The Final Word Cricket Podcast

The Ashes, 3rd Test at Headingley, Day 1: Here we are in Leeds. A fast track, plenty of pace and bounce, and a fast bowler to make use of it with Mark Wood coming back. But, wait, a minute, what's that? Is that... is that Mitchell Marsh's music? What an opening day of the third Test!

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The Women's Ashes, 2nd T20 at The Oval, Day 7: The series is alive! England needed to win five in a row to have a shot at taking the trophy off Australia... and they have their first. A record-breaking night at The Oval: crowd, runs, and the bloody length of that Georgia Wareham six.

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The Ashes, 3rd Test at Headingley, Day 0: Just three days since Lord's and we'll be back in action at Leeds, in one of the more febrile Ashes environments imaginable. The day before play, Bharat Sundaresan has already been having some run-ins with the local Yorkshire police, and Adam is at Headingley with him while Geoff heads to the Women's Ashes game in London. England have made a stack of changes, Australia will make one and perhaps two - but is there a bigger surprise in the works?

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Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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Season 14, Episode 22: A day after the wildness at Lord's, we look back and try to take its measure. Meanwhile, in the world beyond the ground, the story has only got bigger. Adam and Geoff try to puzzle out the conflict. Then we speak to Wisden's Yas Rana about English cricket's ICEC report into discrimination, and the recommendations to change it. Plus the World Cup qualifiers and - at last - a World Cup schedule.

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Title track by Urthboy

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The Ashes, 2nd Test at Lord's, Day 5: What the absolute fridge. That was Headingley Mach II for a while, with Ben Stokes reaching heights that seemingly only he can find. It was a grudge match, too, with Lord's ridden with angst. And it was a fast bowling vindication in the end, as the bouncer war was finally won. Angry fans, discontent, invocations of the Spirit of Cricket, and some very ugly scenes in the Long Room - this end to the Test was extraordinary, unedifying, and all kinds of other things besides.

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The Women's Ashes, 1st T20 at Edgbaston, Day 6: A stunning day for women's cricket, with nearly 20,000 filling Edbgaston for the start of the T20 series. Daniel Norcross and Henry Moeran were there with Geoff and Adam sidelined by the scheduling clash with the Lord's Test. A Sophia Dunkley milestone, an Amy Jones hometown moment, and another ice-cold Beth Mooney masterclass would follow.

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The Ashes, 2nd Test at Lord's, Day 4: The days don't get any quieter. Bouncer wars. Bizarro Steve Smith stuff. Nathan Lyon batting on one leg. A late burst from Mitchell Starc, a late burst from Pat Cummins. Another controversial catch, or non catch. The chance of a big chase, still alive overnight, with Ben Stokes still there. We had it all.

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The Ashes, 2nd Test at Lord's, Day 3: If life is all about about learning things and getting better, then England missed that directive. More madness on the third day at Lord's, before the Australians responded with sanity, though this came amidst a bowling contest that was as gripping as they come.

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The Ashes, 2nd Test at Lord's, Day 2: What on earth was that? Another manic day of Test match cricket as England were set a challenge and went after it in wild style. Nobody knew what they were seeing, but most of them had some fun. Plus a bunch of Steve Smith records, and an injury that could shape the series.

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The Ashes, 2nd Test at Lord's, Day 1: After a lot of talk, it's time for the second Test. England won the toss and bowled under cloudy skies, but things went every which way from there: some David Warner, a lot of Steve Smith, and a healthy dash of Joe Root involved. Quite the occasion in front of a packed crowd.

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Adam and Rachel's Wedding, Day 1: You asked, so you shall receive. Adam decided to get married in the middle of an Ashes series, so his wedding gets the regular TFW Daily treatment, from the rooftop drinks reception after the ceremony in central London. Thanks to previous TFW guest hosts Daniel Norcross, Bharat Sundaresan, Isabelle Westbury, Ben Jones and Henry Moeran.

