Test Match Special - No Balls: The Hundred, The Oval Test, and Oasis

Episode Date: August 5, 2025

Alex Hartley and Kate Cross look ahead to The Hundred starting, with Crossy entering her third year at Northern Superchargers. They react to the dramatic finale to England’s Test series against India at The Oval and Chris Woakes putting his body on the line for his side. Plus, Alex & Crossy go to see Oasis!

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you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and Cs and Cs apply. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Al, we've got to issue a swear warning because you, are an absolute potty mouth. Not another one. 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. Oh, that's... Boulder! Lover!

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, the Grigget podcast with me, Alex Hartley, and you, Kate Cross. You've got a BBC sport, Mike. Who do you think you are? I'm just going to say. I'm in full professional mode. Tell me the 100 starting without telling me the 100 starting. You've got your little microphone in front of you. If you're ready to present? So now I'm like, hey, Kate, how do you feel? Oh, don't put your BBC voice on. No, no, no, no, no. That's for tomorrow.

Yeah, fair, fair Wait, the 100's starting The 100 is starting tomorrow Wait, how? Wait, how? Wait, how are you? Oh, I don't want to say it But you know how I am And I know how you are Wait, should we say it, three, two, one

Say it the same time Okay, three, two, one Tired Yeah Nice, go out of way We have a very valid reason for being tired. If you didn't know.

For anyone that can't see me, I've got my Oasis T-shirt on. Official merch. I don't know why I don't have mine on, to be honest. I've let us down. You really have, actually. I just thought you'd be wearing it, which is why I put mine back on.

Well, I've had a busy day, Kate. I've not had time to go back to my room. Busy socialising. Should we talk about it now because we're on the topic? Yeah. Yeah. Boring 100.

How good are Oasis? So I've not seen anything bad about the concert And you'd got You told me probably two months ago That you've managed to get us some tickets I didn't allow myself to get excited about it Until I sat down in my seat Because I was just so convinced

That you'd got these fake tickets from somewhere And we're going to get to Wembley I was going to travel down on three hours And then get there and go Oh, I'm going to have to listen to the set list on the train home Because we can't get in Yeah and I was a bit like Are these tickets going to work?

Are they not? But they did you came down from Leeds, you got the train down. Honestly, Oasis didn't even need to be there. It was just a sing-along. That is what it is. Yeah. Do you know, there's, so everyone that I've seen has said it's been amazing,

but you've hit the nail on the head, and I've become that person today, but you've, when people have spoken to you about it and you've said, how is it? They've said, are you going? And you say yes, and they go, it's amazing. But if you say you're not going, people go, yeah, it was good. It was good. Because you don't want to be that person, but today I was that person.

Everyone was like, how was it? I was like, it was unbelievable. Like, better than I thought it could be. And we, do you know what? We just had a really wholesome evening. We did, didn't we? Yeah. We did.

My first trip to Wembley, and it was to watch Oasis, which feels kind of not right. On the way in, you were like, what song are we most looking forward to? And I was like, cigarettes and alcohol, and you were like... Whatever or Side Away. And the fourth song was cigarettes and alcohol. I was like, oh, I'm done. but they, the cigarette arts and alcohol

is the one that we all had to turn around for so your favourite song we were actually facing the back of Wemble it's quite funny like brilliant yeah

that was a bit strange but then you were like I'm going to turn around back around now so I can just watch this song yeah my throat was a bit sore this morning I can't lie

yeah yeah I mean it was so good thank you so much for sorting the tickets out well done you and then you got a taxi all the way back to Leeds because

it's the 100 baby yeah obviously we got a new head coach this year at the superchargers. So I'm so used to Danny, because Danny was the one that dragged me over from Manchester and now has disappeared back to Manchester herself. She's going to doing

some spin stuff with the originals. But obviously a new head coach, you're like, how do I just tell them that I'm not going to be at the first team social because I've got Oasis tickets? And she's Aussie, so she's not a massive Oasis fan, but I was like, look, I grew up in the 90s

in Manchester, I'm going to this concert. whether I have to quit my job or not. Yes. I don't have to quit my job. She was very understanding. And we obviously listened to Oasis on the bus home. So made everyone listen to it. So you've joined up with Superchargers? I have. We joined up on Saturday. It's now Monday.

