Exclusive first clip - Watch Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan take on cricket

Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan take on another hilarious physical challenge in their Rob & Romesh Vs series this week, strapping on some pads and helmets for a spot of cricket.

Watch the exclusive clip from episode three. Tune in on Sky One with NOW TV at 9pm on Tuesday, May 19.

The duo’s latest episode sees them head to South Africa to meet England cricket legend Kevin Pietersen, where they are given a quick warning that this sport may be more dangerous than they originally imagined.

Here's what Rob and Romesh had to say about their latest sporting challenge...

How was South Africa? Had you been before? 

Romesh: We’ve both been before

Rob: I’ve never been on holiday there but it’s such a beautiful place, I love it out there, it’s wonderful isn’t it?

Romesh: I think Cape Town is amazing and I’d never have thought of going somewhere like that on a holiday but I certainly would after that, it was great. What a place. It was amazing. Also, that ground, to watch cricket with the mountain in the background is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Rob: It’s one of the best stadiums I’ve ever been to – not the stadium itself but to be near a beautiful mountain.

Romesh: Yeah, you wouldn’t say the seats were amazing would you? There’s nothing about the facilities that are amazing.

Rob: Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to look at the stadium from the mountain.

Romesh: If the mountain wasn’t there, we wouldn’t be talking to you about it in this interview.

Rob: They’re lucky they built it there to be honest.

Romesh: It’s so convenient.

It looked like Kevin Pietersen worked you quite hard, how was he to practice with? 

Rob: That was right scary. He’s a big boy, isn’t he? He’s the epitome of a big, strong boy. About six foot six, massive geezer, very charming, but just absolute bastard to deal with a bat and a ball.

Romesh: I think because he’s grown up with cricket and it’s in his blood the idea that he’s got two adults you know, two people that have got no sort of ability whatsoever, I think he found that offensive. And he sort of took on this demonic coach persona. It was a torrid afternoon.

Rob: Ha ha ha! It really was! And the ball’s so hard.

Romesh: It’s ridiculous. In the future if we forgot about cricket, you’d easily believe me if I told you that was a weapon. A cannonball. Because it is so painful when it makes any sort of contact with you. I can’t believe they have that in a sport. It’s ridiculous.

Rob: I’d rather catch a knife.

Kevin seemed to take a shine to Rob over you, Romesh - why do you think that is?

Rob: Well Kevin can smell talent and hard work and dedication and as it turned out I’m a natural batsman, I’m just not good at fielding, so that’s why we got on, and he liked my positive outlook.

Romesh: You were sh*t at catching though Rob, weren’t you?

Rob: Yes, I know I was sh*t at catching but…

Romesh: He wasn’t… I know you think you were great at batting but you got to remember you were terrible at bowling. It was very difficult for me to play what you were delivering because it was so awful. It wasn’t coming anywhere near me.

So then the old beast mode came out again, where he thinks he’s got some sort of ability in it, and he starts getting all cocky and all this “Alright have that, have that”. He starts waving to the crowd and that’s why it was so delightful to go out and watch him cowering when the cricket ball was in the air.

Rob: My head went with that. All I could think was “Run away, run away, you don’t need that, you don’t need that ball. That ball means nothing”. I haven’t seen the edit though.

Was it nerve-racking doing the challenge in front of the Barmy Army? 

Rob: Oh yeah, they were singing “you’re just a sh*t James Corden” at me.

Romesh: Which I can’t imagine James Corden’s happy about.

Rob: Somehow, it’s even more offensive to him! But yeah that was hard. To be fair they are a good bunch and they’re a good laugh, but they were cheering when we did well…so they weren’t all bad.

 Romesh: I would say that it was worse afterwards than during because we kept bumping into the Barmy Army in South Africa and we just got abuse everywhere we went.

Rob: Yeah, in the airport on the way home. “Hey look I’ve got a video of you not catching that ball!”

Romesh: So in that way, we were getting heckled, you’d be out having lunch and you’d get heckled from somebody that saw us doing the challenge, that was not fun.

Watch Sky One’s Rob & Romesh Vs at 9pm on Tuesdays on Sky One with NOW TV.