Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast with Sophie Devine

Episode Date: August 1, 2022

New Zealand player Sophie Devine joins Kate Cross and Alex Hartley to go behind the scenes at the Commonwealth Games and answer your questions.

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she connects it's either six or out it's six hello welcome back to Know Wars Cricket podcast

with me Kate Cross you Alex Hartley and we've got a very special guest joining us

live from the Park Regis Hotel here in Birmingham we've got New Zealand captain Sophie Devine

hello hello this is going a great interview it's going well already first of

I've snuck into your hotel is pretty snazzy guys like Jesus Christ I think we're lucky according to some of the other athletes that we've spoken to I think we've really pulled a good one here

yeah we went to the village the other day the actual real athlete village and everyone's in not hotels everyone's in our hostels yeah like university dorms so Danny Wyatt was talking to some of the swimmers

obviously and she was saying that six of them are in a room together I imagine the pinnacle of your career I wonder what happens in Commonwealth and Olympic Games stays in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games but we just bumped into a very sexy beach volleyballer in the lift as well so I might pop back tomorrow

yeah we're good we've got the beach volleyballers which is quite cool and the basketballers and the rest of the cricketers but not so bothered about them anyway enough of me curving over species that is in this hotel first of all Cross are you okay I'm good thanks Al How are you?

Yeah, I'm good. So how was the opening ceremony? Did you go for a start? Yes, we did. We were really lucky, I guess, with the schedule I'm saying with you, Crossey, that we went playing till the day after, after, if that makes sense. So we were able to go. So it was awesome.

I think it was a bucket list thing. As soon as you heard that the Com Games were on, that opening ceremony is sort of what you want to go to after watching it for 30-odd years to be part of it was pretty cool. There's a fair bit of standing around and sitting down and sort of mixing in Mingling. But yeah, I think we did the home straight, the 100 metre dash, and then we're off because we sort of took the early exit. But I was going to ask about that. So we were meant to do that, but we missed the sign.

Right, I was wondering, because I was sat around the other side, and I was like, not one single bloody cricketer was turned up today. And you all turned up. I'm like, there they are. But we weren't meant to be there. Yeah, but you were there. We were there, but literally, so what, we got there first as well. So we were there about half five.

We didn't walk into the stadium until about, 8 o'clock, 10 past 8, and it was probably three minutes within the stadium and then we're out. It was literally the back hundred, waving, fireworks, this is the greatest moment. Get out, get out, early departures, go, go, go. So we were, it was amazing for those three minutes. So was that a planned early departure? Like, were you like, right, we need to get back to our hotel, we're competing, sort of. Yeah, and I think we'd sort of been told that it sort of could be a late night on your feet and buses and stuff getting home.

So we weren't expecting it to literally be three minutes and done. But, yeah, look, we can take it off the bucket list now, and it's done. But, yeah, a couple of our support staff stayed on, and they got the photos for us. So we'll just... It was like we were there. So we just Photoshop a couple of us in, like, high fives and thumbs up, sort of pretending we're there. But, yeah, pretty cool to be able to say that we've gone. Crossy, how is it for you?

Well, we were like the opposite of that. So we, the warm-up track outside is where they kept all the athletes in, like, little pens, didn't they? They did it by continent. So you guys were the first out, well, Australia were first out, but... Well, they were stood around for a long time. But we didn't realize that everyone stayed in the middle. Once they'd walked around in the ceremony, we didn't realize that all the athletes stayed.

I thought you could just clear off. I didn't realize everyone was in that little pen. But we obviously had the waiting to do outside, and then we were lasting because we're host country. So we were meant to do the early departure thing, but our manager missed it. So we're marching around the whole thing, waving, waving, laughing it all up, loving it.

And then we pretty much got told the same. We'd be back at the hotel by 10 o'clock. You didn't come out till 10 o'clock? Well, then I'm thinking, I looked at my watch, And I was like, Janja, I haven't even been on yet. Like, why? How are we getting home in the next four minutes when we're in the middle of this ceremony? But it was, it was so cool.

Especially, I think for us as well, the atmosphere when we came out was electric. I was a fan girl, like a fan girl. I'm shouting down, DeAndre! She's like, hello, like, Grosy! Because Grosy got tickets for me. $222.000. I didn't pay for her to go. But then you...

Crossie was like, you can transfer me in the money. I was like, she's paid me. They've come out of wages. Properly panicked. I was like Charlotte, we're going to have to pay crossy, 400 quid, for these tickets. Worth it, though? I wouldn't have, no, I would not.

No, I didn't know what was going on for 95% of the time. There's like, big worms. Like, what was it, a worm with its tongue out, that big monster thing? I think it was a bull. No, then there was a bull. I was going to say that. I was clearly a bull out.

No, then there was a bull, and then gerand-dram were crap. Yeah, we couldn't hear them. Crep is in what they sang was crept? Or just... Oh. Do you like Duran-juran. I can't say, I know like two of their songs.

Well, I would have thought that they would have played the two songs that everyone knows and they didn't. I was waiting for Rio to come on and then they cleared off. Not even hungry like the wolf, that's like the only one that really. No, that wasn't on. Yeah. Anyway, it's a good job you went early. Who planned your outfit? Not us, obviously.

It's obviously team issue stuff. So we literally got told by the NZ Olympic Committee that you had one option and that was it. So we had our lovely knit dress with a blazer and our sneakers. very school girl go into games? But you felt really comfortable. Yeah, well, to be fair, Lisa, your guy's coach, came before we left and was like, I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress or a skirt before in your life, and I was like, you'll never see me again in a skirt or a dress.

Just for the Commonwealth, you know, but it sort of amazes us, though, like we think about the logistics of trying to organise uniforms for, like, where there's, what, 250 Kiwi athletes and I mean like there's every shape and size imaginable and trying to get something that works with everyone like yeah I mean I don't know what you do and black sort of works on everyone which is a good thing but yeah I mean I shouldn't really talk I've got no fashion sense whatsoever so your playing kit's not changed that much either has it not at all so we're asking that as well after the first game because every other country like you guys are obviously in the the very red outfit I think you can see from space um

Yeah, everyone else does. Elsie do. So I don't know what that's about. Because our rugby team as well wears Eddie Des. They wear their original kit. So I don't know whether the, I don't know who we are, peak, we're like stuff that we're not doing cricket uniforms.

Sort yourself out. We are very Lancashire in the KSL circuit 2016. I'm looking around thinking, oh, you look good in red. Who can we sign? Yeah, Boosh, you look great in red. So you are, how many days are you in now? We're day three of cricket, actual cricket matches. I want to know, like, what's it actually been like?

If you've managed to get anywhere, do anything, Crossy first. It's been manic. I don't know how you girls have found it, but it's just non-stop. Like, our WhatsApp group that we're all in gives us a breakdown of timings every day. And honestly, every 15 minutes, there's something going on. Rossi said on Thursday, she was like, I'm not even got 15 minutes to myself, but I was like, boo-hoo. I had to lie in bed this morning just so that I had my morning to myself. But you just want to get out and watch sport and do stuff.

I went to watch a bit of three-on-three wheelchair basketball, which was cool. Unbelievable scenes. Like, so skillful. Yeah, so, so good. We got out, we're the same. You saw, like, oh my gosh, you're here. You want to make the most of it. So we got to beach volleyball and the three-by-three basketball,

which was insane. We went with Susie, which, oh, my gosh. She was, like, on this other-level possessed woman, like, ultimate fan girl, but, like, loving it. And obviously, it was, like, a massive party scene out. They've got the DJ. music's going, like awesome atmosphere, and here she is like up, yeah, yeah, yeah, like rocking it.

Oh, and we're all just like, oh my gosh, like, who is that, who is that weirdo, like, but so that was awesome. And then we got along to the hockey as well late last night, which was cool. So there's a couple of us that have played hockey with some of the girls that still played, so, yeah, so it was cool just to be able to go and watch and just see other sports because, you know what it's like when you're cricket. It's literally only cricket is, you're like, meh, don't want to see any cricket. How's it been for you?

Because you're here commentating. Honestly, like, what a privilege. Like, I'm like, oh my God, I'm working for the BBC at home Commonwealth Games. Like, it's been sick. My past gets me and everywhere, unlike yours. So I can just go to the gymnastics in, like, so there's a game at 11, cricket game at 11, and then one at 6 o'clock. So we've got loads of time off in the middle.

So I scoot back into town, go to the nearest thing. I went to watch the gymnastics the other day, brilliant like it's just being amazing i mean i'm going to be absolutely exhausted by the end of especially you guys will be as well um but yeah it's been so good you have just gloated about your past but the one thing you don't get and you've had to pay for is little pin badges that we're all collecting so everyone's got their accreditation and on the accreditation they've all got these little pins and we're doing swapsies have you got yours yeah but i'm like too cool for school slash i'm a loser you're going to have a spare new zealand pin possibly you should have

I've asked me, I could have brought one. You have to pay for them. Yeah, I've been paying for them, mate, I've been paying for these. They're six pounds. Whereas I've got all these that I've been doing swapses with different athletes because you get like 10 of your England ones, so you swap them with other countries. For the privilege of coming on the podcast, you're going to have to go to your room, get me a New Zealand bag, come back. It's fear. Well, I am missing a New Zealand one as well, so.

I can't believe that. Yeah, I'll be one of those things I probably will regret teen years down the trick where I'm like, that wish I sort of went and shared that. But all the youngsters are like, do you have any pins? I'm like, yeah, just take mine. And they're going out, frolicing, meeting all these new people. And I'm like, oh, not quite the right word. They are frolicking.

Young people frolic. I don't frolic anymore. What goes on in the Commonwealth stays in the Commonwealth. You're talking about young. Do you know everybody's names yet? I do. And I've made the mistake of asking what year they were born in. Bad move.

There's a couple of them have just turned age. So I think they said that they were... 2004, I think it is. So that really put me off because I was into high school by then, which not good. But, oh, they're awesome though, eh? Like, they've been able to fit in really well

and just cool kids. Yeah. It must be quite special for you. I mean, not only... Yeah, make it to my age, thanks. No, let me finish. Let me finish. Not only are you captain in your country at Commonwealth,

else, but you are also bringing the next generation of Kiwi cricketers through, which is a pretty cool legacy to say you're going to have. If you do it well, obviously. If you do crap, then not so much. I asked them in a couple of years. I didn't think, I've got rid of that old me, sort of thing, Matt. Oh, no, it is. And, like, I think it's really cool. I mean, there's not too many of us old girls now, but me and Suez. I feel like you've become tighter. We have. We certainly have, like, locking onto each other, like, you can't leave without me sort of thing but it is it's so cool like we said that before we went out to bat yesterday

actually we're like who would have ever thought that when we started back in 2006 that we would be here now playing T20 cricket at a Commonwealth Games like so it's really cool and like you say to be able to bring this young crop through it's just like you do feel a sense of almost responsibility but a really cool responsibility to be like man I want to stay around for another couple of years to make sure that these guys have the best springboard to be able to go off and absolutely rock New Zealand cricket for the next however many years and know that hopefully I've left them

in a better place than when I started. But it is. It's just, yeah, it's really cool. I think as you get older as well, you get a bit more perspective and things like that. Yeah. I really like the look at Carson. She looks like a gun fielder.

She is a gun. Man, she is a cracker. So she's from like the deep south of New Zealand so it's like farmers, like she is hard as now. She's great. So she plays for a team, I don't know what the areas, but they're called the mud dogs, which I think sums are up. So you might hear us calling her mud dog because that's what she is,

but she's just true blue kiwi, like, as a farmer, is up 4 a.m. in the morning, milking the cows and round them up, round them up, sort of thing. So, you know, but she is. She's an absolute ripper. She plays every sport, like, could pick up anything and just be an absolute weapon at it. So, yeah, she's a good sort. Yeah. Should we do some questions from our lovely listeners that have emailed

than about the comment before we let some go yeah we promised we'd only have you on for 15 minutes and it's been that long not ready um before while you find a question how are you finding playing at what isn't going to be your home next month for the i was going to say edge boston then you're not the edge boston team what you're called birmingham phoenix play at edge boston sorry i've got a lot in this little head at the minute um yeah it's going to be your home ground for the next month how you're feeling about that oh it's it's bloody cool like always been really lucky obviously being Our coach with New Zealand, obviously, was here last year with the Phoenix crew, so having a bit of intel around that,