Tournament starts today, tomorrow, whenever you're listening to this, but Tuesday with the London Derby. Yes. Spirit versus the Oval. I don't know how I feel about the Derby kicking it off, you know. Why? I wouldn't want my first game to be a derby game. I know, but think of the crowds and stuff. I know, but I just think, like the 100, obviously,

because you don't play the format any other time of year, it takes a game or two to just get into the rhythm of it, and I just think you don't want to lose a derby game because it's like the first game. Sorry, as in, you don't want to, like, waste one of the derby games because it's the first game, if you know what I mean? So who are you playing Thursday? We've got Welsh Fire.

It would have been our derby. would have been the battle of the spuds Yeah, good job You don't have a derby to start No, yeah I'm quite glad We finish on the Derby actually Our last game of the Group stages is Manchester at Headingley

So that could be See, that could be epic Because it could be the Derby And it could be a decider Because last year was a quarterfinal If you remember Yeah, yeah, yeah And we played London Spirit at Headingley

Are you looking forward to it? I am yeah I don't, I've never ever Not loved the 100 I think It feels a little bit different this year just with obviously the sales and stuff that have happened through the winter.

It kind of feels like it's going to be the last year of us in purple and last year we'll be Northern Superchargers. So it does feel like there's almost like a bit of something will give next year. Something will change. Obviously, we don't know what that looks like, but it's kind of in my mind already.

And you're the only team that sold 100% of the stake as well? Yes, we did. Yeah. I'm interested in how all that's going to unfold. Yeah, it's good. So, yeah, I am, obviously, I'm looking forward to it. But I think, yeah, there's just this little thing in the back of my mind, like, oh, it might be the last time that I'm in purple.

Yeah, true, true. But to be honest, crossy, it's now like four weeks of, like, amazing cricket and fun. Yeah, and I was even thinking tomorrow, from tomorrow, the cricket on the telly every day. Oh, and that's what we love. That's what we love. It does feel late this year, though. Yeah, BBC, I've got every Tuesday and every Saturday on the telly.

gorgeous and you're doing your present in I am indeed Isha's doing the first two and the final and I am doing the rest of them with Rick Edwards who did it last year this feels like the worst weather we've had to start the tournament though

like we got rained off today it was drizzly yesterday yeah I say yesterday twice then drained off today anyway it's been a bit miserable it's been like miserly it was quite wintery I've been like in a winter jumper you had to put your heating on the other day Put my heating on, yeah, is that about?

Yeah, but you're quite cold well. So hopefully, weather stays good, but yeah. Stein. I think Jack's wrote some stuff down for us actually to guide us so that this wouldn't happen. Well, obviously. Well, I've actually got some quick fire questions, crossing. We have four quick, in capital letters, quick fire 100 predictions to each answer. Who wins the women's comp?

I've got to say superchargers. Yeah. Overlook strong. On paper. Yeah, they do. I think they're the two strongest teams from the research that I've done. They've recruited well.

They got Meg Lannin. Why would you let Meg Lannin go, London Spirit? You won the trophy. But anyway, she's now cross the borders and going to have to play in the Derby against London Spirit. But you've got the same team, more or less from last year. Basically, yeah. That was one thing that we wanted to try and do

was to try and keep the crew together. And my summary of last year was when we were good, we were, like, unbelievable. I remember us absolutely hammering. oval at oval but then when we were bad we were really quite bad so there was never that middle ground that you want to kind of find yourself in in tournament cricket it was kind of a bit like the waviness of ups and downs so hopefully we can just be a bit more consistent this year and also like I'm now a massive superchargers fan so you are um Jack should probably have

highlighted quick fire rather than four um but anyway who finishes with the most runs oh okay in the women's I'm going to go Phoebe Litchfield I was going to say Litch I'm going to say I've got to say a team mate I'll go Belsie

Annabelle Sutherland I'll mix it up so it's not superchargers I'll go Beth Mooney okay fair yeah captain in Manchester this year got announced the other day yeah saw that

who finishes with the most wickets oh I'd love to say you but I'm not going to I'm going to I'm going to go with Can I look past Eccleston? Probably not.

