Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - WAshes done, and what a journey it was...

Episode Date: July 19, 2023

Kate Cross and Alex Hartley have lived the WAshes on the field and in the commentary box. Here's the inside story, including dropped catches, dropped trophies and lots more!

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Henry does beep it out for us because he's a good man. It is actually so that your family can all listen. Your kids can listen. But we will say... Sugar. That's not the way of it. I mean he said a really bad one. Cross comes in round of wicket.

Boulder, 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 beauty from Cross. Hello, and welcome back to No Balls of Cricket Podcast, another. emergency episode with me, Kate Cross and you Alex Hartley. Hello, hello, hello.

Hello, a little sink. Turning it on because I'm really tired. Oh, you're really tired. Have you had a big few weeks? Yeah, you really tired too by any chance. A little bit tired, very, very, very tired. Yeah, why? Because it's the day after the washes

has finished. We're back in Manchester in the studio again. Oweho. Wea-ho. And it's all hit me. Yep. Yep. Or is it the hangover?

Could be the hangover. could be the five weeks of cricket. Body's hurting, heads hurting, everything's hurting. Okay, so before we go and dissect the whole washes, did you have a big party last night? Yes, we did, yes. We stayed in our dressing room for probably two or three hours, which was really nice, all the families came in,

and we sang the team song. It got a little bit like a school disco where we were all sat, singing, dancing in the middle of the dressing room and the parents were just stood watching us on the side and not really knowing what to do. Did I see Sophie Eccleston had her two golf friends in the dressing room?

Yeah, Debs and Tracy, they were in there. So yeah, they were filming it all. They've probably got footage of the whole evening. Love that. But yeah, then we just went back to our hotel and had a little boogie with our big speaker, Barry. Big speaker? Oh, the big boombox.

Yeah, the boom box. Oh, Barry. Good night. Really good night. I think sometimes when you have nights like that, we've had a lot of team room nights because of COVID. But I think when you have nights like that and you don't go off into a club or a bar or something, you all stay together and it's a more special night.

So yeah, it was good fun. Yeah, they're good. And Crossy, it was well deserved because you won both Whiteball series. Yeah. You won four out of seven games. Yeah. And being six nil down, you've drawn the ashes. Incredible, isn't it?

I think I've still really not quite worked out how I feel because it was a strange day yesterday to win the ODI series, celebrate that. but then watch Australia pick up the Ashes Trophy. But not celebrate that. But not celebrate that. And it's a ashes drawn, series drawn underneath their photo. I was half expecting us all to get up on that little podium and have a photo. Well, Alex Blackwell said Alyssa Healy should have invited you all up and had a photo, both teams together. It's a strange one, isn't it?

I think they're going to have to have a look at the point system now with it being a five-day test match because you basically guaranteed a result unless weather really interferes with that. So I think I don't know how they're going to do it I'm terrible at maths, everyone knows that So it's not for me to decide But I do think there's going to be some conversations now About the point system Point a win, just one win one point

You reckon? If it's a draw or a rained off game Half a point Yeah, I don't know We'll think about that probably When's the next ashes three years? The winter of 20206 Oh it's not that far away actually is it

two years two years okay but the messages I've got today wait five okay 25 yep

is it 2020 23 now yes so 2025 sorry okay bad math shock but the messages that I've got today

oh my gosh everyone's been like you've won you've won you've not the result doesn't matter you girls have won you've been inspiring

you've entertained us you've gone toe to toe with the best team and the world who came into this series and spoke about the gap between us and them and said it was still really big and I think we're all really proud of how we've played and winning, beating Australia. Honestly, to me, last night, I had a buzz and I was up and about and it felt like you'd won

the ashes. It was really weird because obviously the ashes have been drawn. Australia take the trophy home because they had it previously. But to me, this is the strongest team there has been since 2017. and that's proven throughout the series that you've gone toe to toe with the best team in the world because they are still the best team in the world. But it felt like England had won the ashes in a weird way.

Yeah, and I do think that something has clicked in our dressing room and it's something that could be really special. If we get it right and we still continue to play the way that we have done, and I think if you've proved that you can play that way against the best, then there's no reason why you can't do it against everyone else. Well, I've seen you play like that against everyone else anyway for the last few years, but every time Australia come out to play,

you all just go, oh, it's Australia. They're the best team. But you've not done that this time. It's the mentality side of it. And I think, yeah, I don't even know really how or why. Obviously, Louis coming in has been a big part of that, but we've still done it. But he said that.

He said the skill's always been there. It's just how we approach it and how we play our cricket when we're under pressure. And we've done a lot of work. on trying to stay really calm in those moments and that's when obviously you think most clearly and you're able to execute your skills so we have done a lot of work on that but yeah it was just so so epic it was I'm probably going to not give it the enthusiasm that it deserves because I'm doing it the day after the ashes finished I came off the pitch yesterday and just burst into tears

did you and then I had to go and do an interview on Sky yeah I just the emotion of everything of the five weeks of like got some news last week which wasn't nice that I had to deal with but then still had to go out and play in front of a few thousand people playing cricket in a really big high profile series so I was kind of been dealing with that and then it all just came out on the pitch

last night so there's a really nice picture of dunks celebrating and in the background a blurry me and Lauren Bell just crying bless you Bob I saw that interview you had to do this guy but I want to talk about your turnaround from the last game where you were like,

I've bowed really badly, that's the worst I've ever bowed in an England shirt and we spoke about it in the podcast. At Bristol. Yeah. Sorry, where did I say? The last game.

Oh, Bristol. And then to turn it around like you have, why, how have you done it? It's funny you say turn it around because I still don't feel like I've bowled as well as I can bowl and I've bowed better than I did at that day at Bristol. But I had a really good chat with Louie

and Matt Mason, our bowling coach. And basically we came to the conclusion that I've just been trying to hard. I've just, I've been trying to learn the new skill of swinging the new ball and done loads of work through the winter on that. So then I went into this summer thinking that's my stock ball. And actually my bread and butter is trying to wobble the ball, nip it around, bowl really good line and length be really boring, basically. And so the, when you're trying to swing the ball, you're trying to bowl fuller.

And with that, you've got the wrist reward of you. you're going to get driven, you're going to get hit for boundaries. And normally I'm a lot more economical than I have been in this series. So I just sat down with Louie one morning at breakfast and just said, right, I'm just going to go back to what I'm really good at. And if that does the job for the team, then that's my role in the team again today. So I didn't pick up a wicket at the Aegeas, but felt like I bowled a lot better. Yeah.

And then I think yesterday at Taunton, it was just one of those. You kind of picked up wickets because Australia needed to put the foot down. But also, you got healing with a beauty. Oh, that was a seed. You're happy with that one. That was a seed. I was so happy. And then as I'm hugging everyone,

I see it flash up around the ground, no ball. Did you see it? No. Did you miss this? Yeah, I just saw the seed. No, so we're all celebrating. We're all hugging.

And then I literally saw it. You know the LED lights and it says, no ball, no ball, no ball, no ball, all the way around? I was like, oh, no, guys, I'm so sorry it's a no ball. And I had bolder no ball, so I was like, oh, it could be. But when I was running in, I knew my foot pattern was really good and I knew it wasn't a no ball. So I turned around to Anna and I was like, what's going on?

And she was shouting, it's a fair delivery. It's a fair delivery. So then we celebrate again. Healy's then looking up to the dressing room going, what's going on? I know what happened. The person pressing the buttons for four, six, no ball wicket, accidentally press no ball, not wicket. Yeah.

So Anna said that. But Anna had got fair delivery from jazz in a rear the second that it was out. So she knew it was out. And then I've obviously had that like elation of bowling an absolute seed that's got Healy out and then oh I don't know a ball and then oh no it's out so that was that was a bad moment but then Heather came up to me she's like are you just

are you just advertising your podcast everywhere now yeah baby there must be a moment we'll try and get a screen grab of where it says no ball no ball and you caught in oh no you can see in the huddle I go it's a no ball and Amy Jones when we found out it wasn't a no ball Amy Jones just went that is a sick joke Very funny. Ha, ha, ha.

Well, we've not even done our regular, how are you? We did. We're tired. We're both tired. But I'm good. You good? Yeah, I think so. I'm good.

It's getting ever so closer to having to play cricket again. Yep. Which for some reason and somehow, well, I know how it's therapy, but I think I'm looking forward to it. That's great news. It's weird news. That's great news. I've not quite processed it in my head that I'm excited again.

Well, that's really good. When do you go to Wales? I'm going to go early because I've obviously not trained. So I think I'm going to go Tuesday. So I'm really not far away. You know what they say, Al? What? Best one fresh.

Well, yeah. Yeah, best one fresh. The thing is, though, you're looking forward to it. A month ago, you were dreading it. Yeah. So what you've been doing with your counsellor, your therapist, whatever you call them, then that's such huge gains, isn't it? Yeah, so I've not got a session this week because I feel so good.

I'm going to have a bowl Monday and then see her Monday. night because I might need her Monday night. Might not. Might not need her. But also you should still speak to her when things go well. Yeah, exactly. Not just because things are rubbish. Exactly.

That's exciting, but yeah, hundreds around the corner. I can't believe it. It's like, the women's ashes finished last night and I was like, I want them to do it again. It was so good. I want them to do it again. Today I'm like, at the men's test going, oh, I'm glad I don't have to go back to Southampton. Not for a while. How are you, bar being tired?

Yeah, I'm good. I'm good, yeah. Got about 10 days off now. going doing some test match watching this week. Obviously, you've got 10 days off from cricket, so you're going to go to cricket. Well, I've been asked if I can ring the bell at Old Trapper at the test match.

And I am, honestly, I was overwhelmed when Daniel Gidney messaged me. Overwhelmed, like, could have cried again. I wouldn't have surprised anyone if I cried. Heather was shouting at me in the dress room. I saw you cry on the telly. I think, Phil Long was telling me last night, I might be the first woman to be doing it as well.

Whoa. Not sure that might be. not factual, but... Ring my bell, my bell. I hope you got, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Well, I was with Sue Redfern last night because they were staying in our hotel, so we've had a few beers.

It's definitely past midnight. And I went past her and I told her. I was like, Sue, I'm so chuffed. I've been asked to ring the bell. So I was like, what technique should I use? Like, do I go for like the ding, ding, ding, ding. Or I was like, shall I give it the whole, like, whoa. Yeah, give it the world.

If you don't do that, I'm going to be really annoyed at you. I reckon you go, woo, ooh, ding, ding, Like, rim it round as well. Okay. And, like, make that whoo-noise. Right, yeah, I don't know. I'm just, I'm going to panic and I'll probably just look really awkward. But, yeah, I was in.

I'm going to come watch. Was in? Speaking of Sue. Anna fell over. Yeah. Anna's on her Ross. Honor Ross. Anna's on her Ross.

Na, nah, na, na, na, na, na, na. Yeah, I missed it. And then Heather was sat next to me and she was just like, why was Anna on the floor? And then the replay, unbelievably funny. And we got a little. sound clip from her doing and she walked us through it yeah brilliant

absolutely she styled it out so well she laughed and then bowed to the crowd I thought she handled it excellently yeah was that Trev singing anans on her ass

I thought it was yeah but she said that she has one a year she has a four one one time a year normally so I was like do it on the biggest stage in the biggest game

of the summer why not it's so funny what is it with umpires and falling over I know but I said I also saw Sue before the game yesterday and I said

you and Anna need to come on our podcast together because she apologised for not being able to make our live so I said to counter it then they're going to both come on right perfect we should get them both on and that would be a huge honour

because I love Hannah and Sue right should we unpack the washes yeah so Alana King came out before the last ODI and said there's still a massive gulf between these two teams do you think there is

no I think we've proved that there isn't. And I think you can't walk away from an Ashes series that's drawn where every game bar the last one was anyone could have won. Like the smallest margins,

basically one boundary in the game before it at the Aegeas. We could have won the Ashes. Like the margins were so tiny that I don't think you can say that there's a big gap between us now. Well, it's funny that Alana King said that because Ash Gardner, I'm pretty sure,

said that you've dominated and you've played better cricket. Yeah. I don't think they had a team meeting about this, this press. No, obviously you don't know what goes on in their dresser room

but we talk about this kind of stuff and how we want to talk to the media and the messages that we want to give across and we were really clear going into this that we were going to focus on ourselves they are the best team in the world we're going to try and challenge them but by doing that

we're going to play our version of cricket and that's how we speak and that's what we've done all summer but there seemed to kind of fluctuate and then it kind of confused me when Kingy said that because I don't know, I always just think with the media you've got to be careful. Maybe I'm more prudent than other people, but I just think you don't want to look silly.

No. And I'd always err on the side of caution when you speak to the media rather than saying, oh, there is a really big gap. And then go out and get absolutely hammered by England. Yeah, well, that was our biggest defeat over them in one-day cricket since 1973. I think that was the year my mum. was born so yeah

but no I don't think that we're the best team in the world I don't think either team played their best cricket in this

series but I think both teams fought like hell and put on a really good show and credit to both teams actually because it couldn't have been the series

that it was without both teams doing what they did but I do think the gap has closed I do I do I just look back at moments now

of the test match of the first T20 the second game at ODIT, Southampton and going, you could have won all three of those games. And previously,

we've not been able to come off the pitch saying that. So the last time we played Australia in a one-day game was the World Cup final in Christchurch and what do we lose by? 70 or 80 runs?

No, it wasn't that many because Australia got 370 and England got 350 because Siverbrook... We didn't get 350. 1, 4, 6, not out. I don't think we were within 20 of them. Maybe it was like 40 or 50 we lost by.

But that, I remember a lot of people saying you should be so proud you went up against the best team in the world whereas now we've been beating the best team in the world I think if we played that World Cup final now then we'd have just done it all so differently Well they wouldn't have got 370 for a start

No that's true I know it is it's all if some buts but that is what ultimately has made it such a good series like if we'd have scored that or if we'd have done that in the test match but obviously it is what it is the series is drawn

we've got two white ball series wins but yeah just no big ashes trophy to show for it I mean I think that's fine because I think it's still a moral victory isn't it you know going into the series having they won the test match they then won that first T20 you were up against it you had to win five out of five Heather's playing the great escape to the team you know and you basically did it and in those situations in the past

we've lost 8-0 9-0 10-0 we've not come back from it that 2019 Ashes series was a good example of that where we didn't win until the final game at Bristol. So I think, yeah, there's just, I think I said on, I went on stump this morning with Ali Mitchell and I was saying that I think it really helps having some youngsters who don't have scar tissue against Australia.

Alice Chaps who don't give a crap who's bowling at her. She just wants to whack them for four. And similarly, like belly bowling at Healy and Perry and people, she just doesn't matter to her. She just wants to take wicket. So I think there is an element of that which has helped massively. But we can't not talk about Nats of a Brunt. Oh, my word.

I don't know how you describe to anyone who doesn't understand cricket how good she is. The best sausage and egg sandwich you'll ever have in your life because she's the best cricketer in the world, female. So she's a sausage and egg sandwich? Well, I'm just trying to relate to people that don't play cricket. Okay. Does that work? I don't know.

I'm not a sausage and egg kind of sandwich. It doesn't relate to everyone then. No. And there's vegans and stuff, so. All right, that's ruin that. But she's just unbelievable. She's so, so good at cricket. She's had four hundreds in her last five ODI innings against Australia.

Three of them we've been on the losing side of it. So yesterday we said, we're going to win this game for you, Nat. You have to win for that yesterday. We had to win for that. We got, well, she got the win for us, but we got the win. but she's just a different class isn't she? She just makes cricket look so easy

and the way she bats you know yes you know I feel like she used to have weaknesses right she used to come to the crease and you go you got a bowl full and straight because she'll go back to a full delivery and you can get her out at LBW

well she's got rid of that now so now you go how are we getting this chick out well now we've got a bowl at her in the hundreds it's been great having her on our team She won England Ashes player of the series, player of the match yesterday and ODI player of the series yesterday. And so she's got all these trophies and huge magnums of champagne.

So I was like, Nat, do you need some help? She's packing a bag up. I was like, do you need some help? Do you want me to take these trophies? So I picked them all up and one of them just slips out and falls on the floor. You dropped it? I dropped it. So I was like, oh, I'm really sorry.

