The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj discuss the first week of IPL 2026, focusing on the things that reinforced their pre-tournament views and the things that have surprised them so far. We start the show with another shout out to Amelia Kerr, after her stunning 179* guided the White Ferns to a record-breaking chase against South Africa, before moving on to the IPL coverage and the most recent match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Kolkata Knight Riders.. For SRH, it was a story of two innings on the batting side of things, with the Travishek combo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head getting them off to a flyer, before a flurry of wickets meant Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy had to rebuild, but they did it in fine style. With the ball, run outs proved to be the most important factor, as we talk about some positive signs from Nitish Kumar Reddy & Angkrish Raghuvanshi and the pressure starting to build on Cameron Green. As we start to look back to the week that was, it's Cooper Connolly who takes centre stage after he starred in Punjab's win against Gujarat. We examine why people are so excited about his potential, and what this means for the PBKS season. Next, attention turns to the Rajasthan v CSK game, which saw Nandre Burger & Jofra Archer blast out the CSK top order before Vaibhav Suryavanshi and a moustachioed Yashasvi Jaiswal made light work of the chase. Are RR better than we expected? Or are the Chennai Super Kings fans in for a tough, tough season? The Delhi Capitals bowlers are the next group to receive praise from the Top Order team, after their performance against LSG. Lungi Ngidi's slower ball, Kuldeep Yadav's trickery and Axar Patel's craft all played a huge role in knocking off the LSG firepower before an impressive partnership from Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs saw them home. To round out the show, we highlight strong starts from RCB and the Mumbai Indians, who look set to challenge for the title yet again in 2026 with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma & Ryan Rickelton all looking in top form. We'll be back in your feed again in another week or so with more cricket news, including plenty of IPL news and the upcoming NZ tours. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:30 Amelia Kerr stars for the White Ferns 2:30 Sunrisers v KRR review 4:40 Nitish Kumar Reddy 6:50 KKR injuries have hit hard 11:35 Cameron Green 14:25 Cooper Connolly stars for PBKS 23:45 Rajasthan look like they could be fun 26:40 CSK look like they will struggle 30:15 Delhi's bowling attack looks excellent 35:30 RCB & MI's strong starts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss an interesting week in the world of cricket, which saw the IPL begin with RCB's win over SRH, New Zealand Cricket approve (in-principle) the formation of a new T20 franchise league & more details emerged about England's post-Ashes review. We start the show with game 1 of IPL 2026 - the Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the defending champion RCB. The match played all the hits - big sixes, quality catches and big names - but it was a big Kiwi who stole the show with Jacob Duffy grabbing three quick wickets in the powerplay for RCB and then earning himself a well-deserved rest after 7 overs of the contest. We discuss the impact player rule, Virat Kohli's shot of the tournament, bowling concerns for SRH, Phil Salt's catching and a scattering of other IPL news including an injury to MS Dhoni and Ben Duckett's withdrawal. As we move to New Zealand, we breeze past South Africa's white-ball tour only really name-checking Ben Sears & Amelia Kerr, and spend the majority of this segment wondering how the proposed NZ20 franchise league would work and whether there's enough time to get things up and running for January 2027. To round out the show, we discuss England Cricket's post-Ashes review, which has seen the Stokes/McCullum combination retained . . . at least for now. We talk about whether anything is likely to change, whether it needed to change and why the Bazball style might not have suited the current England squad in the same way that it seemed to energise the group only a few years ago. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including some IPL game reviews and the upcoming NZ tours. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 RCB v SRH 2:45 Impact players 6:30 Story of the powerplays 8:20 SRH bowling concerns & RCB batting highlights 12:15 Jacob Duffy 15:10 Catching 16:10 Other IPL news: Dhoni, Cummins, Duckett 23:15 Black Caps v SA 27:50 NZ20 approved, but what now? 42:00 Ashes review over - McCullum to stay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu are back in the same room again (almost all of us) to kick off the IPL 2026 coverage with a bumper preview show in two parts. This is part two, in which we previewing the fortunes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru & Mumbai Indians. We're straight into it this time around to discuss an SRH side that was much hyped in 2025, but never really found a run of performances to get themselves in the playoff picture. Once again, though, the team looks built around power, with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen set to lead the way. But can the bowling hold up until Pat Cummins arrives? Next up is CSK, a team that Stu was surprised to see ranked so highly. We talk about the youthful look to their potential lineup, which could include the likes of Ayush Mhatre & Dewalt Brevis to supplement the old heads like offseason recruit Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Shivam Dube. We also wonder whether Matt Henry will get an extended run of games, and how many MS Dhoni moments we might see in 2026. For GT it looks like business as usual. Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan & Jos Buttler at the top, with stars like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna with the ball. There was some debate about who might fill out the overseas roles, with Kagiso Rabada, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder & Tom Banton all in the mix, but all in all they look a team set to be hard to beat again in 2026. RCB return to the IPL as defending champions, but potentially without the services of Josh Hazlewood for a decent chunk of the tournament. We talk about how much his absence could hurt them, the impact of Bhuvi Kumar and Krunal Pandya in 2025, plus whether they'll find room for Jacob Bethell and which overseas player might have to sit out as a result. There's also a bit of Virat Kohli chat, given his excellent form in recent times. The Mumbai Indians are short-priced favourites, and it's hard to find many flaws in their potential lineups. They're stacked with Indian stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, & Tilak Varma, and the overseas players aren't too bad either. We talk about the questions facing their side. Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton? Can they fit both Will Jacks & Mitchell Santner into the lineup? And how fun is it to watch Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah bowl in tandem? To round out the preview, we make our predictions! Overseas MVP, local MVP, purple cap, orange cap, top 4, bold predictions and our picks for who will be calling themselves champions come the end of the season. We'll be back in your feed again at the end of the week to discuss the start of the tournament and a few other things going on in the world of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Sunrisers Hyderabad 10:20 Chennai Super Kings 19:30 Gujarat Titans 28:10 Royal Challengers Bengaluru 36:30 Mumbai Indians 44:05 Tournament predictions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu are back in the same room again (almost all of us) to kick off the IPL 2026 coverage with a bumper preview show in two parts. In this episode, we start by previewing the fortunes of the Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. We start with a Baldy explainer, before moving straight into the team previews. This year we decided to count down from outsiders (based on the a random betting agency - don't blame us) to the favourites to discuss what excites us about our chosen teams, the key questions facing each side and whether we think they'll be in title contention come the business end of the tournament. First up is RR, in which Binksy highlights their young side, but buries the lead to the big question about Vaibhav Suryavanshi and how much hype will surround the young star this season. We also discuss the loss of Sanju Samson and ponder whether Riyan Parag's side is in rebuild mode. Next is LSG, where the conversation quickly turns to their powerful projected top 4 of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran & Rishabh Pant. Will they be able to carry the batting load on their hefty shoulders? Will Wanindu Hasaranga play a role in the tournament? And will we see a fully fit Mayank Yadav steaming in again? For KKR it's a sad day for Binksy to look at the lineup and see no Andre Russell, but Sunil Narine remains and a host of New Zealanders have arrived to boost the overseas stocks. The question remains, which ones will actually take the field? Will Finn Allen thrive? And how much has Harshit Rana's injury dented their chances? The Delhi Capitals are up fourth, and Stu is excited about their chances in 2026. The addition of the likes of Pathum Nissanka, David Miller & Lungi Ngidi, plus the spin trio of Axar Patel, Vipraj Nigam & Kuldeep Yadav makes the team an intriguing proposition on paper. But will they have the local batting depth to turn that intrigue into wins? To round out part one of our preview, Raj takes a look at 2025's beaten finalists, the Punjab Kings, who return with a lot of familiar faces from the team that performed so well in the previous season. There's Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh at the top, overseas allrounders like Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai & Marcus Stoinis, plus Arshdeep Singh & the spin duo of Yuzi Chahal and Harpreet Brar with the ball, making them a very balanced side. So why are they not more favoured in the betting odds? We'll be back in your feed again in 24 hours with the second episode of our IPL 2026 Preview. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:20 IPL 2026 Explainer 7:25 Rajasthan Royals 15:00 Lucknow Super Giants 21:05 Delhi Capitals 28:10 Kolkata Knight Riders 35:10 Punjab Kings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which was played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad between the Black Caps of New Zealand and the 2024 champions India. We start with our instant reactions to India's dominant performance that made them the first team to win back-to-back titles at the Men's T20 World Cup. It's a tough one as Black Caps fans, but all credit to India for the way they played without fear in three crucial matches to finish the tournament and go all the way. There's praise for Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top of the order, as we wonder what - if anything - the Black Caps could have done to stop the Indian batting blitz. For New Zealand there was a brief moment of joy when Jimmy Neesham grabbed three wickets in an over, but Shivam Dube's flurry to finish meant the home side took all the momentum into the innings break. Tim Seifert made a nice start, but once Axar Patel struck with the key wickets of Finn Allen and then Glenn Phillips, it was always going to be tough work for the Kiwis. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 4-15 to claim the player of the match, while Sanju Samson was named player of the tournament. So there we have it - a month of high-quality cricket and plenty of fun for us on the show. New Zealand hearts broken again and India well deserved back-to-back champions in this edition of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. We'll be back to regular programming at the weekend to look back at the tournament and look ahead to what's next. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:35 New Zealand v South Africa 25:15 India v England preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

n this episode of the show we’ll review the aftermath of a brutal display of batting from both England and India which saw 499 runs scored in a T20 semi final where India prevailed by 7 runs thanks to 89 from Sanju Samson and a world class bowling performance from Jasprit Bumrah who was the only bowler to concede less than 9 runs an over in the contest. We also look forward to the final on Sunday with Binksy trying to goad Raj into admitting New Zealand have the momentum from their crushing victory over South Africa. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:40 India Innings 11:29 England Innings 23:32 Where next for England 25:49 The Final Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at the first semifinal of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which was played at Eden Gardens between the Black Caps of New Zealand and the Proteas from South Africa. We start with our instant reactions to a remarkable reversal of form as New Zealand crushed South Africa thanks to an excellent bowling performance and a dominant display by the openers, highlighted by Finn Allen's record-breaking century from just 33 balls. There's praise for the bowling group of Cole McConchie, Lockie Ferguson, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry and Jimmy Neesham, and we re-live the incredible hitting on show as Finn Allen and Tim Seifert powered New Zealand to a nine-wicket win inside 13 overs. We also reflect on South Africa's disappointment after what had been such a fantastic tournament for them up until this game. To round out the show, we also look ahead to the second semifinal between England and India at Wankhede Stadium. Who will meet the Kiwis in Ahmedabad on Sunday? We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:35 New Zealand v South Africa 25:15 India v England preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have our semi-finalists as the last episodes of the drama series that is the Super8 stage concluded with a double feature overnight as South Africa put away Zimbabwe and India got home in their game against the West Indies. The India x West Indies was a virtual quarter-final decided by one man as Sanju Samson played the innings of a lifetime to anchor India in chasing down 199 in the final over. In a game that hung in the balance for so long a few key moments here and there proved the difference as Baldy and Raj broke down terrific batting performances by both sides. In an interesting aside Baldy and Raj break down the balance of the Indian side going forward as Axar went unused with the bat and only five bowlers were used. Is there another gear that India can go to with a tweak to their lineup? For the West Indies this concludes a terrific tournament for them - they've come oh so close to a semi-final berth but it is India that is through to the semis against England. We also recap the South Africa x Zimbabwe encounter. South Africa made several changes all of which seemed to pay off against Zimbabwe as Maphaka and Nortje made telling inroads with the ball early. Sikanda Raza did everything to keep Zimbabwe hopes alive but South Africa proved too strong with too many options in the end. Looking ahead to the semi-finals. What needs to go right for New Zealand to get ahead of South Africa? Baldy seems to think that Phillips will have something to say. The showdown at the top of the order between Seifert and Allen versus the length bowling of Ngidi and Rabada looms as a key moment. For India and England, which superstars from either side will step up in what promises to be an enticing affair? Will we see the best of Buttler and Abishek who have been quiet all tournament? We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wow. What a nail-biting encounter between Sri Lanka and Pakistan overnight. From record-breaking partnerships, to stunning collapses for both teams, to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Dasun Shanaka playing out a memorable last over, this match had everything. There was so much to talk about - almost too much for Raj and Baldy to handle in the immediate aftermath of a match that had so much to play for for Pakistan. In the end, Sri Lanka getting past 147 with a few overs to spare had Pakistan hopes vanquished and New Zealand hopes alive as the semi-finalists have been decided and Stu's blood pressure can creep back down to normal levels. What looms is a potential encounter in the semi-finals between New Zealand and South Africa. With Matt Henry heading home temporarily there's a little up in the air for New Zealand. Raj and Baldy dissect their chances and what will need to go right for New Zealand as they head back to India for the business end of the tournament. Before we get to the semi-finals there's the small matter* of the final Group 1 games between South Africa and Zimbabwe and India and the West Indies. For South Africa, it's got to be business as usual, but Zimbabwe have proven themselves dangerous and will play with nothing to lose. Their key players have already stood tall in the tournament to date and this is no lay down misere for South Africa. But the India versus the West Indies game is the big one - in essence a Quarter Final where the winner stay on and the loser exits the tournament. Do West Indies change their team? Should Hossein come into the line-up for the West Indies? Will Roston Chase play given how many left-handers India have? Raj and Baldy break down all the things that will need to go right for the West Indies to stop this Indian juggernaut from rolling through to the knockouts. * Kidding - these games are a huge deal. We can't wait. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at Day 21 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which was a crucial day for Group 2 in the Super 8s, as the Black Caps of New Zealand took on England in Colombo. We start the show with pure emotion, as the boys react to the late drama that saw England snatch victory with three balls to spare. The Black Caps did a lot right throughout the course of the game, with Finn Allen and Tim Seifert setting a strong platform, Glenn Phillips looking good with the bat, but when Adil Rashid bamboozled Mark Chapman first ball after drinks, momentum swung back to England. With the ball in hand, it was a brilliant start from Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson as England lost two wickets inside the first two overs. But contributions from the middle order left England within striking distance, and boy did Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks strike. The 18th over, bowled by Glenn Phillips, proved crucial, as the pair added 22 to the score and then finished the job with three balls to spare. The result confirms England's spot as top qualifier from the group, while the Black Caps have a nervous 24 hours to wait to see if they're flying back to India or home to New Zealand. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to the final Group 2 game, between Pakistan and the hosts Sri Lanka. They discuss the permutations needed for semifinal qualification, and how both sides might approach the match. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:35 New Zealand v England 26:05 Sri Lanka v Pakistan preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at Day 20 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which was a huge day for Group 1 in the Super 8s, featuring South Africa against the West Indies and India taking on Zimbabwe. We start the show with a bang, then it's straight into the action to discuss a South African victory against the West Indies that leaves them as the only unbeaten side left in the tournament and the one grabbing the tournament favourites tag. There's plenty of praise for Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch with the ball, plus Aiden Markram and friends with the bat, but Baldy is slightly concerned by the amount of chances they are shelling in the field. For the West Indies, they simply never got going today, and all eyes turn to the final game of the Super 8s, which has essentially become a quarterfinal against India. In the second game of the day, India made a couple of changes to their lineup, and then that batting lineup fired to post a score of 256. Everyone made contributions, from Abhishek Sharma at the top to Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya at the finish, in a reminder of how destructive they can be as a group when they get going. For Zimbabwe, Brian Bennett starred again, his unbeaten 97 littered with some fantastic cricket shots in a performance that deserved a hundred. But in the end, thanks in part to another excellent spell from Arshdeep Singh, India got the chocolates and keep their World Cup dreams alive. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to the Black Caps' game against England, in which a win will see them secure a semifinal spot and top Group 2. It's not likely to be easy, though, with spin expected to play a big part again in Colombo and with the threat of England in their way. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:25 South Africa v West Indies 16:00 India v Zimbabwe 28:50 New Zealand v England preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices