Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - Thunder teammate Olivia Thomas on autism, friendship and the power of cricket

Episode Date: April 26, 2024

With April being Autism Awareness Month, Kate Cross and Alex Hartley are joined by Thunder teammate Olivia Thomas to learn about her experiences of living with autism and ADHD.

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And you need to remember that your grandma listens to this. She does. She also abuses me on social media. But don't worry, we beep it out. See your kids can listen. And Grandma Jean. Cross. I'm doing round the wicket. Boulder.

Boulder, leaving a ball alone, Litchfield. 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. absolute seed. That is a beautiful cross. Hello and welcome back to No Bowls of Cricket Podcast with Midcake Cross, you Alex Hartley

and you're in your golf scare one more time. Of course. This is no longer a cricket podcast. This is a golf podcast. Thank you BBC. This is Hitting Balls with Your Driver podcast. We need a better name. Yeah, we'll work on that. How are you? I'm good, thank you. I'm very good, thank you. It's freezing. I cannot, cannot believe it's the cricket season. We played for, well, I played for Thunder on Wednesday. And it was the coldest 24th of April that we've ever seen. And the sun was shining and it wasn't that bad actually.

But what is going on? It was I stood on the balcony to clap Fee Morris's 100. Sorry, Fitt's my fault you got out because she then got out. I was out there for 10 minutes and I went inside it and I was cold to the bones. I don't know how you did it. That was an early get out to clap. 89. Oh, the way she was got.

The way she was going, I thought it'd come quickly. I wouldn't let anyone move until they were both on 49 and then when K-Mack was on 99. Well, I didn't think that superstitions were a thing. Okay. Very cold, but Thunder 1. Thunder 1. Yes, they did. It wasn't just any old win, crossy.

It was a proper, proper spanking. It was a proper, proper spanking. It was the blueprint of how we want to play our cricket moving forward. pile of load of runs on, gritty runs as well, K-Mack and Fee Morris's partnership was, I think, one of our highest ever in Rachel Hayo, Flint. I think what I love the most about the game on Wednesday was the girls had lost to the diamonds on the Saturday before.

Apparently didn't back well, I wasn't there, didn't watch it, but the review meeting I was in suggested that we didn't do the basics for long enough. And it felt like everything that we got wrong on the Saturday, we put into place on the Wednesday and I just think that's always such a better win when you've learnt from your mistakes and you don't repeat. Was it good to be back?

So nice. Did you enjoy it? I loved it. Would have loved it to have been two, three degrees warmer. The hand warmers were in the pockets from over number one. I have shake my hand.

Congratulations. 50 caps for thunder. Oh, thank you. Yeah, I didn't know. No, nobody knew. I'd out the next day when it went on social media. I said it on air. And Charlie, the social media man,

text me the next day, saying, did you say on it it was cross his 50th cap I was like yes oh okay yeah yeah 50 games for the thunder but includes KSL doesn't it yeah it's still 50 games for thunder

yeah yeah you can't be like oh it's 50 caps for England oh but three of them were five years ago yeah that's true we were saying though weren't we I'd love to know how many have actually played for Lancashire yeah someone will know this as well Mitch or hypercourse might know this

yeah Ken will know Ken's gave me a booklet like a year book he's on a really cute write up of me in the back of it but it says how many games I've played for links in it and I was like I didn't even know that yeah well it's not like you go on quick info and you get the information like

you do if you're a male player because first class and whatever else they're called all the different names but we don't really necessarily get that because our systems have changed so much over the years change every year every year so that's probably my last game for the thunder because we're going to be called something else on Saturday

have you got anything on you sticking up because we're going to have to do a real quick intro We've got such a special guest. We really do. The only thing I've got written down is that we had a little wedding. We attended. A wedding of the year. Wedding of the year.

Tammy Beaumont, congratulations. Now Tammy Davy. Congrats. Beaumont for cricket. Still Beaumont on the back of the shirt. Beaumont 12. It was a great day, wasn't it? Such a good day.

Also cold that day, though. But also inside it was hot cold. They couldn't get the heating right. It was. But we did some Kaylee dancing, didn't we? They had a Scottish band. We did some Kaylee dancing. How good was that?

that? I was awful. Well, that doesn't surprise me one bit. But it was such a bizarre wedding in a great way. Well, just because we learnt how to dance in it. Yeah, and it was just she got married with a dog by

her side, with best mate married them. Like, it was so casual, it was so intimate and small and perfect. It was really lovely. The sun were shining as well, so the pictures looked great. The dog didn't wee on anyone. It's always a bonus. Always a bonus. And it was just good.

And you know what? We got to spend a lot of time together because we drove down to Cambridge together. We stayed in an Airbnb for the weekend, me, you, head and Harry. And it was just wholesome, wasn't it? Yeah, it was. And that's literally the only thing I've got my sticking out.

Well, mine's Tammy Beaumont, wedding related. The only thing I've got my sticking out is a scab on my nose. Oh, yeah. We were getting ready together. And I was like, it smells like fish. I was like, my hair straightens smell a fish.

So I smelt them and clamped. Clump your nose. Climb the end of my nose, where is it? Other side. Yeah. Point the other way. No, other side. There we go.

Wow. So I've got a big scab of my nose, but that's it. That's all I've got in mine. There is one thing I need to talk to you about, and it's a question. Question. An email we've had called Team Songs. Who's it from? This is from Hannah Collins.

Okay. Hi, Alex, Kate and Henry. A question about Team Songs in the franchise area. You never say the wrong word I watched a Sussex men's team singing their team song in the dressing room after they won their county championship game yesterday A couple of years ago there were lots of players

who had been in Sussex for years but it's quite a new team now which got me thinking about team songs Do they work? How do they work? Did the RCB take on the men's team song or did you come up with your own? I wondered your thoughts as a long-term Lanks player

in the new world of franchise cricket Hannah never played cricket but love the game hoping my oldest daughter will play so I can retire and travel the world and follow her around Excellent plan So my question is also with Hannah's

You won on Wednesday Yep Thunder 1 Team songs changed Yeah it has That is really the end of an era When the team song changes I

I'm going to be really honest with you I didn't feel like our last team song that we had was ever going to be there to stay because it was very specific about the players in the group and we never sung it we didn't win

so you can't sing a team song if you don't win so what is it now so now it is waka waka okay so instead of saying it's time for Africa we say it's time for Lancashire

but because Katie Mac scored 100 this week shout out Katie Mac congratulations we sang maca maca No one knows those words. It's tamba-tamb-damb-dabah. It's time for like a show, maka-maka-a-e-e.

Yeah. So my big, big view on team songs is I don't mind them. It's generally the captain who either likes team songs so we have one or doesn't like them so we don't have them. So we didn't have one with RCB. Or, but my big bug bear with team songs is that they shouldn't go on social media. Yeah, me too. I really think it's a moment in the dressing room for the team and leave it there.

It's like the England one's secret. Yeah, no one knows. It could have changed. We have because I sang it on here once. Yeah, true. But it could have changed for all I know. But no, but every time someone asks me about it, I tell them the song, but I never tell them the lyrics. Yeah.

So the lyrics are ours and the dance moves are ours. Yeah. So yeah, it's just personal preference in teams, isn't it? Crossy. Alex. It's Autism Awareness Month. It is. And we have a very, very special guest.

We do. Crossy, we have got a great guest this week. As we've just spoken about, it is Autism Awareness Month and we've had a girl that's, have a girl that's played cricket with us for how many years live before I introduce you, have we played together? May the date, 2019, so what's like five, five years, yeah. Five years. So we've got Olivia Thomas. Welcome to No Balls, a great podcast. Thanks, I've been there. How are you doing, Liz?

Yeah, I'm good tire, yeah. Proper Northern, I'm a good tie, yeah. Proper Northern. So, Liv, the purpose of this is to raise awareness about autism and we just want people to learn about it. And you're very open and honest. So to start, what is autism? Well, there's like dictionary definition and then there's sort of like, how I would explain it. But like, dictionary definition, I suppose,

is just like something you're born with like it's a neurodevelopmental condition. It affects like interpersonal relationships, like sensory, tentity, things like that. I suppose that's like the dictionary way of saying it. But I'd sort of say it's more like the analogy I always use is like you're trying to read Shakespeare back to the front in Spanish and that's just sort of how I describe it to people when did you get diagnosed with autism because obviously it's been a big part of your life

and like I said you've been really open and honest about it for the last couple of years and you've helped a lot of people but when did your journey start with it? So I was actually quite young I was only eight which is quite young especially for like women and girls because usually it's women and girls who get diagnosed later on and you're like into adulthood so yeah I was all eight so long time why was that earlier for you then was there something that was that stood out a lot yeah a little shi um we've played lately at that age it was just a little shit

um yeah I didn't primary schools do them out in year two I was I weren't the best behaved. So I think they thought, well, there's clearly something going on. And yeah, it just sort of came through that really. So how do you get diagnosed with autism? Well, in my case, it was just sort of school we're pulling them up every day at the door. She's done this today. I mean, she's done that today. I think 100%, but from what I sort of know, school sort of put in a referral and I went through that process and I know that if you now it's a case of like going to the GP or whatever or it can get done privately but in my case it was school putting in a referral and start speaking to my mum and getting it done through that route

so you're you've got a really unusual case haven't you because you're not only autistic but you have a form of ADHD which makes you is it something like under 2% of the population of the world have got the diagnosis you have. Still not like that, but I'm not 100% sure on that fact anymore. Might have gone up to 3%. I got told that and actually having done some digging into it, I'm not sure the person who told me that I've got it. Well, I like it as a fact, so we've said it now.

We'll go with it. We're using it. Yeah, but the point is... We'll go with it, but it could be very wrong. The point is that you not only deal with your autism, but you also deal with the ADHD as well. So there's a lot for you to contend with. Yeah. How does it affect you day to day?

Well, like, I think there are almost two separate things and one thing at the same time. They're very contradictory of each other. So like, I was like my brain sort of split in two. So if, like, for example, the autistic side of my brain is such, wants everything nice and neat and tidy and on time. Whereas that sort of ADHD side of my brain really struggles to keep everything nice and neat and tidy

and be on time and not be rushing around. So I think day to day it's more those like sort of contradictions. Like there's some things where both conditions are playing to one like in social situations and things like that. But the day to day, like life and such, I think it's the contradiction between the two that's that's hard on it. And have you found that it affects you differently because of sport or in sport or in a, you know, it helps you in sport or anything like that?

I think it helps me in sport and sport, sport helps me with it. Okay. Like, I think that it helps me sport in a sense of like, I'm very driven, it makes me very driven, it makes me focus on that one goal as such. And I think of sport helps me with it all because it's that like stressurice. It's that like getting that energy out, getting that stress out.

And that sport, that sport always has been that for me. So I think, yeah, like I say, it helps me because it's something that I can really focus on and something that I know I'm going to get that. But then by the same talk, I, wow, I'm none of my words up there. But you know what I'm trying to say?

Like sport helps me and it helps me with sport. It's like a nice cycle in a way that you, got the release on sport. It's a bit like mental health in that respect then, isn't it? Like, it's almost like a bit of a medication for it. Cricket must be extra hard in that respect because it's not like you're just running around on a football field. There's a lot of thought and processes and decision making

that goes into cricket. Yeah, and I think itself's like one big contradiction because you think about cricket and it's like, it's a long game. There's a lot of thinking to do. And that doesn't really add up to my brain. So like really laying out on paper I shouldn't love cricket and cricket you know that wouldn't be the sport for me

but somehow I've managed to make it work I think the thing is with Conditional Act when you find your thing that's it then like you hyper focus on that one thing and that thing becomes like an obsession almost

and I think that's what cricket has become for me so those sort of things like that aren't as maybe you would think they would be on paper because cricket, like, I was cricket, so I'm going to do cricket. You didn't make it work almost. Yeah. I love playing cricket with Liv because when we first started playing together, Liv,

I think I was captain and you've come straight into the team and I'd be like, anyone know the rum rate? And Liv would be like, yeah, 4.276. And I'd be like, how'd you know that? And Liv, I've been working it out for the last two minutes. Or you'd say, Liv, I want you to field an extra cover and stop every. And with autism, you take everything so literally, don't you live? Yeah. So you could say to live, I'll be two minutes and she's counting down 120 seconds.

Well, you said two minutes, you've been two and a half minutes. So that's something we've also had to learn as a team to adapt. And if we say we're going to start training around 2 o'clock, that doesn't help you, does it? No, and like, because what is around 2 o'clock? because someone would say around 2 o'clock it's half past one but no it's not because either round 2 o'clock two minutes to 1 like what is around 2 o'clock there's no such thing with around 2 o'clock

either 2 o'clock or it's not 2 o'clock you know what I mean? It's the literal meaning isn't it? So have you got any stories of anything that's happened where someone said something and then there's either been a blow up or you've taken it or they've taken it the moment? Yeah.

One that springs to mind was when I was at school so I must have been like year 10 or something like I was in science and I must have been doing something I shouldn't have been doing in all fairness but the teacher turned out and she went right if you don't want to be here get out and I just picked my bag up and went I walked out of the corridor and I bumped into one of my other teacher and he was like lying on your lesson and I said well Mrs just said to me if I don't want to be here to get out

and he went yeah that's not how that works And all that are. That's true though, isn't it? Because like if someone said to me, if you don't want to be a get out, I'd be like, well, there's a big part of me that wants to do what lives done, pick up my bag and leave. But I know I shouldn't. Yeah.

So you just sit there, sulking. I love that though. So have your, I guess your family will have learned to adapt over the years, but also have your teachers, your coaches, have they had to adapt with how they communicate to you as well? Yeah, I think, like, more like at school it was hard because you've got 30 kids in a classroom

and you can't like it's very hard school was difficult in that sense teachers never never quite there's always going around there's always been teachers that I've had that get it and did everything that it could but then a lot of teachers didn't really get it

and I think coming into it like cricket now and I've left school left college everything like that cricket I have seen for the first time people be almost willing to adapt and willing to sort of change the way not necessarily the way to go about things but like you said like around 2 o'clock

like what's that like people are more willing now to be like no we're starting it to and be a bit more direct and a bit more do you know what I mean the first time people have actually almost wanted to do that for me I think Thunder as well I remember we had an autism

training day almost where like a van came into to Old Trafford and we as players got to go in and experience what it was like for you on a day-to-day basis so we went in and we had to put big gardening gloves on and headphones big thick headphones so you couldn't hear things properly I think they might have even been playing music in it as well those goggles that were blurry vision and then we had to do all these tasks and there was smells

there were there was spraying stuff in the room and you had to play tidily winks I remember you had to try and get the colours out but you couldn't see what the colours were. And it was one of the most overwhelming experiences I've ever had to the point where I nearly got up and left because I hated it and my brain was all over the place. And I remember coming out and saying to you, Live, wow, if that is what you're going through on a day-to-day basis

and you're trying to play cricket and train and do everything to the best of your ability, then hats off to you because that was really difficult. And I remember you said that is about 10% of what I go through on a daily basis. and I was absolutely blown away. Yeah, I think that, like, that band was, I found it quite funny, actually, like, it almost, as well as giving everyone else that perspective, it sort of gave me a bit of perspective as well, like,

people were coming out, like, asking for paracetam all and doing like that, and I was just, like, chill out. Do you know what I mean? Like, I was like, like, Chima and Aaron had a domestic in that band, and I was like, guys, just calm down, like, and so it gave people that, perspective of what I go through, but it actually almost put it into perspective for me because I was like, that sometimes you sort of doubt yourself, don't you think, oh no, I'm fine, like, I've been automatic, like, I shouldn't be that like sort of sensitive or whatever.

And I think it's sort of seeing everyone else come out like that, put it into like, no, actually like there are some things you go through and that's all right, like, yeah, seeing it from everyone else's part of you as well, you know what I mean? So we, so if we had music on in the gym and then there's, barbells go in and then there's a buzzing somewhere as well sometimes that can be too much for you can't it because you do you sometimes your brain will just hear the barbells or just hear the buzzing and the music's like yeah like then a trigger and sometimes like these days like nine times out of ten that'll be absolutely like that'll be fine because that's just one little like

layer to my day but then on another day I've had all these layers from all these other different things that might be the one thing that like tips me over the edge and then it's almost like Like, you could put me in, on a Monday and a Tuesday, the exact same situation in the gym, but different things before that, and that will lead to two different outcomes. Like, if Monday, it's absolutely plain sailing, I get up in the morning, I get up on time, everything goes right in the morning, I admit, I have my breakfast, I have me ready break in the morning, I get up, there's no traffic, I'm into training, everything's, that won't bother me. It'll just be like the gym session crack on.

Whereas Tuesday, get up and then, I don't. I don't know, something goes wrong, like my brother gets in the shower before me and that makes me a bit late or my ready break don't got to plan or there's traffic and then I'm a bit late and everything goes wrong in the morning. I get to the gym and then all that's going on, that might be the thing that then tips me over there that day. And obviously this episode will probably really resonate with some people or there might be someone at their cricket club that is autistic

and it might give them a way of helping them a bit more but everyone's autism is different, isn't it? It's not as simply as just saying you are in this box and this is how it works. Everyone has to find their own way of how they deal with it and what their triggers are and how to not control the triggers, but how to deal with them when they come.

Yeah, how to deal with them. That's the thing. And like no two people who are autistic or the same, like that might be something that, there might be something like that environment in the gym where it's dead loud, music, barbell, thing going on might not face someone but someone else like even if they've had a great day that might take them over the edge like it's so different like the similarities but there's no two

people who are the exact same and I can sit here and say how I go about it and it might help certain people but it will never be the exact same experience of somebody else so what would your advice be for I guess me crossy somebody at Haywood somebody playing at another team if they've got people with autism in their team, what would your one bit of advice be? I think just try and listen and understand as much as you can. Like, I get it's not an easy thing to understand and me sitting in saying certain things might not sort of,

you might think in your head what you're going on about, that makes no sense. But that understanding is so important because, yeah, it might not make sense to you, but that is the way it is. And I get that some people, People might think, oh, get over it, but it's not as simple as that. And if you've got people around you sort of listen and understand,

that makes, like, someone like my life so much easier because, like, I'm more comfortable in knowing actually these people around me get what's going on. They're not going to judge me. They're not going to think I'm aware, though, and it's okay. And it's okay if something, what they might deem as really small and really insignificant gets to me, it's all right, because they're going to understand that, Yeah, it might not get to me, but it'll get to live, you know, that sort of thing.

And what would your advice be for someone who's in your shoes, who, so it's not, you know, it's someone who is autistic? How, and you're in that environment where not everyone understands and it, you know, it feels like your brain does look very different to everyone else. It's like, what's your advice to that person to get the help? I think you've just, you've got to speak to people because I think for so long, right, I hid it from everyone, like, I didn't want anybody to know about it. Like, obviously all my teachers knew about it through school because that's just, that happens, don't it?

But, like, I didn't tell anybody about it for ages. You were embarrassed or? Yeah, I was. And I think, like, because I struggled through school, making friends and keeping friends, and I struggled socially, I thought that them finding out that I was artistic would just make them go, nah, won't touch over a six foot bargeful

and put people off even more than they've already put off. And that probably did me over in the long run. And I never accepted any help through school. Like teachers would try and help me, but they were ways that would make me seem, in my eyes, make me seem different. So I shut it all down. And I just was like, no, no.

no, no, no. I almost denied it. And then I think, like I say, that actually did me over in the long run because by not accepting any help and anything like that, I made it harder for myself. And I think now that I'm still not fully there, but I think with people I'm comfortable with, like with all the girls, like to understand, I think I'm at a point now where I can talk to those people and that's, I've realised that them understanding and me being able to speak as massive to help me. And I wish I'd have done it earlier. So I think, yeah, that would be my advice.

And the long, long, winded way I could word it, is just, like, speak to people and don't be embarrassed as such about it. And there's also nothing to be embarrassed about, because everybody's different, you know. I'm different to Crossy, who's different to you, we're different. And that's what makes the world such a weird and wonderful place if we're all the same, it'd be a really boring place, wouldn't it?

And I wish, like, I'd have sort of realised that, earlier. I think, like, through school, like, especially the school I went to, like, difference in any form, got jumped on straight away. So I was already different because I played cricket and I was a girl. And because I got my head down and did the work and I did quite well academically, I was already a target. Can you tell everybody what you got in your exams because it blows my mind every time you tell us? I got, at GCSEA, I got, 7-8 stars and at a

level I got 3 inch star that is like so amazing one of our questions we've actually got written down live is like obviously there's there's a lot of stigma around autism and I think a lot of that is because people don't understand it and that's obviously why autism awareness month is so important

yeah but there's so many pros as well like I think people see the negatives but there's so many pros to be in autistic so what is your like the one thing that you're like real loud proud about? Um, one, I don't know. I reckon,

like, I think it makes quite good at remembering useless information, which is probably what I did so on the exact. Um, but also like being able to, much as ADHD sometimes tries to get in the way of it, being able to pick one thing and like solely focus on that. Like I don't think that cricket wise I'd have been as, driven and as motivated as I am if it weren't for that like that part of my brain which my autism contributes to that's that's so committed towards it.

So we see times where your ADHD takes over or your autism takes over. How do you balance the two because from like you said a Monday and a Tuesday one day you might be climbing trees the other day you might be really stressed out. the music. That, like, and there's, like, sort of, no answer to it, like, it's unpredictable, and, like, it's just sort of dealing with it on the day. And, like, I, like, I sort of can't control that.

I can't control what's going to go on in the day, but it's sort of dealing with it as it comes. And there might be time I'm just, I think, right, I'm bouncing off the walls now, like, and then there might be other times I'm thinking, like, that means it's far too loud, or, you know, little things like that, but it's just sort of being able to deal with it as it comes.

And I'm not one spontaneity, but you've got to just roll with it. Like, I absolutely hate things just being, like, chucked on me last minute. But that's my life. Like, I mean, you've just sort of got to go, you've just sort of got to accept that because of no changing it. Like, you can't go, right, this week I'm going, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, I'll be autistic and then Tuesday, Thursday, I'll be autistic.

It doesn't work like that. It's just sort of... It can be and like there's no... You can't polish a third can you? Like, it is exhausting it but it's just sort of the way it is and that's why it's important to have

like those people around you who get that and who can sort of appreciate just how exhausting it it can be at times and like we did that that bus at thunder and that and I think that was massive in sort of getting the people around me

to understand that because I can say all this for the girls and the staff to actually sort of do that and go through that process, I think, put it into perspective for them as well. Do you think it helped? Massively.

Honestly, I would recommend anyone out there, whether you know anyone with autism or not, to go and do that experience because it's the sensory part of it that you could describe that to us all day but we'll never understand it. Yeah, but you'll never understand that feeling. But how I felt that day

that van I wouldn't wish upon anyone and that's why I obviously I think like my respect level for what you deal with on a day to day basis just shot through the route and it also made me more aware of myself around you live when we're at training because I was really conscious of how I spoke how I gave you information and like you said I'll no one's the same like that's Ellie gives me different information than she might give Phoebe Graham one goal in that everyone is different in that respect but it's having that awareness and actually that lived experience so I would definitely recommend anyone to go and get that done. It was the direct instruction for me when we sat down. I was like, right, Liv, I'm Skipper, you're a player. Like, how do you want it? And you're like,

whatever you say, I will take every single word as gospel. And I loved it because I was like, Liv, stop every single ball you can. And you were by far our best fielder because you would literally put your body on the line. You had five broken fingers at one stage. Yeah. Last summer, said and functioning digits at one point. Liv, I think what's amazing and what's really coming across and hopefully people are picking up as well from this interview is how aware you are

of your triggers, your symptoms, you know, that it might look different day to day, etc. And obviously not everyone's probably going to be on that part of their journey, but it feels like it's something that you've really almost like wanted to learn about

and help yourself if that's the right way of putting it. but yeah it is 100%. I think I went so long just sort of denying it and like pushing it to the back of my mind and trying to fit in like I spent so long trying to sort of find friends and find somewhere that actually

I fit that that was the last thing I wanted people to become aware of and indirectly then I sort of became less aware of it myself because I'm not sort of pushing that to the people around me and therefore I'm not thinking about it back of the mind no shut it off sort of thing

but I think like now I've found place where I'm accepted like that's why thundering the whole route onto me because I finally found somewhere that actually no I'm not being judged I'm accepted for who I am it's okay to just be me and I think that's then allowed me to sort of be like

no it's all right like you're not a freak like yeah you might have been told that for 10 years but I promise you're not no you are not and then like and now I've sort of come to realize that so I've been able to then learn more about myself because I'm in that environment where it's okay and then obviously now I can speak about that better

like it's took me a long time to learn but and I'll learn more and things will change like something that I might have learned about myself now might not be in five years time that might not be the case so it is constantly changing but just being in that position where I've been able to learn that about myself has helped me and it's helped me to tell other people

which then has helped them to help me. Yeah. I do think that it's important to sort of yeah it's autism awareness one but I think well I hope anyway now that we're at a point where

there is that there is awareness I would hope if you went out and did a general survey and you said have you heard of artism I would hope that 99% of people would say, yeah, I think now it's more about acceptance. I think, yeah, we're now on artisdoms out there, it's more spoken about, it's more sort of public eye as such. I think now it's more about acceptance and getting rid of stereotypes. I think sometimes

that's what really bugs me and really, like, grind my gaze, that everyone thinks you like rain, man, or, you know, one of these stereotypical artistic characters that you see? And like Sheldon or Summit from Big Bang or whatever but that's just not the case and I think knowing that every single person is different even to the extent that day to day I'm different so that something that could really bother me one day the next day is irrelevant to me

because I've not had that big buildup or whatever it is like sort of being aware of and understanding that now is the point that we're at and then I think that's the thing that's sort of going to push it along further that sort of acceptance from understanding of it. Well, the way you talk about it, I'm sure we'll push that forward, but I think we should rename it, Autism Acceptance Month for you.

Liv, like, you're a wonderful human being and you're a very, very talented cricketer, and you have the most amazing brain of someone that I've ever met, and that's what makes you so special. And the way you articulate what goes on in your brain is very special as well. I don't think there'll be many people who can do that. So hopefully people that have listened to this will have gained a lot from it. I know me and I'll certainly have. Thank you so much for coming on. We had to get on a bang on 2.30 for you.

We knew. We were late. Yeah, we were late at least. Around 2.30. Liv, thank you so, so much for coming on the podcast. You are amazing and I actually can't wait to see you. Yeah, I can't wait to see you. It's been

a while. Good luck on Saturday. Are you playing for Haywood? Yeah. Go well. We'll watch some games. Thank you. Of the wood. Absolutely. Oh yeah, you two play at the same cricket club? We've actually not played a game together for Hayward, have we?

No, we've not. We're not played for Hayward together yet. We'll have to make it happen. All right. Thanks for having me. Thanks, love. Thank you, Liz. All right. See you later.

Bye. What a superstar, like, from what everything that she's just said, to then articulate it how she does. It's just amazing, isn't it? And she will no doubt have helped so much. many people from just having that chat with us and I think also like being so self-aware as well because you know a few years ago she wasn't a few years ago but I know she got diagnosed really early but she wouldn't know why she's having a bad day or a good day and I think she's learned

so much and about her and she used to get really frustrated didn't she and almost we used to get frustrated as well because if she didn't understand it there was absolutely no way we were going to understand it so I feel like and hats off to thunder as well because they really worked hard to help her feel how she feels now, that acceptance, and she's got a really good group of friends who support her in that team. But yeah, the frustration was what shone through for me, and I think then I associated frustration with autism, whereas actually when you listen to it and how she chats, she's unbelievable.

Yeah. I think for us as a team as well, it's learning that if Liv asks us to turn the music off, it's not because she doesn't like the song that doesn't want to listen to music, because she needs it turning off. And there was one time we'd had a win away, and she was on the bus, and she's like, you need to turn the music off. And everybody battered an eyelid. It's like, okay, music's off.

We just talk quietly for half an hour and let her calm down and let her bring herself around. And then it was like, okay, the music can go back on now. And I think that's what makes our group so special because we are understanding. And that's why that van that we did, that experience we did. I actually think everyone needs a top-up on it. Yeah.

got so many new players, but all helped us accept that. Yeah. But I also think, I think those conversations come from Liv, because if she wasn't as open and as honest, no one would be able to even get like a percentage of what she goes through in the day. And I think the fact that she can then be like, guys, I'm really struggling today. You know, I'm hearing everything. I need the music off, whatever it might be.

Like she said, when she was pushing it away, it was making it worse for everyone. So I actually thought her advice, it really just reminded me of all the times we talk about mental health on this podcast that talking is so important. Understanding how your mental health looks versus other people's, it's very different. But actually what you need on a Monday might be different than what I need on a Tuesday. And also the acceptance side of it, that it's not about awareness anymore, it's about accepting it. I love that. Autism Accept us month. That's what it is.

Or autism acceptance month. That's what I just said, didn't I? Accept us. No, I did. I reckon that can get replayed. I said acceptance. You always mishear me, you know. You always say the wrong words.

Didn't. Autism acceptance month. Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to send this episode, not just to get our downloads up, but I'm going to send this episode to all the girls to listen to as well. Yeah, me too. A refresher. Don't forget, you can email us on.

Noblespodcast at BBC.com.com.com. No ballspodcast at BBC.com.com. It's so good. They said it twice. To anyone out there who resonates with this episode, there's loads of help that you can get out there. If anyone in their cricket team is struggling with autism or you're not sure how to deal with it,

then there's just loads of places that you can go, isn't there? I think Thunder have been almost the blueprint of how to do that, not that everyone's going to go out and get that van to go down to their cricket club to help people, but I really would recommend it. Me too. Bye. Bye, everyone.

Cross. I'm doing round the wicket. Oh, that's a holder. Boulder, 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.