The Paddock and The Pavilion - The Horse Racing and Cricket Podcast

In this episode, Chris Pitt, author and horse racing historian, takes us back to The Frying Pan, better known as Ally Pally racecourse, or by its proper name, Alexandra Park. Chris explores the history of the north London course, which closed in September 1970, including the famous horses who raced there, the course specialists who mastered the track and what made Alexandra Park such a unique race...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Stephen Wallis is joined once again by bestselling author Felix Francis, the master of suspense and intrigue. Felix talks about his latest racing thriller, The Chase, which mixes the world of art with horse racing. The question on the cover asks: “Is racing an art worth killing for?” Felix gives us a brief outline of the book, featuring his main cha...

Leena Moin Aziz, Asia’s first female cricket commentator, joins me for the third and final part of Inside Pakistan Cricket. We pick up the story after Day 1 of the second Test at Lord’s, where Pakistan suffered another heavy defeat. We then dissect the touring side’s failings throughout the tour, which ended in a 3–0 hammering amidst the off-field shambles that followed Lord’s. Leena offers her fo...

The Hundred 2026 – A Reset Year. Rosa Simkin, MCC’s Young Female Broadcaster of the Year, joins the podcast for an in-depth review of the tournament. Rosa selects her team of the tournament and describes each franchise’s performance in one word. We also hear short clips from Notts CCC Director of Cricket Mick Newell on this year’s Hundred. As always, it’s another insightful look at women’s cricket...

In the latest episode of our What Was It Like To… series, David Alterton from March, Cambridgeshire takes us back 60 years to the 1966 World Cup and his experience of being there when England became world champions. A friend of Stephen Wallis, David was on a cricket tour with March Town Cricket Club when the tournament began, missing England’s opening two matches. He went on to watch England’s rem...

Guy Lavender joins The Paddock and The Pavilion to discuss his career at two of Britain’s most famous sporting institutions. Guy has been CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse since early 2025, having previously been Chief Executive and Secretary of MCC from 2017. Guy compares his roles at Lord’s and Cheltenham, reflects on some of the highlights from his seven years at MCC, including England’s 2019 World...

Mick Newell, Director of Cricket at Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, joins The Paddock and The Pavilion to look back at a successful Hundred for Trent Rockets, who reached both finals and lifted the women’s trophy. He talks about some of the Rockets’ successes in the pre season auction and the importance of double headers in The Hundred. Mick discusses the latest cricketing matters at Trent Br...

In Part 2 of Inside Pakistan Cricket, Stephen Wallis is joined again by Pakistan cricket expert Leena Moin Aziz to look back at the opening day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s. They review Pakistan’s much improved performance with the ball, which saw England finish Day 1 on 248 for 9 after bad light brought an early end to play. Leena looks back at Pakistan’s heavy defeat...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Stephen Wallis finds out more about The Outswingers, the six piece jazz band who started playing at Lord’s in 1990. Rico, Richard and Simon, three regular members of the band, talk about their experiences of playing near the Pavilion for spectators before the start of play and during the lunch interval. Rico talks about the history of The Outswinger...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Australian trainer Henry Dwyer returns to the podcast as his star mare Asfoora prepares for the final race of her career, the Nunthorpe Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting. Asfoora will be bidding to win the Group 1 five furlong sprint for the second year in a row and claim the fourth Group 1 victory of her career. Henry looks back at her recent run in th...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, we go back to the middle of August 1976 and England’s Test series against the West Indies. Two nil down after four Tests and with the series already lost, England recalled opener Dennis Amiss. After struggling against the pace of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson during the 1974/75 Ashes in Australia and again in the 1975 Ashes in England, Dennis devel...

Test cricket returns on 19 August at Headingley, with England beginning a three Test series against Pakistan. In this episode, Leena Moin Aziz, Asia’s first female cricket commentator, joins us to look ahead to the series and provide her insight into the current state of Pakistan cricket. Leena looks at Pakistan’s key players, including returning Test captain Babar Azam and the key batters who wil...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, part of the What Was It Like To…? series, Stephen Wallis speaks to award-winning sporting author and former Times journalist Richard Whitehead about watching the FA Cup from the Extra Preliminary Round to the Third Round. Richard reflects on a remarkable journey through 14 matches, travelling from Bradford-on-Avon to Tottenham Hotspur and experienci...