Like everyone was watching and I was laughing. I was like, shock. I've dropped something else's series. And then she was like, crossy, do know it's made out of glass, don't you? I was like, oh, so he opened the box up and it was smashed up. Which one? Player of the match for the ODIs, which was the least important one. No, it's not.

It was the least important. But she was like, she looked at me and there was a moment where I was like, I know this really bothered her. Yeah. And I was, she was like, then she started laughing. I was like, no, this would bother me. So I had to go to our manager like, I don't know what's happened here. I think this trophy turned up broken

you can have to try and get it replaced because that's really upset Oh shit Yeah So you broke it Is she got a new one on the way? New one on the way So what I did was when I got on the bus

The two that were I then collected the other two I'm going to guard these with my life now And then I would not let you do that after that She was too busy with the magnums of champagne To worry about me holding a trophy So I was like I really hugged them in tight

I got on the bus And then everyone went to the back Set we've got this like big setty at the back So everyone piled on there So I was like, if I leave them, they're going to slide and fall again. So I put them in the oven. Yeah. So the trophies were in the oven on the bus journey home yesterday.

They're not still in the oven, are they? No, no, I took them out. I really took responsibility for these trophies after I broke one of them, left them on reception for her. This morning I saw her as like, Nat, you need to get your trophies. This is why, when you asked me the other day, if I was an egg for a year and I had to have someone to look after me and I don't smash for a whole year, I get a million pounds.

but if it's smashed, they get a million pounds, right? And I picked you, because when you're given a task, you do it with so much bar smashing the trophy, but you do do it with so much. Concentrate. Concentrate. You're going, this is my task. I'm not going to, you're like a little child that goes, right,

I cannot smash this egg. So if I was an egg for a year and I got a million pounds, I would give you a little bit off that million pounds. Thank you. When I'm not smashed. Thank you. But you said you wouldn't pick me. No, I wouldn't pick you because you...

I would... Well, I mean, you just dropped something on the floor midway through this podcast and you just sat still. So I wouldn't trust you if I was an egg. Crossy, if you were an egg for a year and I got a million pounds for breaking it, I'd throw it the minute it was in my hand. Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, so no, I was giving me to Dr. Tam, our doctor who looked after me when I was really poorly. Yeah, yeah. So where... Well, I guess, where's this England team go from here? Still work-ons. There was a lot of drop-catchers. they're all me

yeah I think you actually text me I text you last night saying I'm so proud of this Asher series you've done brilliant you went yeah but have you seen my hands anywhere I think you left your hands at Trent Bridge when you dislocated your thumb

could have yeah well it it got worse after that didn't it I do I do feel like it's a valid excuse that I've had a broken thumb Did you catch a catch One in the ashes I've got file as test match debut wicket Oh yeah gully

Yeah then after that I'd drop one every game or if I didn't drop one I let one through my legs so I actually I was sat having a drink in the dress room last night and I had bowling coach

came up to me and Louie was there as well and Matt just said to me he's like how are you holding that beer without any hands it's incredible I know

I know I've been back to bowling school and I need to go back to field in school I think a few people do to be fair although you've got so much better it is a slight weakness and I guess well you've got ages now

you can practice till the next time you play Yeah. I don't know. I think what's blow my mind about this England team is that we've not trained together. Yeah. We've not been together since the World Cup in South Africa. We've been with our regions. Obviously, everyone's been working individually on what they need to work on. But we've not had training camps together. We had two week buildup for the test match. Do you think that's helped mentally? Massively. hugely. Because I think everyone's been like chomping at the bit to get back in their England kit. And that probably sounds really strange. to people who aren't involved in it. But when you go down to Loughborough and you're there four nights a week and you get three nights of your week at home.

And one of them, two of them are doing your washing, packing your back. Doing your washing, basically putting it all back in the same bag. You don't get to go to Tesco and do a big food shop because you're never there long enough. And I know it sounds really minute, but it's life and it's, I've been able to see my friends so much more.

I've been able to sleep in my own bed so much more. I've had more time in my apartment this year. I think since like all my years in my apartment combined just because we've not been at Loughborough all the time and I think being able to train with Thunder well for me you you've got more responsibility to look after yourself and look after your game um I can't really talk I guess because my prep for this Sasha series wasn't very good with the illness but I do think that it just goes to show how much it was about our mentality and not about our skill yeah yeah I think you're right those skills always been there

the skill has always been there it's really interesting it's really interesting to see how it'll go moving forward. Obviously you've got the series against Sri Lanka coming up and then the winter. We're off to India in the winter and then we're off to New Zealand as well I think in February so we do have we've still got a lot of cricket but I think what I don't want to see now is crowds and things disappear because we're not playing against Australia. I'd love to see people turn out and support us in September when we play against Sri Lanka. Obviously we've got the 100 first so there's a lot of cricket to come and watch but yeah you just don't want to see it go backwards now when it feels like we've made such a big stride.

Well, I'm going to be the Debbie Downer. It's already taking a backward step in my eyes because you're going back to Lester and Derby. There's no disrespect. They've been brilliant for women's cricket in the past, but you can't have more than 3 or 4,000 people because that's then a sellout. So if you are playing at Edgbaston, the Oval, Lords, you can have more people than 3 or 4,000 people and you have the opportunity to fill a stadium whereas actually you don't. It'll be interesting to see the scheduling for next year, won't it,

and see where we're playing and the nights we're playing at because playing Friday night at the Oval, Saturday night at Lords, it makes a big difference. So, yeah, it will be interesting to see where they've gone. But I'm definitely looking forward to a little bit of time away from cricket slash going watching some cricket for now. Ringing the bell.

Ring in the bell. Yeah. I'm just, I'm in a bit of a whirl. Like, you know, when your brain's just not quite there. Yeah. I've got not processed it. We spoke about this on the live. Like we do a lot of our processing on this podcast

and you try and work it all out and try and articulate how you feel. And you don't quite know how you feel. Yeah, I've got obviously similar. So I process things, same as you here. And my poor dad the other day before the live said, I just wish you'd have spoken to me earlier. And I was like, I just didn't know what was going on in my own head.

And then I speak to you and then I feel better. And I do the podcast and I feel better. But I only feel better briefly. And I felt really bad for my dad. Oh. Well, that's parents thing though. parents just want to look after. Yeah, I said promise next time.

Hopefully there won't be one, but there will be somewhere down the line. Yeah. I will speak to your dad. Well, the good news is you're feeling better. I know. Looking forward to some cricket. Yeah.

I'm looking forward to playing against you. Everyone's been asking me, is she going to play? I'm like, I don't know. I don't know. Everyone asks me if I'm going to play. I'm sick of hearing the question. Also, what I've heard recently is, I'm so sad you've retired.

I'm like, I haven't retired. Not yet. Not yet. I'm not retired. I'm just going to check my sticking notes before we move on. Right, yeah, one more thing happened last night that I need to tell you about. Okay.

So I went to the toilet. This is just after I've been speaking to Unpire Sue about how I was going to ring the bell, what techers I was going to use. And I came back and Nat, Robbie Williams Angels was on, so everyone was around singing it. And Nat said, oh, we've just sent a video to Robbie. So it's like, what? Yeah, we've just videoed Robbie Williams, letting him know that we're all singing this song. What?

Danny Wyatt. He's got his number. He's got his number and text him. So I don't know whether he replied. I'm still waiting to find out if he replied. Oh, is that like not a bit embarrassing? It's hilarious though, isn't it? Yeah.

Yeah, that is. That is. But they're like real Stoke companions, aren't they? They're friends from Stoke. He always puts on his Instagram like, good look, Danny Wyatt. And I'm always like, that's Robbie Williams. I know. I saw John Terry replied to her post today on Instagram.

She got so many famous friends. Yeah, she has. Can you believe? They've gone today. Flown today. They've flown to Ireland. for three ODIs. Yeah.

Because I said to Sutherland, I was like, oh, because I know she's traveling Europe, she's pulled out the 100, she's having a break. I was like, when do you fly to Europe? She went, we go to Dublin tomorrow, play against Ireland. I was like, oh, that's a relentless schedule. Yeah. I think it must be championship games

because otherwise, why are you doing that? Well, it's good to play against Ireland. No, of course it is, but right on the back of an Ashes series when you play test cricket, when we don't often do that, it is big. It's a stinker, isn't it? And three ODIs as well. T-20s, you can understandably.

more. They won't train, surely. They'll just turn up and play. Yeah. I've got nothing on a sticky note. Nothing done, finished. Henry. Hello. Hi. How are you? I want a Robbie remix. I want Robbie Williams to sing just for you guys. I'm loving no balls instead. I think it needs to happen. That would be great, wouldn't it? Can Danny get in touch with Robbie? Danny's at the test match tomorrow, so I'll ask her. Yeah. If he replied, only if he replied. Yeah, I'm sure he will have done. Yeah. Would be rude if he did. Have we got any emails, Henry?

Do we ever? Yes. Loads of emails. The inbox is absolutely chocker. So we're going to go straight to Snehal who says, hello Alex and Kate, the all-round-across. Thank you. Good start.

Recently saw Baz McCullum's statement that the escalated tensions between the men's teams in the ashes meant that they may not have a beer together anytime soon. So it got me thinking, do the women also share a beer at the end of the series? So we went into our dressroom. They obviously went into their dresser room and we went to invite them into ours or vice versa.

And just as we got there, they were like, we're leaving. So no beers were had or shared together. But we don't actually often do that. It's a very male environment thing that. It's not something that we've done. No. I think you should though. Because we're all friends now, aren't we?

They played franchise cricket around the world. We are all friends. It was a hard-fought series. Should have probably all had a bit. Were they not in the same hotel? No. Different hotel. They were in Bridgewater.

Ah, they were that one miles away. Yeah. I'm looking. No wonder they lost. 45 minutes to get to the ground. Do you want another? Obviously. Two quickies.

Okay. Right. Harriet, Hattie gets in touch. Very long-time listener first time email. I absolutely loved coming to Taunton and even converted my dad into being a listener, which says a lot. Thank you so much for being so open and inspiring so many to play cricket, but also just just be. themselves and ride the ups and downs.

Having watched that final ODI in Taunton, one of my favourite moments has got to be Crossy, not getting the ball back off a fan after it was hit for six. Oh, yeah. And crawling on her hands and knees to retrieve the ball off the covers. Such a long email, sorry about that,

but keep being amazing, says Hattie. What happened? I forgot about that. I was fuming. Whoever this person is, I'm fuming at you. So the ball is really precious to us, especially when it's wet and damp

and there's a bit of rain around you need to keep those cuckabas as dry as you can for as long as you can. So six is better than a four along the floor. Yeah, no, it is. But I think it was Sutherland hit a six. Perry, whoever it was, Dno Boulder, front foot no ball.

It was a free, whatever happened, it went for six. And I was at mid, long gone. And I saw it crash into the floodlight and then crash into something else. I was like, oh, this ball's not going to be in great condition now. And this guy's gone and got it. So I was like, oh, thank you so much.

so I didn't have to go into the crowd and climb over things and fall over. So I'm literally stood there going, yep, thanks mate, thanks mate. And he did that thing where he just wanted to show off and throw the ball as far as he could and try and get it to Jonesy, the wicketkeeper. So then the ball trickles along the floor. So I was literally stood there like this. Foul face, crass. The ball's gone over.

I'm still stood there like this. So I was just really annoyed at him. But then we got that ball changed anyway because there's a big chunk missing out. Well, that's good, actually. Yeah, it was good. And then the covers thing, you can't stand on the covers with spikes because you'll just put holes in them, so hard to crawl. Oh, I mean that's just respect. Yeah. Right then. George, hi Alex and Kate, or Kate and Alex.

I'm not sure if you've debated this before, but I just saw a TikTok which said you're a psychopath of your squirt ketchup all over your chips, instead of in one pile to the side to dip the chips into. So I wanted to know what do you do? And do you agree, only psychopath squirt ketchup all over. P.S. Toaster belongs on the counter. Always wash your bread knife. and you should cook baked beans in a sauce pan, not the microwave, keep up the great podcasting, go well. Disagree. Well, Crossy is a psycho. Beans in the microwave for me.

No, but you're a psycho because when you get fish and chips, you don't put the sauce on the fish and chips, you're a dipper. Yeah. I'm a, so I'm a ketchup on the side girl, always. Yeah, same. But with a chippy, I put it everywhere. ketchup? No, no, no.

Your beans, your gravy. No. Beans, your peas. And you get one chipp and you dip it. in your grave and you put it in your mouth. That's so stupid. Yeah, because, well, you just launch curry sauce all over your fish and I'm like, well, your fish just tastes like curry now,

so you've got a completely different dish. Yeah, fish chips and curry sauce is what I've got. So you're the psycho. Yeah, anyway. But I am ketchup in one place. Mayonnaise next to it, mix them together a little bit. A bit of, if you're feeling fancy and swarm and posh, a bit of sweet chili sauce.

Oh, yeah, nice. One more. What go on there. Okay, Tim says, hi both. intrigued about who would win a stone skipping contest amongst the England and or Thunder team. My guess is that the quick outfield of the strong arms such as Danny Wyatt or Sophia Dunkley would probably beat the bowlers. Could a contest be arranged perhaps on the next Lake District character team building exercises? As for Thunder, I don't think you could look beyond former Caribbean junior javelin champion D.D.

I had D.D. in my head then. But I've also gone straight to Fee Morris. Yeah, Fee Morris. The thing with skimming stones is it's a different technique to throw in a cricket ball. for throwing a cricket ball you come over like this whereas skimming a stone you come around like this and Fee Morris throws a cricket ball like But she's got a rocket arm Rocket, yeah so I think she would win

I think in the England team Nat Silverbrood Probably, probably got a trophy for it somewhere Because she's so good A little trophy of pebbles Yeah I think it would probably Bedney Wyatt

Or you I'm a good, I did say this on the last party I'm a good stone skimmer I think head to head you and Wyatt You'd lose Sophie would be good maybe. I've got a bad shoulder. Sophie would be good

because she actually launched the ball so hard at me once it hurt when I stopped it. So yeah. We've got one more and it's an important one and it's from Becky

who says, Hi Alex and Kate, long time listener, first time email and my best friend and I, huge fans of the podcast, can you wish

my best friend Nat and her lovely wife Lauren a happy wedding day on Saturday so this weekend Saturday 22nd of July in Tuscany it will make it the best

wedding ever. Thanks so much, Becky. Happy wedding day. Happy wedding day on Saturday. So that's in a few days' time. I hope everything's going well and it's all sorted. No bride's ill as hopefully. Hopefully someone turns up. We could have got invited.

Got a bit of free time. I haven't. I'm working. You could get the day off to go to Tuscany, I reckon. What a wedding in Tuscany? Oh, yeah. Oh, I have a belting day, belting party and happy marriage. Happy marriage. It's all downhill from there.

It's easier to get out of a marriage than a mortgage, though. Yes, it is. That was the advice my mother gave to me when I turned 18. She said, Kate, it's easier to get out of a marriage than it is a mortgage. Choose wisely. Thanks, ma'am. Cheers, Mom. Thanks for listening, everyone.

Thank you so much, Henry. Thanks for popping by. It's lovely having you. It's so nice to see you. But we're all in the studio. I know. This is the first time. So good.

First time for everything. But not the last. Not the last. Don't forget to no bowl us on. Nobles podcast at BBC. no balls podcast at bbc.co.com.uk. It's so good. They said it twice and nailed it. Bye, everyone. Bye. And turn up for Sri Lanka. Bye.

Cross. I'm doing round the wicket. Oh, that's... Boulder. 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 beauty. across. Jill Scott's Coffee Club. We are back. I'm so excited for the second series, Ben.

It's going to be so exciting. Bigger and better this year. We've got the Lioness as England manager, Sabrina. Wow. As if we've got Serena. I'm happy that I've seen her a couple of times after the euros.

More on TV than in life. You can see her now here. not forget as well, Jill. We've got to hear about all your antics in the jungle, too. Every now and then, there'd just be a tannoy going, Jill, you were not allowed to leave Cap that way. So I was constantly getting in trouble. Jill Scott's Coffee Club, listen on BBC Sounds.