The Analyst Inside Cricket

Simon Hughes and former England swing bowler Derek Pringle pay tribute to the amazing career of Jimmy Anderson who has put 25,000 tonnes through his knees and ankles and run over 500 miles in the England cause and can still produce deliveries of exquisite and deadly quality. There will never again be a bowler like him. Toast him with a Nicholson cocktail (or a Guinness!) Go to drinknicholson.com f...

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann assess the sad decline of West Indies Test cricket brutally exposed by England on the second day of the Lords Test. England's debutants enjoyed it anyway and Ben Stokes joined the all-rounders elite of 200 test wickets to go with his 6000 Test runs. This podcast is supported by Nicholson original gin. For more info and a 15% discount go to drinknicholson.com and use the...

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann witness a remarkable Test match debut by Gus Atkinson to steal the limelight on Jimmy Anderson's farewell bow, as West Indies capitulate for 121. This episode is supported by Nicholson. For more information and a 15% discount on your purchase go to drinknicholson.com and use the code Yakka2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brian Lara joins the podcast to look back on his epic, record-breaking innings against, and in England 30 years ago, featured in a new book - Lara: the England Chronicles published this week. He reveals the men who shaped his style and the man who bowled the most unplayable ball he ever faced, and considers the prospects for his compatriots next week at Lord's. Also in this episode a discussion on...

The Simons analyse the announcement of England's squad for the first Test of the summer, which includes the call-up of Surrey's Jamie Smith at the expense of Jonny Bairstow. In the second half of the show is a review of the T20 World Cup final, and a first Indian title for a dozen years, a fitting crown for the departing Indian coach Rahul Dravid and the mercurial Jasprit Bumrah. The podcast also...

India and South Africa deservedly make it through to the T20 World Cup final as the only two unbeaten teams in the competition and show their potency and versatility in two one sided semis. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review the action which could signal the end of one or two senior England players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The phenomenal South African fast bowler Dale Steyn - taker of 699 international wickets - joins the podcast to talk lost World Cup semi finals, prospects for South Africa at this T20 World Cup as it reaches its climax and how to advise modern pace bowlers. 'Always take the positive option. Think wickets even if you're going at 14 an over....' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review two days of madcap T20 cricket after which Australia are eliminated from the last game, and brilliant, irresistible Afghanistan make it to their first ever World Cup semi final to face South Africa on Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a slightly stuttery early campaign England secure their T20 World Cup semi final spot with an annihilation of the USA team. The Simons assess England's growing confidence and analyse their likely semi final opponents, and beyond the cricket report on an impressive coral reef restoration project. For more information visit https://www.emcantigua.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

Simon Hughes is joined by West Indian born former Middlesex express Ricky Elcock to review England's Phil Salt-inspired defeat of the West Indies in the T20 World Cup and to discuss Elcock's later life training in the Caribbean to be Virgin Atlantic's first-ever black pilot. Ricky's fascinating autobiography Balls to Fly is available here - https://amzn.eu/d/0igB6ee0 Learn more about your ad choic...

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann relive England's anxiety through a day in the T20 World Cup when rain relented to allow England just enough time to defeat Namibia, and Australia had just enough depth to overcome the plucky Scots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann admire England's demolition job on Oman and consider which teams are now odds on to make it to the Super Eights. Plus - what Freddie did and Yozzer samples a gin with a historic connection to cricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review the T20 World Cup so far and are joined by Australian great Matthew Hayden to assess England's chances of qualifying and why Australi are so good at tournament cricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review a sticky performance by Englsnd against the old enemy in the T20 World Cup, punctuated by bad decisions and inflexibility Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann reflect on the first four days of the T20 World Cup, featuring dodgy weather in Barbados, a dodgy pitch in New York and a super over triumph for Namibia whose hero David Wiese talks us through his superover strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The T20 World Cup starts this weekend with USA v Canada in Dallas, Texas. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann preview the tournament as England hope to defend their title and the ICC seek to re-introduce cricket to the US, the world's richest sports market. Back home we also check in with the remarkable progress of the South Asian Cricket Academy and hear from its founder Tom Brown and one of its recent g...

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review England's T20 against Pakistan at Edgbaston which saw the welcome return of Jofra Archer - fit and firing - also dip into some county cricket action and preview the IPL final. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa Story (Gloucestershire & TMS) and Nikki Chaudhuri (Surrey & TMS) are back to analyse England's T20 series against Pakistan and the Charlotte Edwards Cup but get sidetracked by Nikki's obsession with the test and Melissa's recent Bridgerton binging. Aside from lots of telly the pair find time to chat with Matthew Ellis of Not Out Mental Health - a great cause highlighting the importance of...

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann consider Jimmy Anderson's impending departure and how it was decided, and discuss with West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder the legacy he has left and some ideas to help beleaguered bowlers in the shorter formats which Jimmy has wisely avoided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann discuss the difficulty of scheduling county cricket to anyone's - never mind everyone's - satisfaction and hear about the real (10th century) origins of cricket - with fairly brutal consequences - from a most unexpected source. This podcast is sponsored by www.visitbarbados.org/cricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes and Simon Mann analyse this month's big talking point, the potential sale of the Hundred franchises to private investors and what it might mean for the 18 counties and MCC. PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell and Leicestershire CEO Sean Jarvis offer their views. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa Story (Gloucestershire & TMS) and Nikki Chaudhuri (Surrey & TMS) return to the massive plan to return the women's game to the counties and the impacts of this move. Reading listener concerns and speculating on the game before Surrey CC Women's Captain Amy Gordon describes the uncertainty the plans have had on her life. She also talks about how commendable work in founding teh charity "Pad...

One of England's truly great players, David Gower, joins our virtual cricket club to discuss the future of Test cricket, his most embarrassing dismissals, which modern player he'd most like to be and why he loves Icelandic cricket. Join our virtual club at worldsbestcc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa Story (Gloucestershire & TMS) and Nikki Chaudhuri (Surrey & TMS) dissect the ECB's latest plans to expand the professional women's game with 00 Child Podcast host Polly Starkie and the Independent's sports writer, Sonia Twigg, who makes her second appearance on the pod. Whether the new announcement will grow or harm women's cricket is down to natural selection but the panel left no stone u...

Special guest Tino Best recounts the tale of playing in the Test match when Brian Lara broke the world record Test score with his 400 not out, twenty years ago this week. Its also 30 years to the day since Lara's epic 375 not out in Antigua. Simon Hughes was there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices