The Final Word Cricket Podcast

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a Zaheer Abbas extravaganza that ends up having nothing to do with Zaheer Abbas. Confused? So are we! Also, the oldest first-class cricketers, the greatest all-rounders numerically speaking, and a loop back to French cricket in the modern style. Enchanté.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

6.80 - Andrew Perrin

26.00 - George Norman

2.74 - Ian Colvin

3.50 - Sinead Bird

Revisits: Rooto, Jim Robertson

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England NZ Daily - 1st T20, Manchester 2023: If Harry Brook is the best, then how doesn't he go to India for the World Cup? We consider this, New Zealand's struggles and Cam Ponsonby getting into a WhatsApp group with Wandsworth Jofra after another mismatch, this time at Old Trafford.

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Book Club 1: Tom Hicks - Bowler's Name? The Life of a Cricketing Also-Ran.

Welcome to a new version of The Final Word! The plan is to feature books and authors that capture the game from a wider perspective than just the international game that we cover. So we come to our author today, Tom Hicks. In many ways he has led a charmed life as a player. A first-class skipper by virtue of Oxford University, 20 years duking it out for Dorset in the minor counties, and more games at Lord’s than any amateur could wish for, at times it feels like a lovely fairytale. Yet there’s an anonymity to Tom's time as well, reflected in the name of his most enjoyable memoir.

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England v New Zealand, 1st T20 at Durham: If the plan over these four matches is for Jos Buttler to learn a few things and for players to put pressure on selectors, that’s exactly what he got in the series opener at Durham. It was a carve up of the Kiwis, nowhere near their best.

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Season 14, Episode 37: In the closing stages of a close ODI between two Full Member nations, a non-striker run out by the bowler is a big story but not the biggest of the match. The times are indeed changing. In other news, Heath Streak is much more alive than first anticipated, Virat Kohli's beep test is a state secret, Meg Lanning is on the comeback trail as the injury list swallows up Glenn Maxwell, Sophie Ecclestone and Tayla Vlaeminck, and the Hundred ends but not without a final helping of controversy.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, who is the greatest French cricketer you've never heard of? This story comes thanks to historian John Peck. Daniel Norcross tries to untangle a slew of distinguished 1930s signatures on a bat, we detour via Esther Williams and 1920s silent film, develop a heavy Dutch theme, and look at some of the maddest finishes to T20 matches. An unmissable Story Time.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

Jenny - 3.10

Rooto - 2.10

Richard Jones - 2.01

Sam Brown - 4.11

Ramaswamy - 4.20

Nick Dempsey - 3.65

Solutions: Joe McDavitt, Jeremy Bourke, Jack Jorgensen

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Season 14, Episode 36: Today’s episode is about Scotland, a nation we’ve not given enough time to over the years. Complicating this is the current mess surrounding Cricket Scotland off the field. Following allegations from national players, the board commissioned a report with its authors concluding in July 2022 that cricket in the country was institutionally racist. The board resigned en masse, and the churn of administrators has continued as reports of racist acts continue to occur and to be investigated. While this has played out publicly and bitterly, the Scottish men’s team came within a few balls of qualifying for the one-day World Cup, while Scotland’s women are on the road to professionalism with a generation of players aspiring to qualify for World Cups themselves.

It is here that we pick up our conversations featuring four guests. 

Toby Bailey - Cricket Scotland’s high-performance boss.

Kathryn Bryce - gun all-rounder and captain of the women’s team.

Matthew Cross - men’s vice-captain and a veteran behind the stumps.

Pete Fitzboydon – Interim chief executive

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Season 14, Episode 35: As time wears relentlessly on, archives and artefacts begin to vanish. That is why this week brings about an important foray into a historical moment of great import: the cricketing intervention of Plucka Duck. Speaking of flightless birds, the Kiwis get overturned in one of the great upsets. Jasprit Bumrah is back ahead of the World Cup, the organising of which continues to be shambolic with more fixture changes, while the World Cup 'mascots' are a front for selling NFTs. Australia chop and change their white-ball squad for South Africa, the thrilling talent of Mahika Gaur will debut for England's women, with that squad drawing debate, South Africa's women are in more captaincy disarray, Harmanpreet Kaur doubles down on her Bangladesh meltdown, the Hundred and Metrobank comps roll on, and there's a new segment of Corporate Bullshit.

