The Final Word Cricket Podcast

Australia India Daily, 4th Test, Melbourne Day 4: Every time we think that maybe Bumrah's moments can't keep coming, the next one arrives. The MCG was rocking and rolling on Day 4, as the Test match swung one way and then the other, with Australia's lead in real danger of being well short. Now we're set up for a perfect last day. Come to the last show of our national tour! Sydney January 7 - with...

Australia India Daily, 4th Test, Melbourne Day 3: One of the great MCG hundreds, on a day with a wonder that you might not expect if you just looked at the score. India were down and out after the first session, with Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja lopped off. What followed was an extraordinary display of character and skill from a pair of young players who will always have this day. Thanks to th...

Australia India Daily, 4th Test, Melbourne Day 2: Starting the day with the possibility of pressing an advantage, Australia went ahead and did so in grand style, with another big day for a resurgent Steve Smith. Meanwhile, Pat Cummins could do little wrong with bat or ball, Virat Kohli had another meltdown, and Rohit Sharma looks bereft of confidence or ideas. Come to the last show of our national...

Australia India Daily, 4th Test, Melbourne Day 1: After all the build-up, the day delivered. Starting with Sam Konstas, who was even more spectacular than speculation might have suggested, before Jasprit Bumrah once again was the man for India to exert some influence on the contest. It was scorching hot in the field and on the field, especially when Virat Kohli clashed with his young opponent. Com...

Australia India Daily, 4th Test, Melbourne preview: Merry Christmas! We've never recorded a show on the 25th of December before but a BGT series poised as well as this requires it. Adam has Bharat with him, who has been at the 'G all week keeping his eye on the new man Sam Konstas while playing media peacemaker. Drive safe everyone, see you tomorrow! Come to the last show of our national tour! Syd...

Merry Christmas, all. Continuing our Christmas series of sitting down with a much-loved cricket person, let's do it once again with Australia's greatest pure wicketkeeper, Ian Healy. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Come to our last live show! Sydney January 7 - with Simon Katich and Glenn Maxwell Tickets at linktr.ee/thefinalword Catch the Pro Kabaddi League next to...

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, following on from searching for the biggest bastard in the game, we've instead found the nicest one. Or at least, that's our guess. Also, the tale of a man named Huge Massive (at least by us), a candidate for India's unluckiest batter, and somebody who was the best at most things but also the worst at o...

Season 17, Episode 16: It's been a tough entree to Test cricket, but it looks like Nathan McSweeney's time is up. For now. At least, that's the reporting, while we wait for the Australian camp to confirm. Geoff and Adam talk through another opening batting experiment. Also this week, the washup from England v New Zealand including Ben Stokes bowling himself towards more injury, the women's Test in...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane review: One day after a rare Test to actually span the five days - thanks to the weather rather than the hectic speed of play - there are various storylines bubbling along in the Australian camp ahead of Boxing Day. Biggest of all, though, the very strange mid-series departure of Ravichandran Ashwin. Much more has come to light about the champion spinner q...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane Day 5: It was wet, but it was wild. Rain kept playing its part on the last day at Brisbane, but not before an absolutely manic session that may have implications for the whole series going forward. Jasprit Bumrah can't stop being unbelievable, Australia have more questions to consider, and as if that wasn't enough, Ravichandran Ashwin announced a snap reti...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane Day 4: God bless the follow-on! What could have been a fairly dull day of cricket between rain delays became a wholesome and delightful one thanks to one simple thing: a team trying to finish fewer than 200 runs behind another team. Whoever came up with that plan, a blessing on your head. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins took on a huge job after Josh Hazlewo...

New Zealand England Daily, 3rd Test, Hamilton Day 4: England's series, New Zealand's day. Bethell got some more runs, but Will O'Rourke's spell was special. In the end, New Zealand win by loads. For one last time, Cameron Ponsonby and Jeremy Coney have it all. Come to our live shows! Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 Tickets at linktr.ee/thefinalword This Is Hypnobirthing Insta @thisishypnobi...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane Day 3: Rain, yes, but not so much that we didn't get some very important play. First of all from Carey, doing another useful job with the bat, then the showdown between Australia's fast bowlers and India's top order. Suddenly the Gabba track went full speed ahead, jumping and jagging as Starc and Hazlewood did their work. How can India steer a path to safe...

New Zealand England Daily, 3rd Test, Hamilton Day 3: What on earth was that, cricket? On a day where Jacob Bethell and Shoiab Bashir bowled forever, Ben Stokes pulled him hamstring and New Zealand finished roughly a million ahead. Cameron Ponsonby and Jeremy Coney have it all. Come to our live shows! Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 Tickets at linktr.ee/thefinalword This Is Hypnobirthing Ins...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane Day 2: It has been a long wait, but Steve Smith finally returned to the century-makers list with career ton #33, going past Steve Waugh into his own place in Australian Test history. And it might have been one of his hardest fought innings, as Jasprit Bumrah once, twice, three times rocked Australia. Not to mention another wild day from Travis Head, as Roh...

New Zealand England Daily, 3rd Test, Hamilton Day 2: What on earth was that, England? NZ are on en route to a win after trouncing England in all departments in Hamilton. It was weird, it was wonderful, and Cameron Ponsonby and Jeremy Coney have it all. Come to our live shows! Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 Tickets at linktr.ee/thefinalword This Is Hypnobirthing Insta @thisishypnobirthing O...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane Day 1: Not much play on a wet first day, but it was a brave call from Rohit Sharma as India chose to bowl first. Will that prove to be a great idea or less so? We don't know yet, but we'll sure talk about it, and plenty of other things besides. Come to our live shows! Melbourne December 22 - with RICKY PONTING Sydney January 7 Tickets at linktr.ee/thefinal...

New Zealand England Daily, 3rd Test, Hamilton Day 2: Both teams will be disappointed but we have a hell of a Test match ahead. Day one ebbed and flowed in Hamilton, with both teams ahead at certain stages, but it finishes in the balance after some sixes from the Sexy Camel. Cameron Ponsonby and Jeremy Coney have it all. Come to our live shows! Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 Tickets at link...

Australia India Daily, 3rd Test, Brisbane Day 0: Can't wait to get you to the Gabba? Well, we're back, but Australia haven't recently been the same force here. But then, they've kept playing in January rather than November or December. Does that make a difference? Who knows. Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon to puzzle things out. Come to our live shows! Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 Tic...

Season 17, Episode 15: We're in Brisbane, where Bharat joins Geoff to look around the non-Australia-India-series world. The World Test Championship standings, Glenn Maxwell's Test ambitions and first-class misadventures, Australia's women back to beating up all comers, and Jason Gillespie's ongoing Pakistan saga. Come to our live shows! Brisbane December 12 Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 T...

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, across the river from Adelaide Oval on a sunny afternoon full of birdsong, it's a nice time to welcome a member of our sleuth crew to the show for the first time. Matt May has a remarkable collection of cricket memorabilia: kits, cards, cassettes, the lot. And he gets to flex his catalogue by tackling R...

Australia India Daily, 2nd Test, Adelaide review: All square in the Border-Gavaskar, 1-1 heading to Brisbane. And now India are the team with some questions to ponder: what's their best bowling attack? Can Kohli and Rohit still carry their batting? Is it time to make some moves? Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon down at Glenelg beach. Come to our live shows! Brisbane December 12 Melbourne Decemb...

Australia India Daily, 2nd Test, Adelaide Day 3: It didn't take long on Day 3 to finish off this game, as Mitchell Starc added to his tally and Cummins went hostile at the tail. A mighty turnaround in two and a half days from an Australian team that was on the ropes. Geoff and Adam are in Adelaide. Come to our live shows! Brisbane December 12 Melbourne December 22 Sydney January 7 Tickets at linkt...

New Zealand England Daily, 2nd Test, Wellington Day 3: That's a paddlin. Blimey. And just like that England have romped home. Joe Root and Tom Blundell make tons, but it's England's match and series. Their first in New Zealand since 2008. Jeremy Coney and Cameron Ponsonby review the highs and lows for each team respectively. Come to our live shows! Brisbane December 12 Melbourne December 22 Sydney...

Australia India Daily, 2nd Test, Adelaide Day 2: If we thought Day 1 was hectic, Day 2 did not slow down at all. We thought it had for a while in the first session as Marnus Labuschagne rebuilt his game, but when wickets started to fall then it was time for Travis Head to change gears as only he can. Whooshka. Fights with Siraj, booing and carrying on, more Bumrah moments, then a fiery final sessi...