The Paddock and The Pavilion - The Horse Racing and Cricket Podcast

Young Afghan cricketer Banafsha Hashimi joins me to talk about her remarkable story. A member of the Afghan Refugee Women’s Cricket Team, she reflects on their historic six-game tour of the UK this summer, which included meeting King Charles III at Clarence House.

Banafsha also talks about how she first got into cricket in war-torn Kabul, her new life in Canberra and her hopes for the future of the Afghan Refugee Women’s team.

A story of freedom, joy, and hope.

Please subscribe to us on Apple podcasts, Amazon music...

Jenny Thompson returns to The Paddock and The Pavilion ahead of next week’s release of her new book, Her World Cricket Tour.

Having featured five times in our All Over the World series, some of Jenny’s cricketing adventures discussed in those episodes also feature in her book.

In today’s episode, Jenny takes on the 10 for Jen slot, answering questions about the book, from how long it took to write to the people she wants to thank and those who made it possible.

As always, it’s a fun show, and Jenny wi...

In the final part of A Passion for Breeding, Luiz Cunha completes our look at the bloodstock sales process, including his experiences in the sales ring alongside his son, Newmarket trainer Dylan.

Luiz also shares some interesting stories from his experiences and reflects on the changing patterns in the breeding industry, the increasing focus on speed and its effect on the Derby.

If you missed Part 1, listen to Luiz explain his background, the research he undertakes before the sales and what he looks for when assessing a horse before it enters the ring.

...

It’s a busy time at Tattersalls in the autumn, with the sales in full swing.

In this episode, I’m joined by South African-born Luiz Cunha, a lifelong bloodstock researcher with an in-depth understanding of the mechanics of the breed.

Luiz's son Dylan is a successful trainer in Newmarket .

www.dylancunharacing.co.uk

In early 2024, Luiz set up Pedigree to Win, a bloodstock consultancy service based in Newmarket. www.pedigreetowin.co.uk

This is the first of two parts. Luiz explains his background, the research he does ahead of t...

Roland Butcher begins by reflecting on a recent trip home to Barbados, where he attended two events held in memory of his late wife, Cheryl. He then turns his attention to England’s summer and the serious challenges ahead.

England’s home international cricket season ended with a comprehensive series victory against Pakistan, but it was a dramatic summer. Bazball died at Trent Bridge, and England have changed their Test match coach and captain, with the Stokes and McCullum era now over and Root and Fleming taking charge.

Roland looks ahead to England’s three Test s...

In this episode, Chris Pitt, author and horse racing historian, takes us back to The Frying Pan, better known as Ally Pally racecourse, or by its proper name, Alexandra Park.

Chris explores the history of the north London course, which closed in September 1970, including the famous horses who raced there, the course specialists who mastered the track and what made Alexandra Park such a unique racecourse.

We also hear from three former jockeys, legendary Australian Ron Hutchinson , Ray Still and South African John Gorton  who share their memories of riding at Ally Pally and reveal w...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Stephen Wallis is joined once again by bestselling author Felix Francis, the master of suspense and intrigue.

Felix talks about his latest racing thriller, The Chase, which mixes the world of art with horse racing. The question on the cover asks:

“Is racing an art worth killing for?”

Felix gives us a brief outline of the book, featuring his main character, art dealer Fabian Tulley, and discusses the research that went into his 20th horse racing thriller.

Felix also recommends a previous Dick...

Leena Moin Aziz, Asia’s first female cricket commentator, joins me for the third and final part of Inside Pakistan Cricket.

We pick up the story after Day 1 of the second Test at Lord’s, where Pakistan suffered another heavy defeat. We then dissect the touring side’s failings throughout the tour, which ended in a 3–0 hammering amidst the off-field shambles that followed Lord’s.

Leena offers her forthright opinions on the playing side and the decision-making of the Pakistan Cricket Board. She also discusses what needs to be done to revive Pakistan cricket.

There we...

The Hundred 2026 – A Reset Year.

Rosa Simkin, MCC’s Young Female Broadcaster of the Year, joins the podcast for an in-depth review of the tournament.

Rosa selects her team of the tournament and describes each franchise’s performance in one word.

We also hear short clips from Notts CCC Director of Cricket Mick Newell on this year’s Hundred.

As always, it’s another insightful look at women’s cricket from one of the sport’s rising stars.

Please subscribe to us on Apple podcasts, Amazon music, Spotify...

In the latest episode of our What Was It Like To… series, David Alterton from March, Cambridgeshire takes us back 60 years to the 1966 World Cup and his experience of being there when England became world champions.

A friend of Stephen Wallis, David was on a cricket tour with March Town Cricket Club when the tournament began, missing England’s opening two matches. He went on to watch England’s remaining games, including the final on 30 July 1966.

David tells the story of how he got his World Cup tickets, the part his late brother Norman played and wh...

Guy Lavender joins The Paddock and The Pavilion to discuss his career at two of Britain’s most famous sporting institutions. Guy has been CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse since early 2025, having previously been Chief Executive and Secretary of MCC from 2017.

Guy compares his roles at Lord’s and Cheltenham, reflects on some of the highlights from his seven years at MCC, including England’s 2019 World Cup triumph at Lord’s, and discusses the changes he has introduced at Cheltenham to improve the Festival experience.

He also looks ahead to the new National Hunt season and the 2027...

Mick Newell, Director of Cricket at Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, joins The Paddock and The Pavilion to look back at a successful Hundred for Trent Rockets, who reached both finals and lifted the women’s trophy. He talks about some of the Rockets’ successes in the pre season auction and the importance of double headers in The Hundred.

Mick discusses the latest cricketing matters at Trent Bridge, including progress on the new pavilion, looks ahead to the 2027 Ashes fixtures for both England men and women at Trent Bridge, and assesses the chances of Nottinghamshire and The Blaze addi...

In Part 2 of Inside Pakistan Cricket, Stephen Wallis is joined again by Pakistan cricket expert Leena Moin Aziz to look back at the opening day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s.

They review Pakistan’s much improved performance with the ball, which saw England finish Day 1 on 248 for 9 after bad light brought an early end to play.

Leena looks back at Pakistan’s heavy defeat at Headingley in the first Test before looking ahead to the rest of the Lord’s Test.

It’s a three Test series, with the f...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Stephen Wallis finds out more about The Outswingers, the six piece jazz band who started playing at Lord’s in 1990.

Rico, Richard and Simon, three regular members of the band, talk about their experiences of playing near the Pavilion for spectators before the start of play and during the lunch interval.

Rico talks about the history of The Outswingers, while Stephen asks his guests when they made their own Test debuts playing for the band. They also reveal their love of cricket and share some of th...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Australian trainer Henry Dwyer returns to the podcast as his star mare Asfoora prepares for the final race of her career, the Nunthorpe Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting.

Asfoora will be bidding to win the Group 1 five furlong sprint for the second year in a row and claim the fourth Group 1 victory of her career. Henry looks back at her recent run in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood and looks ahead to her final challenge at York.

The Nunthorpe promises to be a tr...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, we go back to the middle of August 1976 and England’s Test series against the West Indies.

Two nil down after four Tests and with the series already lost, England recalled opener Dennis Amiss. After struggling against the pace of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson during the 1974/75 Ashes in Australia and again in the 1975 Ashes in England, Dennis developed a new technique for playing fast bowling while playing for Warwickshire CCC during the summer of 1976.

He joins me to explain how that technique developed and to re...

Test cricket returns on 19 August at Headingley, with England beginning a three Test series against Pakistan.

In this episode, Leena Moin Aziz, Asia’s first female cricket commentator, joins us to look ahead to the series and provide her insight into the current state of Pakistan cricket.

Leena looks at Pakistan’s key players, including returning Test captain Babar Azam and the key batters who will be important to Pakistan’s chances.

We discuss opening bowler Mohammad Abbas, who has enjoyed plenty of success playing in England, while off spinner Sajid Khan is anothe...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, part of the What Was It Like To…? series, Stephen Wallis speaks to award-winning sporting author and former Times journalist Richard Whitehead about watching the FA Cup from the Extra Preliminary Round to the Third Round.

Richard reflects on a remarkable journey through 14 matches, travelling from Bradford-on-Avon to Tottenham Hotspur and experiencing every stage of the world’s oldest national football competition. Along the way, he shares the stories, characters and memorable moments that made the adventure so special, proving that the magic of the FA Cup is stil...

Cricket’s greatest all-rounder, Sir Garry Sobers, is remembered in this special tribute episode following his death on 17 July 2026.

Roland Butcher, the show’s cricket expert and a friend of Sir Garry, reflects on the life of the great Barbadian, whose brilliance lit up the game from his first-class debut in 1953. Roland recalls the first time he saw Sir Garry play, what it was like to play against him, and shares his memories of one of cricket’s finest players and one of its most admired figures.

Former Surrey CCC and England off-spinner Pat Pocock and Ca...

Australian trainer Henry Dwyer joins the podcast ahead of what could be the final run of his star mare, Asfoora, in the King George Qatar Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

What was originally intended to be a Royal Ascot preparation and run turned into three memorable British summers. Along the way, Asfoora won the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2024, and Henry, Asfoora and the team created some wonderful stories.

Henry reflects on Asfoora’s remarkable journey, reveals which performance he believes was her very best, and looks ahead to what could be the fi...

Ahead of this week’s Glorious Goodwood, The Paddock and The Pavilion heads to one of Britain’s most picturesque and historic racecourses.

Stephen Wallis is joined by racing historian Tim Cox, owner of the Cox Library and former trustee of the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, to explore what makes Goodwood so special. Tim discusses the racecourse’s rich history, names the greatest horse ever to race at Goodwood and reveals when the term “Glorious Goodwood” was first used.

Racing Post Bloodstock journalist Kitty Trice and Newmarket trainer John Berry explain why Glorious Goodwood is such a...

Fresh from helping Australia win the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Kim Garth joins The Paddock and The Pavilion ahead of her return to Trent Rockets in The Hundred.

Kim reflects on Australia’s World Cup triumph before discussing her return to Trent Bridge, where she made her Test debut during the 2023 Women’s Ashes, and her hopes for this year’s tournament.

Having played in the Women’s Premier League in India, the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia and The Hundred, she also compares the three leading short format competitions.

Richard Madley became the IPL’s first auctioneer in 2008, helping launch a concept that transformed the business of cricket. A decade later, he had sold many of the game’s biggest names and become one of the most recognisable voices in world cricket auctions.

In this episode of The Paddock and the Pavilion, Richard reflects on leading the first-ever British sporting auction for The Hundred, reveals what it is really like behind the scenes of player auctions, and shares stories from the IPL, where the hammer came down on some of cricket’s greatest players.

Going...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Rosa Simkin, recently named the MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year, looks ahead to The Hundred, which begins on 21 July.

Rosa assesses each of the eight women’s franchises, reveals who she believes will be crowned champions, names her top run scorer and leading wicket taker for the tournament, and highlights one player to watch. She then turns the tables on Stephen, who gives his predictions for the men’s competition.

Join us as we look ahead to one of the highlights of the cricketing summ...

Australia were crowned Women’s T20 World Cup champions once again, but what did the tournament tell us about the state of the women’s game?

In this episode of The Paddock and the Pavilion, Rosa Simkin of Rosa Talks Ball joins us to look back at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. Rosa reflects on Australia’s outstanding campaign, discusses England’s progress, gives every nation a mark out of ten and reveals her Team of the Tournament.

The episode also features Australian World Cup winner and opening bowler Kim Garth, who reflects on Australia’...

In Wisbech CC v MCC: 100 Not Out, the annual match between Wisbech Town Cricket Club and the MCC reaches a remarkable milestone in 2026 as the fixture celebrates its 100th anniversary.

In this episode, club captain James Williams and Wisbech legend and former Cambridgeshire cricketer Derek Wing look back at the original match in April 1926, featuring Jack Hobbs, one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century. They discuss what this unique fixture means to Wisbech Cricket Club, recall their own first appearances in the match and look ahead to this year’s centenary celebration at the club...

In the first of my episodes looking back at the Women’s T20 World Cup, former Scotland women’s team manager Sue Strachan reflects on Australia’s World Cup triumph and, in particular, Scotland’s campaign, which almost saw them progress from their World Cup group.

Sue, the former President of Cricket Scotland joins me this time as a passionate Scotland supporter. She shares her Scottish highlights from the tournament, reveals the financial challenges facing the national side, and makes a passionate plea for the ICC to do more to help Associate nations and continue the growth of the w...

Is England’s men’s Test team in a state of confusion? Former England international Roland Butcher returns to The Paddock and the Pavilion to assess the current state of the side following their 2–1 series defeat to New Zealand.

Roland gives his verdict on the future of head coach Brendon McCullum, discusses the leading contenders to succeed the retiring Ben Stokes as England’s next Test captain, and answers listeners’ questions on the challenges facing the Test side.

The conversation also looks at the opening Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka in the Caribbean, before Rol...

In this episode of The Paddock and the Pavilion, Mark Nunn, captain of Newmarket Cricket Club, and leading Newmarket racehorse trainer Charlie Fellowes preview the club’s sixth annual match against the Racing & Trainers XI, taking place on Sunday 12 July at Dullingham Sports Field.

Mark provides an update on Newmarket Cricket Club’s season and reveals everything that’s planned for what promises to be a fantastic family fun day, while Charlie discusses some of the familiar faces set to feature in the Racing & Trainers XI and shares a few horses from his yard to keep an eye on...

Capturing the Energy explores the life and work of Sir Alfred Munnings, widely regarded as the greatest equine artist of the 20th century.

Jenny Hand, Director of the Munnings Art Museum in Dedham, Essex since 2013, discusses why Munnings should be appreciated as much more than an equine painter. We explore the qualities that made him such an exceptional artist, the influence of Constable on his work, and his remarkable ability to capture movement and energy on canvas. As Jenny says, “He makes the whole canvas move.”

You’ll also hear from Canadian equine sporting artist Liz Ch...

In the second and final part of The Legend of Black Caviar, Stephen Wallis continues the story of the Australian wonder mare who retired unbeaten after winning all 25 of her races.

Edward Sadler takes up the story of Black Caviar’s legacy. Emily Hornum, curator of The Perfect Run exhibition for the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington Racecourse, talks about what visitors can expect to see in the exhibition and the reaction from those who have already experienced it.

Sky Sports Racing reporter Callum Helliwell discusses Australian horses coming to Royal Ascot and his enjoyment of...

As Royal Ascot approaches, we revisit one of the most dramatic moments in the meeting’s history – Black Caviar’s heart-stopping victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012.

Joining us are Racing.com presenter and journalist Edward Sadler, former jockey George Baker, who rode in the race, and Sky Sports Racing reporter Callum Helliwell to reflect on the day the Wonder from Down Under survived a huge scare to preserve her unbeaten record.

In part two, we’ll explore Black Caviar’s enduring legacy and discuss The Perfect Run, a new exhibition celebrating the champion mare at Fl...

Royal Ascot is nearly here, and Australian trainer Henry Dwyer joins The Paddock and the Pavilion to discuss the chances of Asfoora in Tuesday’s King Charles III Stakes.

After two disappointing runs this season, Henry believes his star mare needs to get back to her best. With Champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle and another trip to Royal Ascot beckoning, can Asfoora recapture the form that saw her win the King Charles III Stakes in 2024?

Please subscribe to us on Apple podcasts, Amazon music, Spotify or on our YouTube channel.

Connect wit...

In this episode, the final one, of The 20 Over Take: Women’s T20 World Cup, Rosa from Rosa Talks Ball joins me to share her predictions ahead of the tournament.

We discuss who she thinks will lift the trophy, the teams, and players to watch, and she names her England XI for the opening match. Rosa also picks a player to watch from every team in the competition, sums up each nation in a single word, and makes some tournament predictions that may raise a few eyebrows as the action unfolds from 12 June to 5 July.

In this episode of The 20 Over Take: Women’s T20 World Cup, cricket commentator, writer and author Izzy Duncan shares her predictions ahead of the tournament.

We discuss who she thinks will lift the trophy, the teams and players to watch, and take an in-depth look at both World Cup groups.

We also begin by reflecting on the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009, won by England, and consider how the women’s game has evolved since that landmark tournament.

Interview Date 28 May 2026

Please subscribe to us on Apple podcasts, Amazon...

In this episode of The 20 Over Take: Women’s T20 World Cup, Sue Strachan, former Scotland Women’s Team Manager and former President of Cricket Scotland, shares her predictions ahead of the tournament.

We discuss who she thinks will lift the trophy, the teams to watch, the players who could define the competition, and Scotland’s chances of making an impact on the world stage. We also look ahead to their eagerly anticipated group-stage clash against England at Headingley on 20 June, as the action runs from 12 June to 5 July, and discuss her hopes for the tournament and what i...

In this episode of The 20 Over Take: Women’s T20 World Cup, Jane Powell, former England captain and coach, shares her predictions ahead of the tournament. 

We discuss why she believes this could be the most open Women’s T20 World Cup ever, who she thinks will lift the trophy, the teams to watch, and the players who could define the competition, including the key England players she believes could make the difference as the action runs from 12 June to 5 July. 

A passionate cricket lover, Jane captained England in a One Day World Cup final, coache...

With the Women’s T20 World Cup just days away, James and Susan Bryce join us to look ahead to Scotland’s campaign and reflect on the journey that has taken daughters Kathryn and Sarah Bryce to the international stage.

While cricket fans know the Bryce sisters for their performances on the field, this episode tells the story from a different perspective. James and Susan discuss what it means to have two daughters representing Scotland and the experiences they have shared following their careers from school cricket to the world game. 

The Bryce family will be in...

Twenty-five years after his Derby victory, Galileo remains one of the most celebrated horses in racing history.

In this Derby Week special, Stephen Wallis is joined by trainer, breeder, and international racing columnist John Berry to look back on Galileo's remarkable career on the racecourse. From his Classic success at Epsom to his memorable clashes with Fantastic Light, they discuss the performances that established his reputation as one of the outstanding horses of his generation.

They also reflect on Galileo's enduring legacy, not least as the sire of Frankel, widely regarded as one of the...

Former England Test cricketer Roland Butcher joins The Paddock and the Pavilion as England prepare for a new Test Match summer following a bruising Ashes winter.

With a three-match series against New Zealand about to begin, Roland discusses England’s likely selections, assesses Brendon McCullum’s position as head coach, and looks ahead to the challenge posed by the Kiwis.

As the conversation draws to a close, Roland explains why he believes England should continue to play their dominant brand of cricket, while making better decisions at crucial moments.

Roland also gives his pred...