The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Stu and Raj preview the IPL tournament, covering Mumbai, Punjab, Rajasthan, RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Wall-to-wall T20 cricket is about to begin, with the IPL followed by the T20 World Cup and in this episode (part 2 of 2) we focus on five teams, discussing squad news, why each team can win, potential weaknesses, key players and predicted finishing order. We also give our overall tournament predictions, including semi-finalists, champions and the winners of the purple and orange caps. Teams covered are: Mumbai Indians: Mumbai have arguably the best batting lineup in the competition, stacked with local talent. There's the return of Hardik Pandya and what that might mean for the harmony of the side with him taking the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, plus a few question marks about their spinners - but does that even matter when Jasprit Bumrah is in your side? Punjab Kings: There's an English flavour to this squad, with Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran all set to feature during the tournament. Add the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada and Harshal Patel to that and the bowling attack looks solid, but can Shikhar Dhawan and co score enough runs to take them to the playoffs? Rajasthan Royals: T20 opening partnerships don't get much better than Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, and the addition of Shane Bond to the coaching staff has the New Zealanders excited for 2024. There's great spin depth, batting firepower and lovely Trent Boult, but where are the allrounders? Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli! Faf du Plessis! Glenn Maxwell! Cameron Green! Mohammed Siraj! The RCB lineup won't be short on matchwinners, but who will fill the fourth overseas spot in the XI? And will their bowling lineup be able to defend anything under 200? Sunrisers Hyderabad: It was a busy auction for Daniel Vettori and the Orange Army. Pat Cummins joined as captain, plus Travis Head and Wanindu Hasaranga to round out a remarkably strong collection of 8 overseas players. Which four will they choose from game to game? We debate this, plus discuss whether Umran Malik can get back to his best, how much we'll miss Dale Steyn's hair and whether Captain Cummins's golden run is set to continue in 2024. We'll be back again regularly during the tournament with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 Mumbai Indians Preview 12:52 Punjab Kings Preview 22:50 Rajasthan Royals Preview 33:15 RCB Preview 43:40 SRH Preview 54:15 Predictions 1:02:00 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Stu and Raj preview the IPL tournament in two parts, starting with CSK, DC, GT, KKR and LSG. Wall-to-wall T20 cricket is about to begin, with the IPL followed by the T20 World Cup and in this episode (part 1 of 2) we focus on the first five teams (by alphabetical order) to discuss squad news, why each team can win, potential weaknesses, key players and predicted finishing order. Teams covered are: Chennai Super Kings: New Zealand eyes are focused on the fortunes of new Black Caps' recruits Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra - will they become CSK fan favourites? We also debate how damaging Devon Conway's injury will be and, of course, whether MS Dhoni will lead #WhistlePodu to another title. Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant's return is filling all the headlines, but is it fair to put so much expectation on his shoulders? There's also talk about the Australian connection, the spin strength of Kuldeep and Axar, and whether young players like Kumar Kushagra and Yash Dhull will have a positive impact. Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya is gone, but there's still plenty of experience in this squad as they look to return to a third consecutive final. We discuss the impact of Mohammad Shami's injury, try to figure out which overseas players will best balance the side and whether Spencer Johnson has a big role to play. Kolkata Knight Riders: Binksy's old favourite Andre Russell is back for another campaign, but can they improve on last year's 7th placed finish? We're excited to watch another Rinku Singh season, and there's excitement about a spin attack that could include Suyash Sharma alongside Varun Chakaravarthy, but what about the seamers? Lucknow Super Giants: The not-just-regular giants have made the playoffs in both of their two seasons, but there are plenty of questions leading into this upcoming campaign. How fit is KL Rahul? Can Shamar Joseph light up the tournament? And can Deepak Hooda get back to the form that saw him earn an international call up? Look out for part 2, which will release in 24 hours' time, in which we'll discuss the Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. We'll also predict our semi-finalists, winners and leading wicket-taker and runscorer. We'll be back again regularly during the tournament with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 2:00 CSK Preview 12:50 Delhi Capitals Preview 23:40 Gujarat Titans Preview 33:45 KKR Preview 44:00 LSG Preview 54:20 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss the second Test between the Black Caps and Australia, as well as some parting thoughts on the India v England series. Fresh from day 4 at Hagley Oval, we give our initial reaction to a see-sawing Test that saw Australia win by 3 wickets and secure at 2-0 series victory. We talk about a match-defining partnership between Alex Carey and Mitchell Marsh, ask if Australia's bowling attack is their best of all-time and give praise to Matt Henry for his efforts during the series. There's also praise for Ben Sears, plus questions about Steve Smith as an opener and New Zealand's game management in the second Test. In the second half of the show, we move to the India v England series to discuss Rohit Sharma's captaincy, the future of Bazball under Stokes and McCullum and which young Indian players might have a long-term future in the Test side. We'll be back again next week with an extended IPL preview, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 1:22 Black Caps v Australia immediate reaction 4:09 Australia's ruthlessness and patience 7:09 Is this the Australia's greatest ever bowling attack? 9:00 New Zealand's bowlers 11:40 Ben Sears 14:45 Matt Henry's impressive series 16:00 Alex Carey and Mitchell Marsh 18:25 The Steve Smith question 21:40 New Zealand's missed opportunities 24:20 India v England 25:30 Rohit Sharma's captaincy 32:00 Questions about the Bazball approach? 38:25 Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep - who can stick in this Indian side? 43:40 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss the 5th and final Test of England's tour to India, which saw the home side record a dominant victory to celebrate Ravichandran Ashwin's hundredth Test. We start the show by discussing the English reaction to a heavy defeat, and which players might face questions leading into their home summer. Then of course there is huge credit to India - batters such as Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have shown that the future is still very bright for India, while the experienced spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav got better and better throughout the series to pick England apart on their way to a 4-1 series victory. To finish the show, there's a word for Jimmy Anderson, who took his 700th Test wicket in his 187th match. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 0:35 Deflating way for England to end series? 11:00 Huge credit to India - Gill, Jaiswal, Ashwin, Kuldeep 20:35 Jimmy Anderson's 700th wicket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the first two days of the final India v England Test, and day one of the Black Caps v Australia at Hagley Oval. Ravichandran Ashwin took 4 wickets in the first innings of his hundredth Test, but it was Kuldeep Yadav who stole the show with 5 delightful dismissals as he ripped out England's top order. When it was India's turn to bat, centuries for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, plus fifties for Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Devdutt Padikkal have put India right on top at the end of day two. At Hagley Oval, the Black Caps won the first hour, but then Josh Hazlewood's relentless pressure took its toll and New Zealand crumbled to 162 all out. Matt Henry showed his class again, and Ben Sears bamboozled Steve Smith, but a return to form for Marnus Labuschagne edged Australia towards parity with six first innings remaining at stumps. We'll be back again in the next day or two with more news from both tests, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 Day 1 at Hagley Oval - Black Caps skittled again 1:45 First hour of the day - Tom Latham looking fluid 3:55 Quality seam bowling, led by Josh Hazlewood 5:35 Australia's relentless pressure with the ball 7:50 Is Marnus Labuschagne back? 9:05 Ben Sears debut, a good selection? 11:20 Baldy's high standards 13:00 Hopes for day 2 15:55 India v England 16:55 Which of these English spinners will stick? 20:05 How many of the young Indian batters will be there once Kohli and Rahul return? 23:00 Kuldeep Yadav's fab five 26:40 Hopes for day 3 29:05 Natural variation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, we're all back in the same room to discuss the Black Caps' demoralising loss to Australia at the Basin Reserve, as well as a preview/review of the 4th and 5th Tests between India and England. We start the episode with some initial thoughts from the Kiwi contingent about the pain of another Test loss to Australia - a game where New Zealand showed signs they could compete on days 1 and 3, but crumbled on the even days on their way to a very familiar scoreline against their Trans-Tasman neighbours. There's plenty of praise for Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon, as well as Matt Henry and Glenn Phillips who provided the positives from a New Zealand point of view. We also discuss the make up of a Black Caps bowling attack in transition, a seemingly indestructible quartet of Australian bowlers, the impact of injuries and the form of Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey. In the second half of the show, we look back at the 4th Test between India and England, which saw India secure a series victory in Ranchi. Was it a missed opportunity for England? Or do India deserve all the credit for winning the biggest moments of this series. We touch on crucial performances from Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill, highlighting their composure under huge pressure. Joe Root's hundred demonstrated his class, but India's spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav made life difficult for England in the third innings and turned the match back India's way. Finally, we preview the 5th Test in Dharamasala - potentially the hundredth for Jonny Bairstow and Ravi Ashwin - with an eye to conditions and how England may look back on this series when all is said and done. We'll be down at Hagley Oval in a few days' time at the second Test between the Black Caps and Australia, so expect plenty of content from that match and also the final India v England Test. As always, we really appreciate everyone who takes 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 0:55 A demoralising loss for the Black Caps 3:50 Do New Zealand have a mental block against Australia? 5:10 Why is it so hard to clean up the tail? 6:50 Cameron Green delivers under pressure 9:25 Nathan Lyon - the GOAT gets even GOATier 12:40 Australia's bowling group 15:55 Glenn Phillips - better than a part-timer? 