Cricket’s greatest all-rounder, Sir Garry Sobers, is remembered in this special tribute episode following his death on 17 July 2026. Roland Butcher, the show’s cricket expert and a friend of Sir Garry, reflects on the life of the great Barbadian, whose brilliance lit up the game from his first-class debut in 1953. Roland recalls the first time he saw Sir Garry play, what it was like to play agains...

Australian trainer Henry Dwyer joins the podcast ahead of what could be the final run of his star mare, Asfoora, in the King George Qatar Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. What was originally intended to be a Royal Ascot preparation and run turned into three memorable British summers. Along the way, Asfoora won the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2024, and Henry, Asfoora and the team created...

Ahead of this week’s Glorious Goodwood, The Paddock and The Pavilion heads to one of Britain’s most picturesque and historic racecourses. Stephen Wallis is joined by racing historian Tim Cox, owner of the Cox Library and former trustee of the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, to explore what makes Goodwood so special. Tim discusses the racecourse’s rich history, names the greatest horse ev...

Fresh from helping Australia win the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Kim Garth joins The Paddock and The Pavilion ahead of her return to Trent Rockets in The Hundred. Kim reflects on Australia’s World Cup triumph before discussing her return to Trent Bridge, where she made her Test debut during the 2023 Women’s Ashes, and her hopes for this year’s tournament. Having played in the Women’s Premier League...

Richard Madley became the IPL’s first auctioneer in 2008, helping launch a concept that transformed the business of cricket. A decade later, he had sold many of the game’s biggest names and become one of the most recognisable voices in world cricket auctions. In this episode of The Paddock and the Pavilion, Richard reflects on leading the first-ever British sporting auction for The Hundred, reveal...

In this episode of The Paddock and The Pavilion, Rosa Simkin, recently named the MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year, looks ahead to The Hundred, which begins on 21 July. Rosa assesses each of the eight women’s franchises, reveals who she believes will be crowned champions, names her top run scorer and leading wicket taker for the tournament, and highlights one player to watch. She then turns...

Australia were crowned Women’s T20 World Cup champions once again, but what did the tournament tell us about the state of the women’s game? In this episode of The Paddock and the Pavilion, Rosa Simkin of Rosa Talks Ball joins us to look back at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. Rosa reflects on Australia’s outstanding campaign, discusses England’s progress, gives every nation a mark out of ten and r...

In Wisbech CC v MCC: 100 Not Out, the annual match between Wisbech Town Cricket Club and the MCC reaches a remarkable milestone in 2026 as the fixture celebrates its 100th anniversary. In this episode, club captain James Williams and Wisbech legend and former Cambridgeshire cricketer Derek Wing look back at the original match in April 1926, featuring Jack Hobbs, one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of...

In the first of my episodes looking back at the Women’s T20 World Cup, former Scotland women’s team manager Sue Strachan reflects on Australia’s World Cup triumph and, in particular, Scotland’s campaign, which almost saw them progress from their World Cup group. Sue, the former President of Cricket Scotland joins me this time as a passionate Scotland supporter. She shares her Scottish highlights f...

Is England’s men’s Test team in a state of confusion? Former England international Roland Butcher returns to The Paddock and the Pavilion to assess the current state of the side following their 2–1 series defeat to New Zealand. Roland gives his verdict on the future of head coach Brendon McCullum, discusses the leading contenders to succeed the retiring Ben Stokes as England’s next Test captain, a...

In this episode of The Paddock and the Pavilion, Mark Nunn, captain of Newmarket Cricket Club, and leading Newmarket racehorse trainer Charlie Fellowes preview the club’s sixth annual match against the Racing & Trainers XI, taking place on Sunday 12 July at Dullingham Sports Field. Mark provides an update on Newmarket Cricket Club’s season and reveals everything that’s planned for what promises to...

Capturing the Energy explores the life and work of Sir Alfred Munnings, widely regarded as the greatest equine artist of the 20th century. Jenny Hand, Director of the Munnings Art Museum in Dedham, Essex since 2013, discusses why Munnings should be appreciated as much more than an equine painter. We explore the qualities that made him such an exceptional artist, the influence of Constable on his w...