a duck and going in on a pair. You weren't night watching, Chrosie. No, I wasn't.

You were Lady of the Night. I was Lady of the Night. We're not allowed to say that live on the radio, though, are we? But we can say it on the podcast. Say it on the podcast. So, yeah, I didn't want to be the Nighthawk because that's a Stuartboard thing. So we're trying to think of other things to call it.

And then John Lewis, batting John Lewis, was like, what about nightcap? Everyone likes a nightcap. It's quite important. Don't always need it, but it's sometimes good to have. So I was like, yeah, nightcap works. And then we're like, oh, but then people regret the nightcap sometimes. So it was like, what about nightshade?

You could be the nightshade. Lampshade. The lampshade. I was like a lampshane in that first thing. Should have batted with one. I might have hit it. And then, yeah, we just settled on lady the night. Start your shift a bit later on.

So what times your shift start? So five overs to go in the game. Like at the end of the last session, that's when I'll clock on for my shift. Yeah, so you actually had a really long shift because you clocked on and you didn't get out, so you didn't clock off till the next day. Yeah, it was a walking.

a shame actually, 20 past 11am walking back. Big night, big shit. You actually came out and batted really well. Oh, I loved batting. I was really, really up for scoring runs with Danny the next day. I was like, we're going to do this. I was telling everyone you were going to get a 50. I was like, this is it, this is it, just going to get

a 50. Then you got your highest ever test score 13. Your previous was 11. And then you got out with the straight one. I know. Well, yeah, I played for turn. Because we went and saw Glenn for dinner, didn't we? I didn't know with Glenn Maxwell the night before and he was like, right, what's your plan to Ash Gardner?

So I was like, I don't know, he was like, right, this is your plan and he gave me my plan and we practised it. And then I text him, I was like, what did I do wrong? He said you played for turn. But it was turning the night before, so cricket's hard. Yeah. It really made me laugh because he texts me saying, she's doing well and then put, oh, fuck.

She's out. I was like, you know, why did we text each other? So it's your fault I got out. Well, it's Glenn's fault. Oh, Glenn. But he told you, bat on off stump when she's coming over the wicket and get outside the line. Yeah. You batted on off stump and you didn't get outside the line and you edged three balls for two and I loved it.

I guided them all. I didn't. I definitely edged them. So Phoebe Litchfield's at short leg and she's like, midge, midge, should we put a short third in? And I was like, surely you put in a second slipping and trying to get me out. Don't try and stop my runs. And then they put a second slip in So I was like, if I'm going to slash

I'm going to slash really hard And I did And I got another two for a three seconds It was so good I said to our score I went of all of her runs Bar that four Which was a how good was that cover drive

But were they all through Third Man And he's like yeah Yep Yep Yep So I score majority of my runs out While we're on test cricket

Have you got more on your test? I probably have, but it might come out as we go. Yeah. The men's test just started at Lourdes, and Johnny Besters just had to carry someone off the field. Jenny Besters had paint thrown all over him and had to carry another human being off the centre of Lords. There's some great photos.

I've not seen it yet, because obviously we're doing this pod, but you were just like, oh yeah, yeah, this is the stop oil protesters. we've been warned that this might happen and I've just not had a clue. Yeah, so I was watching it through your camera. You went, what's going on? I was like, oh, just stop while I know all about this. We've had a little briefing.

So I thought there was streakers and that the security guards had tackled them into like the wicket ends and it was really dusty because all this like orange smoke was everywhere. But it turns out they've just launched a load of paint onto the players. Yeah, but it's dry paint. So it's just been like hoovered off the field. I mean, this is a big, big week for the lads, isn't it? Huge week. for the lads.

Yeah. Yeah, huge week for the lads. Lost the first test. They got to win this one to, not to stay alive, but just, I don't know. Do you agree with Ben McRaw? Saying if they lose this, then the ashes is over?

No. No, I don't agree with that. There's three more games left. It's like you have to win five out of your six whiteboard games. Doesn't mean to say it's over. No. I really, I really feel like positive about that as well. I think that was the overriding feeling.

in the dressing room at the end of the game was that, yeah, we've lost the test match and yes, it's 4-0 down and that's quite hard to come back from, but it really feels like we can beat that Australian team. They are definitely beatable, but five out of six is an uphill battle. Mm-hmm, it is.

But we're going to give it a great, great go, good go. Should we go upstairs of Anna and Sue for eight minutes? Shall we? Yeah, go on it. Then we've done half an hour. All right, okay then. maybe 10 minutes treat them

what about Sophie should take Sophie up as well because she got her on field oh yeah Sophie I thought no no Sophie's too tired yeah she's resting

she's probably playing golf yeah probably enjoy even more of the ashes with BBC sounds it means everything as a kid it's a pinnacle of test cricket find out what it takes

to lift the famous urn in how to win the ashes I've already decided how I was going to go about it If I was going to get out, it was going to take a great ball or a great catch. And the tail enders boys are back. Let's talk about your Ashes memories, Jimmy. Talk us through your debut in Brisbane in 2006. Yeah, we got battered.

Take the Ayesha's with you this summer on Radio 5 Sports Extra. And BBC Sounds. Hi, Bill. I was at the second day of the washes test match, which despite ending up looking like a lobster was a great day, seeing Kate play and listening to Alex and Henry on comms. While there, my mum and I had some questions. At some points, England had three helmets on the pitch

and we were wondering, because of the rule being that if a spare helmet gets hit, it's five runs being given. If all three to get hit at once, would it be 15 runs? Thanks, go well for the rest of the washes, Kate, and hope your neck is better, Alex. Oh, my God, crossing my neck. Yeah, we're not even mentioned your neck. Oh my God, I trapped a nerve.

I woke up 5 a.m. day one. And I went, oh, cramp, cramp. Cram! Like, so bad. And I was like, oh! So I turned over to my left-hand side and it cramped even more. Trapped a nerve in my neck, and it's still sore now. It's been a week.

I know people shouldn't laugh at other people's pain, but that video that Henry Moran put on Twitter had me howling. Crossy, I couldn't, couldn't not look like the hunchback of Notre Dame. or whatever it was the fact that you had to look at your shoelaces for the entire game oh my god like honestly and then i went to see the england doc and he gave me some meds and he just laughed at me as well everyone was really concerned about you even our masseuse was like if if you need if she needs to come and see me just just tell her to book in i know but i didn't want to book in and harry kept calling me stupid for not booking in but like it was the middle if it was a white

ball series i'd have come over but it was the middle of a test match imagine sorry belly Alex is just getting a neck scene too so you can't get your rub down exactly you might have bowled 25 overs Lauren Bell but Alex's got a trap nerve yeah yeah I mean you do look a lot better now

you look better than you did a week ago I can look off of my right shoulder I can't look over my left you do need to see a physio though are yeah just give it a rub it's alright but it's all tight in my traps yeah no it wouldn't be 15 runs it would still just be five runs

right oh I did not know that yeah that's why as soon as you get in the you learn loads. Learn the rules of cricket. Yeah. Hi, Kate and Alex. It's not hard to understand

why you're double award-winning podcasters. They're honest, straightforward and genuine way you discuss things, often dealing with difficult subjects is amazing. I just want to say that I'm currently struggling with some health problems and listening to the no-balls podcast has helped me, so thank you.

On a lighter note, my LBW is a cornflake sandwich. Has to be made with... Oh, you're dirty. Has to be... be made with really soft white bread. This all started when I was a child. I'm now a year off my half century

and one morning when I had run out of milk my mum jokingly said have a cornflake sandwich then if there's no milk. So I did. Keep doing what you're doing both on and off the cricket field. You are superb role models to the next generation of cricketers. Best wishes, Wendy Jackson who is a long time listener, first time emailer. Yes, we love first time emailer.