17:00 Selection questions 19:35 Ben Sears in line for a Test debut 25:35 Concerns about the form of Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey? 28:35 Changes for the second Test? 32:20 India v England 4th Test review 33:50 Missed opportunity for England? 37:20 England's bowling attack 40:00 Let's talk about the Ollies 43:30 Dhruv Jurel and Ben Foakes 47:35 Shubman Gill answering questions 48:38 India's spinners 50:15 What's going to happen in the 5th Test? 56:30 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Stu and Baldy look ahead to one of the most anticipated Test series of the year - at least here in New Zealand - the Black Caps v Australia. We also discuss the Neil Wagner's retirement from international cricket in the lead up to the first Test, which starts on Thursday at the Basin Reserve. We start the show with a tribute to Neil Wagner, who announced his retirement on Tuesday here in New Zealand. His impressive record and statistics speak for themselves, but with Wagner it was always the things that don't show up on the scorecard that spoke the loudest. We discuss his outstanding spell as a Test cricketer and how he'll be remembered in the coming years. Attention then turns to the upcoming series. Can the Black Caps overcome injuries to Kyle Jamieson and Devon Conway, and a lean history of success in this fixture to defeat the Aussies on home soil? Will Kane Williamson maintain his incredible run of form against a bowling attack featuring Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon? Are the likes of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne vulnerable in New Zealand conditions? What will the New Zealand bowling attack look like? And do Australian fans even care about the series at all? Plus we make our predictions as we look ahead to this rare occasion on the eve of the first Test. We'll be back again soon with more news and views, including a review of the 4th Test between India and England, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Finn Allen, 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 1:10 Neil Wagner retires! 3:50 Will Neil Wagner go down as an NZ Cricket great? 7:25 Squad news - Black Caps bowling attack 10:05 Mitchell Santner or Scott Kuggeleijn for the final spot in the XI? 11:35 Australia's settled lineup 12:45 Devon Conway ruled out of the first Test with thumb injury 13:55 What does this series mean for both sets of fans? 21:55 Why do people still doubt this Australian side? 25:45 Key matchups - Black Caps' seamers v Smith, Labuschagne and co. 32:25 Key matchups - Can New Zealand's batting lineup stand up to this experienced Australian attack? 34:00 Will Nathan Lyon be a factor in this series? 36:40 How important is Kane Williamson's performance for New Zealand's chances of victory? 41:15 Prediction time! 47:30 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, there's plenty of ground to cover as the cricket calendar continues apace. We recap India's big win against England in the third Test and look back at the Black Caps' first-ever series win against South Africa - with one eye on the upcoming Tests against Australia. There were many impressive performances during the third Test between India and England: Yashasvi Jaiswal's second double-century in as many Tests (including a record-equaling 12 sixes!) Hundreds to Rohit Sharma and Ben Duckett A hundred AND a 5-wicket haul for Ravindra Jadeja Entertaining debuts from Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel Which all led to a big win for India as they defeated England by a record margin. We discuss the key moments and the aftermath and reaction to Bazball's biggest defeat, as well as potential changes for the 4th Test, which will see Jasprit Bumrah left on the sidelines. In the second half of the show, we return to New Zealand to look back at a historic Test series for the Black Caps, which saw them win the Tangiwai Shield and secure a series win against South Africa for the first time in their 92 years of trying. There was a record-breaking debut for Will O'Rourke, Kane Williamson gave us another demonstration of his greatness, while Dane Piedt and David Bedingham combined to make it a much tougher assignment than many people predicted. To round out the show, we touch briefly on a last-ball thriller in Wellington, which saw Tim David steal the show, as well as an Annabel Sutherland masterclass against South Africa. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 0:48 India v England 3rd Test review 1:31 Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks records on his way to another double century 5:55 The topsy turvy nature of the game 8:07 Does Joe Root need to dial back the gears? 11:55 Was the backlash to Bazball justified after this heavy defeat? 16:00 England's batting collapses - can Jonny Bairstow return to form? 18:00 Ben Duckett's highlight-filled hundred 21:35 Sarfaraz Khan's impressive debut 26:45 Should substitutes be allowed during a Test? 29:22 4th Test Preview: Will the pitch spin big from ball one? 30:40 Any changes to the two sides? 32:22 Binksy's breaking news: England names their XI 34:05 How can England bounce back? 36:35 Black Caps v South Africa Test series review 39:32 Worries for New Zealand: are Tom Latham and Devon Conway under pressure? 46:35 What will the Black Caps do at 5/6/7/8? 