The Final Word Cricket Podcast

Season 15, Episode 21: Lloyd Pope ripped up the Big Bash this week, but he hasn't been talking to the cops. He wouldn't do that. Usman Khawaja's jaw is ok. There has been a soup of T20 interntional cricket, in which Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka (once) and Pakistan beat New Zealand (even more once), while India needed three attempts to beat Afghanistan (once). Zimbabwe's women had a rare tie with Ireland, and there's plenty to talk about when it comes to the yet-to-be-build temporary stadium in New York. Your Nerd Pledge for this week: 3.10 - Indi Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This show comes to you LIVE from the Arkaba Hotel in Adelaide, the evening after the West Indies Test, with a room full of people who were split about 50/50 in terms of being there for the show or being confused by the show. Was Gubby Allen a prick? Can you combine erotic dancing with batting? What is the most unusual scorecard occurrence across innings? Who was the most prolific player of all time? Find out, on Story Time. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 7.80 - Lewis 6.54 - Alex McDonald 4.47 - Calum Evans 5.19 - Nick Dempsey Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 3: It didn't take long, but it took longer than it might have. Josh Hazlewood rounded out a five-wicket haul, Shamar Joseph had time for a few more shots, and the West Indies tail generally contributed more than most of the upper order. Smith had to bat again and went ok, but Usman Khawaja might be in concussion trouble with a nasty hit to the jaw. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 2: The best couple of hours of bowling from a touring West Indies team in... how long? That was how the day started. But when things get difficult, Travis Head somehow has a way of doing something special. And when he gets on a roll, Josh Hazlewood can be as destructive as any bowler in history. And even amongst all this, somehow Shamar Joseph was again the best story of the day. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 1: A day for debuts, in mostly sunshine at Adelaide Oval. Australia bowled and largely flexed the ability of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but there is something about this summer and last-wicket partnerships. Shamar Joseph had a brilliant debut at 11 with the bat, then turned that into an equally good start with the ball. Tune in to hear about one of the most wholesome press conferences imaginable. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v West Indies, Adelaide Day 0: Another day, another brief Test series. But the touring West Indies had a good hit-out against the mighty CAXI, and plenty of interesting players who will turn out in Adelaide. Bharat Sundaresan has been watching them closely, as well as being tour guide and shopping assistant to some of them, and in a world first, he is also appearing on this episode wearing a tie. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find shirts, marathons and other links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 20: When a chopper lands in the middle of the cricket ground, it is only ever a good sign. Right? That was David Warner's arrival to the Big Bash this week, while Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh made their exits. The touring West Indies did well in their Adelaide warm-up match, Steve Smith is confirmed as Test opener, bails continue to not fall off, the Australian women finish a dominant stretch in India, Dean Elgar goes to Essex, Wanindu Hasaranga goes top five for ODI bowling performances, and plenty more besides. Your Nerd Pledge for this week: 2.52 - Reg Wilson Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we explore the centuries between Gunter and Gunther, diverging from the New York of The Nanny to the New York of Friends. Or was it the same all along? Yes, this is about cricket. Also, the brothers who were not the twins, an unlikely Ranji Trophy head-to-head, a grand Jewish batting career, a return to a favourite Dusty Old Bastard, and a legendary innings that requires some myth-busting. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 8.97 - Thomas Melia 7.92 - Mel Shawley 1.86 - Geoff Price 3.40 - Pharsicle Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greatest Season That Was, Episode 6 – Bangladesh with Aminul Islam. It's difficult to believe that it took Bangladesh until 1999 to make a World Cup, but they made up for lost time, knocking off Pakistan, which turbocharged their push to become a Test-playing nation as a consequence of how they performed at this terrific World Cup. Aminul "BulBul" Islam led their campaign 25 years ago, recalling in detail their unusual and inspiring path to cricket's top table. With Dan Brettig (The Age) and Shannon Gill (Code Sports). Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the generous Nord VPN discount All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 19: It's a beautiful day in Sydney, and time to catch up on a lot. Danyal Rasool joins the show, the Pakistan correspondent from Cricinfo giving his perspective of the tour that was. How will Australia pick a new Test opener? We'll look over the India-Australia women's series after a slew of matches influenced by Phoebe Litchfield and new 300-gamer Ellyse Perry. Plus, dubious dealings at the Afghanistan Cricket Board, yet another double ton for Cheteshwar Pujara, barbs fly over Cape Town's terrible Test pitch, and plenty more detours besides. Get in the hammock with us this week. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the generous Nord VPN discount All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 18: Running Australian cricket will never be an easy job. Nick Hockley’s path to the chief executive chair was from left field, slotted in when administrators were getting taken out during the pandemic. A few years on, established in the role, he talked us through his backstory, his hopes for cricket’s future, and a range of the issues that have landed in his in-tray. Recorded in the Ladies Stand at the SCG as summer rain fell the day after the Test. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Sydney Day 4: It's all over. David Warner Week ended with David Warner Day, as the man of the hour got to take centre stage for one last Australian Test innings. Then he had plenty to say in support of this format of the game into the future. Pat Cummins was Player of the Series, in a contest where Pakistan were much more competitive than 3-0 suggest. So it ended, in traditional glorious Sydney sunshine. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Sydney Day 3: Is this Jamal's Ashes? By god, it was for a while, as the Pakistani wonder produced another stunning passage of play, while Mitchell Marsh produced another fine chapter. With the match as beautifully poised as it could be, nobody could have quite imagined the stunning performance that came next. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Sydney Day 2: You're not going to believe it, but there was the tiniest bit of rain at the Sydney Test today. We still got 46 overs in, and we still had enough time for Pakistan to show some mettle, make some mistakes, and leave themselves broadly in the Test match, while Australia's openers did their best to contribute to the contest. Meanwhile, across the Indian Ocean, far more extraordinary things were playing out. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Sydney Day 1: A very watchable, and rainfree, day at Sydney to begin Warner Week, although the man himself did not feature until the final over of the day. Pakistan were all over the place then fought back brilliantly with the type of innings down the list you could watch time and again. Meanwhile, another 5fa for Cummins. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Sydney Day 0: Happy new year. It's time for the first Final Word of 2024. And it finds Adam and Geoff kicking back in the backyard one day ahead of the third Test, after an eventful day of press appearances from Pat Cummins and Shan Masood. Let's run the tape over it all. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 17: Happy New Year. As we wrap up what was a huge one in 2023, and roll over blinking into the new light of 2024, we take our annual look back on what stood out for the right reasons and what stood out for wrong. Plus we catch up with the Australian women's Test in India, and the Indian men's disastrous first Test in South Africa. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword The Final Word Live in Sydney with Michael Bevan: get tickets for January 7. Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the generous Nord VPN discount All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, our title story takes us all the way back to 1997, to a magical island where strange creatures roamed. Was it Jurassic Park? Kinda, but with added Big Jim Wilson. Also this week, have we traced the Wally Hammond misadventure right back to its source? And how did a junior wicketkeeper end up at AEK Athens? Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 3.27 - Richard Jones 1.50 - Andrew Pelechaty 78.00 - Peder Roberts 2.38 - Mike Dunn Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get tickets for our Sydney LIVE SHOW with Michael Bevan on 7 January Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the generous Nord VPN discount Support Ralph's liver transplant All the links are at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Melbourne Day 4: It was real, it was raw, and it was on until the last hour of the day. Shan Masood batted like a dream, Babar Azam bashed back into some form, and Mohammed Rizwan was his usual unpredictable delight. Nathan Lyon got ambushed, Pat Cummins bowled like a dream, and it was only when the extra half hour was called that we could feel sure about how this would go. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Melbourne Day 3: What a day of Test cricket. Pakistan scrapped and clawed in the first session with the bat, then started with a glorious burst of left-arm fast bowling. Swing, seam, stumps ascatter. From on the ropes, Steve Smith absorbed and Mitch Marsh counterpunched. Then they fell. Three days of fine fast bowling and conditions doing plenty, and this game is still on the table for either side. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Melbourne Day 2: Sunshine! Glorious sunshine, as Pakistan found some mojo to work through seven Australian wickets in the long first session. Then it was time for new captain Shan Masood to put the foot down. But you can never quite bank on Pat Cummins being out of the game. It tilted, it slipped, and it will need some more fun from Rizwan to re-balance a rollicking Test day. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Melbourne Day 1: It was damp, it was drizzly, and that still didn't stop 62,000 people and their friends from coming down on Boxing Day. Pakistan chose to bowl, and while they didn't dominate on a dark and cloudy day, maybe it was still a tactical win. David Warner made some interesting decisions, Umpire Gough did as well, and Steve Smith didn't believe his. Also, do you know anything about John Glenn? Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greatest Season That Was, Episode 5 – India with Harsha Bhogle India, but not at all as they are today. A quarter of a century ago, before their financial might dictated practically every decision made in the global game, the men in blue were just another cricket team. A very talented team, with a group of prodigiously capable batters, but a side that would ultimately fail to reach the business end of the tournament in focus. To explain that progression, looking back before, during and after Ninety9, there could be nobody better than Harsha Bhogle. With Dan Brettig (The Age) and Shannon Gill (Code Sports). Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney MICHAEL BEVAN LIVE SHOW tickets for 7 January. Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the very generous Nord VPN discount. All the links are at linktr.ee/thefinalword Check out Ralph's fundraiser: www.gofundme.com/f/ralphs-campaignlifesaving-transplant-for-cancer Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This time, Adam and Geoff are trying something unusual. It's a quadruple header, and it involves a quadruple ton. Then from Slammin' Sammy Northeast we go back nearly 100 years to when Wally Hammond let his balls do the talking on Test debut. Also, Indonesia-Japan relations via the NSW towns of Lismore, Hay and Cowra, and a great Dutch leader's finest day. Enjoy some tales as you drive home for Christmas, or whatever else you're doing. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 4.94 - Adhitya Sutresna 4.10 - Sam Chappell, Andrew Turner, MJ Knoester & Richard L 5.63 - Jake Cunliffe Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get tickets for our Sydney LIVE SHOW with Michael Bevan on 7 January Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the generous Nord VPN discount Support Ralph's liver transplant All the links are at linktr.ee/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 16: Back from Perth, the numbers are flying around as CA looks to ink in its schedule for the next five years. There's a new 10-over IPL on the horizon, joy of joys, as the IPL and WPL player auctions roll out. India's women demolish England in a Test and aim to do the same to Australia, while there are more brilliant performances in women's cricket from Pakistan in New Zealand and from Bangladesh in South Africa. Exciting times. Also, SKY might just be the best in his format. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney MICHAEL BEVAN LIVE SHOW tickets for 7 January. Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Take up the very generous Nord VPN discount. All the links are at linktr.ee/thefinalword Check out Ralph's fundraiser: www.gofundme.com/f/ralphs-campaignlifesaving-transplant-for-cancer Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Perth Day 4: The wait was all about Nathan Lyon's 500th wicket, and eventually it came around. Not before Pakistan challenged Australia with the ball one more time, Steve Smith furious with yet another dismissal, before Khawaja and Marsh kept on as they have been going. After that it was time for Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, and Pakistani running between the wickets to have an influence, before Lyon's final say. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Perth Day 3: For a while, the resistance was building. Imam did his thing, Babar was rising alongside. Then things changed quickly. David Warner went ton and none, Marnus Labuschagne got fingerbanged. The pitch is starting to do tricky things and we've got a couple of days to go. Also, does club cricket really affect anything, and what's the deal with tiny arm guards? A very diversion-filled Daily. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Perth Day 2: Would it be Mitchell Marsh Day in front of his home crowd? It kind of was, and it kind of wasn't. It was also kind of Ameer Jamal day, as the inexperienced right-armer picked up six wickets. Pakistan could have fallen apart, but they played staunch instead, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq doing a job before Shan Masood played the laconic amateur. A long way to go yet, but for now we have a Test match on our hands. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Perth Day 1: Australia won the toss and chose to bat, and we know how that tends to pan out. David Warner had one of those David Warner days, which ended in David Warner style. Varied subplots of relevance for each of Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith and Head, while Pakistan found a way into the contest at times, and out of it at times. There is still room for things to go in either direction at the end of Day 1. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v Pakistan, Perth Day 0: The Australian Test season is about to begin. Geoff and Adam get together in Perth to run the rule over the respective teams, the difficulty in remembering what this show is called, and the ICC machinations responding to Usman Khawaja's humanitarian statement. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January: linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 15: The Perth Test is coming, and once again the local authorities are apparently worried about whether people will show up unless JL waves the sceptre. One person on the way out is WACA boss Christina Matthews, soon to end her long tenure. Shan Masood makes a double ton as Pakistan's new skipper while Matthew Renshaw tons up in the PM's XI runfest. Rain wrecks the Big Bash, Amazon hoovers up yet more property with a broadcast rights deal, Lou Vincent gets a reprieve, and there is damp cricket from all over the world. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 7.20 - Jessica Currie Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday Get involved with the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners All at linktr.ee/thefinalword For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You can also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, with Geoff and Adam away from the desk it's Daniel Norcross and Bharat Sundaresan in charge - the first ep in Story Time history with not one but two summer newsreaders. What did they get up to? I'm looking forward to finding out when listening to the episode myself. What I know is they spoke for nearly two hours, which can only be a good thing. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 8.38 - Yvann Stephens 5.03 - Matthew Price 6.55 - Hayden 2.57 - Robert Cocking & Dave McRobbie Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greatest Season That Was, Episode 4 – Andrew Flower: It never got better for Zimbabwe than their run at the 1999 World Cup, storming into the Super Six stage after thrilling wins over South Africa and India. Their star wicketkeeper-bat from that memorable campaign, Andy Flower, joined us for an extensive and tender conversation about the tournament, his homeland, and his career's abrupt end at the next World Cup. With Dan Brettig (The Age) and Shannon Gill (Code Sports). Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 14: A short ep, but a very sweet one too. A conversation with Neil and Joy Maxwell – the parents of you know who. Recorded in the family home where Glenn grew up in South Belgrave, this will give you a sense of how it is riding the wave of his career from their unique perspective, and the thrill of what it’s like for them when everything clicks – as it did so spectacularly against Afghanistan during the World Cup. Lovely people. Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 13: Mitchell Johnson can still steam in - which he did this week, aiming some pelters at David Warner and George Bailey. But perhaps his perspective has more nuanced picture than has been presented? What is not nuanced is that Pakistan's cricket political brawling is a disaster - hello and goodbye again to Salman Butt. Adelaide win the WBBL final inspired by Amanda Wellington, Glenn Maxwell signs off from India with one more wild ton, and is now heading to the Corner Hotel for our live show, and there were two boilovers in women's cricket from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Plus a hectic Shield round - Lawrence Neil-Smith is coming for your batters. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 3.80 - Les Corson Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January. https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday www.cbussuper.com.au Run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or part of it) for the Lord's Taverners www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, the creation and fate of the Adelaide Oval rollercoaster, and the rollercoaster that was the CAXI. A look at a West Indies star turn that did not belong to Brian Lara, the carnage of Argentina and Chile, Murali takes on a non-fave, and what truly constitutes a diamond duck, as Adam prepares his future best-selling book on Will Bosisto. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 2.41 - Evan Granger 18.89 - Nick Ibis 14.10 - Chris Unwin 12.32 - Glenn Finkelde 3.75 - Anirban 4.27 - Jim Allen Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You can also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Book Club 3: Dan Liebke - The 100 Funniest Moments in Australian Cricket Dan Liebke emerged as a cricket satirist in what we might with hindsight call Twitter's glory days. From being Fake Nathan Hauritz to writing jokes in his own name, he has been a staple of that peculiar part of the internet. He has become a prolific author too, especially around Christmas, and this time it's ‘The 100 Funniest Moments in Australian Cricket.’ As a long-term believer that funny cricket is better than good cricket, this is the book he was destined to write and it’s great to have a good friend back with us for the third edition of TFW Book Club. Get the book: http://liebcricket.com/100funniest Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 12: So it comes down to Mitchell Marsh vs Cameron Green - but does it make sense for David Warner to get his preferred farewell instead of making space in the Test XI against Pakistan? It's one question with Australia's Test summer around the corner. The T20 side is still in India instead of having a ticker-tape parade at home, where WBBL finals are about to start. Meanwhile, it's silly season in the IPL, the next England summer has started taking shape, and the most important cricket this week is being played in Namibia, where Zimababwe are likely to miss next year's T20 World Cup. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 7.04 - Sheahan Arnott Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greatest Season That Was, Episode 3 – Alec Stewart: Back to the 1999 World Cup, this is the sorry story of the home team. England’s captain of the day, Alec Stewart was our forthright guest, who didn’t miss targeting what went wrong when they failed to make it out of the group – famously, eliminated before the official tournament song was officially released. With Dan Brettig (The Age) and Shannon Gill (Code Sports). Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we look at one of Test cricket's rarer team feats, plus a man celebrated as one of the game's best captains. Modern England didn't invent nothing that Cyril Washbrook didn't already have covered, and there's the path from Blocker Wilson to Chucker Wilson. Plus who would make it into our all-time Story Time team? Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 2.55 - Jonathan Potton 4.65 - Peter Lenaghan 3.79 - Dave Williams 2.05 - Tim Henry Get Sydney live show tickets for for 7 January. https://linktr.ee/thefinalword For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You'll also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World Cup Daily 2023, Day 47: The lost episode has been found. We did record this the day after the final, both of us at airports in different countries on the way home to Australia. Somehow the audio disappeared but we've managed to salvage it since. So, clue the Quantum Leap music, and let's time travel a few days - back to our impressions the morning after the World Cup before. Get tickets for our live shows: Melbourne, Dec 11: https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/c70d1ce4-1afa-482e-9618-5ede8f933429 Sydney, Jan 7: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/116638 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 11: It is a week of homecomings. Adam, Geoff, and the World Cup all arrived back in Australia within hours of one another, and nothing ever feels as good as home when you've been away. On the agenda this week: updates on a lost episode, two short interviews with Mitch Starc and Glenn Maxwell that Geoff recorded on the field just after the World Cup finished, there are Final Word live shows and live cricket matches coming up, the Sea Bus is back in business, Adam Zampa has receipts, David Warner might not retire after all, the most pointless T20s are next, our favourite 50-year-old first-class cricketer back at it, and some very significant changes and non-changes from the ICC's latest meeting. Get tickets for our live shows. Melbourne 11 December, Sydney 7 January: https://linktr.ee/thefinalword For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You'll also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Sign up to run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 10: David Gower’s composure at the crease, combined with his perennially relaxed disposition, have contributed to a sense that he’s forever young. But it’s now the better of half a century since he pulled his first ball in Test cricket for four, going on to become, for a time, England’s leading run-scorer. A life in cricket has been his, but not at the expense of wider curiosity. It’s what has made him such a force as a broadcaster since hanging up the boots and, also, how effective he is as the long-term chair of the Lord’s Taverners. A great guest. Enjoy. Get tickets for our live shows: Melbourne, Dec 11: https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/c70d1ce4-1afa-482e-9618-5ede8f933429 Sydney, Jan 7: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/116638 Welcome back CBUS Super! Great to have them back with us this Australian