No, like I just don't think I can. Fair enough. I'll say Lindsay Smith. Nice, two left arm spinners. Yeah, okay, battle the left arm spin, nice. And who will be the breakout star this year? I'll say Dav Perrin, because she's on my team. And she's just coming into this with,

she's fresh off of a hundred in the metro bank. Okay. I'm going to go with Chatley just because she hit you for six. Oh. Yeah, nice one. And you can salute her off again. Yeah, if you want to see that. Send off, you can go on to Lancash's Instagram page. Bye. Right, men. Who's winning the men's? Oh, I really, really, really don't want to say the Over invincible's.

No, can they not win? They've won the trophy every year, whether it's men or women. So let's get rid of them. Fine. I think it'll be the Oval, but I'll go Welsh fire. Okay, I'm going to say Northern Superchargers men. Okay. Of course you are. Because you're doing the double.

Yeah, we're doing the double. That would be good. Yeah. Okay, who finishes with the most runs? I'm stuck between Butler and Salt, and I think I'm going to say Salt. Warner's here, David Warner. Oh, that's not a bad shout.

But then... Yeah. He's playing up Lord. though. Yeah, it's a sticky wicket. It's tough there. You've basically got to think of who's going to be playing on a road

more, well, home games on a road, which is someone at Oval or Trent Bridge. Trent Bridge. Or someone at Headingley. I'm going to go with Ben Duckick. Nice. Okay. Who finishes with the most wickets? Um,

oh, a spinner. Nor Ahmed. Nice. I don't know I'm going to say David Payne Welsh Fire yeah good shout actually

yeah he's doing he's always done well at the T20 stuff hasn't he but I think he's having a good season for Gloucester so Payne he can have my vote Do you know who I was really looking forward to playing for Welsh Fire this year Chris Wilkes Did you watch it today Did I watch it today crossy

I was glued to my phone because I just had it on my phone and I couldn't work out if it was like really, really stupid or really brave? I think there's a really fine line between stupidity and bravery and sport. And I often think it comes through injury. But I was having to think about, obviously, I knew we'd talk about this today. And I was having to think about from an athlete's point of view,

how we could try and explain it to people who aren't, you know, who listen to this podcast who've never played professional sport or any sport. And the best way I could think about describing it is that when you get an injury as a player, one of the first things you always ask the video is if I play, will I make it worse? And I imagine the physio's probably gone, yeah, if you bat, you're probably going to make this worse. But it sounds a little bit like he needs an operation anyway.

So then in that case, you probably go, I know I'm out for the rest of the summer. I've got to try and get fit for the ashes. So what if I got to lose by trying to help my team score another 17 runs or whatever it was? And I guess for somebody his age, you never know when your last test matches. So this could be my life.

you know Stuart Broad got the ending he got but like if that's his last test match what a hero yeah stupid hero I mean when he was running like not only when he was coming down the stairs

and he was obviously in pain but when he ran that two and then he obviously turned around to Gus Atkins and went please I can't run any more twos no more twos I quite liked how he wore his jumper over the sling just to try and hide it so that people might not have known

that he was just batting with one hand I sort of wanted him to face a ball I wouldn't have been able to watch that It was like it was Like you said it was so much theatre And you had to watch it But I was also like watching it behind my jumper I was like oh I don't really want to watch him

Be in pain Because Chris Wokes He's the nicest man in cricket I know That he did have to be left handed I was going to cut I'm mad Absolutely mad

Imagine you go out to the middle First game And you're like I've got left handed I'll have to go left handed today Because I've got one arm What a series though When was the last time, a five-match series went 25 days.

I can't remember. And also, two, two feels fair. Yeah, absolutely feels fair. No team deserved to lose, and I don't really feel like, well, they both deserve to win, but yeah, I didn't think either deserved to lose, so what a series. They must be shattered. Oh my gosh, match it. And I also think, like, India were on top for so much of the series,

but England won crunch moments. Yeah. I just think it was the classic topsy-turvy series where no team, even when you thought, oh, England are way out of this test match now. They'd find a way of clawing the way back in and India similarly. Like, England really should have not those runs off today. Yeah. Just makes you realise just how fantastic test cricket is. Yeah. It was. Great watch. Well done, boys. Well done everyone. I'll tell you what was also a great watch, crossy, your ODI series. oh yeah we never rounded up did we because we had smriti on yeah and also a great guest by the way

unbelievable if you've not listened to that then why not because everyone's been shouting at us for years to get smriti on so i hope you've all listened well are you supposed to get a million million views i know i know the power of smitty mandana yeah um what was the score in that series again i can't remember what happened we lost two one and we nearly chased down 3.20 in the last game at Durham. Yeah, yeah, that's exactly what happened. Yeah, we... Just feels like ages ago now. Well, I think it was.

I think it was a good two weeks ago now. We've both slept and been to Oasis since then, so a lot's happened. I actually want to know what the chat was after that Durham game, because obviously you've lost the series, and it was quite a disappointing series to lose at home to India again, but also a great game. game? Yeah.

Basically, that was what was said. Like, Lott, obviously we've had a lot of noise from the press and stuff. And Lott was just almost like, we're going to get that. And we now just have to get used to that. And we almost have to really get good at blocking all of that stuff out. But there's still so much good stuff that we'd done in that series where we felt like we'd improved in areas. And obviously, there's still areas to improve.

But I guess from our point of view, it's now all stepping stones to get into that World Cup and we've got a training camp over in UAE mid-September, I think, and then a couple of games over there, a couple of 50 over games, obviously. And then we'll be going over to India back in the September, I want to say. So yeah, I guess the thing with the World Cup is obviously you play every team wants. So it's like a round robin. It's not group stages or anything. So it's not like a one-day series, a three-match one-day series where you're playing the same team three times and you're kind of working each other out. It's almost like, you being the best version of yourselves on that day, which I don't think we've quite done yet.

I don't think we've probably, or if we did it against the West Indies, it maybe feels a bit masked, but it certainly feels like we've got time. People are obviously going to go off now into the 100 and go and play a different format, but ultimately everyone's goal is thinking about that World Cup still that's going to happen in a couple of months. I think it's been a really weird summer for England women because obviously you dominated the West Indies, India then with a better team

when you played against India but it also is like one of those where it worries me about women's cricket just how good the top three are and then that's pretty much it you say that though and I know that South Africa and New Zealand

can have their day like I get that and they are good teams but I just think Australia, India and England are just still so far ahead of everybody else and obviously we will see in the World Cup yeah that would be a good indication, won't it? I think the thing with it being in India, though, is that it's

going to be really tough conditions. So I think ultimately the teams that have got more time to get fitter and like, you know, be used to those really hot conditions and stuff are probably going to come out on top more naturally because they'll be able to compete for longer

in the heat and stuff. But I do think that 50 over cricket, the best teams generally get themselves to the semi-finals and the finals. And actually I've just thought about what I said. West Indies haven't even qualified for that World Cup so that says enough in itself. Yeah, that probably, yeah, that's a quite a big indication, isn't it?

But I do think, yeah, I think the way that it is, because it's not group stages, I do think that you're going to see the best four teams in the semis. Yeah. It's not like T20 cricket is what I'm trying to say, where a West Indies or a South Africa could have that day out, knock a top three team out, and then suddenly you have the World Cup that we had in Dubai in October.

Yeah. yeah no i actually agree it's going to be tough world cup though very tough yeah i mean we'll pre we'll preview that near the time yeah what are we talking about that for it's hundred time yeah it's time for everyone to just get better at cricket yeah in the hundred i mean that is what everyone's trying to do anyway well true every day every day no one turns up going on i'm going to be crap today imagine well actually no no i'm going to say it don't go in there don't don't get quoted no no no we're done

I did an interview today because obviously start the 100 so I think it was on ITV and it was on the radio and the guy was like so why would you tell people to come to the 100 so I was like the best way I can describe it is that it's just fun

it's colourful it's loud it's bright like kids come and they don't have to watch any cricket they can go and play in like all the stuff all the activities that they've got and I was like and I guess even just the kit like it's really bright and then you compare it to test cricket

which is just like you know a bit damper, and then I was like, oh, I'm going to get quoted for saying that test cricket's damp, and I love test, so I was then like, that's, please take the context to that. And so God knows, there's going to be a quote out there of me going, test cricket's damp. And then everyone will be like, we've had a five-match test series on 25 days. Yeah, so just context is king, but I didn't mean it that way. It's two different sets of crowds. Like, the 100 brings in families, it brings in kids. Like, it's fun. It's a day out at the cricket. It's not men's. in women's cricket, it's cricket, everyone's treated equally, it's just, it is just an amazing competition and the boys watch the girls, the girls watch the boys, vice versa, and it's just, it's just fun and quick, is it? Girls watch the boys who watch the girl, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Yeah, and I said on this interview as well, my always, always, my barometer of tournaments

like this is if the players look like they're having fun no one's faking that so if the players are having fun so should everyone else what are you most looking forward to in the 100 we've got a game at Lords this year which is always nice and I love playing at Headingley

and this is technically now my home in the 100 because this is my third year here and I did two years with Manchester so officially made Headingley my home for a little bit longer but we didn't do great at home last year so I'm hoping that we can turn that around and actually have some good fun with the crowd because they are a belting crowd at Headingley.

Yeah, they are. They're also savage the away team, which is so funny. So good, so good. But it's going to come thick and fast. My God, the schedule is crazy. Well, it's gone of the days where, like, obviously when I was playing and you were playing, but we would be able to work in between games.

There's just no time for you to commentate. Yeah, I've got two days. So it is chaos. I think we have five days where we've got three, games and we've got a travel day in between all of them. So it is just, if you're in that period and you're winning, it's amazing. But if you're losing, it's so hard because the games

come thick and fast. But then equally, if you're winning, the games come thick and fast. So it's great. To embrace the impossible requires a vehicle that pushes what's possible. Defender 110 boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, a waiting depth of 900 millimeters, and a roof load up to

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emails and text you can email us on no balls podcast at bbc got dotcode.uk that's one no ballspodcast at bbc.com.com.com. It's so good. They got a WhatsApp number instead which you can WhatsApp us on 030-123-1826. 0-3-123.0-2-3. or you can text us on

8-1-1-1-1 start your message with no balls or one word that's quite long now isn't it it used to be quite short and snappy maybe we get rid of some of maybe get rid of the email yeah no one emails just do the WhatsApp and the text number but don't forget start it with no balls otherwise you're going to get

lost in everything else you'll be lost in the ether who are we going upstairs with crossy start at the 100 I know who I want to go upstairs with and that is the two standing umpires in the men's test match this morning who are Kumar Damascena and Asan Raza. Yeah. Do you know what I love about Kumar? His aftershave brand.

Who's buying that? Perfume. It's actually a perfume. Is it? Yeah, I think I might get you some for your next birthday. I was literally about to say, I'm going to get you some. Yeah, I reckon let's go up with those two because, especially Asan, he didn't give a decision all five games. And then last morning he starts firing people. He wanted an early finish.

Loved it. Must have had a tea time. Anyway, we've had one from Ed. Ed says, Dear Alex and Kate, Kate and Alex, after you spoke about the West Indies 27 all-out against Australia, my son's team managed to get their opponents all out for 19. Us parents on the boundary could barely believe what we were seeing. I post in the team slash parents WhatsApp that this looked like a superb bowling performance.

Less than 30 seconds later, I had a private message from the coach. His own take was that the opposition was so poor that nothing else about the game mattered whatsoever. But as players, how do you handle feedback from a coach that is totally different to your own perception of a game? Also, for Alex, now you're a coach, have you found this situation the other way around? Okay. Good question, Ed.

Yeah, so the coach has basically said, we weren't good, they were bad. Yeah. I mean, that's not, I'm guessing these are kids, right? It just says my son's team. Yeah, right. So you always want to take out the positives of any situation, Even if they're not kids, right?

Someone is bowling straight and hitting the stumps for a start. Someone will have got three for? Someone will have might have got four for. There's always a positive. And I think it's so easy to be like, well, we weren't good, they were rubbish. When actually there's always, there is always something, especially when you win. Yeah, and I think you have to look at the positives. And you also obviously have to talk about the stuff that didn't go as well

because they're the bits that you're trying to improve game on game. But I do, yeah, I think you're right. Do you want to encourage kids to play cricket? or do you want to constantly pick out the negative and discourage them? This could be a first team. Oh, they does say team slash parents' WhatsApp, so. Yeah. Have you ever had that as a coach?

Have you kind of had a bowler come up to you and go, I thought I was really good today, coach, and you've gone, your wagon wheel was so bad. Yeah, it happens all the time. I think as cricketers, we are quite tunnel vision sometimes. Yeah, defensive, tunnel vision. You see the game how you want to see it, not through anyone else's eyes.

