The Final Word Cricket Podcast
Cricket for everyone – your friendly guide to the world's strangest sport. Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins combine match analysis with irreverence, politics, interviews and history as they follow the game they love around the world. You can support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword.Get your big NordVPN discount: https://nordvpn.com/tfw
TFW Daily - England's attack a study of inexperience - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Day 1
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Day 1: A day that opened up for England but couldn't quite stick with an attack finding its way against a batting group that has seen plenty. It's Daniel Norcross and Ben Jones, at stumps on a day that was in stark contrast to the chaos of Lord's.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
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Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for School Holiday activities and courses: lords.org/lords/performancecentre
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TFW Daily - Run rate for Aus & India - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 5
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 5, Australia v Bangladesh, India v Netherlands: Not competitive games, but there was some enjoyment to be had from the Dutch performance, while very nervous, against a powerful India side. Less so as Bangladesh faltered against Australia, but key absences raised more interesting questions about which XI will do the job from here on in. Adam and Geoff look over the day.
Could you support the show? You can send us a Nerd Pledge or become a member at patreon.com/thefinalword, and could win a case of Stomping Ground beer for your trouble.
Browse their range at stompingground.beer
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt here, and learn about Lacuna Sports bespoke cricket wear, created by women for women:
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TFW Daily - Defending champs on the brink - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 4
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 4, Sri Lanka v New Zealand, England v Ireland: What a finish, and what a refusal to lay down. People still underestimate Sri Lanka, but we've been tracking their improvement for years. This performance may be their finest, as the trophy holders have almost dropped it. Also, Ireland took on the big task of England. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff.
Could you support the show? You can send us a Nerd Pledge or become a member at patreon.com/thefinalword, and could win a case of Stomping Ground beer for your trouble.
Browse their range at stompingground.beer
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt here, and learn about Lacuna Sports bespoke cricket wear, created by women for women:
lacunasports.co.uk/en/shop/limited-edition/world-cup-t-shirt/
TFW Daily - Root Ashes 2027 captain? - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Preview
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Preview: For England, it’s hard to imagine how their time since Lord’s could’ve been more chaotic. So much drama, so many changes. Now across the river, it means at least two debuts, possibly three, and up to give changes pending circumstances outside of their control in a birthing suite. What of Stokes, and McCullum’s press conference yesterday? And of Root, who steered so comfortably through his captain’s press conference today? Might it be that interim leader extends to, say, the 2027 Ashes? Adam and Ben Jones can see it. As for...
CA sell-off hits more roadblocks, Ben Stokes hits the showers
Season 20, Episode 17: Cricket Australia emerged from an all-states meeting claiming a consensus agreement to sell some Big Bash clubs, but there are a lot of caveats to work through first. The Age chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig joins the show to unpick the latest. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes will miss the next Test, with plenty of politics still afoot around England's captain. Plus, a special finish thanks to Cooper Connolly, even as Bangladesh celebrate their first ODI series win over Australia.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
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Wi...
TFW Daily - The India Pakistan formula - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 3
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 3, India v Pakistan, West Indies v New Zealand, and Netherlands v Bangladesh: The big one in terms of attention, rarely the big one in terms of competition, but today there were some moments that suggested a turn in the story. Also, the Dutch World Cup debut is a strong one, Bangladesh find power, and West Indies play out a thriller against the defending champs New Zealand.
Could you support the show? You can send us a Nerd Pledge or become a member at patreon.com/thefinalword, and could win a case of Stomping Ground beer for your trouble.
Browse their range at stompingground.beer
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt here, and learn about Lacuna Sports bespoke cricket wear, created by women for women:
lacunasports.co.uk/en/shop/limited-edition/world-cu...
TFW Daily - Aussies vulnerable? Not yet - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 2
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 2, Scotland v Ireland and Australia v South Africa: Lots of chat from South Africans before this tournament about taking the next step, and from all of about whether Australia might be vulnerable, but they sure didn't look like it when Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Wareham set about their work. Also today, the Bryce sisters pull out a special partnership to set up history for Scotland.
Could you support the show? You can send us a Nerd Pledge or become a member at patreon.com/thefinalword, and could win a case of Stomping Ground beer for your trouble.
Browse their range at stompingground.beer
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt here, and learn about Lacuna Sports bespoke cricket wear, created by women for women:
lacunasports.co.uk/en/shop/limited-edition/world-cup...
TFW Daily - England start furiously - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 1
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 1, England v Sri Lanka: There has been plenty of pressure on the England women's team coming into a home World Cup after their poor recent history, but they couldn't have done any more than they did in their opener against Sri Lanka. A record tournament score, one wicket down, and a ruthless bowling performance to close out a thumping win. Meanwhile, Chamari Atapattu has to live with her team's shortcomings.
Could you support the show? You can send us a Nerd Pledge or become a member at patreon.com/thefinalword, and could win a case of Stomping Ground beer for your trouble.
Browse their range...
Emergency ep: Kane Williamson retires
Don’t say it’s over. After one last go around at Lord’s, Big Daddy Kane has left the arena, retiring from all New Zealand cricket. An abrupt decision in the middle of their Test series against England, but one in keeping with someone who has always kept his own counsel. Two of the Fab Four have now given up the whites, with Williamson departing as an all-time great, and New Zealand’s finest ever with the bat.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
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Join England’s Test tour of South Africa in 2026 with Gullivers Sports Travel. Learn more or book at ...
Ben Stokes and the grown men under curfew
Season 20, Episode 16: Ben Stokes and trouble on a night out, is it? Deidre Chambers. But then, is there more to this, or less to this, than meets the eye? How much comes down to the ECB’s management of everything around its team? Also this week, Cricket Victoria lob a grenade into the Big Bash privatisation story, planning to blow up both the Stars and the Renegades, and the mighty Bangladesh Tigers knock off Australia for a second time.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for S...
Story Time 274 - Let’s all eat some ants
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, the best performances that didn't go so well on the other side of the ledger, a firebrand whose madness was seen both on the field and off, an early shapeshifter who surprised in his non-preferred suit, and an unexpected dietary quirk along the way. Geoff and Adam combine.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week: 2.65 - Crispn Crunch
6.55 - Rooster
3.56 - Big Jim
11.00 - Matthew Beggs
Support the show with a Ne...
TFW Daily – Should Archer come straight back?- England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Review
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Review: It’s the day after one of the shortest 40-wicket Tests on record and Adam has Daniel Norcross with him to ponder what it all means. The Lord’s pitch is where attention continues to sit, albeit with MCC presenting a path to a better future for the contentious 22 yards. Casting to The Oval, where the next Test begins next Wednesday, is it simply the case that Jofra Archer vaults straight into the squad and, indeed, the XI? How might Shoaib Bashir’s use, or otherwise, inform this? As for the Blac...
TFW Daily – Crapshoot or new era? - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 4
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 4: What do England and New Zealand take away from this match? Do they even need to? Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross to discuss whether a win is just that, or if there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for School Holiday activities and courses: lords.org/lords/performancecentre
Stop snoring with 10% off a Zeus device: use code TFW2026 at zeussleeps.com
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt here, and learn about Lacuna Sports bespoke cricket wear, created by women for wom...
TFW Daily – Lunch stops play - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 3
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 3: The sun was out today, but the umpires had decided to take lunch. Before you roll your eyes, we try to explain why. It typified a frustrating stop-start day, with players on and off the field, taking this Test into a fourth day with the game still in the balance. We also have an explanation about impact on DRS. With plenty still to talk about, Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for Sch...
TFW Daily – Does Lord’s have a problem? - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 2
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 1:There'll be questions asked about another dicey pitch at Lord's in early June, with 33 wickets falling in total by the end of the second day. Emilio Gay provided some respite, raising a 50 on debut in an hour of relative calm, before the pitch started playing havoc again and New Zealand’s catching joined the chaos. Despite that, the game is evenly poised. Ben Jones and Dnaiel Norcross attempt to make sense of it.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at ...
TFW Daily - 16 wickets of madness - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 1
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 1: Marauding pace bowlers dominated the highly anticipated return of Test cricket for the summer, as momentum shifted from one extreme to the other under changeable weather conditions at Lord’s. Kyle Jamieson kicked things off for New Zealand, Harry Brook counterattacked, before the returning Ollie Robinson caused some chaos of his own. Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for School Holiday activities and courses: lords.org/lords/performancecentre...
TFW Daily - How much pressure for Baz? - Eng v NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s, Preview
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Preview: Adam has Ben Jones with him, who will be co-piloting the Daily eps from the first Test series of the England summer with the Black Caps in town at a wet Home of Cricket. When they do get on, just how much pressure are the England top brass under this week? We have a pretty good idea of how they’re shaping up, with room to move if the rain keeps coming. As for New Zealand, they are fit and ready to make it count at a ground where they have...
Virat Kohli and RCB double the fun
Season 20, Episode 15: A big week in India, as Virat Kohli led the way in second consecutive IPL win for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also this week, some moves from the ICC board meeting, including a new appointment; Ireland host a rare Test; England cricket tries to take control of its media product; and the Aussies go down to battling Pakistan.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for School Holiday activities and courses: lords.org/lords/performancecentre
Stop snoring with 10% off a Zeus device: use code TFW2026 at zeussleeps.com
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt he...
Story Time 273 – The Monte Carlo black streak
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, an ancient tradition that predates cricket entirely, yet has accompanied the game through every match that has been recorded, leads us to a Monte Carlo casino in 1913, and Geoff's pet topic of probability. Also, a spinner's day that didn't work out, Bradman's dalliances with the pen, and a crime committed on British television. Plus! A Daniel Norcross challenge to our listeners.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
50.50 - Ian Farrington
3.55 - Daniel Foggo
The Final Word with Will Bosisto
Season 20 Episode 14: It has been a long time coming, but here we are: one of the Final Word’s all-time favourites, Will Bosisto, joins the show. Gracious enough to enjoy being a cricketing cult hero, worldly enough to have drawn wisdom from his many experiences in the game, Will is as insightful a guest as we could have hoped. Catch up with him on the pressure of expectation, the redefining of satisfaction, and belonging to the mighty CAXI for life.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk
Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for School...
More drama as Cricket Australia exec leaves during spending scandal
Season 20 Episode 13: Cricket Australia are pushing a line about needing more money coming in, but that didn't stop a bunch of money going out, after a technology executive was accused of funnelling contracts to their own company. Meanwhile, the whistleblower who reported the problem was sacked. Things aren't going well at head office. Also this week, Jacob Bethell's broken finger opens up an England Test spot, and the pink ball may get approved for use during red-ball games.
And we thank all of you who supported our Lord's Taverners marathon weekend, as we reached £30,000 raised this year an...
Story Time 272 – One couldn't bat, the other couldn't keep
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, those rare away wins keep on coming up, as does a score that shouldn't lead to defeat still manages to do so. We have a wicketkeeping double act, a life of service following a tough beginning, and another look at a different aspect of the series that at least one of us loves the most.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
3.97 - Paul Coffey
2.00 - Toby
6.08 - Andrew
5.03 - J...
The Final Word with Charlotte Edwards
Season 20 Episode 12: Charlotte Edwards is one of the most respected people in all of cricket. With her career in the game now entering a third decade, she’s now in the job she always wanted since finishing as a superstar player and captain in 2016: coach of the England Women’s Team. Taking over at a low ebb last year, we find a mentor who has found the empathy needed for a role like this, but also one who doesn’t shirk the big decisions posed, especially when it comes to senior players. We find Lotte, as she’s known by all...
Zak Crawley sails to Valinor
Season 20 Episode 11: England’s Test squad is out, and the end has indeed come for Bazball’s mascot. Elsewhere, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins gets stroppy at media reports, but isn’t it more likely to be people he knows who keep using his name?
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
If you can, get behind our final Edinburgh marathon for the Lord's Taverners: donations here
Experience England’s cricket tour of South Africa 2026/27 LIVE with Gullivers Sports Travel. Find out more and book at gulliverstravel.co.uk Check out the Lord's Performance Centre for School Holiday activities and courses: lords.org/lords/performancecentre Stop snoring with 10% off a Zeus device: use code TFW2026 at zeussleeps.com
Get your Thi...
Story Time 271 – Forest Whittaker meets Dr Pierre Rock
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a cryptic dance that ended up being far more geographical, the historical evolution of big days out, a deep dive into Australian sin taxes, and Adam has not seen The Crying Game.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
2.35 - Michael Blesic
2.22 - Debashish Biswas
3.50 - Sean Moynihan
14.20 - Nick Ibis
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
If you can, get behind our final Edinburgh marathon for the Lord's Taverners: donations here
Stop snoring with 10% off a Zeus device: use code TFW2026 at zeussleeps.com...
A master of cricket photography - TFW Book Club | Picture of England
Sports photography isn’t just about finding the right lighting composition, but requires forging relationships with the subjects, combined with a deep understanding of the context that can turn photographs into entire stories. Gareth Copley-Jones has been the man behind the camera for some of England cricket’s most iconic images. Ben Stokes at Headingley, Jofra Archer’s delirium at Lord’s, and Chris Woakes walking out to bat with his arm in a sling are a result of Gareth’s skill and application. In Picture Of England, we’re taken behind the viewfinder to deconstruct the science, research, and sheer ha...
In Aussie cricket, who benefits from scaring the horses?
Season 20, Episode 10: A big news story this week claims discontent at the top of Australia's player ranks about the fact that private cash is not imminent in the BBL - but how real is that, and whose interest is served by reporting it? Also this week, squads aplenty, a big game for some of our Bangladeshi faves, and major moves in the county round along with a hat-trick on debut, so we'll interview Tom Norton before we have Enakshi's IPL wrap.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
If you can, get behind our final Edinburgh marathon for the Lord's Taverners: donations here
Stop snoring with 10% off a Zeus device: use code TFW2026 at ...
Story Time 270 – The man who slept at the non-striker's end
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, Andrew Fidel Fernando joins the show for an unlikely tale of an unlikely nap, one with real consequence. There's also a Welsh excursion for a squad of Western Australians, the kid who won player-of-the-match from well down the pecking order, and a return to one of the faves of faves.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
11.33 - Evan Granger
12.20 - Christiane Mayer
5.69 - Ollie Chauhan
2.37 - Jon Dunster
https://pod.fo/e/412373 Fidel's...
James Vince and the unbearable sadness of batting – TFW Book Club
Jon Hotten is one of the most engaging writers our game is blessed with, so any topic he turns his pen to is going to be worth reading about. His latest book, Vinciness, is unusual as the subject isn’t really what he’s writing about. Not all the time, anyway. For the “decadent and depraved” majesty of cover driving to so much more, Daniel Norcross steered the conversation with this outstanding author, and friend of the pod, during a Surrey interval.
Buy Vinciness, or The Unbearable Sadness of Batting https://4vuhcf-5g.myshopify.com/prod...
Ding dong, the Big Bash sale is dead
Season 20, Episode 9: Stand down, defenders of the realm. The brave Queenslanders have come to the aid of New South Wales (did we ever doubt them?) and that means that with 33% of the states now off the idea, Cricket Australia can't take the Big Bash to the sale yard to get a price. Everybody is seemingly pissed off with somebody. Is this a good outcome, bad outcome, head in the sand, resolute belief in the future? Plenty of ways to look at it. Also this week, storylines abound in county cricket, we have Enakshi's IPL wrap, and all of Australia w...
Story Time 269 – Still the best run chase in history?
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a player we've just learned about who had a compelling tale either side of the Great War, a big day in the East for the West, a brief but wild innings with the ball, and is this still the greatest run chase of all time?
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
9.83 - Niall Taylor
5.67 - StuG
4.38 - Paul Batfay
8.62 - Matt Gaynor
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground...
Father Marriott’s (Remarkable) Summer Hols – TFW Book Club
The mighty Max Bonnell returns to Book Club to discuss his acclaimed title from last year about an oft-discussed character on Story Time, leggie Charles ‘Father’ Marriott. Naturally, there’s so much more to this man than the curiosity that his only Test netted him the stunning match figures of 11/96, the of his life so well told in the pages of Father Marriott’s Summer Holidays. Daniel Norcross picks up the conversation with our author, in an interview recorded, appropriately, during a county championship lunch break.
Buy Father Marriott's Summer Holidays at this link
Su...
Cricket Australia's chair is now running their major sponsor?
Season 20, Episode 8: This one doesn't sit right: CA chair Mike Baird is now planning to double up that job with being CEO of the insurer NRMA, which also happens to be CA's naming sponsor for Test summers. All this while he's also the main driver of privatising the Big Bash. What's going on? Also this week, women's T20 World Cup news comes apace, while a slew of players are being banned from various levels of cricket for a range of offences.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Get your This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Cricket t-shirt here, and learn about Lacuna Sports bespoke cricket wear, created by women for women:
lacunasports.co.uk/en/shop/limited-edi...
Story Time 268 – There's only one thing Kohli can't stand: the Dutch
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, the greatest run of free lunches in a particular journalist's history. An adopted hero, a distant memorial, a new era beckoning for Bangladeshis bowling fast, and there's only one thing in this world that Virat Kohli can't stand.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
2.14 - Harsha G
3.51 - Not The Run Machine
6.00 - Alex
4.10 - Tim O'Meara
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
Check out the range of Duncan Fearnley bats and kit at duncanfearnley.com.au
Get 50% off the Wisden cover price by subscribing: wisdenalmanack.com/subscribe
This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ cricket | The Final Word
Season 20, Episode 7: Live from Lord’s at the annual MCC Women’s Day. Adam Collins brings you a series of chats from prominent women in cricket, proving that it’s not just what happens on the field or on TV that keeps the juggernaut of the women’s game rolling. From Meg Lay, the first woman to prepare an international cricket pitch, record-setting German international Tina Gough, Dutch captain and ICC Europe boss Esther de Lange, and sports apparel pioneer Leigh Burns from our partners at Lacuna Sports. But the star of the show was our own Enakshi Rajvanshi, who mark...
More corruption accusations in world cricket as ICC does nothing
Season 20, Episode 6: A new investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has brought to light the extremely serious risk that rottenness has consumed cricket administration in that country. The ICC, of course, has hands in pockets while whistling. Also this week, Tom Decent joins the show to update us on Cricket Australia's campaign to win over the state associations and sell the Big Bash, a couple of Final Word faves rejoin the Pakistan Test setup, and Suryavanshi is heading for an Indian team debut.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
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<...Story Time 267 – When Mr Cricket passed The Don
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a 77-year dynasty of decent boring men, a piece of pure cricket slapstick in the middle of a tough streak, an accidental stumbling onto someone's favourite player, and the moment when a legend in the making passed the biggest one of all.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
3.00 - Andrew Cooper
18.46 - Calum Evans
13.00 - Simon Clarke
3.29 - Rory Seymour
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a signed copy of Wisden, or a case of Stomping Ground: bro...
Wisden 2026 with Lawrence Booth
Season 20, Episode 5: We love a tradition on The Final Word, with one of those our annual chat with Lawrence Booth, the editor of the little yellow bible of the game, every year in the MCC Library before he and Adam go across the road to the Long Room for the launch dinner. Once again, the book is a tour de force – we expect nothing less. And as ever, the man who steers the ship is on top form, be it summing up to perfection England’s Ashes misadventure, or taking aim at the latest round of administrative shambles the game...
Brazil's world record, and Dave Warner nicked on the drive
Season 20, Episode 4: Another big week, do we keep saying that? Laura Cardoso from our favourite cricket team claimed the best bowling figures in T20 history this week with 9 for 4, so let's break down how it happened and hear, briefly, from teammate Roberta Moretti Avery. Making the news for less salubrious reasons was Dave Warner, blowing twice the legal limit into a breathalyser over Easter. Also this week, the likely 12-team Test championship structure, Bangladesh sack the board, Cricket France is once again in breach of ICC rules, and our big county wrap features double-ton-maker Ben McKinney.
<...
Story Time 266 – Why do bowlers only get 20 percent?
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, why is it accepted wisdom that bowlers in limited-overs formats should only get 20 percent of the overs each? Let's have a look. Also this week, a little-known WACA classic, a storied ground whose stories have run out, and the curse of the Mitchells.
2.00 - Joel Emonson
9.10 - Ben Connor
12.10 - David Salter
3.77 - Jack Jorgensen
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
and win a case of Stomping Ground: browse their range at stompingground.beer
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Learn about Lacuna Sports - bespoke...