summer. www.cbussuper.com.au Run the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon (or less) for the Lord's Tavs: www.lordstaverners.org/the-final-word Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You'll also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World Cup Daily 2023, Day 46: The final! It's over! Australia with one of the biggest surprises ever sprung in a tournament decider. India struggling to work out how it went wrong. Get tickets for our live shows: Melbourne, Dec 11: https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/c70d1ce4-1afa-482e-9618-5ede8f933429 Sydney, Jan 7: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/116638 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World Cup Daily 2023, Day 45: One more day until the storm. On the barricades of freedom. Or something like that. India are red-hot favourites, Australia are perhaps the only team that might challenge them. How can it happen? When will be know? And where have we mislaid the 1992 World Cup? Get it all on the second-last day of this tournament. Get tickets for our live shows: Melbourne, Dec 11: https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/c70d1ce4-1afa-482e-9618-5ede8f933429 Sydney, Jan 7: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/116638 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, if you take the A358 far enough south you'll find something with a lot of stories, and a river who could be your friend. We go back to a pivotal moment of Daniel Norcross' childhood, the greatest cricket moments for Canada, and a dominant display by one of the best South African sides. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 3.58 - Joe Vaitilingam 5.25 - Tom Kelly 5.88 - Jill 8.71 - Kieran Powyer 3.65 - Alexander Thalis Get tickets for our live shows: Melbourne, Dec 11: https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/c70d1ce4-1afa-482e-9618-5ede8f933429 Sydney, Jan 7: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/116638 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Sign up to learn about all the Lord's Taverners projects at bit.ly/tavssignup For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You'll also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World Cup Daily 2023, Day 43: Was it going to be 1999 all over again? With 213 in the mix, a nervy chase, and more twists and turns than the Italian Job, it sure felt like for long periods of the game today. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were perfect. Australia's fielding was too. David Miller was remarkable. Gerald Coetzee hung tough, then bowled with heart. David Warner and Travis Head exploded. Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj wove webs. And on and on it went. Take the ride with The Final Word. Get tickets for our live shows: Melbourne, Dec 11: https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/c70d1ce4-1afa-482e-9618-5ede8f933429 Sydney, Jan 7: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/116638 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World Cup Daily 2023, Day 42: It was a messy slew of stats spattered all over Mumbai as the runs flowed today. Would Kohli get the Great Big Record that everyone was waiting for? Well, you can kind of guess. Nobody was expecting Mohammed Shami's record though, nor the remarkable effort in between times of The Sweatiest Man Alive, Daryl Mitchell. Quite the day and quite the night. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World Cup Daily 2023, Day 41: It's a knockout! A knockout game, that is - India and New Zealand at the Work Rest and Play in Mumbai, then Australia and South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Time for Geoff and Adam to run the ruler over the four teams that have made it and how they match up. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find out what's fun at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – More extra, less ordinary! https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london https://www.westfield.com/united-kingdom/stratfordcity Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 15, Episode 9: In a way it's not a surprise, she's been around forever. And in a way it's a total surprise that Australia's captain of five World Cup wins is done by the age of 31. She has other things to do. Also this week, Sri Lanka Cricket arranges its own expulsion from the ICC, French cricket is under investigation for being too ooh la la, England plans become clearer with squads for the next men's and women's tours, and a feller took a quadruple hat-trick. Read it and weep. Plus some WBBL and Shield. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 11.80 - Simon Tamblyn Get your Final Word / Glenn Maxwell shirt re-release from League Tees. For a huge discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/tfw You'll also get 4 months free on a 2-year plan, and no risk with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Sign up to learn about all the Lord's Taverners projects at bit.ly/tavssignup Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices