The Final Word Cricket Podcast

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today, back to The Avenue nightclub in Perth, source of such good times. A flick through cricket magazines from before the First World War, some DOB material from Adam, than a contest as to which Test player had the shortest cricket career. JJ Ferris gets amongst it before Aftab Baloch does the same, in a r...

Season 11, Ep 4: Four wickets in four balls. The talking point of the cricket week, after Curtis Campher did it for Ireland. Scotland also had a win after a huge comeback, so we got Matt Roller from Cricinfo to make his Final Word debut, telling us all about the early T20 World Cup quallies, warm-ups, and the IPL final. Also on the show this week: Brazil's women start their next campaign, the Mr S...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today, it's all about the city of Bruce Springsteen's song and Ben Simmons' nightmares: Philadelphia. Also, get set for the Triple Century Knob Index, and the start of our mission to learn more about Australian pioneer Una Paisley. If you know Val Slater, get in touch! Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 6.26 - J...

Season 11, Ep 3: We have a guest co-host! And it's IPL finals time. In that three of the finals have already happened, and the playoff for the title takes place 24 hours after this show goes live. A great time to talk to CricViz maestro Ben Jones, who examines a ream of analytical data on every ball of the tournament. And with Adam on holiday, Ben sticks around for a spot of Nerd Pledge, a look at...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Let's learn about a whole lot of running without a lot of smiting, by the last person you would expect it from. How many international caps did Morne Morkel win WITHOUT playing for South Africa? Krejza goes Krazy, Gilchrist goes crazy, and there's a triple-header with a whole lot of permutations. But one qu...

Season 11, Ep 2: It's all we keep hearing about - will the Ashes happen? Spoiler alert: yes. We already have early season sightings of trademarked Ashes Bantz, dragging themselves from hibernation and buzzing obnoxiously into view. What are some better things to talk about? India's women bossed their Test match against Australia but ran out of time to press for a win. Sound familiar? Five days ple...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today, an early theme emerges with the West Indies and Ireland, leading us to a true scorecard mystery from just a few years ago. Then a pledger becomes a subject before Julios are feted - likewise an underappreciated hero of 2005. Some stunning stats, as always, as we hit the revisits: the most runs off an...

Season 11, Ep 1: It's the start of Season 11! And to kick it off, a huge omnibus show after a busy week in the game. We saw two all-time classics in the Australia-India women's one-dayers, one extending the Aussie streak to 26, the next ending it at last. Our view of England's abandonment of touring Pakistan with no evident security concerns. HCL Technologies return to inspire. Moeen Ali retires f...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: another Daniel Norcross visit, as we find out the things of which he was a keen observer. Live free or die. Also, a beautiful failure who is getting better bit by bit, a Nerd-Julio hybrid double header, another visit to the Shit List, and tangential Jack Fingleton. Don't forget bloody Benaud taking a...

Season 10, Ep 22: She wowed the world last week with her four run-outs of the non-striker while bowling for Cameroon. Now she's chatting with The Final Word: a little bit shy, and just home from school. Maeva Douma is joined by her national vice-captain, Cynerah Dibande, to translate from French. Also this week: New Zealand cancels a men's tour of Pakistan at the 11th hour, and (in real time as we...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: Adam is back properly, so we get stuck into the revisits that have been piling up during some otherwise busy weeks. Bags of ten wickets, bags of dodgy cash, and bags with Alex Hales - we've got the whole gamut covered. Then doubling back over pears, plums, and The New Pringle. Plenty of fun in an ext...

Season 10, Ep 21: Australia has cancelled on Afghanistan - not formally but in effect - to protest the Taliban's destructive attitudes to women. But identifying the right thing to do is difficult, given that choice also means abandoning Afghanistan's people to extremist rulers. Rather than advocating for one option, we try to look at different aspects to the problem in the hope of understanding it...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: what could be better than Shane Warne describing Shane Warne? You're in for a treat. Also, Norcross is back for another appearance, and going rogue with possible solutions once again. We remember one of South Africa's least enjoyable days, look at the biggest near-misses you can hope to find, locate...