So my, and quite often bowlers will be like, I've had a really bad game, especially in T20 or the 100, when actually a batter's just had a good day out and that's allowed. So I always say, watch your game back tomorrow when you're not emotional

and you've had time to process it and really think about it and calm down. And then we'll talk about it because I think, especially now in T20 cricket, I can say to you, crossy, I want you to take. to bowl Yorkers today. I want you to bowl four Yorkers and over, and you do that, but you're bowling at Josh Butler who punged you over mid-off twice and ramps you, right?

And then our discussion the next day was, okay, our plan was Yorkers, did you execute them? Yes or no? And then the next day you go, okay, do we need to change that plan or did you just have a good day? Yeah, and the best cricketers, I think what you might not obviously necessarily appreciate from watching a game of cricket is those people who can change those plans in the moment and realize this isn't working this pitch doesn't suit that plan in this field and this batter and I have to first of all evaluate what I've tried to execute did I execute it yes or no if it's a yes and it's still going for fours and six is then probably the wrong plan so that's where like it's like forward thinking almost isn't it I had to I had to apologize to Michael Brace

while in the 100 because Shikanda Raza came out to bat and he's going like he's like saying does it up to him yeah do I toss it up to him do I toss it up to him so I'm like on the side going, yeah, toss it up, mate, toss it up, six. I'm like, no, good shot. Tosses one up, six. Anyway, Raza takes him apart and he comes off and he's like, I don't think that plan was right, Al. I was like, yeah, I think I might have got that one wrong.

Yeah, but that's also, like, you need a bit of accountability from everyone, don't you? As a player, you've got to work out if you've executed and also similarly as a coach, are you telling your players and helping them with the right plans. And you are going to get it wrong. Of course I am. I've never bowled at Raza. No, I hope you never have to. Me too, because he can bat.

Right, Lauren's emailed crossy. Hi, Alex and Kate. Long time listener, second time, throwback, emailer. Nice. My friends and I have just been speaking about maybe starting a podcast after being inspired by you both, as we absolutely love the pod. We all play the game and would absolutely love to play for England one day. Have you got any tips on how to start?

Don't. We're the worst. Yeah, don't. We're the worst. Wait, is this to start cricket or to start a podcast? Start a podcast. All right. We're probably the worst people to ask because we were the epitome of shambolic, weren't we?

We had a phone, one mobile phone. And also, like, we were the epitome of really quite confident of going, I think we're funny. Yeah, looking back, it is quite icky, actually, that we really rated ourselves enough to, yeah, we started a podcast because we thought we were funny. But we're still here, six years later, we're still going, so that's saying something. No, genuinely, Lauren, just do it. Yeah, you just find a way of doing it, don't you? Like, find a way to record. You can get some little clip on mics that we found five years into our career,

which are really helpful for travelling around, plug them into your phone, do a voice note, piece it all together. YouTube is how we learn to edit the podcast when we get to do it ourselves. Now we've got Jackie who just does it all for us. Yeah, then you get yourself a nice producer who writes stuff on a piece of paper for you so you don't have to scroll through your emails. I know, how good is this, by the way? Good luck with it, though, girls.

Let us know if you do start it. We'll tell everyone not to like rate and subscribe. Rebecca says, long-time listener, second-time emailer. I love the Ask the Umpire episodes on TMS, where Jonathan Agnew and Vic Marks used to ask John Holder umpiring questions. Some are silly and others of genuine queries. I was wondering if you two could ask the listeners to send in their queries and do a similar episode with Anna and Sue.

Finally, wipe the bread knife and toaster on the side. Keep the pod going, you two, always make me smile. Thanks, Rebecca. Great idea. Great idea. And when we eventually do our annual no balls, of day, we can just, as we'll record an episode at the end of that day, we can do it then. Got bread knife story for you else. Do you know I broke my bread knife?

Yeah, it's now a shank. It snapped into it. It was like this big. It was like a little tiny little. So then I thought, I'll treat myself to a new set of knives, you know. And do you remember how we always used to talk about cutting bread knives and how you weren't thick enough to go through the bagel, sorry, cutting bagels and how you'd hold it in your hand and then you wouldn't be thick enough to go through the bagel into your own hand? Twice in two days, I cut my own hand open. Right, please can you start putting the bagel on the side?

