The Top Order Cricket Podcast

This week on the show, we look back at a host of topsy-turvy results at the IPL and the Black Caps tour to Pakistan, which finished with a New Zealand victory in the final ODI. For all our jokes about the IPL, the 2023 edition is delivering incredible finish after incredible finish. The only constant is drama - and the Gujarat Titans winning - with all 10 teams still in the hunt for a top 4 spot....

This week on the show we look back at another busy week at IPL 2023, the white-ball series between the Black Caps and Pakistan, and discuss reports that The Hundred might be coming to an end in the not-so-distant future. Right when we thought the IPL playoff picture was becoming clearer, Punjab beat CSK in a thriller and the Mumbai Indians came from the clouds to beat Rajasthan thanks to Tim David...

This week on the show, we take a pause from our regular format to answer listener questions framed around the 2023 edition of the IPL. What's going on with KL Rahul? Why do the Sunrisers Hyderabad suck? Will Sam Curran be England's next T20 captain? Would India A win the World Cup? Is Arshdeep Singh the best death bowler of all time? Can CSK continue their excellent run? Will Ajinkya Rahane Bazbal...

In this episode of the show, we start by discussing an action-packed week at the IPL, in which the Rajasthan Royals made their way to the top of the ladder while David Warner's Delhi Capitals remain winless after five games. There's been runs for Devon Conway, Faf du Plessis, Harry Brook and Shimron Hetmeyer, wickets for Rashid Khan, Mark Wood and Yuzvendra Chahal, plus signs of life for the star-...

In a brief departure from our This Week in Cricket episodes, Stu is joined by Abdullah Haider from wicketsandruns.net and the Pakistan Cricket Pod to discuss the Black Caps' upcoming white-ball tour to Pakistan. We talk about the Pakistan Cricket coaching staff merry-go-round, Babar Azam's captaincy, who has the best chance to break into the Black Caps' ODI World Cup squad following the injury to...

On this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at an action-packed week at the IPL, which saw plenty of runs, some very fast bowling and, unfortunately, too many injuries. We also discuss the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series, the conclusion of the Plunket Shield and New Zealand's upcoming tour to Pakistan. The IPL has started with a bang - Virat Kohli sixes, Mark Wood rockets, Jos Buttl...

It's that time of year again - the Indian Premier League is set to begin at 3am New Zealand time on 1 April and fill the cricket calendar for the following two months. We cast our eyes over all the squads and make our tournament predictions in this jam-packed episode. We start the show with a shout out to the Mumbai Indians for winning the WPL - Nat Sciver-Brunt starred in the final, alongside Hay...

The Top Order team are all back together under the bright studio lights this week as we look back at the Black Caps' convincing win against Sri Lanka, which wrapped up a 2-0 series victory. Kane Williamson's magnificence was to the fore once again as he delivered his sixth Test double century, passing 8000 Test runs during yet another milestone performance. Henry Nicholls got in on the act as well...

This New Zealand home summer continues to deliver incredible moments, and in this episode of the show Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the Black Caps' final-ball victory against Sri Lanka, plus review the Border-Gavaskar series. Just when we thought we'd seen one of the best Test finishes of all-time, Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner combined to deliver more late drama as the Black Caps (just) go...

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at Australia's win against India in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, look ahead to the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series and reflect on the first few days of the WPL. Pitches are in the spotlight again in India, but has all the pitch talk overshadowed the excellent performances of Nathan Lyon, Cheteshwar Pujara and Travis Head? The Bla...

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu reflect on an incredible Test match between England and New Zealand, which saw the Black Caps win by a single run. We discuss the key moments and players, including Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Ben Foakes, Tom Blundell and, of course, Neil Wagner. The panel also looks ahead to NZ's next assignment, against Sri Lanka, in a week's time. We finish the...

On this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy and Binksy look back at the Test matches between New Zealand and England, and India and Australia. Fresh off a trip to the Bay Oval, the panel discusses an England side that continued their winning ways against a Black Caps team struggling to put a complete performance together in the Test arena. We talk about the viability of pink-ball Tests, there's more p...

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the third day of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval. We talk marmalade, world records, Ben Foakes, short-pitched bowling, England's dominance and more Night Hawkery as the Test looks likely to come to a conclusion on day four. We'll be back again around the same time tomorrow to review day three, but please take th...

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the second day of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval. We talk Tom Blundell's superb hundred, English bowling plans and the Nighthawk as NZ edged their way back into this Test as we approach day 3. We'll be back again around the same time tomorrow to review day three, but please take the time to give us a like, foll...

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the first day of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval. We talk NZ's seam attack, Harry Brook's genius and Jimmy Anderson's class as England ended the day firmly on top. We'll be back again around the same time tomorrow to review day two, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all ou...

On this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look ahead to the upcoming Test series between the Black Caps and England. We start with squads and selection: NZ's spin options The return of Kyle Jamieson An important series for Neil Wagner Henry Nicholls v Will Young England's many options with bat and ball Then we discuss tactics to consider how the Black Caps will approach BazBall in home co...

In this episode of the show, we look ahead to preview the upcoming Test series between India and Australia. We talk home records, legacies and the wider significance of the series for teams, players and world cricket, before diving into more specific questions. What will Australia's bowling lineup look like? Are their batters, outside of Steve Smith, equipped to deal with India's quality lineup of...

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we look back at the Black Caps' white-ball tour to India and the England v South Africa ODIs, plus news in the build up to the Women's T20 World Cup and debate recent comments by Ian Smith about New Zealand's Super Smash. There's also a short chat with Jim Morrison from New Zealand over-40s and 50s cricket, with details about upcoming games and how you can...

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 7 to 5 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). Now that we're at the business end of the list, we couldn't resist throwing a few extra minutes on the clock to discuss these legends of the game. Baldy reveals the algorithm's best allrounder, Binksy an...

In this episode of the show, the boys look back at an entertaining ODI series between the Black Caps and Pakistan, as well as some news and notes from the New Zealand domestic circuit. There are questions about Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell and Finn Allen, as well as discussion around some of the newer members of the white-ball squads for the upcoming series against India. As we return closer...

It's a new year, but regular transmission resumes at Top Order Towers. Raj, Baldy, Binksy and Lippy are together in the same room to review the Test series in Pakistan and Australia, plus highlight a few players from the BBL and Super Smash. We start the show by discussing the drawn series between the Black Caps and Pakistan. Is traditional Test cricket still fun to watch? Did New Zealand get thei...

We’ve only gone and released an impromptu Cricketmas wrap up of England and Pakistan's epic 3-0 series and misquoted Christmas lyrics in an all-time low for TTOP! (You can tell our usual wordsmith didn't write the show notes for this one...) Bazball/Stokesball continues apace and we at TTOP can barely keep up. Binksy and Baldy have done their best to keep abreast of all the goings on in Pakistan a...

In this episode of the show, Stu is joined by Abdullah Haider from the Pakistan Cricket Podcast to preview the upcoming series between the Black Caps and Pakistan. The first half of the show focuses on the Pakistan squad, as Abdullah answers questions about injuries to the seamers, shines the spotlight on Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel, before explaining why Pakistan should feel confident despite th...

In this episode of the show, we continue our tour around the New Zealand provinces as Stu catches up with Canterbury Cricket wicketkeeper/batter Cam Fletcher. The show starts with some BazBall chat, before looking back at an impressive 12 months for Cam, which saw him called into the Black Caps Test squad in addition to a tour to India with NZ A. Cam talks about his experiences in the internationa...

In this episode, the Top Order discuss another English Test victory against Pakistan, speculate about the Black Caps squad (recorded before the official announcement) and try to bring some perspective to Australia's sweep of the West Indies. How sustainable is England's attacking approach to the traditional game? What lessons should New Zealand be learning from England's success? Where have Pakist...