Hove: Rene Farrell has a Test hat-trick and, as of Friday night, an away women's Ashes victory to her list of achievements. The veteran Southern Stars seamer hopes her contribution to the latter, three wickets and a key run-out, will secure her a long-standing life goal: to be interviewed by Australian TV breakfast-show host Karl Stefanovic.
Player-of-the-match @Fezzy88Rene has put the call-out to @karlstefanovic for an interview on @TheTodayShow: https://t.co/rTneaKScsc— Southern Stars (@SouthernStars) August 28, 2015
The 28-year-old justified her inclusion, for only the second time in the six matches so far in the series, for the second Twenty20 in Hove with two wickets in her first over and the last wicket of the match. In between those she also got a fingertip on a drive back at her from England's Lydia Greenway that ricocheted on to the non-striker's stumps to run out Danni Wyatt. That wicket left England reeling at 7-70 in their pursuit of 108 because it exposed their tail. Farrell's third wicket sealed the 20-run win that guaranteed the Stars' first women's Ashes win in England since 2001.
While Farrell was very appreciative of the increased recognition of elite women's cricket in the media, she lamented the absence of an interview with the bubbly host of Channel Nine's Today.
"The exposure has been fantastic - and I think we've earned that with the results we've had, a lot of world cups, a lot of wins. Hopefully this will be something to add to it," she said.
"Obviously Sky Sports is doing all the games over here, and we've got GEM having the game on Monday, a lot of newspaper articles. I'm still waiting for Karl Stefanovic to have a call-up with us. I love him."
Her captain, Meg Lanning, backed Farrell's bid to make contact with her television idol, urging Stefanovic to consider interviewing the veteran seamer.
"Surely he's up for an interview after an Ashes-winning team," Lanning said. "She'll have her phone on all night, so if he's willing to send a text and get an interview she'll be ready."
Many of Farrell's Southern Stars teammates used their social media accounts to endorse Farrell's bid for an interview with Stefanovic.
You have to @karlstefanovic!! https://t.co/rJ4nOIFRyC— Holly Ferling (@Holly_Ferling) August 28, 2015
#KarlToCallFez @Fezzy88Rene @sarahjanecoyte @megan_schutt @karlstefanovic— Anna Lanning (@annalanning) August 28, 2015
@karlstefanovic over to you mate! #KarlToCallFez get it trending people!! https://t.co/DJd6hORNpy— Anna Lanning (@annalanning) August 28, 2015
Ashes returned thanks to player of the match @Fezzy88Rene. @karlstefanovic https://t.co/s5iNBTzXnQ— Erin Osborne (@eosborne67) August 29, 2015
The reporter is covering the women's Ashes with the support of Cricket Australia
