Balls, Bails, Banter with Stu and Jim
Balls, Bails, Banter with Stu and Jim is a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud podcast celebrating the glorious chaos of village cricket at Dedham Cricket Club. Join lifelong club stalwarts Jim and Stu as they dive into the week’s matches, questionable umpiring decisions, heroic (and not-so-heroic) performances, and the timeless traditions that make grassroots cricket what it is. From collapsing batting orders and miraculous last-wicket stands to teas that outshine the cricket itself, nothing is off limits.
Episode 12 - New Captain, Same Old Balls
We’re back with another episode of Balls, Balls, Banter with Stu and Jim — and, unsurprisingly, things don’t stay sensible for very long!
This week, we’re joined by the new captain, who talks us through his plans for the team, his hopes for the season, and presumably how he intends to keep this lot under control.
Stuand Jim are also back with TenYouBallSack, how this quiz keeps on going, is anyone’s guess.
Plus, we introduce a brand-new segment: The Cricket Court! ⚖️🏏 Our first case sees us putting sledging on trial. Is it an essentia...
Episode 11 - The Season’s Over… But Not Without Drama
The stumps are back in the shed, the whites are being ignored until next April, and someone is still insisting they were “just unlucky” to get out.
Stu & Jim are back to wrap up another season of amateur cricket, looking back at the highs, lows, dodgy decisions and completely avoidable disasters, while also turning their attention to next year and making plans that will almost certainly fall apart by May.
We also head out on tour with Dedham CC, getting stuck into the stories, shenanigans and questionable cricketing decisions from their latest adventure. What happens on t...
Episode 10 - Up North, Pant Problems and Someone’s got Nothing Left!
Stu and Jim are joined by northern bowler Josh for a midseason episode packed with cricketing chaos, dressing-room opinions and the sort of club politics that have absolutely nothing to do with what happens on the pitch. The lads tackle the surprisingly divisive question of how to properly wear your pants, before turning their attention to the latest fines debacle — a seemingly minor incident that has triggered major schisms, competing factions and some serious questions about club governance.
With tensions rising, allegiances shifting and the usual peripheral nonsense threatening to overshadow the cricket itself, this is Balls, Ba...
Episode 9 - Australia Sent Us Their Best… We Gave Him Village Cricket & Tenuballsack
Jim and Stu are back in the pavilion (pub) and this week they’re joined by their favourite Aussie export, who’s swapped scorching outfields for soggy Saturdays to spill the beans on the real differences between village cricket Down Under and in the UK.
From rock-hard pitches and kangaroo dodging to tea breaks featuring beige buffets and mysteriously warm lager, nothing is off limits. Expect tales of sledging that cross hemispheres, baffling cricket traditions, and the eternal debate: who actually takes village cricket more seriously?
And because no one...
Episode 8 - Mid break return and questionable game show material
The boys are back! After a brief mid-season break, Jim and Stu catch up on what’s been happening off-mic before turning to the big talking point: Jim’s batting form. Is it a slump, a rough patch, or something more complicatedhigl in the crease? And just how do his batting stats stack up against his other performance metrics?
From there, the episode moves into a lively, chaotic recap full of honest reflections and the usual banter, before Jim introduces a brand-new game segment he’s clearly very proud of. Stu, however, is far from c...
Episode 7 - Knight Fever & Team Sheet Terror
This week on Balls, Bails & Banter, Jim and Stu find themselves rubbing shoulders with a knight of the realm—yes, actual cricketing royalty is in the house, and the lads aren’t quite sure whether to talk cover drives or curtsies.
Jim, meanwhile, completely unravels at the mere mention of public school cricket, going weak at the knees as he romanticises blazers, perfectly rolled pitches, and the “proper way” to bat. Somewhere in the middle of it all, he also takes a detour to passionately explain how he “Cuba Libres” his wife—an anecdote that raises fa...
Episode 6 - Face Full of Leather, Wins & Losses… and ‘Vindaloo’ the Run Machine”
Episode 6 of Balls, Bails and Banter with Stu and Jim delivers exactly what it promises—cricket chaos, questionable life choices, and plenty of laughs.
This week, Jim relives the moment every cricketer dreads (and everyone else secretly enjoys) as he takes a ball straight to the face—yes, it’s as painful and as funny as it sounds. The lads also break down the team’s recent wins and losses, with the usual mix of sharp insight and completely unqualified opinions.
But it’s not all carnage and comedy—we’re joined...
Episode 5 - The one where a cricket podcast actually talks about cricket
It’s opening day energy on Balls, Bails & Banter as Stu and Jim finally get their whites dirty for the first games of the season. There’s the usual mix of optimism, questionable fitness levels, and early-season chaos as the lads break down how their returns to the crease actually went (spoiler: not quite as planned).
Jim also takes on a new role off the pitch, with his valiant attempts at groundsmanship coming under the spotlight. Despite his best efforts to prepare a wicket worthy of Lord’s, things don’t quite go to plan—lea...
Episode 4 - The Bearded Bandit of Dedham: Smoke, Swing & Questionable Protection
This week on Balls, Bails & Banter, Stu and Jim are joined by Dedham CC’s very own chain-smoking, follically gifted pace machine—arguably the hairiest bowler to ever steam in off a short run-up. We dive into life at the crease (and in the smoking area), unpack the latest from the County Championship, and put our guest to the test with a gloriously daft game all about cricket’s most iconic beards.
Elsewhere, Jim makes a truly baffling admission about his approach to box protection (or lack thereof), Stu questions everything he thought he knew a...
Episode 3 - Bold Takes, Bad Calls & Jim Saying ‘My Bad’
This week on Balls, Bails & Banter, Jim and Stu once again attempt to pass themselves off as cricket pundits—with all the confidence and none of the credentials.
But the real story unfolds off the pitch. Jim has a lot to get off his chest, unloading a backlog of apologies ranging from questionable takes to even more questionable life decisions. It’s less a segment, more a full-blown clearing of the conscience.
Then, things take a turn as the lads dive into the world of cricket widows—only for Jim to...
Episode 2 - Geek Out with Le Grand Fromage
Stu and Jim are back with another episode of Balls, Bails & Banter, and this week they’re joined by the big cheese from Dedham CC — the club’s brand-new captain. 🏏
We start off sensibly enough, chatting about taking on the captaincy, what it means for the club, and what the season ahead might look like.
But fair warning: what begins as a respectable cricket chat quickly descends into a full-blown cricket bat rabbit hole. Grains, profiles, pickups… the lot. Stu is fully in his element, while Jim slowly realises the episode...
Episode 1 - Dreams and a Dormouse
Welcome to village cricket at its finest. In this opening episode, we’re introduced to Jim and Stu of Dedham Cricket Club, as they welcome us into the world of Dedham CC — the players, the personalities, and the peculiar traditions that make the club tick.
From tales of glorious cover drives to less-than-glorious collapses, Stu and Jim set the scene for life at the crease, sharing the hopes and ambitions shaping the club’s future. And then there’s the small matter of the badge… could a humble dormouse become the unlikely emblem of Dedham CC...