The Final Word Cricket Podcast

Season 12, Ep 7: Another sad week for Australian cricket with the loss of Andrew Symonds, so we dialled in Queensland's own Robert Craddock, who watched that career from when Andrew was a brilliant youngster. Also this week, England name two new coaches for their men's teams, CEO Tom Harrison belatedly sees the door, and we speak with a 40-year-old cricketer on international debut, Gabor Torok. Yo...

We're ready for Story Time but logistics got the better of us - back with cricket history next weekend. Instead, before Adam leaves Dubai, we thought it would be worth getting Associate Professor Deirdre McGhee to discuss her important work with Breast Research Australia, which she has been bolstering at the FairBreak Invitational. You can learn more about the project at https://www.uow.edu.au/sci...

Season 12, Ep 6: Adam is roaming the Fairbreak International, bringing friends new and old onto the show: Brazil captain Roberta Moretti with her wicket-taker Laura Cardoso, Hong Kong player Mariko Hill, and Malaysian captain Winifred Duraisingam, who are all having a fine time. On the darker side of the cricket coin, England authorities are clearly keen to pick Joe Clarke this year, despite his c...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This time, tales of thwarted ambition, tales of brief moments in the sun, and tales of lengthy honeymoons with just a smidgen of cricket thrown in. Plus we go around at some crunchy revisits and sort them out right smart. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 6.53 - Daniel Maloney 5.86 - Al Saunders & Graham...

Season 12, Ep 5: Some books come along that command our attention, like when friend of the show Will Macpherson helped former cricketer Patrick Foster write his tale. It's a story of 2 million pounds lost to betting in 10 years, in a compulsion that overtook Patrick's life and the lives of those around him. Also this week, Australia's squads for Sri Lanka, Ben Stokes formalised as England captain,...

It's Story Time, our skip through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This weekend, the second part of our high-speed revisit round where we happen upon the tale of a man who was there with Bradman and co in 1948 but never on the main stage, before landing back on players like Boonie and Keppler Wessels who lived their careers in the limelight. Between times, we swing through Florid...

Season 12, Ep 4: After 14 years wearing the national uniform, England's swing magician has decided to call it a day. Anya Shrubsole will be remembered for plenty of highlights, but is also the kind of person who is upfront about the low points as well. She joins The Final Word to look back on playing through an era of unprecedented change in the women's game. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 1.3...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, it's time to get dirty. The question is, with the pedal to the floor, just how many revisits can we charge through in a single show? The answer is... lots. Get ready for a different tempo Final Word. Your Nerd Pledge revisits this week: 5.12 - Paul Reeve 4.07 - Six Again 20.15 - Ramaswamy 2.19 -...

Season 12, Ep 3: As is now tradition, here's our annual conversation with Lawrence Booth alongside the release of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack for 2022. As ever, it's a thoughtful, sharp and vital read: on the topics that matter most, the good book doesn't miss. But of course, there's still ample room for fun, nostalgia and the rest.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previ...

Season 12, Ep 2: Geoff and Adam reunite after a big news week. Joe Root quit England's captaincy, Anya Shrubsole quit England's team, Andrew McDonald got his inevitable promotion, and Rob Key got a rather more surprising one. Some truly bonkers stuff happened in county cricket, and Nerd Pledge features Lou Bega. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 3.45 – Harry Tognetti Send us a Nerd Pledge at patr...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Joining Geoff for your long trips on your Easter weekend, Bharat Sundaresan is back on the show before his own long drive from Adelaide to Sydney, detouring via the birthplace of Justin Langer's favourite Australian, Albert Jacka. But on this episode we spend most of our time on the Teardrop Isle, in betwee...

Season 12, Ep 1: Another season premiere! We go around for the twelfth time - can't and won't stop. With Geoff away (he's back next week), Daniel Norcross will play. And what better time for it with county cricket back? We go long on that, as we do the latest on the Jimmy and Stuart saga, before doing a lap of the planet. Then later, Adam talks to Justin Smith about his lovely cricketing novel, Co...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Daniel Norcross is back but in the chair for Geoff this time. And both he and Adam end up landing on a similar topic: inappropriate post-war county captains and how they found themselves in the job. Specifically, a man named Mandy - it's worth sticking around for the end of the show, this tale is...

Season 11, Ep 23: With Geoff taking a break to chill out after the Pakistan trip, Daniel Norcross is back in the chair alongside Adam, recording in London as a new English season prepares to bloom. For this, they are joined by Essex recruit Matt Critchley, who we are tipping will take the nation by storm over the coming months. But before coming to what’s ahead of us, there’s the little matter of...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Daniel Norcross hops in to give Adam some recovery time, and perhaps not coincidentally the show is all about leg-spinners and long-distant Caribbean cricket. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 3.47 - Paul Harmer 2.70 - Daniel O'Connell 11.33 - Philippa Clark 4.80 - Dave Brown 3.44 - Cameron M 5...

Season 11, Ep 22: We're back from Pakistan. Adam decidedly worse for wear after his car crash, but he'll still prop up on some cushions and record an ep of The Final Word. Can't stop, won't stop. The women's World Cup finals are imminent, so we look ahead to those contests. Also moves are afoot for women's T20 comps in Pakistan and India, while the England men's Test team get thumped once again, t...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, it's our last night in Pakistan, so there's a very special configuration: with Adam already on the way to the airport and Geoff a few hours away from doing the same, Bharat Sundaresan joins TFW as a guest host for the first time. Safe to say that this episode gets extremely Bharat. Your Nerd Pled...

Australia won the 3rd test against Pakistan, claiming the series 1-0.  The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other episodes at finalwordcricket.com Support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefina...

Usman Khawaja performed on the big stage yet again, knocking a superb unbeaten century as Australia take control in the 3rd test in Lahore.  The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other episodes at finalwordcricket.com Support the show at...

Australia put on a fine performance on day 3, bowling out Pakistan for 268. The visitors avoided losing a wicket in the evening session, ending the day 11/0. The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sup...

Pakistan bowled out Australia for 391, and the hosts ended day two 90/1 in Lahore. The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other episodes at finalwordcricket.com Support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword Support the show: https://patreon...

Usman Khawaja just missed out on another century in Pakistan, hitting 91 runs. The hosts claimed 3 wickets in the evening session, leaving Australia 232/5 on day one in Lahore. The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other episodes at final...

Season 11, Ep 21: Coming live from the lush city of Lahore, it's another Final Word. The Karachi epic done with and there is one Pakistan-Australia Test to come. We talk about the experience of this tour, the Women's World Cup, and what West Indies and Sri Lanka have been up to against England and India. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 4.31 - Graeme Innes Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/th...

Babar Azam produced a career-best 196 under pressure as Pakistan snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat in the second Test against Australia. The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other episodes at finalwordcricket.com Support the show a...

Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique stitched together an important partnership for Pakistan as they took the score to 192/2 at Stumps on Day 4, 314 runs needed for Pakistan to win on the final Day. The Final Word will be at every day of Test cricket in this series, with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon at stumps doing The 30 Second Summary, The Hall of Fame, and covering all of the action. Find our other...