And yes, Geoff did his shopping at Westfield.

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Season 14, Episode 21: It’s all we talk about. Everyone who watches cricket will go on about the pitch - too flat, too fast, too dry, too green - and almost none of us knows anything about them How are they made? What do the adjectives mean? What is the process?

In a special request episode for Enthusiast level Nerd Pledger Simon Wallace, we find out, with Lord’s head groundsman, or curator if you will, Karl McDermott.

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Women's Ashes Test, Trent Bridge, Day 5: We're never got to type that before! It ended quickly on the fifth morning, but a memorable result with a very memorable Ash Gardner performance. A double ton plus two ten-wicket matches? Stop it.

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Women's Ashes Test, Trent Bridge, Day 4: Ok, the rollercoaster has started again. This match twisted and turned on Day 4 in ways that we would not have anticipated on the previous three. A glorious session from England, then a terrible one, a remarkable solo performance from Sophie Ecclestone, and a day of interesting work from Alyssa Healy. It's all to play for one Day 5.

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Women's Ashes Test, Trent Bridge, Day 3: A historic day: no England woman had ever made a double century before, in any format, and now that has changed forever. Tammy Beaumont, takes a bow. There was plenty of toil for the Australians, then some impressive bowling at the back end. Three days done, and this match could go anywhere from here.

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Women's Ashes Test, Trent Bridge, Day 2: Annabel Sutherland achieved something significant on the second day, and helped her team a long way in the process. But England have responded in barnstorming style as the runs continue to flow.

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Women's Ashes Test, Trent Bridge, Day 1: On a fast track with good bounce, the runs flowed and the wickets eventually came. Ellyse Perry made a stunning 99, Australia's next tier of all-rounders made their mark, and Sophie Ecclestone put in a huge shift. Thoroughly entertaining on Day 1.

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Season 14, Episode 20: Well, with a night and a day to think about, we can start to come to terms with what we saw in Birmingham yesterday. An extraordinary day, with some bigger themes to come out of it than what we could address in the Daily show looking more at the action on the field. Also this week, our preview of the Women's Ashes Test with Geoff at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, and we look at some remarkable results from the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

3.62 - Tim Unwin

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The Ashes, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Day 5: What a finish. What a day. One of the all-time great Test matches, one of the closest results. The rhymes of history were all there, but we didn't think it could be as good. We were wrong. Don't read any more, just listen.

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The Ashes, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Day 4: Hooollly schmackerel. We have a blazing Test match on our hands. England went utterly wild on the fourth day, brilliantly and mad-eyed, especially Joe Root. Australia fought like hell to hold them back, especially Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins. And then England set them 281 to win, when in 2005 this Test required 282. It's fate. There was still time for a Broad special. Don't miss the last act.

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The Ashes, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Day 3: There was rain, but it only added to the atmosphere in a brilliant short burst on the third afternoon. England were feeling pretty good with the ball but have early worries with the bat. Almost level on the first innings, the Test is brilliantly set up after three days.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a special episode recorded after the first day of the first Ashes Test. A little weariness makes for more contemplation, and a lot more being sidetracked. Come for the cricket, stay for the examination of historical conspiracy theories, and a journey through terrible sport team names.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

1.34 - Lauren Kandasamy

4.80 - George Pearson

13.63 - Anna Collins

2.64 - Rory Seymour & Liam Jolliffe

Revisits

3.43 - Stuart Akers

7.00 - Matt Gaynor

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The Ashes, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Day 2: Another ridiculously good day, with a Broad morning and a Khawaja afternoon. Two in two, lots of misses, and the worst hat-trick ball in history - get it all on The Final Word.

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The Ashes, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Day 1: And we're away. England batted first and kinda tried to Bazball, but it didn't entirely come off. Joe Root played a blinder, Jonny Bairstow made a comeback, Harry Brook had one of the strangest dismissals you'll ever see. Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland impressed again, Josh Hazlewood looked good. And there was a real twist ending to the day. Find out about it all with The Final Word.

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The Ashes, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Day 0: We're almost ready. The day before the action starts, Adam and Geoff get together in the Hollies Stand - quiet now, but not for long.

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Title track by Urthboy

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Season 14, Episode 19: It's only been 18 months since the last time the urn was played for but it feels like an eternity. For England, everything really has changed since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over a broken side. Now, for the series this has all been leading up to - The Ashes. And they take this with Moeen Ali back in the team after having not touched a red ball for the better part of two years. Ali Martin, another Birmingham native, knows the England all-rounder well and joins us to piece that together. Also on the show: WTC washup, Bluey does cricket, the Lottie Cup stays put, and Heather Knight's side name their Test squad for Trent Bridge. Recorded on location at Westfield London.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

14.50 - Sam Davies

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a lot of different threads lead us back to a certain European autumn over a century ago. There is also a dusty week in Sydney, the 1008 names of Lord Shiva, one of the most forgotten domestic competitions ever, a pioneering slip catcher, and the biggest day in Birmingham. All recorded on a hot summer day in Adam's garden with the bumblebees bumbling about. Wholesome as, tuck in.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

2.52 - Jack S

2.78 - Shounak Sarkar

7.50 - Jonathan Aspin

Revisits

7.00 - Jon Lansdell

6.80 - Owen

3.39 - Pat Rodgers

5.28 - Paul Murphy

4.39 - Vanessa Collins

3.57 - Alan Simpson

4.89 - Edward Greggs

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World Test Championship, India v Australia Day 5: It started with expectation but it ended expeditiously. Scott Boland and those short bursts of time, hey? Find out how everything came together on the last day of the WTC final.

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World Test Championship, India v Australia Day 4: You'll hear a lot about controversy today, so let's rip into it first. The catch that was, from Cameron Green off Shubman Gill. Also, more important work from Carey, and some fire and ice from Kohli and Rahane.

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World Test Championship, India v Australia Day 3: A classic day at The Oval as India came back into the contest, throwing the bat and then delivering with the ball, while Australia went blow for blow at times but lacked the polish at key moments. Compelling, even though India remain behind in the contest. Ajinkya Rahane, Shardul Thakur, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland were all prominent.

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World Test Championship, India v Australia Day 2: It started in a hurry with a Steve Smith hundred, but the game changed several times from there. India's bowlers did some hard work, Alex Carey combined the classy and the comical, then Australia's bowlers found something extra. Don't miss a packed day from The Oval.

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World Test Championship, India v Australia Day 1: It was long awaited, then it was here. A high-octane morning session from Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, then a spectacular riposte from Travis Head, and the anticipation was deserved. Find out all about day one from London.

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WTC Final, India v Australia - preview: Two years after India slipped up in the decider against New Zealand they've made it again, this time up against Pat Cummins' Australians in a true heavyweight bout. The first Test Match to ever be played at The Oval in June, there's a lot to consider at the selection table, especially for Rohit Sharma's side - are they really going into this with Ashwin? Adam Collins has Bharat Sundaresan with him on the ground in South London.

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Season 14, Episode 18: Three years after his first appearance, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom returns to the show for a conversation at Lord's, looking at the structural challenges as they now stand, and the possible impact of the new ICC revenue deal. Also this week, after your hosts played their own match at Alleyn Cricket Club, England's key spinner is out of the Ashes, Josh Hazlewood is out of the WTC final, and we have some very good news pertaining to a Test match that happened in 1977.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

3.15 - Ben Connor

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a show that could also have been titled Wally Grout is Grouse. Where did that word go? Before we ponder that big question, a true sensation of a tale that we had never heard before, about a player trying to take his place in the middle against all medical sense. Plus a couple of the most extraordinary revisit solutions for stubborn unsolved numbers, including more Ramaswamy than even Ramaswamy would have expected. Of all episodes, this week you must stay through to the end.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

2.50 - Chris Arkle

11.40 - Chris Dobbins

8.81 - Haylee Fuller

8.90 - Ramaswamy

2.15 - Joel Emonson

3.67 - Stephen Baxter

Revisits

2.93 - Graeme Innes

5.67 - Bala Sivaraman

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England v Ireland, Lord's Day 3: The Irish had some real fun at last. The match is over in three days but not before Mark Adair and Andy McBrine got to have one of their more enjoyable days with the bat, as the sun shone munificently on a lovely Lord's Saturday. Sometimes cricket just makes you feel good, and this was one of those days.

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England v Ireland, Lord's Day 2: Catch your breath after that one. More than 350 runs in two sessions of batting, most of them off the blades of two players, each of whom set a record in his own way. Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett had a carnival at Lord's on day two of the Test.

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England v Ireland, Lord's Day 1: With very little surprise, we announce that it was a Stuart Broad Day. Not that the Irish didn't show some resistance, especially at the top with McCollum v McCullum. Then it was time for a light dusting of Baz things and a Rorshach Test innings from Zak Crawley.

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Season 14, Episode 17: Running the ECB is one of the toughest gigs in cricket and one that Richard Gould signed up for when returning to the game this year. With a long history as CEO at Somerset and Surrey, he knows the terrain as well as anyone. But the challenges he's inherited - at home finding a resolution to the ongoing debate around The Hundred, or on the international stage with Indian capital dominating the sport in ways unimaginable 15 years ago - he's got his work cut out for him. We had the better part of an hour to speak with Richard at ECB headquarters at Lord's.

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England v Ireland, Lord's Test 2023: It's almost upon us. The one-off Test at Lord's will repeat the fixture played before the Ashes of 2019, with Andrew Balbirnie's team ready to tackle England fresh off his interview with The Final Word a few weeks ago. We have a new sponsor, and the ground signage is getting very creepy. Eight Test matches in eight weeks begins... now.

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Title track by Urthboy

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Season 14, Episode 16: Geoff has landed in London and he's straight to Lord's to join Adam, who has just returned from Edinburgh where The Final Word runners did a brilliant job over the long weekend - on and off the track. When the conversation moves to cricket, Bharat jumps on to explain how the Dhoni Touch keeps touching after another CSK triumph at the IPL. There's Test cricket at HQ this week with Ireland in town so we check in with a couple of their stars, and the WTC Final is just around the corner, which brings its own hype. Our biggest summer yet has officially begun.

Your Nerd Pledge this week:

3.11 - Max Gillespie

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup.

Title track by Urthboy

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a chance diversion takes us to Dr Erica Larson's work on insects. Adam's childhood dreams of Bob Cowper are realised, three times over, while Andy Whittall keeps bobbing up as well. Eddie Barlow pulls a cool trick, Wisden is scathing about some timid New Zealanders, and we confirm that Harold Larwood did not in fact bowl at 564 miles per hour.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

210.15 - Rob O'Neill

3.07 - Martin Lawrence

7.94 - Eranda Jayawickreme

2.35 - Nick Tewson

7.00 - Matt Gaynor & John Lansdell

2.01 - Ian Wolstenhome

Revisits

8.16 - Ramaswamy

4.63 - Tim Andrews

3.17 - Nick Dempsey

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup.

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Season 14, Episode 15: Ahead of his seventh tour to England, Gideon Haigh has been collecting his writings on the rivalry for a new book, On The Ashes. It's a good time to sit down in Melbourne with one of cricket's most respected thinkers and look over everything, from 1877 to today, and wonder where the game is going next.

Gideon's book is out on June 6: pre-orders are through Allen & Unwin here.