but just being there and seeing the vibe, like the crowds have been awesome already. And it's actually funny. One of the girls, Rosemary, she didn't come. This was her first time to the UK, and she's like, well, the crowds, you know, clap a good ball, and they clap. And it's like, yeah, they're actually really well-educated audiences, which is cool. So, yeah, I just can't wait to get started on that. I mean, obviously, a bit of business to do here first.

But, I know, like we said, 100 looked awesome from the outside, so looking forward to being part of it this year. Got brilliant dressing rooms as well. First time for me playing at Edgebaston last night and I was so impressed about their dresser rooms, yeah. Nice and spacious, hey. Key, huge, big part of a cricket dress room, so much kit. Yeah.

Especially when you sit next to Amy Jones, she got everything with her. We need to go upstairs with an umpire. We do. Every week we go upstairs with an umpire in a non-sexual way, do some questions from the public. Because it started by being the DRS, we're going to check things, and then it just went, we're going upstairs with Sue Redfern this week, So.

Well, I think we should because she did the oath. The bloody old, right? She didn't do the oath. Yeah. Is that a suit? And then she wasn't a, she didn't have a peekie blinders hat on though. No.

So I think the three of us should treat two upstairs. Get up then. Hi, guys. We're really excited about the Commonwealth Games and we're staying in Birmingham for a week and I've got tickets for a few different sports, including some of the T-20s. It's great to hear that you guys are releasing the pod during the games and giving the listeners an idea of what it's like.

behind the scenes. Our questions are here. Number one, how many sets of kit do you get and who washes your kit in between the games? This is such an important thing for me, the laundry. Massif, I was telling us. What's that room there? Brilliant. That's unbelievable, eh? So it's pretty much unlimited washing, which is key. We're on tours, it's normally ten items. Ten items, which you really have to break into it, like. And you've definitely got to get your grots in there because you don't want to have two-day-old grots left, you know, stewing in your room. I've heard cross-sick now that. Yeah, so it's a big key to get the washing in as soon as you can.

We've got a lot of playing kit, but not many playing trousers, so we've only got one pair at the minute each. Ooh. Yeah. So we do the laundry in the hotel for training kit, and then did your playing kit get sent elsewhere? Well, no, because we could, but I don't think we did because we're like, oh, we've got a couple of days between games, so we just chucked it in with that lot. I think it's on a time thingy the team kit, isn't it? It gets returned. We just got told to put team kit in a bag after the game. Who do they think they are?

I know, England. It's common to us, isn't it? It's gone on. It's fine. Make the most of it, baby. Do my laundry. Question number two. Do your passes get you access to other events or do you need tickets? Mine does, because mine's a media one and I've got a little badge on it. What about you so?

No, we got the embarrassing, denied yesterday at the hockey. After I'm afraid of you. Yeah, after Crossy stitched us out, was like, yeah, just walk. again you get into anything but no we um yeah we got denied and question number three this was my five-year-old hattie's question she's really trying hard to do handstands can you do handstands i mean i'm not competing at the commonwealth games and gymnastics but i could probably rock you're gonna do what on the field next game no i was just like kidding oh god no we can't injure her oh yeah true i mean we can actually we're playing you on thursday oh she's going she's going here we go

She's tucking the chuffering. She's just getting the crowd going. Hands up in the air. Legs up in the... Oh, she can! Yes, she can. Hattie. Sophie Devine can do a handstand.

I'm giving you a nine out of ten for that. Well done. It's very generous. Thank you. Best podcast guest, yeah. Right, high, cross it, Alex. And so, do you get to choose the badges and your opening ceremony outfit?

Yes. So the blazer that we got given came with like stickers so you could basically customize it to yourself and you can get rid of the england badge at the end so you've got a nice new red jacket to her did you have anything like that no okay good look and bring home the gold so Alex can finally stop talking about her world cup winning 2012 seven years right hi crossy al and sov love the pod here are some questions slash comments slash ideas for the forthcoming commonwealth pods number one what other things apart from a medal, can you fit into the medal pocket of your Commonwealth uniform?

We've got a little jacket that we wear if we win, and it's got a little medal pocket. Is that not cocky as hell to have a medal pocket? For when you win a medal, you can just whip it out. No, we don't have a middle pocket. Because your medal pocket is obviously. It's called your shoulders. Yeah, you're not going to let that go now, are you? I can put all my nice new pins in my medal pocket if I don't win a medal.

I've got a question for you, which is not on this email. If you could compete at the Commonwealth in a different sport, what would it be? Like, what would you have your best chance of being in a team for? Obviously, not gymnastics. No, I don't know. Well, I'd not sure I'd go on the old leotard, let's be honest. Probably a bit hanging out, I reckon. Can we just thank the Lord that cricket doesn't involve anything that's like speedo?

Because those poor athletes. What if you're like bigger and it slips up? That's what I'm saying. I'm thankful because I'm bigger and things would definitely slip up or slip up. or flop out or flop out, flop out, whatever you know. So yes, Kate, I agree with you. Thank goodness that cricket is well covered. I actually went, when I went to watch the men's gymnastics the other day,

they have these leotards with like socks in them. So it's like a proper onesie. It's like a pulling one thing. But then they obviously slip around a little bit as well. Great show. Did you give us a sport? Oh, sorry. No, I was just trying to not imagine me slipping and slopping about in a speedo out.

But, oh, look, back in the day I would have said hockey, I reckon. It's boring that, though, isn't it? It is boring. It is boring. I mean, that's technically boring, but it is different. I wouldn't mind giving lawn balls a crack. I reckon lawn balls golf and tennis when I get slightly older, because I already am old, apparently, a bit more older.

I reckon that would be my three sports that I'm banking on. Do you play golf now? A little bit, yeah. Crossie, what sport are you going for? That ball. I shouldn't have done that boy. What would you? You can't even get in for cricket.

So we were having this debate on, having this debate on air today. And they were like, what about next year, 2024, whatever, Olympics? I was like, well, I think my best chance is trying to play cricket again, but that's not going to happen, is it? So I'm going to say cricket, it's boring, but it's not going to happen. But what if you hate to choose something else? Like, diving? I reckon it could be quite elegant.

Elegant. Is that the right word, yeah. What? I can't do backflips and stuff. If I could do a roly-poly, I could do the most basic gymnastic routine that could get the crowd up. I'd be bottom, I'd be below Bangladesh. See, I reckon that is what they need to bring into an Olympic Games or a Commonwealth. Very average.

Because athletes make everything look easy. I'm watching you guys play cricket, you make it look easy. So when you're actually watching, you don't realise how hard sport is. Yeah, I think that would be a great shout. Just this is what it looks like to the average Joe and now here's an elite athlete. Yeah, so have some more respect. I'm happy being the average Joanie World Athletes cricket.

You're coming for cricket for children. Right, we said we keep so for 15 minutes to be 20. So thank you so much for coming on the greatest

unofficial, official Commonwealth podcast that is out there. Thank you very much for having me. Thank you for doing a handstand as well. I'm actually probably going to have to see the physio

because I'm still seeing a slight star in the eye line. I have good luck in the Commonwealth. games I hope you have a medal in your over your head not in your pocket not like the doches england cheers guys thank you what a legend the first ever guest to do live gymnastics for you're at the Commonwealth game she's getting involved she's done a handstand we forgot to get a selfie for the podcast oh bloody hell I was literally thinking before she went let's get a selfie but she might be going to get me a pin.

So if she comes back, I hope she does. And then I might have more than you. You're not. Okay. And also I've not paid for any of mine, so I'm winning. My bank balance is taking a hit. How great was that? I really enjoyed that.

It's obviously really nice to get a different perspective of a different, not different athlete because she was cricketer, but like different environment, what her journey's been like and stuff. So yeah, it was interesting. Even little things like your kit, they've not got as much kit as you. Like, their sponsor, not got them in different playing kit and stuff like that.

Like, it's interesting. It is, yeah. But, yeah, she's, we could have spoke to Sophie, so we've not even touched on her cricket career. No. Which has been incredible. She's obviously one of the very, very greats of New Zealand cricket. But that means we'll have to get her back on. Because I reckon we made her feel really welcome.

We'll get her on for a Sophie Divine episode, not a Commonwealth episode. I'll promise there's no gymnastics. I think she enjoyed it. She didn't take much encouraging to get up there. We're like, do her hands like, all right then. We've still got a load of emails. Let's go then. Should we just carry on?

Yeah, round two with Sue. Okay, I've got one that's really interested me here, and it's a titled, Stuart Broad trivia. Brilliant. I think we should go straight into this because something happened in his feet, didn't it? Stuart, oh, crossy. BBC, for a start, thank you. What were you doing?

You quote tweeted my... Stewart Broad being my background. And he only went and replied. You put me the high emoji out. I think I'm in. That normally means like, oily. The CDI emoji? It's 0780.

That's not our podcast number. That was nearly my mobile number as well. That's all you going there. Anyway, it says, hi, Alex and Kate. Loving the pod, we'll be at the Commonwealth match on Tuesday versus South Africa with my homemade flag pictured below. It's the No Balls podcast. Yes, we've seen that before.

I love it. And they'll be in the hollies, hopefully. Alex actually walked past it at Grace Road without noticing it. But I didn't notice her either. I'm so sorry. I wanted to ask a couple of questions. Number one, does Alex know about this Twitter account that I've screen grabbed? It's called at is Broad.

No. Is Stuart Broad batting? No. No. I will follow it, though. Basically, someone just tweets saying yes or no as to whether Stuart Broad is back. Oh, okay. Okay, that's another follower for that.

account. Number two, is Alex secretly running this Twitter account? No, but I have got a confession to make. I tried to delete all my Stuart Broad tweets because I was that embarrassed about them. But there's a couple that have snuck through the system and you carry on with that and I'll get that today's tweet up 11 years ago today. Oh jeez, this don't stop, did it? Question number three, if you don't, if you're not running the account, have you considered inviting them on the podcast? Look, right, I would, I would, really enjoy. Before last week's episode, I would have loved Stuart Broad to come on the podcast. This Twitter account. Do you want to get there is Stuart Broad batting people who obviously

likes Stuart Broad? No, no, I want Stuart Broad on the podcast. I think I don't think I'd be able to turn up. I think you would have to. You can't shy away from this. It's out there now. It is out there. 11 years ago today, the BBC tweeted, where would England be without his Stuart Broad? I said, yes, the BBC. hashtag love broad really was like borderline weird yeah i don't remember this i do remember you fancying it but i don't remember this either because we were playing cricket together i do i do i think i'm vaguely now i'm thinking back i do remember the background um but i'd love stewart broad to come on the podcast just for his cricketing purposes

um he gave me the eye and i'll give him my number and I've got a baby on the way with Molly King. You look a bit like Molly King, actually. Yeah? Oh, yeah. She's prettier. Hi, Alex and Kate. Kate and Alex, depending on which one of you read this out and makes it to air.

Not my first time emailing the pod, but I am going to say again, however, again, how great it is. I teach in a secondary school and see everyday young people struggling with their mental health, and I am inspired by the honesty, which you both talk about on the pod. The asking twice has helped me to support a lot of people, so thank you. doing what you're doing because it's so important for anyone that doesn't know what that means if someone if you ask someone if they're okay then they say yeah fine ask them again are you okay yeah you're at the commonwealth baby after such a long wait for the last week's pod and feeling fairly blue missing it on news this week that you will be doing

regular commonwealth updates meaning a regular dose of everyone's favorite psychopaths i am delighted my commonwealth questions both what are you most excited about that is unique to the Commonwealth Games as opposed to a similar cricket talk? The thing that I've loved more about this is that we're not just cricket. We are part of a bigger team, so you see anyone in England kit, and it's like, how's your games, go and what have you been up to? And everyone's obviously trying to acquire medals for the medal table. And I said something in an interview the other day, which caught me off guard a bit, and I said, we're going to try and lift the trophy. But we're not here for a trophy. We're here for

medals we're here for the gold like so it it does just feel slightly different but i think it's quite nice not just the focus being on cricket yeah i think for me it's the column laugh games like it's just sick and i'm going to say it i've said it a thousand times but when cricket is accessible it's out there people turn up my god we're filling edgebaston every single day of this tournament we're two days in i was really interested to see what the crowd would be like when we played against Sri Lanka the other night because we knew it was we think I'd heard

that like 9,000 tickets had been sold and they clapped everything like every single ball there was a clap and I was thinking oh is it just people here watching England play and wanting England to do well but then cricket things would happen like a really good run too or a great shot down the ground

and that got clapped and I was like actually there's people there's cricket fans here but there's also clearly a new demographic of people coming watching as well who don't know much about it but just supporting team England so I think it's yeah it's really exciting It's been so good. Kate, you mentioned having to wear Team England kit everywhere. How much gear do you get? Do you pick the styles? Do you get one of everything?

I've seen a pick on Danny White's Insta today and noticed an array of tank tops, t-shirts, hoodie, leggings, trackies in the pick. So it got me wondering. We got given a full suitcase basically of kit, which you've got two things of a few things. You've got one thing of another thing. But there's a lot of kit that I'll definitely still be able to wear. like we've got this it's like a little pajama lounging wear it's like nice deep grey like comfortable clothes that you'd wear at home so yeah we've got a lot of kit i've i'm wearing kit you went to the club shop i went to the club shop and bought this but this is nice jumper in it um i've got a long t-shirt on underneath as well calling off games t-shirt so i've bought mine Alex there are long

gaps between the first and the second match each day aside from finding the ice creams what will that be like for you is it downtime research time for the next game all the best very excited to be watching the new zealand game next week go well have fun mandi um i've been lucky enough to have lunch out with my friends and go and watch other games so i went to the gymnastics and i'm going to find little other things to go and do and make podcast today and i'm going to make the most of being here hi kate and alix i hope you both well and enjoying the conwealth games let's hope you and the team can bring home the gold medal kate i'm finally caught up with the back catalogue of nobles having started listening on the day of the walk-up final in April

and finishing the catch-up on the opening day of the Commonwealth Games. I've absolutely loved listening to you guys. Your high levels of positivity and your openness about all things mental health is awesome, and you both deserve a lot of credit for helping so many people, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Got a little story on that, side note. At the game on Saturday night, someone waved at me in the crowd. They're like, Croz-A, so I waved back.

And then she came and found me after the game, And she was like, I'm really sorry for waving at you like a lunatic, but she said, I just needed to tell you, I've been going through the most horrendous breakup, and you guys have been the thing that have made me laugh. You've got me through it. And she started crying, and it was just one of the most sweetest moments that I've ever had with a fan.

Like, I was so touched by it. I was like, I need you to give me a hug because that's really sweet. Thank you for, like, coming and finding us. We had a little picture, and she was crying in a picture. She'll hate that as well, and she looks back, she's crying. I was like, I can come back in five minutes if you want to, like, sort of your saying. She was like, no, no, let's just doing that.

Really sweet. This person says, I've got a question for each of you. Alex, when you took up commentary, how easy or difficult did you find the transition, even while still playing? And was there any specific training involved when you started your commentary career? It's been a weird one because I did a bit before I actually started doing it properly, if that makes sense. I did a few blast games back when I did play for England.

But we did a commentary course together during COVID, which is more of a TV commentary course than a radio commentary. course but they've let me just find my own way find my own way of doing research my notes and I guess my biggest thing is that I'm always just going to be myself on air everyone thinks my voice has changed all the last three years um which I didn't know so apparently hello and welcome to edge faster yeah hello welcome to nobles that's my nobles but apparently my on air voice now isn't as high pitched as it was and I'm not as squeaky as I was, I'm guessing I'm like this and maybe that's come with confidence, I don't

know. I think commentary is one of those things that you've just got to do, haven't you? I think us having the podcast also, we've said this before, but certainly gives me confidence in front of a camera, whether that's an interview or whether I'm doing commentary or something like that, but I think just talking more regularly, getting used to hearing your own voice as well, that was weird at first, wasn't it? I love it now. Question for me, did you ever feel any level of pressure to make it as a professional with your dad being a successful footballer or is that something you've never given much thought to? Great question. Great question. How long we got? Come on, I reckon this can be the last question we do. Okay, so this was, I don't actually think

I've ever gone into this much level of detail on the podcast. I never been asked that question. That's a bloody good question. So when I had my mental breakdown in 2016, I had to go and do a lot of talking with our psychologist at England. And one of the questions that you asked me very psych was how was your upbringing and i remember thinking absolutely fine like got two parents who loved me got a really happy family grew up playing loads of sports loved got so many happy memories and then we we delved into it and turns out that a lot of the pressure that i'd put on myself came from having a famous dad or famous within football um it was a good football obviously I'd never got to see him play but um basically long story short people knew who I was

before I'd made a name for myself and I'm not saying that in an arrogant way but when I first made my debut for England I was David Cross his daughter everyone knew them yeah in the I remember the first program that like we got from the game it said Kate Cross date of birth daughter of West Ham winner West Ham FA Cup winner David Cross Kate was born in in my, whatever, blah, blah, blah. So it was always mentioned about my dad before it was mentioned about me. And similarly growing up, but to a lesser extent, whenever I was playing cricket at Haywood, I was Bobby Crossy's little sister, or like in the netball scene, I was Jenny Crossy's little sister. So I was always probably like fighting for a bit of attention and trying

to get, yeah, trying to make a name for myself. And my psych explained to me that then when I turned up to play cricket for Hayward, obviously not only just standing out as being a girl, and everyone knew that Hayward had a girl who played for them but I also had this expectation that I was going to be good at cricket before I'd even been able to prove myself to be good at cricket so a lot of my performance anxiety came from that which I had no idea about like this guy literally had to explain it to me so to answer the question but not that I knew of

and I've never seen it that way I've genuinely never thought of it I've always thought it's pretty cool it is cool but like I guess there's pressure on any family that come from a sporting family that you're just expected to make it and you have which is amazing but you're the only child out of three that's actually then become a professional in sport if that makes sense whereas your brother was probably expected to become a professional footballer because that's just the way people think and you think how much pressure you put on like the first person that's just sprung to my mind is satchin tendulka's lad um i know he does play cricket i think he's with them and by indians

at the minute but you see that name and you think oh he's going to be really good why just because his dad's really good at cricket he's probably going to have an interesting cricket but that doesn't automatically mean that they're very good at it so it is it it's a really interesting psychological like battle i guess whereas my mum and dad i don't even know what cricket is still i will he will shout at me for not saying this but bobby i have to say was a professional cricketer for two seasons with lancashire um he will shout at me if i don't say that so i'm just climb out don't count bobby don't count um i also have got an lbw

you. Every time I walk out of a bathroom, I turn the light on and off if it wasn't on already. I've no idea why I do it. It's something that just happens instinctively these days. And that's from Darren in Bristol. And he says breadknife should always be washed after you. Thank you for all your emails. Thank you for getting in touch. Thank you, Sophie for coming on. Yes. T minus, I reckon we do one on Wednesday. Three days till our next one. Yep. Keep sending your emails in. Make them commonwealthy if you can because we're going to try and get another guest on as well. Yeah, we have them lined up. We promised you, Jess Jonathan or Haley Matthews, but we gave you Sophie Devine. We've got your Sophie Devine instead.

Really quickly do you just want to touch on this, because I spoke about it on the story of the No Balls Instagram account. What are you saying about Sue's Peaky Hat? They unpaired hats do like Peaky Blinders' caps. We don't like them. Thank you very much for listening. You can get in touch with us on our Instagram, which is Nobles, TCP, and the same on Twitter. DM me and Crossie. We're more likely to read it or email us where we might get sent them or we might not at no ballspodcast at bbc.co.com.com.com. It's so good. I said it's wise. See you. We don't want to be you. And cross strikes in the first over. It's what England we're looking for. Partly balls. Down the track

comes scoring this time she connects. It's either six or out. It's six. Thank you. Thank you.