98 Not Out - The Cricket Podcast

The 2025 County Championship is underway and under blue skies at Chelmsford, I had a chat with WG Rumblepants and Don Topley about the joys of the domestic red ball game.

Rod Lyall joins me from Sydney to talk about his new book "The Club". It's a fascinating account of the history of the governance of international cricket, rooted in the days of the British Empire and the evolution over the years and a power shift from St. Jonn's Wood to Dubai, Mumbai and beyond. We discuss the episodes of mismanagement, missed opportunities and poor decision-making down the years...

Matt Kabir Floyd from Sky Sports talks about the IPL, which has just got underway in India. Already it is looking like a run fest, with sixes being smashed everywhere and last year's record-setting tournament looks to be in jeopardy! We take a look at the involvement of English players and well as which teams to watch out for and who might be grabbing the headlines. Now in its eighteenth edition,...

Briadcaster and commentator Charles Dagnall is just back from India where he was covering the Women' s Premier League, which came hot on the heels of the Women's u19 World Cup. "Daggers" gives his thoughts on the continuing success of women's cricket and looks forward to the English season which is not far away now!

To very little surprise, India has won the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Undoubtedly a good side, their continued dominance over the game is rising questions about spreading the wider appeal of cricket and their insistence that their fixtures in the tournament be rearranged due to their refusal to play cricket in the host nation Pakistan ash caused upset. After they rearranged timings of fixtures at...

After stints with England and Sri Lanka, as well as coaching in various franchise competitions around the world, Chris Silverwood has returned to Essex, where he began his coaching journey all the way back in 2010. As well as being back among one or two familiar faces, Chris talks about what has changed at the club and welcomes the arrival of new, young talent and is excited by the arrival of prof...

Essex old boy Tymal Mills has been at Sussex since 2014 and has been awarded a testimonial year for 2025. Here, he talks about a meteoric career, having only started playing cricket at the age of 14, being picked up by Essex, selected for England Lions at 19, then going on to be (at the time) the second most expensive Englishman to play in the IPL. Only Ben Stokes fetched higher money back then! T...

As huge amounts on money are set to flood into the English game, David Griffin - "Griff" - joins me to look at how the new money can be best used to give the domestic game a much-needed shot in the arm and benefit everyone from the top, down through the counties and to grassroot level cricket. The money needs to be used wisely, because when it's gone, it's gone. Will the new investors take the gam...

Despite all the uproar, has the ECB pulled off a masterstroke in getting such huge sums of money from the sale of stakes in the franchises for The Hundred. Valued at a whopping £967mln, this provides a big windfall for all the counties, but they need to invest the money wisely if there are to survive long into the future. Is this the lifeline they needed?

Ricky Ellcock has led an amazing life. Born and raised in Barbados, at the age of 15 he was offered a scholarship by Malvern College and he made the journey to start a new life in England. Progressing through schools, then county cricket, Ricky was selected to play Test cricket for England in the West Indies. His debut was curtailed by a back injury, the first of many and when he had to retire fro...

A very interesting and wide-ranging chat with Rachel Mitchell, Head of Women's and Girls cricket at Billericay Cricket Club and part of the Essex Cricket the Community initiative. We discuss England Women's performance Down Under in the WAshes and ask whether Alex Hartley had a point when she questioned the fitness levels of some of the players. We also talk about the domestic scene and th...

Former Barbados, Middlesex and England cricketer joins us to talk about his new book, "Breaking Barriers: From Barbados to England and Back". It's a great account of his life coming to England as a youngster from his native Barbados, becoming the first black player to represent England and how once he had retired, returned to "Bim" and become actively involved in all sports...

With the news that James Vince and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have decided to miss the 2025 first class season in England in order to pursue lucrative franchise contracts, RICHARD CLARKE aka "The Grumbler" says this was sadly inevitable. Given the direction of travel and the ECB's apparent lack of support for the county game, will there be more to come and what can the English counties do to stave off a d...

It may be the depths of winter, but there is plenty going on in the world of cricket. England’s men have the power to take a stand and refuse to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy next month, so says Tonia Antoniazzi MP. We discuss… Australia’s Test series again India lived up to all the hype and the hosts sealed a 3-1 win to take the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and seal a place in the World Test...

Johnny Barran is just back from Buenos Aires, where he has been covering the Americas qualifying rounds for the 2026 ICC World Cup, which is to be held in India, We talk about the rich heritage of cricket in Argentina, which stretches back even further than football. The dispute over the Falkland Islands (or "Malvinas", depending on your perspective) is ever present and Johnny gives a little backg...

A conversation with the legendary David Lloyd that starts off on the pressures of being away at Christmas - whether playing cricket, coaching or commentating - then veers off into a very funny discussion about 80s gameshow "Bullseye" being rebooted under Freddie Flintoff. Classic Bumble! For those of you who are too young to remember "Bullseye", take a look at this: https://youtu.be/YlTsyaHh37M?si...

Here are a few festive messages from some of our many friends that have appeared on the show. Have a great Christmas and all the best for 2025. Come on England!!!.

RICHARD CLARKE aka "The Grumbler" joins me to discuss whether England has been vindicated with the left-field selections of players such as Jacob Bethel and Josh Hull, who have very little first class experience, but "have something about them". What message does this send to players putting in the hard yards in the County Championship?

A great chat with Essex Chairman Anu Mohindru , who reflects on a turbulent last few years at the club, with off-field issues such as the Newton Report and "Batgate" - where the club was punished for Feroze Khushi's bat not meeting requirements in the game against Notts early last season. Add to that the departures of CEO John Stephenson and Director of Cricket Anthony McGrath, Anu has had a lot t...

DON TOPLEY has been in the Caribbean covering England's white ball tour of the West Indies. As the tour ends, Don joins us from Barbados to give his thoughts on a new-look England side, which has fallen a long way since they were T20 and ODI world champions only twelve months ago. We also get an update on his son Reece and also a few thoughts on the IPL Mega Auction which is taking place in Jeddah...

Editor of Wisden's Almanac Lawrence Booth joins me to talk about the weight of responsibility in ensuring the evolution and future of one of the game's great institutions. We talk about the impact of Bazball - Lawrence has written a great book on the subject, " Cricket, Lovely Cricket? Bazball ". Also, is The Hundred a bitter pill for the counties to swallow to ensure survival and we preview Engla...

Sussex Chair Jon Filby and Anne Chave from " County Cricket Matters " join me to discuss whether we should be optimistic or concerned about the future of county cricket.

The voice of the BBC's Test Match Special Jonathan Agnew joins us to reflect on his time in the commentary box after hanging up his bowling boots thirty three years ago. He talks of his love for Test cricket and why franchise cricket is not really his thing, but acknowledging it has been great for the game. We also remember some of the great names he has sat with in the TMS box and of course we me...

Huw Turbervill , editor of "The Cricketer" magazine, has some interesting views following England's defeat in the Third Test at Rawalpindi - is it time to find a "drop anchor" batter in the mould of Alastair Cook, Mike Atherton or Geoff Boycott, who can bat time? The current top seven may be entertaining, but results are everything and the team needs to demonstrate more responsibility for poor per...

New Zealand's Men have beaten India in their own back yard in a Test match for the first time in 36 years. Despite Day 1 being washed out, New Zealand skittles India for just 46 when play got underway on Day 2 and went on to claim a very famous victory. Meanwhile, over in the UAE, The White Ferns beat South Africa in the Final to be crowned T20 World Champions for the first time in their history!...