The Final Word Cricket Podcast

Season 13, Ep 29: This week, reporter Annesha Ghosh updates us about the WPL that she has spent the past few weeks watching more closely than anyone, after Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians took down Meg Lanning's Delhi Capitals. Also this week, the Afghanistan board claims they received an ICC funding increase, but there is no evidence that it happened. Western Australia continue their dynasty with a Mr Sheffield Shield title and a trophy clean sweep for the season. Steve Smith doesn't blink, but the ICC does over the Indore pitch rating. Our marathon-running team is all set. And it's the last episode of TFW Season 13. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 2.44 - Matthew Blacker Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. 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. It isn't often that we breach the two-hour barrier, but this was worth it. A BUMPER revisits special with 18 numbers – a new record for a single ep. Hop in to learn about the all-round sporting brilliance of Harald Frei, a nagging seamer called Mad Jack, the sad final appearance of Johnny Briggs, and a chap by the name of Dick Daft. And so, so much more. Enjoy! Your revisited Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 411.12 - Sean McGivern 2.82 - Sam Brown 3.74 - Angus Digby 4.03 - Amelia Vine 21.12 - Chris Dobbins 9.30 - Anna Forsyth 23.30 - Michael Holden 6.81 - James Philbrook 2.60 - Paul Reeve 3.30 - Toby 16.43 - Francis Keepfer 4.89 - Richard Jones 6.00 - Tim Minchin 4.99 - Guy Hornsby 13.62 - Andrew Lowcock 2.52 - Rahul Venkat 4.74 - Matthew Evans 12.33 - Chris Unwin As Jeff Fenech said, we love youse all. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 28: This week, the MCC gets swarmed by Eton and Harrow fans , and Emma John joins the show to help explain this especially English toff barney. Before we get to that, Australia is still playing in India, Sri Lanka get finished up in New Zealand, the WPL reaches its finals, Victoria stun Western Australia and Queensland in the Mr Sheffield Shield, Aleem Dar and Dane van Niekerk sign off, Nepal finish a crazy winning streak after Asif Khan's even crazier innings, and how many litres of paint can Kane Williamson drink? Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 12.40 - Elia Andrews Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. 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, a new record for single largest pledge provokes a ridiculous voyage into the obscurities of the past. We have cricketing pilots, an Almanack exploration, Stork Hendry going in to bat for Clarrie Grimmett, and a thorny clue that you might have more luck with than we did. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 411.12 - Sean McGivern 23.30 - Michael Holden 1.68 - Eric Parnis 2.93 - Graeme Innes 4.43 - Sean O'Carroll 17.75 - Tane Aikman Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 27: And with that, it was done. Ahmedabad receded into the distance. Mumbai vanished into the night. Those weeks were left behind. So we turn out attention to Bangladesh, where the Tigers have just whitewashed world champions England in a T20 series, and friend of the show Mohammad Isam has been watching as always. Also this week, Temba Bavuma breaks through against West Indies, New Zealand finish another classic against Sri Lanka, the National Indigenous Cricket Championships are over with a new winner for the first time, the Shield gets spicy, and Shaun Marsh says goodbye to the long game. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 5.51 - Lucas Stewart Here's the Bangladesh website for Isam's new book, On the Tigers' Trail. Join us for the Edinburgh half-marathon on 28 May to raise funds for the Lord's Taverners. Register to run at this link or by emailing [email protected]. Donate to support the runners here. Or learn about other Tavs projects by joining their mailing list at bit.ly/tavssignup. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com 20% off primo WoodstockCricket.co.uk bats with the code TFW20 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, a host of sports betting enthusiasts get involved across a range of matches, there are some Djokovic strategic bathroom breaks, and we uncover the Australian answer to the man who could jump onto a mantelpiece. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 3.00 - Matt Near the Gabba 3.60 - Uzair Khan & Charlie Ryan 4.00 - James Harding 6.20 - Brent Simmonds 2.03 - Brendan Crabb Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India v Australia, Ahmedabad Day 5, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. The best thing we can say about that is, it is over. Day five was about as tedious as it promised to be, but luckily down in New Zealand they were playing another classic with Sri Lanka for company. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Ahmedabad Day 4, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. It's The Final Word Daily, and after people talking about it for three years, Kohli made a Test hundred. Not his toughest conditions, not his most perilous position, but the job was done. Also, Axar Patel carried on, Nathan Lyon bowled a marathon, and more. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Ahmedabad Day 3, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. A long day where the scoreboard won't suggest that much action, but the playing field begged to differ. Shubman Gill made a breakout century, Virat Kohli got to his first fifty in a year, but the Australians kept the brakes on with some clever bowling and a whole lot of determination. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Ahmedabad Day 2, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. It's The Final Word Daily, where Usman Khawaja batted his way to one of the longest innings ever played in India, and Cameron Green notched his first Test ton. Even in the face of this, Ravichandran Ashwin was undimmed although the other bowlers couldn't say the same. India's brief batting stint before stumps looks full of promise. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Ahmedabad Day 1, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. It's The Final Word Daily, coming from a deeply weird day where the Test match was taken over by politicians at the start of the day. We've certainly never seen anything like it. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 26: With the ECB's hearing into Yorkshire's racism charges underway, we spend the second part of the show speaking to the reporter who has done more work on this story than any, The Cricketer's George Dobell. Before that, recording in Ahmedabad ahead of the fourth India-Australia Test, there have been fireworks in the early rounds of the Women's Premier League, Western Australia keep dominating the Shield, South Africa's quicks do the damage against West Indies, Bangladesh host England in ODIs, and we have an especially delicious link to our answer on Nerd Pledge. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 8.61 - Dane Hansted Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. 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. And this week it's a special. Geoff and Adam get together with our other hosts, Bharat Sundaresan and Daniel Norcross, in a hotel in Indore that is far too fancy for any of us to be staying in, to record this special all-in episode. With bonus Louis Cameron and Brettig in a Box. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 3.74 - Angus Digby 9.42 - Matt Wust 9.30 Anna Forsyth 3.72 - Sam Hartmann & Paul Richards 2.80 - James 6.00 - Not That Tim Minchin Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Delhi Not Day 4: Another day four, another day of nothing happening. Except for press conferences and ICC ratings for the pitch, which was deemed no good. Adam and Bharat rake through the leavings and wonder what India will do next. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Indore Day 3: It's The Final Word Daily. It's all over, before lunch on day three. That makes seven and a half days of cricket across three Test matches. But the kicker: the Australians are back in the series. India lose a shootout! Find out how. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Indore Day 2: It swung back and forth, it spun one way and another, and eventually another huge day of Test cricket came to an end. Handscomb and Green did some batting, Ashwin staged another intervention, Pujara showed all of his stubbornness, and Nathan Lyon produced an all-time performance. Now the stage is set for Australia to come back into the series - or for something even less likely. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Indore Day 1: After two massive batting collapses for Australia, the tables turned. India got bowled out for 109 after Australia's three spinners joined forces. But the pitch is doing everything, and Australia have just inched into a lead. It's all happening! Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Indore Day 0: After a long break with some time to clear their heads, the Australians will approach Indore with some team changes, while India don't need to make any, but might make one. Also, why not talk about New Zealand beating England by one run? Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 25: While the Women's T20 World Cup final might have gone entirely as expected to complete a hat-trick, the domestic WNCL final did not - an astonishing game of cricket even before the five-wicket final over. Meanwhile, the first women's IPL edition is gearing up for its start. Elsewhere, England and New Zealand set up an intriguing final day that got even better than expected after we finished recording this podcast. And there's a return for Happy Birthday Sachin, with a story via Bollywood actor Saiyama Kher. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 14.70 - Darragh O'Donovan Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2023 T20 Women's World Cup: After a short sharp tournament full of upsets and close calls, the final went to form. Not without some magic from Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon. Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Ash Gardner and company just kept doing their thing. Geoff and Bharat watched the game with a Hindi cover band for company in a bar in Indore. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword 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, one of the dodgiest characters we've yet had the pleasure to meet on the show, plus a one-day record you've never heard of that will never be broken, some more scorecard chicanery from the 1800s, another descendant of the Furphy clan, and the style icons of the 1990s. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 13.32 - Dom Griffiths 1.11 - Alastair Wilson 5.66 - Nathan Browne 1.54 - Cameron M and Seb Goldsmith 7.70 - Joel Crosby Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia again, but in the women's T20 World Cup semi in Cape Town. A day of brilliance for Jemima Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur, the usual high standards from Beth Mooney, and a coming-of-age performance from Darcie Brown. Twists and turns aplenty. With Geoff and Bharat. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 24: On his last trip to India covering cricket in 2017, Australian reporter Andrew Wu was surprised to be targeted by anti-Chinese abuse. On returning in 2023 he wrote about the experience. Now he sits down with Bharat and Geoff in downtown Delhi to share some reflections. Also this week, Adam and Geoff round up the Women's T20 World Cup, the Delhi Test, England's win in New Zealand, the Sheffield Shield, the WNCL, and the belated match report from the Final Word XI triumph at Birchgrove Oval. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 3.20 - Gareth Cottiss Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. 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. In the grip of the Delhi Flu, Bharat Sundaresan nonetheless gamely tackles this late-night episode from India with Geoff. We have puzzles via poetry, the moment when baseball finally crossed over to cricket, and a wrist-spinning Catholic insurgency. All backed up by the symphony of bad house party vibes and endless horns. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 2.60 - Ramaswamy, Paul Reeve & Bala Sivaraman 5.10 - Shaun Ton & Simon Tamblyn 2.99 - Rich Baldwin Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Delhi Not Day 4: With the match done, Geoff and Bharat headed down to the ritzy Lalit Hotel to hear from head coach Andrew McDonald. What has gone so badly wrong for Australia in India, and why? Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Delhi Day 3: In a match that has gone in fast forward, the fastest forward was saved for the end. A historic collapse, 10 wickets for Jadejashwin, and the Australians turned into fungus heads from The Last of Us. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, Delhi Day 2: In the Test that just keeps giving, the match swung back and forth on the second day. Nathan Lyon had another day out, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin played another rescue knock, while David Warner is out with a concussion and Travis Head went nuts opening the batting. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Delhi Day 1: That was fun. A wild day of Test cricket, starting with an unexpected bouncer barrage, a reverse-sweep-a-thon, and two of the biggest brains in the game going forehead to forehead. Is Australia's score anywhere near enough? Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India v Australia, 2nd Test, Delhi: When you get the chance to record an episode at the Feroz Shah Kotla Fort, one of the most impressive ancient structures in India, why not? Adam has been scrutinising Pat Cummins' body language at the press conference, and there is one change for India, but perhaps should be more. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword 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, it's finally time to get amongst the revisits, which means that this is a bumper show. Go for a long walk or a long drive and settle in with us for Jo Angel's headwear, Bob Hawke's bicentennial paraphernalia, a Hungarian etymology lesson, the best thing ever to happen in Castlemaine, a modern-day version of an 1800s wicketkeeper, and a little heralded cricket ground that may just be, per capita, the most Final Word venue ever used. Your Nerd Pledge revisits this week: 1.30 - Daniel Price 5.78 - Jack Rule 4.06 - Simon Butcher 1.50 - Luke Kneebone 5.50 - Joel Burton 2.99 - Dannish Babar 3069.00 - Gabor Torok 2.12 - Alan Edgar 1.84 - Joel Emonsen 3.40 - Nigel Browne 5.21 - Michael Hargreaves 2.23 - Shane Fagg 4.50 - Bernhard Sayer 5.00 - Sarah Berman 1.72 - Jack Jorgensen 12.33 - Chris Unwin 1.49 - Jason Wilkins Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 23: Coming to you at sunset from the old VCA ground in Nagpur, where Damien Martyn hit that six onto the press box roof in 2004, this is at last our first weekly show from India. The old stadium a different place now, much more low key than when it hosted Tests, but our friend Milind bhai from the security detail showed us around. This week on the show, the fallout from Australia's Test loss at the