I have, but it's hot, that is a hard technique to do. Do it flat. Yeah, do it that way. Yeah, the flat technique. But really great new knives, very, very sharp. Very sharp. Crossing, we've only got one more. Okay.

Paul says, Hi, both, with the successful introduction of County T20 Vitality Blast and County 50 over Metro Bank one day, Cup to the Women's Counties cricket schedule absolutely loving this and seeing fantastic players

like Kate popping up around the country do you think that women's four-day county championship competition should be introduced next season to feed into the England test squad

Paul from Taunton Good question Paul first of all congratulations Surrey first Vitality Blast winners which does mean that Lancash cannot do the treble this year

sad Crossy what about when I watched T20 Blast final oh my god we'll talk about that in a minute we'll bring that up let's let's do paul's thing first um i think if something is introduced it won't be four-day cricket i think it'll start as two-day cricket and i don't think it will be a championship to start with i think it'll just be almost like we just play two-day cricket against yorkshire or durham or whoever it is but right

now very topical there is too much cricket in the schedule to even possibly consider a two-day cricket at the moment with how the women's I would love it. I would absolutely love it. Yeah, it needs to happen. I absolutely think it needs to happen, but I just think our workloads have shot through the roof this summer because we've got 14, 50 over games. I think we've got 12 Vitality blast games.

So it's the most that we've ever played in a professional season. So next season just feels a bit too soon and we're bringing in Yorkshire into the tier one system so there's more cricket to be played there because you're bringing a new team in. I think it will happen. It will happen eventually, but I just don't think it's one for next season, and I don't think it'll start as four-day cricket. But I do think it needs to come in,

because I think it will upskill everyone so quickly. Shall we finish the pod on my howler? Yeah, what an absolute shocker. Also, congratulations to the lionesses. Amazing. Back to back. From nowhere as well, not from nowhere, but... How good was it, though, Crossie?

So, well, you wouldn't know. So... So... This is me being like a... casual football fan. I follow, I've watched the lionesses when they've been at the Euros and World Cups, whatever, but I only ever

watch their games. Major tournaments, yeah. Major tournaments. I only ever watch the lionesses. It's not a massive football lover, but really try and get behind it. And I actually do, I love it. All the games have been 8pm kickoffs. Yeah. So they get to the final. At half past seven, I turn over to

BBC, ITV, whatever it's on, to watch the buildup, and I watch the last penalty. I know, I text you. at half seven just the penalties were about to start because you normally would text me if we're watching sport at the same time

you normally text me and you hadn't done so I was like you're watching the football like how unbelieved but gone to penalties and you're like what has it started

it starts in 20 minutes doesn't it? I was like no babes we're on the we're on the penalties and you're like I've been watching the county finals

I was watching on Vitality Blast Finals YouTube Vitality Blast Finals oh badger What a loser What an absolute badger

I couldn't believe it I was absolutely devastated And the finals Yeah great fine But I wasn't really that interested Watching Grace Harris Trying to hit another six Yeah

Well you missed it Well you actually watch the pens So you probably got the best bit Of the whole day really Even though it was the worst bit Because the pens are just so hard to watch Yeah And then I obviously had like

The interviews on for ages afterwards And I was like I'm listening to this Like I watch the whole game And I watch 12 minutes What are you like Fuming. Anyway, WhatsApp us on.

3301-123-1826. 0-3-1-8-26. Text us on. 8-1-1-1-1. 8-1-1, but you've got to start your message with No-Balls all in one word. Otherwise, Jack can't find you. It's impossible. And you can also email us on.

Noblespodcast at BBC.com.com.com.com.com. It's so good. You can get in touch many different ways. Many, many, many ways. Many, many ways. Crossy, good luck in the 100. Yeah, good look. Go well.

You too. Be great. Don't wait. Can't wait for the first scoop. Not played it for ages, actually. Bye. Bye. We are back with the Fantasy 606 podcast.

Whoa, Chris. I've got to stop you there. We have changed our name this season to the FPL podcast from BBC Sports. All you need to do is search for FPL, and if you already subscribe to our podcast, you don't need to do anything at all. Chris, have a guess what the code to join.

The BBC Sport League is. Was it 5E? It's BBC FPL. Oh, yeah. Come and play the game with us as we continue to teach Chris about Fantasy Premier League. The FPL podcast from BBC Sports. Listen on BBC Sounds.

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