The Grade Cricketer

The odour of fear hummed high out of Lords overnight, as England succumbed timidly to Australia on a green seamer. Fear governs all. Are England gone? Why are they gone? What is wrong? What has happened? Joining us to survey the carnage is Chief Sports Writer at The Guardian, Barney Ronay. We then announce a raft of excellent guests for our live shows in Australia and the UK, before finishing with...

Mohammed Shami takes a hat-trick in the final over vs Afghanistan but does it count? New Zealand remain undefeated in the tournament after a thrilling finish to their game against the West Indies and Carlos Brathwaite is the biggest human alive. Lasith Malinga beats England despite not having done a pre-season fitness Test since the reign for Arjuna Ranatunga. Mark Butcher joins the show from the...

Dave Warner hits 166 balls, so what's the issue? Bangladesh score their highest ever ODI score, yet still fall short of Australia's massive first innings score. Adam Collins joins the show from a Tesco in Nottinghamshire where he tells of just how poorly Bangladesh have been treated by CA over the years, why this Australian team is full of blokes with great salad and what to do during the now inev...

Kane Williamson takes NZ back to the top of the World Cup table after beating Faf du Plessis' rig and South Africa. Eoin Morgan hits more sixes than you ever have in your entire life, as Rashid Khan goes for nearly as many runs as Mick Lewis did that time in South Africa. Shikhar Darwan is out of the World Cup as Rishant Pant joins the Indian Squad. Steve Smith is shadow batting at 7am, Rwanda dis...

Australia go atop of the World Cup leaderboard after a win against Sri Lanka. Aaron Finch scores 153 but Sri Lanka don't have a swimming pool at their hotel. We talk (loosely) about India v Pakistan, Kashmir and viewership records. Vithushan Ehantharajah joins from the UK to talk about the Premier League, England TV rights and how Mitrch Starc is underrated. Ryan Harris is on the phone to talk Cro...

England easily beat the West Indies after Joe Root's second World Cup hundred in the tournament while England just start giving blokes a hit. Rain threatens to end the tournament, Michael Holding is told to lie about the ICC's umpiring panel and their abilities. #AskTGC delves into misfields, wife swapping, urinating on people in the showers and dad's morality. EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: htt...

Reading into Australia’s latest win via Warner, Finch, Cummins, and the support staff. Mel Farrell joins to talk pubs, rain, rival telecommunications companies and India, and AskTGC veers toward aggression. EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India dusts Australia with ease, Collo muses over Warner’s post-Sandpaper persona, Ireland and World Cup hero Niall O’Brien discusses playing grade cricket with Shoaib Akhtar and against Richard Chee Quee, and #AskTGC   EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia v West Indies, great catches and even better sunglasses. Nathan Coulter-Nile answers the eternal question of what he is. South Africa say 'thanks, but no thanks' to AB de Villiers as South Africa's tournament looks all but over. India and Rohit Sharma come to the party. Are we sleeping on New Zealand or Bangladesh? Adam Collins joins from Trent Bridge, #AskTGC. EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY...

England had the loss they needed, Bangladesh need to play Tests in Australia and Sri Lanka v Afghanistan was "fourth grade". We catch up with Vithushan Ehantharaja from Cricbuzz to discuss fielding metrics and appropriated football songs, before #AskTGC unpredictably covers father issues and toxic masculinity. EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/l...

Australia and Afghanistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan. Stumplosions, beards, booing and everyone is bouncing everyone. We speak to Ali Martin from The Guardian and Shaun Tait joins the show to speak about bowling really, really fast all before we answer some questions about parental advice, moustaches, the worst ever debut and scoring hundreds in a losing side. EXTRA HOUR...

In the first of our World Cup supplementary casts: England do it easily; Stokes tactical training pays off; King Joffra; the Southgate influence; Prince Harry sledging; The Standard's Will Macpherson joins from The Dog House pub at The Oval; #AskTGC EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We make a huge UK announcement; talk booing, hypocrisy and Empire; catch up with Izzy Westbury to walk through the Royal Commission, What’s App Groups and state-sponsored sledging; chat about circuits and The Espy with the future of Australian Cricket, Will Pucovski; then take your questions with #AskTGC EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listene...

We talk kits, comebacks, volunteers, Gallipoli, skinfolds, and England winning. Dan Brettig joins; so does Ed Cowan. #AskTGC closes, and contains the usual hybrid of Dad issues & thinly-veiled self-promotion. It's great to be back.   EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"There was lots of talk of gas and trucks," said Cameron White, who earlier unleashed a Nutrigrain-worthy roar after overseeing the Stars' capitulation in BBL 08. Rob Quiney also joined to provide the Stars perspective, and before that we caught up with Dan Brettig, author of Bradman and Packer - the two greatest silverbacks in Australian cricket lore. There's a season review in there too. Thanks...

Fresh from the Australian Cricket Awards, our voices are in a deeper register (result) as we gather wearily to discuss the red (black) carpet, and to take your many and varied questions.   EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia dismantled Sri Lanka and all problems are now solved, England capitulated to the West Indies and it means nothing, we catch up with Ben Jones - The Wiz from CricViz (our words), before chatting with Glenn Maxwell about matters of national interest. In our view, #AskTGC is worth a listen too.   As we near season's end, a big thanks to Toby Shain for mixing our show. He is the voice behind...

Australia rediscovers that sweet opiate of winning, The Heat claim the WBBL, why the BBL feels bad, England out for 77, deferring to the cult of Lloyd Pope, and your #AskTGC questions EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discussing the ODI results we've already forgotten, Australia's deep, deep needs against Sri Lanka, Kurtis Patterson's warranted inclusion, the WBBL semi's - also known as the best cricketing moments of the summer, the BBL trudging on, Australia's next wunderkind Jason Sangha, and Adam Zampa, who combines with us to cover grade cricket, veganism, and rare unit spinners. As ever, your (and our) Fat...

The public square was baying for new selection blood, and we (sort of) received it. We talk wunderkinds, the ODIs, Maxwell and the BBL before chatting with Ben Horne, who actually knows what's going on. We then catch up with leading BBL wicket-taker Steve O'Keefe, who also has a vast array of property. The AskTGC questions are long but satisfying. EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.c...

India claim history, Australia claim unwanted records. We gleefully wade into the ocean of takes on Australian cricket this week, before chatting with Mel McLaughlin who lifts the lid on Seven v Fox (note: they’re friends) and stokes Fleming and Hodge’s desired rivalry with us. We then catch up with Moises Henriques in a wide-ranging chat, taking in his unrivalled prodigal status, his national amb...

Once again, the sky is falling in on Australian cricket. But what does it all mean? Jim Maxwell is on the line to unfairly compare the worst Australian Test teams in his 300 Tests calling the game and Peter Lalor gives us his case for the increasingly bizarre selection policy currently happening. EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The Curse of Faf's Towel is lifted as Australia square the ledger 1-1. We talk verbals and the Netflix generation, nod to Perth in all its alpha glory, catch up with Geoff Lemon and his new book Steve Smith's Men, and speak with 22 year old veteran Matt Renshaw, who talks us through his efforts to return to the national set-up, life under JL, and THAT innings for Toombul DCC. #AskTGC closes matter...

It's great to talk about actual cricket. India knocked over Australia with clinical precision, we pay homage to their bowling quartet, we wonder whether Australia needs long-term investment or off-the-shelf products, we look at the WBBL with Brittany Carter, and catch up with NZ debutant, Asian series winning off spinner and evidently most lovely guy of all time, Will Somerville. AskTGC closes it...

After a lead-up as wild as Matt Renshaw's Toombul wagonwheel, Test Cricket is finally upon us. We talk selection intrigue, net session kit, Virat (of course), and the WBBL, before Gerard Whateley jumps on the line to debrief us on THAT missive from Pup. We're then joined by the world beating Alyssa Healy, who runs us through women's grade cricket tropes, carrying the weight of the nation, keeping,...