other VCA ground, the women's T20 World Cup gets underway with some serious upsets, Jofra Archer bursts back into the England one-day team while their Test side prepares in New Zealand without Trent Boult, Aaron Finch retires, the Big Bash finishes up, and West Indies play out a fun Test match against Zimbabwe. Join us on the roof Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 1.80 - Bernhard Sayer Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 22: The Nagpur Test is over early, so what better time to speak to the man who coached India to the 2011 World Cup, Gary Kirsten. He also took India and South Africa to No.1 in the Test rankings during his tenure. Before that, he was one of South Africa's all-time greats with the bat. An illuminating chat with The Final Word. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 4.03 - Amelia Vine Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Help our Edinburgh Marathon runners raise funds for the Lord's Taverners at bit.ly/eddiemarathon, or learn about other Tavs projects with bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India v Australia, 1st Test, Nagpur Day 3: They don't come much more comprehensive than that. India's lower order kept bringing the pain, having some fun for themselves at Australia's expense, before the Ashwin & Jadeja show got going for the umpteenth time. All over in three days, get the details here. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India v Australia, 1st Test, Nagpur Day 2: There were five wickets on debut for Todd Murphy, but at the other end that Jadeja feller did it again. Find out about a tough and often brilliant second day. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India v Australia, 1st Test, Nagpur Day 1: It's been a long build-up, but finally the contest began and the pitch was put to the test. As expected it was Australia up against things on a tough opening day, while Rohit Sharma was at ease. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword 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, Bharat is in Nagpur after some time in the nets in Bangalore, and Geoff is on the way to meet him. Not deliberately, we launch into an India-fest via Dhaka, Multan and Bridgetown. Also, a surprising divergence into an Australian cinema living treasure. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 5.80 - Shyam Sundaraman 20.79 - Jeremy Brown 11.39 - Darcy Matthews 8.14 - Luke Reynolds 5.68 - Jimit Raja 5.34 - Andrew Turner 33.00 - Toby 3.09 - Jayaraman Ashwin Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 21: It’s been a while, but the weekly show comes to you from Daniel Norcross’ front room in South London with Geoff having a brief spell before joining Adam in India next week for the Border-Gavaskar. It’s an episode with plenty to get through around the cricketing world before finishing on a conversation about the mistreatment of South African skipper Dane van Niekerk, the repercussions of which could be incendiary for the women’s game in that country. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 1.14 - Jai Sharma Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. 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 Daniel Norcross returns to join Geoff for a long meander through bad beginnings. Plus a south London record, the best No.11, and one of the very best of all time. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 2.03 - Nick Donovan & Andrew Beech 23.75 - Rob O'Neill 4.23 - Chris Lintott 2.60 - Crispn Crunch 2.00 - Alex 5.20 - Ed & Nick Dempsey 1.39 - Jake Cunliffe 21.12 - Chris Dobbins Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 20: Because it remains very much the cricketing topic de jour, it's time for another visit to the non-striker's end to take off the bails. This week the Marylebone Cricket Club, as custodians of the Laws, updated the relevant clause with extensive additional clarification as to when a bowler could attempt this kind of dismissal. We got hold of the man in charge, Fraser Stewart, to talk through what has changed and why. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 19: The cricket world was teeming this week, and so was our show. Everything from the Cherry Tree's first ever victory in Melbourne pub cricket to $100million for the Women's IPL. Rwanda produced a massive upset in the Under-19s World Cup, Shimron Hetmyer became Dennis Rodman in the most forensic scrutiny of a bridge since the River Kwai, Steve Smith dropped the hammer in the Big Bash and is on his way to Sussex to become a Duke, Ross Adair becomes a fine Irish story, Gary Ballance forms an odd pair with Zimbabwe, South Africa have one chance to dodge World Cup elimination, Ash Gardner says her piece on January 26, cricket has an Olympic Games setback, Shubman Gill makes a one-day double, and Iftikar Ahmed is Pakistan's favourite uncle. Out of breath? Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 3.16 - Helen Wilson Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 18: A special episode. First we speak to Homaira Mershedi, Afghan community leader and veteran of humanitarian work, to get some sense of the current situation on the ground in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Then we talk through the tangled thicket of political ramifications around Australia withdrawing from a series against the Afghanistan men's team, while the women's team remains in exile in Melbourne with no support from the Afghan board or the ICC. You can donate to the Afghan Australian Development Organisation at aado.org.au, or when in Melbourne get a meal at the Afghan Gallery Restaurant, 327 Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. Send us 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 13, Ep 17: With the second season of The Test documentary out in the world, Adrian Brown joins the show for a second time to talk through the differences and complexities of repeating the dose while keeping the recipe fresh. Also this week, Kohli's ton run continues, India's Test squad is out, Australia's women play Football Manager against Pakistan, the Women's Under-19s World Cup is underway with Pakistan front and centre, and Peggy Collins has a middle name. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 4.89 - Edward Greggs Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. 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 Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff on babysitting duty, and is the perfect guide through Indian mythology and princely states. Does any of it relate to cricket? You'll find out. We also try to unravel some cryptic clues and the movie Tenet, which are equally confusing. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 1.30 - Mark Dixon & Daniel Price. 8.16 - Ramaswamy 3.76 - Dan O'Sullivan 5.78 - Jack Rule 2.56 - Ajay & Simon Ward 5.67 - Jon Rees & Bala Sivaraman 2.12 - Mike Brader & Alan Edgar Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 16: Ok, that's not really her middle name (yet) but we're working on it. The Final Word family has grown by one. Who knew when we told that great story about 1930s leg-spinner Peggy Antonio on Story Time 100 that Rachel and Adam would have a Peggy of their own? Well, they probably did, but it's a nice surprise for the rest of us. Also this week, squads for the next women's World Cup and the Australian men's India tour, farewell to Norma Whiteman as she was when she played for Australia, umpiring on low catches, bad light problems, and a lot more action with run-outs at the non-striker's end. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 4.46 - George Pearson Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 5: It's all over! We watched the rain for four days but it was all worthwhile for this thrilling... draw. Oh well, what do you do? Luckily there were many fun moments for us to tell you about. Go on. And the sun came out. Win, win, win. (Draw.) Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 4: After a full day of rain, we got back on the field again. Meaning we recorded the show again: on the politics of declaring near milestones, umpiring consistency, and some otherworldly bowling spells. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword 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, Adam's baby may be arriving before the end of the show, but podcasting has to be done. We have important facts about Teddy Hoad and the 1911 Test in Adelaide to relate! Some triumphs and disasters, some bookends, and a long-pursued answer is run to ground. Got any baby names? Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 1.49 - Jason Wilkins & The Real Patch Clapp 1.55 - Bill Apter 16.10 - James Ralston 2.79 - Scot Munroe 16.43 - Francis Keepfer 17.70 - Ben Woolgar Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Sign up to hear about the Lord's Taverners projects to help kids: bit.ly/tavssignup. Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 2: Steve Smith day! Yet another one of them. The guy who just kept making hundreds has started being almost as relentless as he once was. Here was another, on the day that Usman Khawaja sauntered towards a double, and Travis Head cut sick. Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 1: Lots of rain, but a fair bit of cricket, and two life's constants were on show: Labuschagne runs, and Labuschagne luck. And eventually some bad luck too. The wind tunnel that we plunged into in the second half of this episode was to show you what conditions were like outside the SCG when we recorded. (Also the primary audio failed.) Plan your Melbourne moment at www.visitmelbourne.com Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 13, Ep 15: It's New Year's Eve! And as per Final Word tradition, we gather for a look back at the year that was. The good, the bad, the highs, the lows. It was an eventful one. Also this week we wrap up the many Test matches that were happening round the world, and give you an explainer of the Australian cricket broadcast rights negotiations and their ramifications, as well as the scenarios that could happen in the World Test Championship. Your Nerd Pledge number for this week: 11.32 - Fake Patch Clapp Send us 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