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Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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Season 14, Episode 14: Another week, another Ashes bowler in trouble: Josh Hazlewood only has "side soreness" according to CA, but we know how that has panned out for him lately. In the meantime, Michael Neser continues to do everything he could do in county cricket to fill that berth. And there's Ollie Robinson for England, in a moon boot after another bag of wickets. Will anyone be fit come June? Also this week, Dr Tom Brown joins the show to talk about his program to promote British Asian cricketers, Jodie Hicks wins a gong, CA get involved with the Voice to Parliament campaign, Mackay gets a cricket ground upgrade, and there's plenty of ridiculousness in the County Champs.

Your Nerd Pledge this week:

2.10 - Hugh McNaughtan

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Geoff and Bharat put their Serious Historian hats on to go trawling through Victorian public records from the 1800s. There's a literal giant of the sport who had a lasting influence on Association football, an Australian spinner who played at the top level with the oval ball, and a Victorian visit to Gloucestershire. And as ever, a lot of love for Clarence Victor Grimmett.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

3.39 - Pat Rodgers

7.60 - Richard Jansz-Moore

10.00 - Chris Byrne

3.57 - Alan Simpson & Paul Harmer

2.16 - Matt Cuttress & Duncan Davies

2.05 - Simon Trafford

Revisits

1.36 - Alex Brown

2.08 - Sam Ashworth

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup.

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Season 14, Episode 13: Cricket is getting rich, which means the BCCI is getting richer. Over the last week a huge yet unsurprising story broke that India's board is angling to take a huge share of ICC revenue for itself, putting one administration above everywhere else in the world. So what? Don't they bring in that cash? Well, it's never that simple. As senior editor of ESPNcricinfo, Osman Samiuddin has been on the beat for years, and is here to explain.

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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Season 14, Episode 12: England's fast bowlers are going down. One by one, and all at once, in a familiar story ahead of the Ashes. What does Archer's future hold, four years on from his furious debut? Amidst this, England have named a squad for their Ireland Test that gestures at their plans for the five Tests beyond it - bad luck Ben Foakes - while Australia have released their next summer schedule with some changes to the recent template. Ireland and Bangladesh play two stunners, Peter Siddle gets another chapter, David White finishes up as New Zealand's cricket boss, and there's all the domestic action.

Your Nerd Pledge (revisit) this week:

8.62 - Matt May

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, it's hat-tricks, the state upper house, and the Centenary Test... a couple of times. It's a true north talking about that week in March 1977, the date of which happens to be a clue in one case when digging for some iconic commentary. Is Anil Kumble sexy enough? Let's find out. To finish, a revisit that may never be solved but we're trying our best.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

4.80 - Joel Emonson

8.62 - Matt May

3.53 - Michael Bell

1.10 - Vivek Arcot

3.17 - Nick Dempsey

6.80 - Rudi Voller

Revisits

8.16 - Ramaswamy

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup.

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Season 14, Episode 11: Go back 20 years, and Irish cricket was considered a contradiction in terms. Now Ireland is one of the game's success stories, rising to Full Member status and trying to grow in all directions. Lucky then that Andy Balbirnie isn't afraid of hard work. Since taking over as men's captain in 2019 he has had plenty of it, needing to combine being a batting lynchpin with being a strategist, motivator, statesman and advocate, and keeping an eye firmly fixed on how things can improve in the future. During the final series of Ireland's World Cup qualifying stage, he tells his story with The Final Word.

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup.

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Season 14, Episode 10: Who needs to play tour matches before a major Test engagement, anyway? Its not like Australia's most recent tour was affected by a team taking time to adjust. Time to play other sports instead. On another note, it was a major week in the women's game with two of the game's iconic fast bowlers, Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Shabmim Ismail, retiring from international duty. India has squad changes for the World Test Championship final, a familiar voice will be the new MCC president at Lord's, Ireland take a curious attitude to their Test match at that venue, and Jofra Archer leaves the IPL still troubled by his limited injury recovery.

Your Nerd Pledge number this week:

5.65 - Jake Cunliffe

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

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup.

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