Season 10, Ep 20: This week, Guardian writer Emma John joins the show to talk about her recent article drawing together interviews with many of the England team's Black cricketers. This came out alongside the outstanding documentary on Sky presented by Mark Butcher, titled You Guys Are History. Before that, India's second Test win on their tour of England wrapped up at The Oval, and our mate Sachi...

Season 10, Ep 19: Happy Birthday Sachin is back in a big way, in a temporarily upside-down episode. There's a 7 in the morning now? The Australian summer is upside down, with the women's series against India suddenly moved to the Sunshine State. Plus all the wash-up from the Headingley Test, a farewell to Lord Ted Dexter, and England's domestic summer winds on. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 0...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: when Adam met some gentlemen in the Caribbean who were working to uphold the reputation of Australians overseas, one Orchy bottle at a time. There's a detour from there up to Canada, and to see which number ended up as so many women's career best. When was the most Durham team that ever Durhamed? And...

Season 10, Ep 18: It's far from the most important question facing the country. But given that Afghanistan's cricket team has been a consistent good-news story for the last couple of decades, those who follow the game worry about what will become of it with the Taliban back in power. Shadi Khan Saif is a journalist who has covered Afghanistan politics for years, and who escaped from Kabul the nigh...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: Daniel Norcross once more plays the role of Adam Collins with panache and aplomb. Sounds delicious. And we have a huge amount of fun with a particularly dastardly number, a creative solution, a look at the world's biggest roundabouts, the best ducks, the most running, and a Trinidad legend of 1928. J...

Season 10, Ep 17: Daniel Norcross joins the show this week, as Adam - for the first time in Final Word history - has a holiday. That allows Geoff and Dan to luxuriate in recalling the glorious last day of the England-India Test at Lord's, as well as the last-wicket win that West Indies somehow produced against Pakistan. You'll also learn just how passionate that night became between Daniel and for...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: someone who managed one sixtieth of a Test career, and someone who managed an average that no one else has matched. The lows into highs of a player we've loved to recall. And a magical mystery tour through some of the most wild selector logic. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 5.88 - Jeremy Bourke 2.07 -...

Season 10, Ep 16: No surprise that the work of Roy & HG has informed the comic sensibility of the Final Word. The voice behind Rampaging Roy Slaven joins the show, in a roundabout way, having spoken to Geoff for a Guardian interview that we thought TFW listeners would like to hear in full. Also this week: the ICC confirms it will try to get cricket into the 2028 LA Olympics, and onwards. A huge sh...

After all the waiting, Day 4 was a classic. Early strikes from India, dogged resistance from England, that blossomed into one of Joe Root’s best tons. Every time it looked like England might pull away, India pegged them back. So the wrestle went, as England’s lead built. On the brink of Day 5, anything could yet happen. You can support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword Check out previous shows...

This is The Final Word Daily from the England-India Test series of 2021. Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon sum up the action, name Player of the Day, and rank entries for our own Hall of Fame. Another action-filled day despite delays. KL Rahul batted on within sight of a century, in one of his most important Test innings. At the other end, there was plenty of nitro-fuelled fun from Pant, Jadeja, and an...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: a faster episode because we're in the middle of a Test match, but that still leaves time for a Dusty Old Bastard influx. Who did some things first? What's the deal with Tasmania? Have we found another obscure record? And what did Neville Cardus have to say about it? All this and more, on Story Time....

The Final Word Daily for the England-India Tests of 2021. With play limited play by rain, there was still time for the Test to twist and turn. Jimmy Anderson is as young as ever, Ajinkya Rahane has bought a new car, and KL Rahul now has to be Mr Reliable. You can support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword Check out previous shows at finalwordcricket.com Get 20% off kit at WoodstockCricket.co.uk...