Your Nerd Pledge number this week is:

2.46 - Randolph Brazier

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Season 14, Episode 34: This has been on our wish list for a long time - Adam sits down with Indian great Cheteshwar Pujara. And contrary to reports, he's far from done as a Test batter, determined to get back into the side to add to his 19 tons. In this expansive conversation at Hove, where he's dominating for Sussex in county cricket, the 35-year-old goes back to the very start, explaining how both his father and late mother put in place the foundation for a career that has bucked modern trends in the most wonderful way, whilst never forgetting that his first responsibility is to be a good person.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. MCC Cowdrey walks down the MCC steps in the final over of the Test in 1963 against the fearsome Windies with a broken arm... one of the bravest acts in Test history, right? Daniel Norcross, in for Geoff with Adam this weekend, explains why this tale isn't quite how it seems. Then on to Chuck Fleetwood-Smith - distinctive name, striking career - and a couple of Aussie leggies, one better known than the other. Lastly, a challenge for our listeners that we reckon you'll relish. 

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

3.61 - Joe McDavitt

14.85 - Brendan Sharry

6.35 - Max Waters

2.85 - Jack Jorgensen

4.00 - Jeremy Bourke

Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

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Season 14, Episode 33: The most predicable coming-out-of-retirement tale is complete, with Ben Stokes doing as we all knew he would – he’s going to India for the World Cup in October to help England defend their World Cup. A lot more, from our night at The Hundred for Adam’s birthday to Wahab Riaz’s own retirement from international cricket… which he hasn’t played for over three years. Throw in India getting rolled by the Windies, Steve Finn’s retirement and an existential crisis for South African Test cricket and it’s another busy week at Final Word HQ, which for the moment is Daniel Norcross’ sitting room in South London. 

Your Nerd Pledge number this week is:

10.60 - Sam Davies

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Season 14, Episode 32: One of our favourites from the earliest days of the pod, and one of the most likeable people in the game - Grace Harris. A international career that started in a hurry before stopping just as quickly, the hard-hitting Queenslander is now back in business at the top level. She’s also making the very most of her opportunities on the short-form circuit, winning fans aplenty in India during the WPL and currently calling Lord’s her home as an overseas import for the London Spirit. Most importantly, a great egg.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Buongiorno from the Eternal City, where history never sleeps and neither does this history program. No Italian cricket on the show but for some reason a lot of Greg Chappell. He could have been one of those bearded Roman soldiers, right? Also, the White Lightning finishes off a classic one-dayer, we squeeze Jack Hobbs' numbers into a certain shape, and do you know which woman played both for and against India?

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

2.07 - Tom Ford & Greg Upon Thames

2.60 - Ian Wolstenhome & Andrew Gardner

2.35 - Tom Lodewycke

6.28 - Rhubarb

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Season 14, Episode 31: Bharat is home to meet his chickens, Geoff is notionally on holiday, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some cold Ashes ashes to rake over. Usman Khawaja has a curious interpretation of what efficiency means, and Mitchell Marsh has a new temp job. Australia have a preliminary World Cup squad, India still have NFI when the World Cup matches will be, and Alex Hales has no more time for England. West Indies spring a couple of surprises on India in the shortest format, and James Rew keeps surprising everyone.

Your Nerd Pledge number this week is:

7.43 - David Peacock

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Season 14, Episode 30: In their new book, White Hot, journalists (and Final Word regulars) Tim Wigmore and Matt Roller have documented the dominance of the England men's white-ball team, looking at how they went from relative easybeats at the 2015 World Cup in Australia to dual world champions in the same country seven years later. It's a great tale superbly told both in print and in this interview, with England's 50-over defence the next major assignment - starting in just two months from now.

Pick up a copy of White Hot, The Inside Story of England Cricket’s Double World Champions: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/white-hot-9781399411639/

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Back in the saddle after the Ashes, although technically this episode was not recorded after the Ashes. We bring in Wisden Cricket Monthly Phil Walker for his Mastermind subject, hear from the subject of one of the pledges himself, and take a long tour of northern Queensland trying to figure out just how far everywhere is from everywhere else.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

1.77 - Louis Jackson 

3.33 - Phil Jeffs

30.98 - Ciaran O'Kane

5.30 - Steve Dodd

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Season 14, Episode 29: He is just about everybody's favourite, and it's obvious why. Stephen Fry has been a comedy and literary hero for Geoff and Adam, starting with his work on Blackadder and with Hugh Laurie, and building through the decades. He also adores cricket, even though from childhood he hated all other sport. So all these years later he ended up spending a year as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club - both part of and subject to a time of great change. We sit down with Stephen to talk about change, creativity, collaboration, and the difficulties of fighting any sort of system.

