Archives: Episode

Scotland women wrote cricket history in May this year with a spectacular win over Ireland, to secure their place in their maiden T20 cricket World Cup. It was a day filled with emotion, and opening batter Megan McColl was at the centre of proceedings with her magnificent half a century by the 15th over.

Joining me on the podcast, Megan relives the innings by sharing with us what was in her head during her batting spell. How her batting partner Saskia helped her bounce ideas around out in the middle. We also explore the broader landscape of women’s cricket in Scotland, discussing the challenges the sport faces and whether the historic World Cup qualification has sparked changes at higher levels. Megan opens up about her performances and, her aspirations to be in the starting eleven for the World Cup later this year.

Additionally, we’ll delve into the self-belief that united the Scottish team during the qualifiers and the mental barriers that cricketers must overcome to forge successful careers. Megan gives us insight into the rest of the season and how the players manage the delicate balance of working and representing their country on the cricket field. Join us as we reflect on the inspiring journey through one of the most momentous achievements in women’s cricket in Scotland.

In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of welcoming Laura Wolvaardt, the captain of the South African women’s national cricket team, to the show. She’s not only the Proteas top-order batter but also showcases her talent in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the Gujarat Giants, the Women’s Big Bash League with the Adelaide Strikers, and The Hundred for the Manchester Originals.

In 2017, she was named Women’s Newcomer of the Year at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards and still holds the record for being the youngest South African to score an international cricket century. With the India tour kicking off this June, Laura shares her thoughts and feelings ahead of the much-anticipated games. We dive into the atmosphere within the team as they gear up to face the Women in Blue at some of India’s most iconic cricket venues. Laura opens up about her personal journey with T20 cricket, detailing how she overcame criticism through self-belief and hard work.

We also discuss her back-to-back centuries in the ODIs against Sri Lanka, exploring how she handles the pressure and challenges of captaining a diverse team. As an introvert with fans around the world, Laura gives us a glimpse into how she manages her public persona, deals with the fear of failure, and what her game day superstitions are. Plus, find out who is the bowler she least likes to face in the women’s game, and why she wears number 14. 

Join us for an in-depth conversation with one of South Africa’s most beloved athletes, Laura Wolvaardt, and get to know the person behind the cricket legend.

In this episode, I sit down with Western Province women’s top-order batter, doughnut lover, and sport nutritionist, Faye Tunnicliffe. Faye has big goals matched by unwavering determination. As a gym owner, fitness enthusiast, and 2024 CSA national academy intake, Faye is working to become a solid fixture in the Proteas starting eleven.

We dive deep into Faye’s story, exploring her cricketing adventure in the U.K. and her return to Cape Town. She candidly shares her time sleeping on her sister’s couch for a month before a call with the coach saw her join the Western Province women’s cricket team. This season, Faye has taken on the crucial role of opening batter in both the 50 overs and T20 matches, she reveals what it feels like to step into this position, once held by Andrie Steyn.

Faye discusses how she stays motivated daily. How she starts her day with the “hard things,” what strategies she has found to maintain good mental health, and we talk about doughnuts, her excitement about joining the CSA Academy over the winter, and her natural ability to be an encourager. Tune in to hear Faye’s story of resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, high standards, the Africa Games silver and the starting eleven.

Born in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Sharne was active from a young age, from playing cricket with the boys to representing her country both in hockey and in cricket. Recently, she was part of the Lady Chevrons team that took on the South African women in a thrilling cricket final at the 13th African Games. Walking away with the gold was a sensational experience for Sharne and her team, and now they are once again competing on the global stage at the ICC qualifiers.

On the show, Sharne and I dig into the gripping win at the African Games and Sharne gives us a look into the meaning behind the win and her family’s poignant words expressed by the nation; “you were part of something bigger than yourself.” Feeling the weight of what was achieved, Sharne also speaks about her cricket injury for the first time, and how coming back to cricket was something that hung in the balance. Sharne speaks into the much-needed space of what women’s cricket looks like on the African continent and her hopes and vision for accessibility and investment into women’s sport in Africa. Giving voice to female athletes and their understanding of fan and spectator engagement, as well as some insider views on the ICC qualifiers, this podcast is filled with moving, intellectual truths about cricket in Africa from a player’s perspective.

The 13th Africa Games kick off this week and for the first time since its inception, cricket is on the agenda. Head coach of the South African Women’s Team heading to the games, is Dinesha Devnarain. She is the women’s national academy head coach, the first woman to have a high-performance coaching job at Cricket South Africa and she led the Fairbreak Warriors to the tournament win as assistant coach in Hong Kong last year.

In a deeply personal way Dinesha and I talk about the future of women’s cricket in South Africa, as well as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the brand of cricket Dinesha believes South Africa plays. She also unpacks the team selection for the African Games, and how the team has a bigger purpose in mind, the dream of gold. We talk about the leagues, The Hundred, and the global hunger for women’s cricket. Dinesha also talks exclusively about the plans for the women’s SA20, and how she is a part of the conversations and camps identifying the players and stars for this. Importantly, as a custodian of the game, Dinesha speaks about her goal as the head coach of the African Games team and the eagerness of the players to represent the country and the badge. Insightful and revelatory, don’t miss this conversation ahead of the Games.