The Top Order Cricket Podcast

It's back to lockdown here in New Zealand, but Raj returns as we gather on Zoom to review the cricketing week that was and the second Test between England and India. We start the show with another thrilling Test match, as Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales get the West Indies home against Pakistan. There's New Zealand news, with Shane Bond joining the Black Caps coaching staff for the T20 World Cup, an...

We're a man down on this episode, with Raj unavailable, but we soldier on to review the cricketing week that was. We start with a solo performance by Stu, as the Black Caps squads and New Zealand Cricket's plans for the rest of the year were announced on Tuesday morning - the day after our initial recording. He runs through the team lists and a few initial thoughts, particularly about the T20 Worl...

The doors to the Hall of Fame are open once more and players 95 to 91 enter The Club. It's a group of five that could send you down a YouTube rabbit hole for days - there's two of India's greatest leaders, a scary and skilful West Indian speedster, an English wicketkeeper who reminded Raj of his younger days and brought a smile to Binksy's face, plus another classy batter who always went to anothe...

The doors to the Hall of Fame are finally open, and in this episode Baldy walks three Englishmen, a West Indian and an Aussie past Nathan Lyon, Mark Waugh and Shakib al Hasan - our benchmark players who remain stuck in the foyer. We put six minutes on the clock as Baldy makes the case for each inductee, then talk longevity vs peak performance, wicketkeeping, legacies and whether it matters or not...

This week on the show we talk about the start of The Hundred, try to figure out what's real and what's not from the West Indies v Australia matches and look ahead to an intriguing Test series between England and India. We start by discussing The Hundred as Lippy attempts to understand why the competition appears to be so divisive, realise that cricket is still cricket and cricket is fun to watch,...

It's here! We've been teasing this for a while, and Baldy's been putting in hours and hours of work behind the scenes to get us ready to begin. Now here it is: the Top Order Podcast Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In this episode, Baldy sets the parameters for discussion: What makes a great player? What are the criteria for selection? Stats or the eye test? Longevity or peak performance? Does win...

After a hat-trick of quality guests, normal service resumes as we discuss recent events across the cricketing world. We talk about the raft of Black Caps performing on the English county circuit, including Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne, and the prospect of huge competition for spots as New Zealand builds towards the T20 World Cup. Baldy really enjoys it as he's questio...

In this episode we speak with one of the best in the business. Jarrod Kimber has written for Wisden, Cricinfo and many many more cricket sites and publications around the world. He’s authored books, worked as a commentator, an analyst and made an award-winning film (Death of a Gentleman). We've been admirers of his work for a while and were particularly taken with all the New Zealand content he's...

Tim Southee, Blackcaps seamer and recent member of New Zealand's elite 300 Test wicket club, joins the show to re-live the glory of the World Test Championship Final and the tour to England. We talk celebrations, the mace's journey home, what it means to win an ICC tournament after coming so close in 2015 and 2019, and the growth of this Blackcaps side during Tim's impressive career. Tim insightfu...

Iain O'Brien's career is one that has taken many turns along the way. From forcing his way into the New Zealand side, to being dropped after two games, and then battling back to become a fixture in the lineup before retiring for family reasons when he was arguably at the top of his game. In this candid chat, Iain shares his excitement about the return to Cricket Wellington in a coaching role and h...

You beauty! Absolute scenes at Top Order HQ as New Zealand defeats India to become the inaugural winners of the World Test Championship. Is this New Zealand Cricket's greatest moment? Is this the best Black Caps team ever? Is Kyle Jamieson the best bowler of all-time? Or is that actually Neil Wagner? What were India doing in their second innings? And how nervous were we as NZ edged towards the fin...

With the World Test Championship Final on the horizon this week, it's a feature-length episode as we break down New Zealand's historic Test series win against England and look forward to the big dance. We start the show with South Africa's crushing victory over the West Indies and Shakib al Hasan's tantrum, but it isn't long before Raj and Lippy are praising the Black Caps and celebrating NZ's fir...

Test match cricket is back and we break down all the highlights and lowlights from the Black Caps v England Test at Lord's. Devon Conway's incredible debut Tim Southee's 6-for Ross Taylor's form A hundred from Rory Burns Ollie Robinson's debut - on and off the field Should England have tried to chase down NZ's target on the final day? Changes for the second Test? And before that, we quickly cover...

In this episode of the show, Lippy and Baldy chat with former Black Caps captain Ken Rutherford. From struggling in his international debut against one of the all-time great West Indian Test sides, through to captaining New Zealand, Ken Rutherford had a fascinating international career. We talk about that tough debut in 1984-85, scoring 300 in two sessions on a tour to England and the highs and lo...

We've been busy recording interviews over the past couple of weeks, but we couldn't resist some banter about the week that was. A reserve day has been added to the World Test Championship Final, the BCCI has set dates and locations for the completion of IPL 2021 and the Black Caps inter-squad match is in the books. We also chat through the unfortunate injury to Ben Foakes and what that's likely to...

The boys are back together again to round up the cricketing week that was. There's high praise for BJ Watling after he announces he'll retire after the World Test Championship Final, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips get Black Caps contracts and we debate where that leaves Ajaz Patel's prospects on the international stage. Baldy takes us through an Australian summer schedule dominated by the men's...

On this bonus episode of the show we're joined by Black Caps and Canterbury seamer Matt Henry. We talk ICC rankings, the Black Caps environment and what it's like to bowl with the Dukes ball, before Matt talks about the excitement of another final and the chance to make history in this first edition of the World Test Championship. Matt runs us through the logistics of the upcoming tour, the recent...

We ended our previous episode predicting the IPL would continue on - how wrong we were. Less than 24 hours after the episode was recorded, more positive cases emerged and the tournament was officially postponed. Despite the lack of cricket on the field, there's still plenty to talk about. India has named their 20-strong squad for the upcoming tour to the UK, which includes the World Test Champions...

Just before our recording started, the news broke that Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier from the Kolkata Knight Riders have tested positive for Covid-19. We speculate on the implications for the rest of the tournament and what might happen over the next few days. It's back to cricket after that, with the Black Caps in camp, Heinrich Malan added to the coaching staff and bowlers bowling with...

We're one third of the way through the IPL, and unfortunately the cricketing headlines are being overshadowed by the tragic Covid-19 situation in India. We do our best to provide some distraction, touching on all 8 teams as we discuss what's caught our eye in the first 20 games of the tournament. Before the IPL chat, Baldy runs us through more turmoil in South African cricket and an 8-year ban for...

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we're joined by Canterbury coach and legend of the province, Peter Fulton. We start the show by looking back at what's been an incredible season for both the men and the women in red and black - securing a remarkable 4 out of the 5 domestic titles. We discuss Will Williams' confidence levels, Cam Fletcher's touch rugby struggles, Ken McClure's match-winnin...

During the record-breaking Australian women's side's tour to New Zealand to take on the White Ferns, Baldy was lucky enough to catch up with star leg-spinner and World Cup winner Georgia Wareham. They talked world records, the art of leg-spin bowling, the strength of the domestic competition at home, Georgia's pathway to the Australian national side at such a young age and winning the World Cup in...

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast we take a look back at the New Zealand summer of cricket. It's been almost all red and black on the domestic circuit, with Canterbury winning 4 out of the 5 trophies on offer across the men's and women's competitions. We highlight key performers across the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy, Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and the Super Smash and discuss whether this...

There's podcasts a plenty this week at the Top Order and in this episode we round up everything that caught our eye around the cricketing world. We start the show by discussing whether Quinton de Kock's antics constitute fake fielding, before Baldy outlines just how astonishing this record-breaking Australian women's team actually are. Kraigg Brathwaite's sunglasses are still doing a good job, Was...

IPL 14 is almost here and the boys are back to preview the tournament. In Part 2 of our preview, we run through the ins and outs, key players and predictions for the Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Are Mumbai the best T20 side in the world, franchise or international? Can the Royals win without Jofra Archer? Will Virat Kohli lead RCB to a titl...