BOWL TO THE BEAT – The Hundred’s unique vibe

There is a special connection between music and live sport. Whether it’s players focusing pre-game with beats in their cans, live music before big finals, or cricket’s The Hundred blasting out tunes while the game is in play. 

Clare McEwen speaks to London Spirit’s wildcard pick Liv Barnes and Trent Rockets’ Sophie Munro about music, playing with international stars, and the tournament itself. 

If you aren’t up to speed with The Hundred, it’s the even faster cousin of T20 cricket. Each team only gets 100 balls to score as many runs as they can; this is an action-packed game. 

Rather than overs, the balls are bowled in sets of 5 balls. There’s a 25-ball powerplay, where only two fielders can be outside the 25-yard circle, and rather than tracking overs, the scoreboard counts down the number of balls left.

And music is an integral part of the format.

The teams don’t have much time to prepare with their new teammates before the event kicks off, mostly because a good chunk of them were recently contesting the T20 World Cup.

London Spirit, for example, boast Charlie Dean, Marizanne Kapp, Deandra Dottin, Amy Jones, and Nadine de Klerk amongst their squad. Trent Rockets have a host of World Cup finalists: Ash Gardner, Beth Mooney, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Sophia Dunkley. Every team has major stars in their line-up.

And talented domestic players…

LIV BARNES – LONDON SPIRIT

You were snapped up as a wildcard pick off the back of your domestic form. When did you find out you were heading to London Spirit? 

It’s kind of a funny story. We’d just come off a really good roll of wins and I was in for recovery the day after a game and I was a bit tired. I was just laying on the physio bed and then I get a text from Heather Knight saying, welcome to London Spirit. Don’t tell anyone. 

I was like, don’t tell anyone, I’m in a room of people. So I had to put on my best poker face and conceal my excitement.

But, yeah, once it got announced, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone.

And how did it feel to know your recent performances earned you this spot? 

Yeah, I feel like it’s a lot of credit to the support staff I have alongside me at Somerset. So the first three games, I didn’t play any cricket. I didn’t get picked because there was something wrong with my bowling. And I felt that.

Then I went to my bowling coach Erin Osborne, who happens to be our head coach [at Somerset] as well. 

I said, there’s something wrong, I feel I need to change something and she saw it too. And we came together and sorted it all out. Then came the Blast [T20 county cricket competition]. There was just a roll of successes for me personally and then as a group – we got off to a flyer.

That’s quite a quick change, right? I mean, that’s not totally normal is it, to tweak something in your bowling action and have such instant results?

Yeah, it was quite a shock to me! But I think what helped me is being so open to exploring new challenges and just being able to take in as much learning as possible. 

It’s only my second year in a professional setting, I’m still the newbie so it’s just taking in so much knowledge – Erin has a wealth of knowledge, she is so good at what she does and it’s credit to her that I’ve got to where I am.

I know I perform how I perform, but the support I get from her is incredible.

This is your first taste of The Hundred. What are you most excited – or nervous – about experiencing?

I’m just excited to see what it throws at me. All the challenges I get from it, just throwing myself in at a deep end and being a massive sponge – absorbing all that goes on, things that I see on and off the field.

How the best in the world go about their business and just learning so much.

So I’ll be giving them headaches, but also giving myself a headache because of all the knowledge around me is just immense.

The Hundred is famous for putting music at the heart of cricket. How do you think having live music throughout the innings might impact your energy and focus out in the middle? 

I’m quite a bubbly person. I’m not a quiet person at all. So music is a big thing around me. I can’t do anything without music, I need music. I feel like on the field, I’ll definitely be having a little sing song, if it’s a song I know. 

Maybe a little dance between sets. Yeah, I feel like the energy from the music and the buzz from the crowd is going to be insane.

Music’s all about tempo and rhythm. As a bowler, do you feel there’s a natural crossover between music and hitting your bowling rhythm on the pitch? 

Yeah, my bowling rhythm is quite unique. I don’t find any song has the same rhythm. But every bowler definitely has a rhythm.

And if you have the rhythm, then you’ve got the consistency. And consistency is key as a bowler – to constantly keep the stumps in play. And take wickets.

Have you ever done your bowling practice with music in your ears?

Yes I have. Sometimes back at Somerset, if the hall’s free, I go in and I’ve either got a speaker with me and I’ll blast some music or I’ll respect everyone and put my earphones in and just bowl.

I just enjoy it because then it creates a relaxing environment for me, because if I’m in a silent environment, that’s just way too awkward for me.

What do you listen to to get yourself going?

Oh I’m a multi-genre lover, but I feel like in cricket, I need upbeat. Nothing slow. Nothing sad. I need happy, fun, upbeat.

Something with a good beat. That will get me fired up.

If you got to choose your walk-on music – like a darts player – what would it be?

Well, yeah, I do love my darts and I have been watching it. I would say my darts and my cricket walkout songs would be different, as I feel that’s a different environment.

I feel like my cricket one would be ‘All Fired Up’ by the Saturdays.

You’re sharing a spin department with Charlie Dean. Have you had a chance to pick her brains yet? 

I had a slot with her today and it was probably my first outing with her at Spirit training. And it was just great because although I’m with her at Somerset, she’s not there as much as we’d love her to be because she’s obviously doing her stuff with England.

But yeah, it’s just good to see how she goes about her business. What’s going on inside her head when she bowls? When she comes over the wicket, round the wicket – what changes, does anything change? Or does she keep it as simple as possible?

What’s it like being among players who were just at the T20 World Cup and now you’re sharing a dressing room with?

Yeah, it’s quite a good feeling, the group’s got a good connection already and it’s been less than a week. We’ve clicked really well. We’ve gelled really well. 

Grace Harris – she won’t mind me saying this – but she’s the loudest one in the room. You hear her before you see her –  in a good way. She’s a great craic.

[Deandra] Dottin has got a wealth of experience on the world stage and in the Hundreds. Then obviously the two South Africans Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk – just two outstanding people coming back off a World Cup. 

It must be quite hard to gel in such a quick time. Is that down to the experience of the other players maybe to help you fit in quite quickly?

You know, I feel like the team environment’s just so good.

They always encourage us to be ourselves. We’ve got an environment that allows us to be ourselves, and I feel like that’s just the authenticity that this team gives us.

It’s good that I can be myself and everyone can be themselves and then we gel within ourselves.

You have that rare combination of batting right-handed, but bowling left-arm spin. How did that come about?

I’m left sided dominant – I’m left-handed and left-footed. I was thinking about this recently, it’s weird that I’m not a left-handed batter with my left hand on the bottom of the bat, muscling it around, but I prefer my left hand being on top of the bat. So that led to me being right-handed and controlling everything [with the left] and then my right hand gives it a good punch.

What would make this Hundred campaign a personal success for you? Do you have any expectations or are you just going to enjoy it all?

I’m just going to take each day by its merit. Being a wildcard pick, I don’t expect to play.

Obviously, I’m gonna do my best to break into the team but we’ve got an incredible bunch of players. Everyone does their role so well.

If I get a chance, I’m just gonna grasp at it, help the team, whether it’s off the pitch or on the pitch.  

I’m just gonna do my best for the team. 

What can fans expect from London Spirit in The Hundred this summer? 

Oh, they can expect a lot of fireworks. A lot of explosive batting. 

We’re such a skilful team. That’s probably the main thing you’ll see, our skillfulness. Our bravery will be good – we’ll continue to be brave, take on whatever’s thrown at us. 

And I think just being confident in our skills and backing ourselves to take on whatever the Hundreds throw at us.

SOPHIE MUNRO – TRENT ROCKETS

The Hundred is obviously famous for putting music at the heart of cricket. How does having live music throughout the innings impact your energy and focus out in the middle?

Yeah, I really enjoy having the music. Obviously the atmosphere is very different to other competitions. The music keeps the energy high and keeps it entertaining for the crowd and for us as well.

And, you know, it’s quite nice to have that music as it keeps it relaxed and more fun.

And it keeps the crowd engaged. They like the music – it keeps the energy of the crowd and the energy of us.

Yeah, I think it’s good.

Who’s the self-appointed team DJ in your squad? 

Well, I mean, Dec our S&C trainer kind of appoints himself as DJ. But he has these girly tunes, I would say, which is not expected.

So I think he should probably be banned from the music, but yeah, he’s kind of self-appointed DJ.

My next question was who should be banned from choosing the music, so we’ve covered that now [laughs].

Yeah, probably him. It’s not my kind of music. Sometimes it is, but, yeah, often not quite there.

More miss than hit?

Yeah. But it’s better to have some music than no music, so I can’t really complain too much.

Music is all about tempo and rhythm. As a bowler, do you feel there’s a natural crossover between music and hitting your bowling rhythm on the pitch? 

Yeah, definitely.

When I’m bowling, if I’m bowling well, it’s all about rhythm and timing – my run up feeling smooth and everything being consistent.

And the music replicates that and it’s got its rhythm and timing. So yeah, I definitely see that there’s a cross-correlation between the two.

Do you train with music on?

Yeah, we always – I mean, the speaker was dead today – but yeah, we usually train with music on.

And again, it helps it feel relaxed and makes everything more fun. 

Do you find music helps you get into the right headspace before matches?

Definitely. Having any sort of music is better than no music.

I would play music all the time when I’m training – at every possible moment – if I could.

It allows you to switch off from the pressure of the game and, again, adds a fun part to it – stops it being serious the whole time.

What do you like to listen to?

I listen to all sorts of music, from hip-hop to dance to country. I’ll listen to it all, pretty much. 

If you got to choose your walk-on music, what would it be? One song?

One song… I don’t know, but it would probably be something by Fred again.., I would say. Love his music.

I’ll take that as a single choice [laughs].

You’re playing alongside huge international stars, how quickly do international stars and domestic players integrate into a cohesive unit in a short, high-intensity tournament like The Hundred?   

Yeah, I mean, it helps obviously with the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Dunks [Sophia Dunkley] that you play domestically against them, I played with them when I used to play for Blaze, and stuff like that. 

And in other years of The Hundred I’ve played with a couple of the others. 

So I think that definitely helps.

But we’re training and living together every single day, so I would say it happens pretty quickly.

We’re all there for the same tournament, same goal – we all want to win. And everyone’s really welcoming.

Then we’re learning off them as well, which is great.

Do you ever look around the changing room and have pinch-me moments, the room packed with global talent? 

Yeah, of course, it’s pretty special to look around your changing room and see the T20 World Cup winners. And other players that played in the World Cup as well.

Yeah, that’s pretty special.

The game obviously moves ridiculously fast in The Hundred. How do you prepare mentally for a format where a couple of bad balls can really shift momentum? 

It’s definitely a mindset thing, just staying present, focusing on the next ball rather than the ball you’ve just bowled.

You’re going to go for fours and sixes in such a fast-paced competition, it’s all about the next ball and making sure that next ball’s back on the money. 

We’ve obviously trained hard, we’ve just got to back our strengths on that next ball.

What do you think is Trent Rockets’ secret weapon or an underrated strength that maybe opposition sides might overlook? 

I would say we’ve got a good depth in our batting. Everyone contributes and obviously we’ve got quite a lot of experience with the internationals, from all sides and our domestic players have a lot of experience.

The team that played the other day, the average age was probably higher than most of the other teams.

So I think, yeah, definitely the experience that our team has is really good.

And how would you describe what fans can expect from the Trent Rockets in The Hundred this summer? 

 I think they can expect energy. A team that’s going to compete hard to win every game.

A lot of fun, naturally, with The Hundred competition and the music.

Hopefully we can give fans a lot of moments that they can get excited about.

And when we’re at home, that Trent Bridge crowd is always incredible.

The Hundred’s principle partner Compare The Market recreated the iconic Abbey Road album cover ahead of The Hundred competition. As you can see above, the photo featured Liv Barnes, Sophie Munro, and Welsh Fire’s Phil Salt alongside Aleksander the meerkat as the fourth ‘Beatle’.

Photos: Matt Alexander/PA Media Assignments; Alex Davidson/London Spirit