But put yourself in the bin because cornflake sandwich is disgusting. But then a crisp sandwich is excellent. So I I think I get it. Yeah, yeah, sweet and savoury. On that, how many people did you meet this week that said, thank you for the pod, you got me into cricket, you and Kate are amazing. I was like, oh my God, this is so good for my ego.

Yeah, so it is so good, because especially when I'd had that shocking day on day three and was like basically in tears trying to meet people. Well, that night, I sat in the ice bath, everyone left the ground, the bus went. I sat in the bath for 20 minutes and contemplated whether I could possibly retire from international cricket midway through a test match. Crossy. Life's not that dramatic. No, but that's just me trying to explain

the highs and the lows of test cricket. Like it takes you there. And then the next day, Sophie, gets two wickets in and over and you're just like flying around. Like, I want to do this every single day. You can't leave it. Test cricket.

Test cricket. Yeah, so many people met a girl as well who, there was a few of her and her mates there and she spoke quicker than Sophie Eccleston does. And I had to be like, slow down. breathe and she was like you've just got me into cricket it's just amazing i love it this my first game that i've ever come to watch well i was like whoa breathe but yeah so many people and it's amazing we love hearing it so keep keep keep telling us um the shirts with our faces on

we sign them yes um they got some really good air time as well yeah they did they did anyway dear young ladies Kate and Alex firstly thank you ladies um firstly thank you for your podcast to hear the pair of you discussed cricket and men any other topics as you do. Honestly, and passion is joyful, even when you talk about the very difficult subject. That was really hard to read. We know what they're trying to say, though. Yeah. Also, is Amy Jones keeping without pads, or is she wearing pads under her whites? She keeps with hockey pads on, so they're under her whites. Alex, whilst I understand that you miss playing cricket, I don't. The day you do start

playing again will be a massive shame to us all who enjoy listening to your fans. Fantastic commentary and insightful knowledge. I mean, I think it's a compliment. I think it's intended as a compliment, so let's take it as a compliment. Okay, I hope you will continue to bless the airways whenever you can in both women's and men's game. Kate, good luck in the rest of the washes in capital letters. Keep taking those brilliant wickets. Go well, ladies. Keep smiling.

Keith at keith at k.k.barrat.com. Nice. So if you want to email him, then get in touch. I forgot, I don't know if I did tell you about this, but Richard Gould got asked about the Washes term and whether ECB have coined it. And he just laughed apparently. He was like, oh, very clever. So, yeah, the CEOs are just chatting about the Washes.

The Washes and then the I-C-E-C. I-C, yeah, that was, tell you what, that was really a tough time for that to come out, wasn't it? Day after our test, a couple of days before the MASH is second. test. Have you read it? No, I haven't, I haven't really, really not had time. No, I've not had time yet.

We've obviously had a chat about it as players and I guess we probably can't avoid talking about it. So my thoughts on it are that I'm not surprised that the findings have come out like they have, but it's a good thing it's come out because it's going to implement change now and that's ultimately all we can do. Obviously, there's been a big apology sent out to everyone who has been affected by any sort of discrimination when they've played cricket. And moving forward, you just hope that that issue is never going to have to be – that apology is never going to have to be issued again because hopefully it won't happen again. Yeah.

There should be a lot, a lot of learnings from what's happened over the past. Yeah. So not nice, but needed. Yes. I totally agree, actually. Not a nice, needed. And I'm really glad that it was looked into and things will change and things will get better.

Yeah. And it was the ECB that commissioned that report. They got an external company to come in to do that report because, obviously, things need to change. So, yeah. Hi, Alex and Kate. This email is just putting some of my thoughts into words after the washes test at Trent Bridge.

Firstly, can I tell you, girls, again, how good the sold-out arena show was. I felt so happy being part of the audience and you two and Henry made me laugh a lot Here's to many more live pods Now Henry knows he can trust you not to swear whilst live Well done Al That was you

I have a few thoughts about the test match I was down at Deep Square And got to watch a lot of Danny Wyatt fielding on day one And she is an absolute whipet in the field She is She really will be a positive for women's test team going forward So she can stop some of the boundaries

With her speed in the field Kate, was there any reason why Lauren Bell didn't bowl till later on on day four? Was she nursing a knock? No, she wasn't. I think it's all tactics really. And you know what? Really fair play to Belly, because it's not easy not being used and then coming on and trying to take a wicket. And she did that.

She bowed one over, took a wicket and like kept our momentum going. I spoke to her at the end of the game. And I was like, oh, mate, like, Wicket, you like broke the partnership, got the momentum. She said, yeah, I just stood there all day. Like, hello. Ready when you need me. Oh bless her Do you girls think

Sophie Eccleston was overballed during the test match considering the rest of the series that she'll play a massive part in? I was worried that she was overbold, yeah. Like really worried, especially after last year when she bowled 60 overs and her shoulder was then really sore but her shoulder seems fine so therefore I don't think she was overbolded.

Yeah, I think she's got a lot better at recognising when she is tired as well and I was actually off the pitch when or it might have been tea, I can't remember there was one interval where John Lerner Louis said to her like, are you okay? She was like, I'm not tired when I bowl. It's the bit in between. So obviously bowling is, she's fine with the bowling day. It was just everything in between. Yeah. Lauren Filer is so quick. I was really impressed with her on debut. Yes,

Big Phil. Big Phil. Big Phil. How good. Good. Like, she just made stuff happen and she really got the crowd going. Yeah, she did. I loved it when she was bowling with Sof and the crowd is like going doing the, yeah, slow clap. It was great. So good. that's from Tom Hi Alex and Kate I'm not sure what the result of a test match is yet I'm writing this the evening of day five, four

by excited for tomorrow I'm wondering about slip fielding in 50 over games it's usually just one slip for a few overs how do you prepare for possibility three or four slips for a sustained period of time and also how do you decide who is the best in the slips when the slips are used so infrequently

good question So we lost a lot of our slip-fielders recently through retirement and I can't even think who I'm talking about here. Lydia, that was a long time ago. Anya? Yeah, Anya. Anya's got a great pair of hands. Do you know what?

We do a lot of slip-catching in the build-up to red ball cricket so everyone practices and then you kind of get a feel for who's comfortable in there and who's not. and people generally either want to go in or don't want to go in. And then you have a hierarchy. You really surprised me that you want to go in. I love it, Al. Like, I love it.

I told you about my special. And you took a good catch. I took a deed. I mean, it was, if I'd have dropped it, it would have been an really simple drop. A bit like the feeble it's for one. Well, you dropped a really simple one. Yeah, not my thumb out of place.

I'm so weak. But, yeah, you just kind of like get a feel for who's got the best hands. And obviously, Sophie's one of our most reliable slipfielders now. she wasn't in the slips a couple years ago but she's probably got one of the best pair of hands in the team I'd say yeah

also with the keeper more likely to be standing up in women's cricket what do you think or what do you do sorry with adjusting the position of the slips if anything so when looking forward to the game at loads

for next Chloe so when Amy stands up you have to narrow your slips so they get tighter so they can finer because obviously Amy's reach is less so when Amy stood back back. Her dive to her right would mean that she could cover maybe one and a half

meters. So then your first slip, sorry, his angle just changes. But what we found this five days was that short leg often keeps your battering the crease because obviously, so that kind of did the same job. But then when Amy came and stood up, it completely changed the game and she actually created a lot more chances for us because it keeps the batter in their Greece a lot more. Hi Kate and Alex. Longtime listener and long-time women's cricket spectator, but this week was my first day of watching women's test cricket, and this was on the third day. Firstly, I'm glad you seem to have a contender for new intro commentary for the pod with that fantastic delivery

by Kate to dismiss Phoebe Litchfield. I hope Henry puts this in. Yeah. Secondly, I hope that it's not just future Washes test matches that are played at the Big Six International stadia. My family have already said we will be at Headingley in four years. and tests against other nations drop back to smaller grounds, as it was so encouraging to see such a strong crowd on Saturday getting to watch quality cricket, thanks to a good pitch. The game itself was an excellent advert for the sport, and I think I quote Felix White from the tail enders boys,

