The Final Word Cricket Podcast

India v England, Vizag Day 3: They couldn't, could they? Nearly 400 to chase for England, but they're off to a bright start and they believe. That's after a day when James Anderson did the new-ball business again, Shubman Gill made a stylish hundred after some early fortune, and India then let a dominant position slide against England's spinners. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/...

India v England, Vizag Day 2: Jasprit Bumrah, goodness me. One of the great spells of fast bowling, moving it both ways with precision and pace, has earned India a considerable advantage after two days. Cam Ponsonby had the pleasure of witnessing it live at the ground and he's with Adam Collins to tell him all about it. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, m...

India v England, Vizag Day 1: What an innings. What a day. 179 not out for Yashasvi Jaiswal on a day where his teammates faltered and the match was left in the balance. Are India already way ahead? Or after winning the toss was day one a missed opportunity, especially after a couple of late wickets for England? Cam Ponsonby is at the ground, Adam Collins is having a weekend away by the water - the...

India v England, Vizag Day 0: Jimmy Anderson has been playing Test cricket in India before the IPL began and will take the field tomorrow alongside Shoaib Bashir, a bloke who was far from birth when he made his England debut. The veteran's extraordinary story continues on his sixth tour of the country. It's one of several changes from the two sides that took the field in Hyderabad, India trying to...

Season 15, Episode 22: After two of the best Test matches we've seen, finishing within a couple of hours of one another last Sunday, it's nice for Geoff and Adam to exhale and have the chat about it that we didn't get to have. Pat Cummins took a broad view of the significance of the West Indies win, which predictably annoyed some people, while others are annoyed at England doing things the way Eng...

India v England, The Hyderabad Heist (the day after): The hits keep coming. Just as everyone is reflecting on one of the great days of Test cricket, India are struck with a massive blow with news that two superstars Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul will not be available for the second Test. With Cameron Ponsonby is Cricinfo’s Vithushan Ehantharajah to look at what it means for the future and reflect o...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. A revisit special this weekend as we round up some incorrect numbers from episodes past. Investigations at Essex, the record for five-wicket hauls, some stylish pointless sixes, who was involved in the most number of weird dismissals, and which player did bloody nothing for nobody? Your Nerd Pledge revisits...

India v England, 1st Test, Hyderabad Day 4: What a staggering day of Test cricket. For England to turn around a 190-run first innings deficit, practically everything had to go right for them and, what do you know... it did. The visitors go 1-0 up in stunning circumstances; Ollie Pope and debutant Tom Hartley are the heroes. Cam Ponsonby saw it all at the ground at Hyderabad and he's with Adam Coll...

Australia v West Indies, Brisbane Day 4: One of the most remarkable days of Test cricket seen in Brisbane, and one of the most remarkable bowling performances ever from Shamar Joseph. A busted foot and a lot of pain didn't stop him from creating one of the classics with the ball, while Steve Smith did something similar with the bat, leading to an all-time finish. With Bharat Sundaresan and Geoff L...

India v England, Hyderabad Day 3: At the close of play on day two, it looked like only one team could win this First Test - India, of course. 24 hours on, it's a very different story, overwhelmingly thanks to England's number three, Ollie Pope, who has made 148 of the most interesting runs you could ever wish to see. Cam Ponsonby witnessed the England comeback at the ground in Hyderabad, he's with...

Australia v West Indies, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 3: This West Indies line-up just won't quit. Hanging in there for long enough to set Australia 216 for victory, the visitors have picked up a couple of wickets before the close with this Test nicely in balance heading into the fourth day. At the ground in Brisbane, Bharat Sundaresan and Adam White are with you. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at ...

India v England, Hyderabad Day 2: It's taken India just two days to show the gap between the teams when playing on their home soil, cruising to a handsome first-innings lead. Tomorrow morning, it will be all about whether Ravindra Jadeja can advance to another Test ton before the home spinners put their bowling boots on when good and ready. Adam Collins is joined by Cam Ponsonby at the ground in H...

Australia v West Indies, Brisbane Day 2: What a day of Test cricket! If only those bails fell off... well, let's not get too deep into alternative histories. What's certain is that the Windies have given themselves a genuine chance of victory after claiming a first-innings lead, thanks mostly to the work of their opening quicks Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph. For the first time, it's Bharat Sundar...

India v England, Hyderabad Day 1: A day as busy as you expect from two teams determined to make a mark to begin the series right from the outset. England’s attack got them to a vaguely credible position with the bat but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s contribution was more telling, pushing the hosts into a very handy position by the close. Cam Ponsonby is at the ground in Hyderabad, joining Adam Collins. Suppo...

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 1: How the tables turned! Then turned again. For a session there, it was business as usual, with Australian quicks knocking over the West Indies top order. But then Kavem Hodge and Joshua da Silva worked something special, and Kevin Sinclair might be something special. A very fun day and night of pink-ball cricket. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreo...

India v England, Hyderabad Day 0: Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley are not Ashwin and Jadeja - let there be no doubt. But on the belief that the Hyderabad pitch is going to rag from morning one, the visitors are putting all their faith in an inexperienced spin trio that will rely heavily on the bespectacled bloke from Somerset. As for the hosts, they so rarely lose at home with a tried-and-...

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 0: Time for a pink-ball shake-up. Bharat Sundaresan has been prowling around training and press conferences as always, and has the latest from Brisvegas: swing, storms, quarantines and selections. Meanwhile, there was also a whole lot of breaking news between when we recorded the weekly show and now. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalw...

Season 15, Episode 21: Lloyd Pope ripped up the Big Bash this week, but he hasn't been talking to the cops. He wouldn't do that. Usman Khawaja's jaw is ok. There has been a soup of T20 interntional cricket, in which Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka (once) and Pakistan beat New Zealand (even more once), while India needed three attempts to beat Afghanistan (once). Zimbabwe's women had a rare tie with Irelan...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This show comes to you LIVE from the Arkaba Hotel in Adelaide, the evening after the West Indies Test, with a room full of people who were split about 50/50 in terms of being there for the show or being confused by the show. Was Gubby Allen a prick? Can you combine erotic dancing with batting? What is the m...

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 3: It didn't take long, but it took longer than it might have. Josh Hazlewood rounded out a five-wicket haul, Shamar Joseph had time for a few more shots, and the West Indies tail generally contributed more than most of the upper order. Smith had to bat again and went ok, but Usman Khawaja might be in concussion trouble with a nasty hit to the jaw. Support the...

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 2: The best couple of hours of bowling from a touring West Indies team in... how long? That was how the day started. But when things get difficult, Travis Head somehow has a way of doing something special. And when he gets on a roll, Josh Hazlewood can be as destructive as any bowler in history. And even amongst all this, somehow Shamar Joseph was again the be...

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 1: A day for debuts, in mostly sunshine at Adelaide Oval. Australia bowled and largely flexed the ability of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but there is something about this summer and last-wicket partnerships. Shamar Joseph had a brilliant debut at 11 with the bat, then turned that into an equally good start with the ball. Tune in to hear about one of the mo...

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 0: Another day, another brief Test series. But the touring West Indies had a good hit-out against the mighty CAXI, and plenty of interesting players who will turn out in Adelaide. Bharat Sundaresan has been watching them closely, as well as being tour guide and shopping assistant to some of them, and in a world first, he is also appearing on this episode weari...

Season 15, Episode 20: When a chopper lands in the middle of the cricket ground, it is only ever a good sign. Right? That was David Warner's arrival to the Big Bash this week, while Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh made their exits. The touring West Indies did well in their Adelaide warm-up match, Steve Smith is confirmed as Test opener, bails continue to not fall off, the Australian women finish a dom...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we explore the centuries between Gunter and Gunther, diverging from the New York of The Nanny to the New York of Friends. Or was it the same all along? Yes, this is about cricket. Also, the brothers who were not the twins, an unlikely Ranji Trophy head-to-head, a grand Jewish batting career, a re...