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Season 14, Episode 28: There are World Cups coming out our ears, with details of the schedule for the men's T20 version next year starting emerge even while the BCCI is still changing the 50-over schedule that is due to start in two months. "Relax!" they're saying. "Go with the flow!" We also check in with our USA correspondent Cam Ponsonby about Major League Cricket and the mysterious New York stadium - is it too much to hope that it's in Flushing, Queens? The Bangladesh women's team eyes off Test cricket, Australia's women tour Ireland, and the County Championship rolls on.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

4.31 - Michael Fallon

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The Ashes, just in general: We knew it would be big. It always is. We didn't know that four of the five matches would be in balance into their final hour. So much conversation, irritation, celebration over the course of six weeks. Time to look back over it all.

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 5: IT IS OVER. We started the day with a chaseable target remaining for Australia. We stopped in the middle for a long time for rain. But either side of that, the series built to the kind of climax that it deserved. Steve Smith was there. So was Moeen Ali. Ben Stokes was involved. As was Travis Head. Chris Woakes did his thing. Todd Murphy was terrific. And at the end, of course, there he was: Stuart Broad.

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 4: It was all about Stuart Broad as the fourth day started at The Oval, but not so much when the bowling began. Australia were supposed to be cooked, but not yet. Usman Khawaja and David Warner put on their best stand of the series before rain once again intervened.

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 4: While we were recording the Day 3 Daily show, Stuart Broad decided to retire. Not a helpful piece of timing for podcasters, but very good timing for Broad, who explained his decision as eloquently as ever and has a strong rationale. One of the great Ashes competitors, amongst a far broader career that deserves to be recognised as well, we thought that Stuart Broad was worth an episode of his own. Thanks for all the fun over the journey.

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 3: Halfway through the last Test of the series and Bazball was still blazing. Pat Cummins battled, Todd Murphy performed beyond his years, but this was England's day, with Crawley and Duckett starting off the top before Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow had their say. We have one, perhaps two, bumper days to come. And yes, Stuart Broad announced his retirement while we were recording this, so we didn't know.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Fine, it hasn't exactly been weekly in the middle of the Ashes, but we didn't manage to put together this episode. Featuring an innings that left everybody speechless, a detour back to some very early Ashes stories, prodigious feats on a first visit to foreign soil, and another regular six-hitter tallies up.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

19.04 - Matthew Chapple

14.90 - Brett Birkenstock

2.43 - David Honeyball

10.00 - Nigel Browne

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 2: One team pushes ahead, the other pulls them back. So it has been all through this Ashes series. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne had the go-slow. Stuart Broad got things moving. Steve Smith, was he run out or not? The umpires say no. Todd Murphy smokes some shots off Mark Wood. Pat Cummins is back in the runs. And by the end of day four we have a shootout.

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 1: A ridiculous fast-forward day of Test cricket, is it? Of course, as usual in this series. Pat Cummins made a big call and bowled a huge spell, Harry Brook smoked some shots, Moeen Ali had a strange old time, Mitchell Starc was unbelievable, and Todd Murphy got involved. The final Ashes Test of 2023 is well underway.

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The Ashes, 5th Test at The Oval, Day 0: And so it comes to this. And so we face the final curtain. The Test season ends where it began, fittingly at The Oval. Time is a flat circle. The sun is out. The Australians are in the nets. Geoff and Adam are watching on. What is to come?

The Final Word Live show in London is today! July 26. Tickets here.

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Season 14, Episode 27: Someone from the creative world tweeting up a storm during the cricket gets our attention. So it has been over the Ashes with Patrick Brammall, one of Australia's most recognisable and talented actors. His show Colin From Accounts, which he writes and stars in with his wife Harriet Dyer, has enjoyed success at home and in the UK as one of the most-watched comedies of 2023. He's been nominated for two silver Logies. With that event and the final Ashes Test in the same week, there was no better time to speak with him from Los Angeles.

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Season 14, Episode 26: Crazy scenes, not just because Indian women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur smashed her stumps over in a rage, but because she and other teammates persisted in effectively calling the umpires cheats after the match. All because India tied a series with Bangladesh. Also this week, Ian Botham makes an arse of himself, we look at Nat Sciver-Brunt's hot streak against Australia, Pakistan roll over Sri Lanka, there's a very funny county round, and England Test century-maker Alice Davidson-Richards joins the show to speak about her family's experience with Alzheimer's.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

1.35 - Jeremy Nash

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 6: Plenty going on after the Manchester washout, with emotions running high between two sets of supporters and between everybody else involved. It been another hectic series. We look over all of that, and what might be to come with one more engagement at The Oval.

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 5: Curses. Oaths and castigations. For those hoping for a grandstand finish, you hoped in vain. The elements were victorious, as they will be when we are all gone. The destination of the trophy is determined. So what does that mean for the series? What is to come at The Oval for the deciding Test? Where to from here?

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

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Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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West Indies v India, Port of Spain Day 3: With rain at Old Trafford, why not switch to Port of Spain where rain was less of a feature? Virat Kohli made Test century 29, while the old firm combined: Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin. Kraigg Braithwaite and Alick Athanaze battled away for West Indies.

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

Or get 50% off if you join Patreon first.

Support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 4: We were supposed to have a washout, and it looked that way. But after a lot of rain, the ground staff went to work and prised out 30 overs of play. Enough for a Test century against the grain, some fierce fast stuff, a spin-bowling anomaly, and a fashion statement from one of our most discussed umpires. This Test is still alive.

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

Or get 50% off if you join Patreon first.

Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Visit westfield.com/united-kingdom/London to see everywhere you can eat, shop and play in Europe’s largest shopping centre. Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More Extra, Less Ordinary!

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 3: It went big, it went big, and it went bigger. Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, sure. Then it was the Jonny Bairstow Entertainment Hour, with Alex Carey front and centre. Pat Cummins had a moment, Josh Hazlewood dug deep, and then it was time for Mark Wood to once again crank up the speedo and let fly. A third action-filled day in Manchester - now let's see what the weather gods have in store.

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

Or get 50% off if you join Patreon first.

Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Visit westfield.com/united-kingdom/London to see everywhere you can eat, shop and play in Europe’s largest shopping centre. Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More Extra, Less Ordinary!

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 2: It doesn't get more dominant than that. We were promised an England team that would try all-out attack against the Australian bowlers to get on top of a game. By the fourth Test, it unequivocally happened. Zak Crawley had one of the biggest Ashes days out, Joe Root rode shotgun, and Pat Cummins' team was left picking up the pieces after just two days of this match.

The Final Word Live show in London is on July 26. Tickets here.

Or get 50% off if you join Patreon first.

Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 1: A helter skelter game is promised, with rain on the weekend and England especially needing to make sure this does not end in a draw, so they went full tilt into Day 1, while Day 1 tilted one way and then the other. More Marsh Magic, Travis Head lays in, Stuart Broad takes his 600th wicket, Chris Woakes does the business once again. A brilliant day of Test cricket, back and forth.

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The Women's Ashes, 3rd ODI at Southampton, Day 11: It's all over! Seven matches, 11 days, and more tightly fought moments than we can even remember, England were not going away despite conceding the trophy and Australia had to get ready to brawl. It was a day when Natalie Sciver-Brunt achieved the unbelievable to cap off a historic personal streak, when Ellyse Perry had to shoulder the load again, and when maybe justice was done. Finish off the best Women's Ashes series that we've seen, with guest hosts Melissa Story and Phil Long.

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The Ashes, 4th Test at Old Trafford, Day 0: The Ashes are sitting at 2-1 with two to play. Everything riding on the next week in Manchester. We already know England's team, and there's been a lot of discussion about how Australia's should be formed. One person who knows more than most is Bharat Sundaresan, the Net Whisperer, as usual spending his days at training. Let's look ahead to the next five days.

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Season 14, Episode 25: The Manchester Test is looming this week, with selection questions ahoy - none more substantial than whether David Warner will open the batting for Australia. There are several configurations that could come into effect if he doesn't. Meanwhile, England go early on their XI again and we get that one right. The Women's Ashes trophy is no longer in the balance but the series is. Also this week, India in the Caribbean, Pakistan at the new home of Test cricket in Galle, T20 Finals Day, some news from the big ICC meeting, Big Bash developments, and a strange round of the County Championship.

Your Nerd Pledge revisits for this week:

4.65 - Tobi Wilson

7.43 - Shannon Blackmore

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The Women's Ashes, 2nd ODI at Southampton, Day 10: There is no such thing as a normal match in this series. Again, it goes right down to the final ball. Again, it turns, turns, turns again. Again, there are standout performances: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Ecclestone, Alana King, Ellyse Perry. Find out how it all unfolded.

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Season 14, Episode 24: You'd better believe it. One of the legends of the women's game, someone we talk about on Story Time every other week. She made a century on debut in both formats, took 10 wickets and made a hundred in the same Test, and was the key player in winning the first World Cup in 1973. All of this with no money, little help, a job to attend and a family to support. She is spectacular, and Enid Bakewell made time to join The Final Word.

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West Indies v India, Dominica Day 2: We won't get to see much of this Test match, but with a couple of slower days this week we did have time to check out another five-wicket bag for Ashwin and a century on debut for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Why not record a show?

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, after a bit too much Ashes madness to record the show as normal, we've managed to sneak one in. Title thanks to Winnie, and we'll find out about someone else who hit a lot of big ones, maybe more than anybody. We've got a masterpiece of placement, and we have an Englishman, an Irishman, and a South African walking into a bar.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

3.43 - Real Victor Trumper

3.23 - Hugh Kenny-Herbert

3.60 - Gary Murphy

2.25 - Jonathan Brand

2.48 - Stu G

Get tickets to our London live show with Steven Finn on July 26!

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The Women's Ashes, 1st ODI at Bristol, Day 9: Another absolute thriller, right to the end. And, three in a row for England! A week ago they needed five in a row. Well, here they are, still in contention, and taking it up to the mighty Australians, who are still not their best selves. Something remarkable is happening, although Beth Mooney was her usual self with the bat, and Ash Gardner the same alongside Jess Jonassen and Georgia Wareham in the spin division. It all came down to Heather Knight and Kate Cross... Melissa Story joins Geoff with the tale.

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Season 14, Episode 23: Finally, a normal weekly show. Plenty going on, with both men's Ashes teams getting clobbered for slow over rates, deservedly, and the women's Ashes teams gearing up for the three ODIs that will decide the destination of the trophy. Also this week, India get ready for some Caribbean Test cricket, Dominica is back on the schedule after its awful hurricane, the Bangladesh Prime Minister gets herself involved in a Tamim Iqbal story, the Dutch reach the ODI World Cup, and we talk to Cam Ponsonby from Houston ahead of Major League Cricket.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

2.24 - David Whiteley

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The Ashes, 3rd Test at Headingley, Day 5: No play on what would have been the last day, but plenty to think about. Three Tests, three close finishes, and a series that has been all twists and turns with barely a quiet hour. Who has come out of it well, who has struggled, what are some of the moves that might come next? We have it all on The Final Word.

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The Ashes, 3rd Test at Headingley, Day 4: Who doesn't love a last-day run chase? It was Day 4 at Headingley, it was a Sunday, and it wasn't quite 2019, but it wasn't a million miles away. Plenty of angst, tension, twists and turns from the final day of this third Ashes Test, with salutations to Harry Brook and Mitchell Starc.

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The Women's Ashes, 3rd T20 at Lord's, Day 8: The series is STILL alive! The mighty Australians have lost a T20 series for the first time in six years, England take them down for the second match running, in front of yet another record crowd, this time at Lord's. A triumph in general, and a triumph for the home team - now they need to keep on winning in the ODI series to follow.

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The Ashes, 3rd Test at Headingley, Day 3: Rain, delays, leaden skies, then finally coming out to bat, it was all in favour of England. It was all going the way of Woakes, Broad, Wood. And then Travis Head happened, again. Just another chapter in this endlessly wild Ashes series. Perfectly set up for a finish on Day 4.

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The Ashes, 3rd Test at Headingley, Day 2: It was all set up with a Yorkshire pair coming to the middle in Yorkshire, but Pat Cummins had other ideas. Then Mark Wood had other ideas to that. Then Ben Stokes had the same idea as Ben Stokes usually has. Has there been a normal day of cricket in this series? No! The hits just keep on coming, as do the Steve Smith bright ideas. Until he started batting. Another truly bonkers day, get into it.

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