Season 18, Episode 21: The kids have taken over the classroom. Ben Jones joins Cameron Ponsonby in a rare double-guest-hosting of our weekly show. What to make of Wiaan Mulder’s declaration when in sight of Brian Lara’s 400*, and just how bold is saying he could have but didn’t want to? We swing by the County Championship and the Kookaburra ball experiment before also taking a look at just how cool MS Dhoni legally trademarking a nickname really is. The uncertainty in the Australian top-order wo...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 1 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston Review. Where does India’s onslaught of runs in the second Test leave England’s plans for the series and beyond? Ben Jones and Daniel Norcross run the rule over Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes’ place in the team, after Shubman Gill, with help from Jadeja, Rishabh, and Jaiswal broke records with the bat. Lord’s promises the mouth-watering return of Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah – but who will he be sharing the new ball with? Could Akash Deep ...
Jul 07, 2025•36 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 2nd Test, Grenada Day 4: It's all over at Grenada. A beautiful country, an ugly innings, after Australia set West Indies 277 to win, then brought the power of an all-time bowling attack to bear. And what of Nathan Lyon? Sixes and wickets is the theme these days. Stay tuned for an all-time Hall of Fame. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for ...
Jul 06, 2025•25 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston Day 5. Rain threatened to bring Shubman’s declaration timing into question, but instead a flow of Akash Deep wickets dominated the day. Questions aplenty for England – will they persist with Shoaib Bashir? Who drops out for Jofra Archer? What to do with the excellent Jamie Smith? India have their own selection questions to bring back Jasprit Bumrah. Listen to how the final day at Edgbaston sets up a belter at Lord’s. Cameron Ponsonby joins Ben Jones. Chec...
Jul 06, 2025•26 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 2nd Test, Grenada Day 3: A rare day in this series that felt like normal Test cricket, with a bit of rain slowing down proceedings, and Steve Smith looking at least half a million bucks until it ended. West Indies have remembered how to hold a slips catch, and are almost in this game, but their grip on this match must be close to slipping too. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword M...
Jul 05, 2025•27 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston, Day 4: The days keep passing and the runs keep coming. This time it was India again, as Shubman Gill takes himself into elite territory with three tons in four innings. Rishabh smacked them and lost his bat, the score piled up, and Zak Crawley continued being Zak Crawley. Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: 15% off at our link: noobru.com/finalword Tickets for our Wormsley match, August 18: ...
Jul 05, 2025•24 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 2nd Test, Grenada Day 2: We seem to spend every day talking about Khawaja and Konstas, and here we go again. A half hour of Australian batting at the end of the day was enough to start the conversation again, after a West Indies innings of equal parts dash, determination, and daftness. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers...
Jul 05, 2025•30 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston, Day 3: Six ducks, two doubles? Just about. It seemed we would get there during the monster partnership between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook, but nobody else could figure out how to score, while without Bumrah, the next-best rank tried their hardest in the form of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. The scores are high, but there are many reasons why this match is interestingly set up. Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: 15% off at our link: ...
Jul 04, 2025•23 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 2nd Test, Grenada Day 1: It just ain't happening for Messrs Khawaja, Konstas, and Green, with another chance going begging for all three. Once again it was down to the usual firewalls to get them out of real trouble, after another group fast bowling performance from an even bigger West Indies cartel. If the home team can figure out how to bat, they're right in this... Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword...
Jul 03, 2025•31 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston, Day 2: If Shubman Gill thought he had a good day yesterday, today it went extra large. By the end of the day, only six Indians had made a bigger Test score, and none had in England. Then with no Bumrah, could Akash Deep make a cut? Cameron Ponsonby joins Daniel Norcross. Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: 15% off at our link: noobru.com/finalword Tickets for our Wormsley match, August 18: uk.e...
Jul 03, 2025•23 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston, Day 1: There were changes to the India team, but not the ones we expected. Shubman took it upon himself to hand the day to India by a split decision. But is it enough to worry the Bazballians? Is this another renaissance for Chris Woakes? There was another threat of a collapse for India, and was it a case of “Stupid Stupid Stupid” for Rishabh? A pivotal Day 2 awaits. Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross. Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: 15% off at...
Jul 02, 2025•24 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 2nd Test, Grenada Day 0: After a few days of a story bubbling away, Cricket West Indies have finally got themselves organised to... not deal with it. The captain's pre-match press conference was one of stonewalling. On the field, Steve Smith returns for Australia, and West Indies contemplate leaving out their spinner to go all pace. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Maurice Blackburn ...
Jul 02, 2025•14 min
England India Daily, 2nd Test, Edgbaston Preview: Whilst it’s only 1-0, there’s a sense that India needs a positive result out of this game, and since Bazball’s England doesn’t do draws, a win is the only option. How do they manage to ensure the series isn’t as good as over by Lord’s, and do it at a ground where they have never won? Jasprit Bumrah is the obvious choice, but should they also pick Kuldeep Yadav? It’ll be a pivotal Test for spinners as Shoaib Bashir and his tendency to leak runs wi...
Jul 01, 2025•35 min
Season 18, Episode 20: It's the first ever Final Word from Grenada, as Geoff and Bharat kick back on the deck looking over St Georges. It's a fine view for a long conversation. Some dark stories swirl over the current West Indies team, as the administrators pretend it's not happening. Steve Smith is back, Sunil Gavaskar gets stroppy, there's change at Cricket Ireland, Zimbabwe are back in the Test arena, Smriti Mandhana joins a rare club, and Pakistan will play India at the Women's World Cup. Su...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 10 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 1st Test, Barbados Day 3: How the hell is that over? This match was destined for Day 4, with some hope of a good tussle, and then in one frantic burst of evening destruction, everything changed. Find out about the most frantic extra 43 minutes of Test cricket we may ever have seen. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919:...
Jun 27, 2025•30 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 1st Test, Barbados Day 2: The wickets kept falling, and the game kept galloping along, as Australia put the pressure on West Indies before West Indies returned the favour once again. Three Caribbean quicks, four Caribbean seamers, working in concert at the grand old ground in Bridgetown? Yes please, although it wasn't a fun day for the worked-over Sam Konstas. Anything could happen from here. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/...
Jun 26, 2025•26 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 1st Test, Barbados Day 1: Does Shamar Joseph enjoy anything more than bowling against Australia? It's hard to see how. The excitement machine clicked into gear once more at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, before Jayden Seales had his part of the day. In the meantime, Travis Head entertained in his usual way, and Australia's bowlers got the contest boiling. We have a live one! Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword...
Jun 25, 2025•29 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley, Review: Daniel Norcross and Ben Jones assess a wild Test match in Leeds that was… actually quite predictable when you break it down day by day. Is this the end of batting first in England? Daniel seems to think so. Joe Root continues to be unnervingly nerveless in run chases. Looking to Edgbaston, how will the bowling lineups look? Will Akash Deep or Arshdeep Singh be called in to bolster the pace attack? Will we see Atkinson return for England or, whis...
Jun 25, 2025•37 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley Day 5: England do it! They pull off the 10th-highest chase in history. A lacklustre India provided only scant challenges, as an England batting lineup, turbo-charged by Ben Duckett, put India to the sword. What does this mean for India? A “Bumrah Test” is lost, and Guatam Gambhir is now 3 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw in tests. India are the first team in first class cricket history to lose a game having made five centuries. How did they muck this up? Cameron P...
Jun 24, 2025•29 min
West Indies Australia Daily, 1st Test, Barbados Day 0: A ground packed with history, a country that has produced more superstars than any in the region - it's a privilege to be at Kensington Oval. When the Frank Worrell Trophy series begins, it will be as Australia "reset" (in their words) for a new WTC cycle having lost the big one at Lord's, with the Windies trying to start afresh themselves under new skipper Roston Chase. Oh, speaking of captains - we have some news at the end about Pat Cummi...
Jun 24, 2025•23 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley Day 4: It is impossible not to talk about Rishabh Pant. Twin tons for a wicketkeeper? That has only happened once before, but let's make it twice. It's a bad day to be KL Rahul. On India went, back England came, and now, for the fourth night in a row, the match remains... poised. Big run chase to come! Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: 15% o...
Jun 23, 2025•32 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley Day 3: What was Harry Brook thinking? And before that, the same question applies to Jamie Smith. Also, how have England reached parity with only one ton compared to three? But here we are, dare we say evenly poised, after an inspired bowling change just before tea by Shubman Gill. You may be able to guess who he turned to. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Check out Noobru to give your b...
Jun 22, 2025•28 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley Day 2: Rishabh Pant made it three tons for India on Day 2 with a rollicking century. But with an Ollie Pope blinder, England fought back to limit the damage, then held their grip despite some Bumrah blows. They could be out of it tomorrow, but they’re still in it right now. Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: get 1...
Jun 21, 2025•31 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley Day 1: “We’ll have a bowl.” It's not done yet, but Ben Stokes may live to regret that call, as a new generation of India batters feast on listless bowling. What’s England’s way back into the game? Ben Jones thinks there could be an opening. And for India, were the new superstars already here, and has Rishabh found his groove this early? Here's to teeing off, not recklessly. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword...
Jun 20, 2025•29 min
England India Daily, 1st Test, Headingley Day 0: It's about to begin. Five Test matches between two huge teams, with Ben Stokes and the bish-bash brigade versus a new-look India with Shubman Gill at the helm, and Rishabh Pant as the devil on his shoulder. It could go absolutely anywhere. Daniel Norcross joins Geoff Lemon. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Check out Noobru to give your brain a boost: get 15% off at our link: noob...
Jun 20, 2025•34 min
Season 18, Episode 19: Still in the afterglow of South Africa’s World Test Championship win, apparently the real hero is… board chair Jay Shah? You may think we’re talking about him a lot lately, but ask the ICC camera crews that slavishly followed him around. Also this week, Virat Kohli chooses a very pointed moment to back Test cricket, the new cycle begins, there’s trouble with Tassie’s stadium, NZ’s most successful coach pulls the pin, and we finally have dates for the very imminent women’s ...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 18Ep. 19
It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we go back to the northern summer of 1990 when the pitches and balls were as flat as each other, ruining bowlers across the UK. Earlier, Adam explored the forgotten hero of the first Test ever played and Geoff told the unhappy story of three siblings who struggled at the top. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 7.10 - Mel Shawley 6.42 - Vikram Ravi 3.66 - Chris Unwin Support the show with a Nerd Pledg...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 7 min
World Test Championship Final, the day after: When South Africa fell short in the T20 World Cup Final last year, it was Dan Gallan who we called upon to explain the deep hurt. So, as promised, he returns the day after a massive celebration to put into words why the Proteas' triumph means so very much. Also, an eye to Australia's "reset", which begins in Barbados next week. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword We welcome Noobru to our team!...
Jun 15, 2025•37 min
World Test Championship Final, Day 4: They bloody well did it. South Africa and winning finals - that hasn't been a pairing that has seen much airtime in international cricket. Things didn't look good this time around either. But after a remarkable final push, it is offical: South Africa are the World Test Champions. It matters for so many reasons, and right now it is a wildly emotional day at Lord's. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword We ...
Jun 14, 2025•30 min
World Test Championship Final, Day 3: South Africa have looked the underdog throughout this WTC final, but halfway through the third day, that all changed. Even the torment that Starc and Hazlewood put them through with the bat was washed away, as Aiden Markram put together the innings of his life. But they're not done yet, and for South Africa, the last part of the climb has so far proved too hard. Can they finish the job on Day 4? Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com...
Jun 13, 2025•30 min