when I say, it's the hope that kills you. When you invest yourself in the game and see the hard work put in by the team to go toe to toe with the Australian side for the best part of four days, for that last hour on Sunday to take it away when a victory looked highly possible. Finally, it would have been brilliant to get to the last,

live podcast on Wednesday but always great to listen and long may you continue best wishes Kevin thanks Kevin cheers kev do you reckon that's kev from the cabs oh i miss kev from the cabs yeah wonder how he's going i wonder if he ever got his job back remember my dad prank me and said i've met kevin from the cabs sent me a voice note being like oh why it's kevin from the cabs here i was like whoa it's kev found him hey did your mom and dad enjoy glastonbury no oh all right good so they should have come to our live. Yeah, mum loved it. Dad, not so much. Dad was apparently real, real, real miserable. Your mum messaged me actually, saying, well done this week. And then she was like, the toilets were not okay. Dave did not cope. Yeah, Dave did not cope.

Oh, dear. Apparently, my dad was like, I'm not going into the village until 3pm today. My mum was like, all right, I'll go in with Will and Live. Like, that's fine. Like, we'll meet you in there. Just give us a ring. I mean, he went, no, no, no, come now. And mum went, not with an attitude like that, you won't. Did he have his boat shoes on and his chinos on them? Yeah, he wore his linen suit and his suede shoes for day one. And then he said, well, put them back. You can't wear suede at Glastonbury.

I know, I know. Last one. Last one. Hi, Kate and Alex. Longtime listener, first time emailer. I've been at the test match in Nottingham this weekend and waiting to go to the ground on Saturday, I bumped into Kate's dad,

who I have to say is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Your dad was 10 out of 10 on the No Bulls Live. He was such a dad, wasn't he? He wasn't like we interviewed an ex-footballer, we interviewed a dad. Have you got a boyfriend? Oh, God. They wouldn't, apparently Phoebe, who I'm living with at the minute, got absolutely peppered by questions from my mum.

And Phoebe's like, you're just going to have to listen to the podcast, Christine, and if you want to know what's going on in a life. Yeah, literally. Stood talking to him for ages about all sorts of things. He does love a pun. even offer to introduce me to Kate herself at the end of the test match unfortunately I wasn't to be there so I didn't have that pleasure great to see women's cricket thriving this week thank you Adam

oh mum's still not going to listen though she said we did half an hour too long on Wednesday night she could have gone she could have done but she probably couldn't because she wanted to find out who I'm dating yeah that is so true have you heard from the neighbour yeah heard from the neighbour he sent me a really lovely message actually after day one doesn't know much about cricket and he said well done for throwing that ball at that girl's legs I think that's a good thing in cricket well done I love that love that so I'm going to try and carry on throwing the ball at people's

legs now you just have to do that do it for the neighbour do it for the neighbour I showed someone the neighbour last night I showed Glenn Maxwell's wife in he and Glenn she was like oh my god oh my god Glenn was like pass me phone let me see him let me see him I was like a green god I'm not even lying in. Oh, bless him. Yeah. So, hope for a few days, Al. Yeah, nice. You enjoy those few days, Crassy. Anyway, if you want to get in touch with us, you can email us on. No Bullspodcast at bbc.com.com.com.com. It's so good. It's so good. They've said it twice. Send us in your emails. We're going to get a guest on next week and we're going to try and win some T20 matches. Good luck, crossy. By the time we'd next do the

pod there'll be one t20 to go by the next time we do the pod hopefully you can look over your left shoulder yeah oh god pain in my neck literally pain it you're paid in my neck you've got a spreeing your step bye hi cross come doing round the wicket oh that's bolder balder leaving a ball alone litchfield think it's the wobble ball and it just nips back it jags back it's the That is a beauty from Kate Cross, an absolute seed. That is a beauty from Cross. Need more than 90 minutes. Hello and welcome to Football Daily.

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