50:00 Will O'Rourke's record-breaking debut in the shadow of Kyle Jamieson's injury 52:50 Is Kane Williamson NZ's GOAT? 59:55 Dane Piedt and David Bedingham shine for South Africa 1.02:05 Australia win the first T20i against the Black Caps 1.04:25 Tim David's heroics 1.06:20 Black Caps to watch in games 2 and 3 1.09:05 Annabel Sutherland shines in Australia's big Test win against South Africa 1.13:00 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Binksy discuss the recent Test matches between India and England, and New Zealand against South Africa. India levelled the series, and the pitches so far have made for two excellent Tests - but why are England proving such a tough opponent for the home side and their star-studded spinners? There's plenty of chat about England's approach, the young spin trio of Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, Yashasvi Jaiswal's double hundred, Shubman Gill performing under pressure, Ben Foakes' wicket-keeping and of course the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah. As we move to New Zealand shores, there's praise for the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner, but is there anything to be learned from a series against a clearly under-strength South African side? And should the points even count towards the World Test Championship? We also gaze ahead to the next Tests in both series, with Daryl Mitchell looking at an extended absence for the Black Caps, plus Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja likely to return for India. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 Baldy look back at 2 epic test matches. Starting at The Gabba we discuss Shamar Joseph’s heroics in an historic win for the West Indies, which brought both Baldy and Brian Lara to tears but for different reasons. We then crossover to Hyderabad to review an amazing 1st test between India and England, which saw England’s debut spinner Tom Hartley go from zero to hero with his 1st ball disappearing for 6 off the bat of Yashasvi Jaiswal but his final ball winning the game and seeing him finish with figures of 7-62. We also discuss selection permutations for the 2nd Test. Who will replace KL Rahul and Ravi Jadeja and will England hand a debut to Shoaib Bashir to replace the injured Jack Leach? Will we also see a return for Jimmy Anderson and when will Virat Kohli be back? Finally, in true Top Order Podcast fashion, we make our predictions for the 2nd Test, which will be out of date at the hint of a tweaked hamstring. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 watching 0:00 Intro 5:14 How big is the hole that David Warner leaves? 10:30 Introducing Shamar Joseph 17:07 Are Aussie carrying Cam Green? 21:00 India V England 24:00 Were Abu Dhabi preparations vindicated? 29:25 Should India have batted England out of the game in 1st Innings? 30:52 Tom, Jack, Joe and Rehan, England's spin quartet 39:20 India changes for 2nd test? 43:40 England changes for 2nd test? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Stu and Baldy journey from Hyderabad to Adelaide and East London before we return to Aotearoa New Zealand while we review the week that was and look ahead to a full schedule of Test cricket just around the corner. We start the show with the recent news from the India v England series, which has seen the withdrawal of both Virat Kohli and Harry Brook from at least the first two Tests, and the visa concerns for Shoaib Bashir, which may well have cost him a Test debut. We also discuss reports suggesting England might line up at Hyderabad with Mark Wood as the only seamer in the side. It's off to Australia after that, to discuss the home side's victory in the first Test against the West Indies. We saw runs for Travis Head, wickets for Josh Hazlewood and a comprehensive win for Australia, but it was a West Indian debutant, Shamar Joseph, who earned at least some of the limelight after his performance in Adelaide. There's also a nod to Jake Fraser-McGurk's selection for the upcoming ODIs, plus praise for Josh Brown and his exploits for the Brisbane Heat in the BBL. After a quick detour to South Africa to talk about Matt Rowe, Mankads and the under-19 World Cup, we return to New Zealand to talk through selection options for the Black Caps as they prepare for the Proteas' Test tour. How much does South Africa's squad diminish the interest levels? Who should keep wicket for New Zealand if Tom Blundell isn't fit for the first Test? Should the Black Caps also give opportunities to fringe players? Is Devon Conway human after all? And is this a big series for Neil Wagner? We'll be back again next week with more news and views, including recaps of the India v England and Australia v West Indies Tests, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Finn Allen, Sophie Devine and Rachin Ravindra, 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, Stu and Baldy look ahead to the five-test series between India and England, which starts on 25 Jan and takes us right through to March. We open the show by discussing how much has changed since the previous series between these two sides in India in 2021, when a struggling England side won the first Test convincingly, before the hosts bounced back in a big way to secure the Anthony de Mello Trophy. We analyse the squads and the biggest selection questions - Bairstow or Foakes? Bharat or KL Rahul? - plus outline the key battles that could determine the series. Can Joe Root improve his already impressive numbers in India? Will Axar Patel destroy England once again? How will Rohit Sharma react to Bazball? [Note: This was recorded before the news broke that Harry Brook and Virat Kohli would miss at least part of the series for personal reasons] Finally, in true Top Order Podcast fashion, we make our predictions for the series result and individual performances. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at the week that was, including the T20 action between the Black Caps and Pakistan, and India v Afghanistan. They also share their thoughts on Day 1 of the Australia v West Indies Test match, which saw the first glimpse of Steve Smith as an opener. After three games of the T20 series between New Zealand and Pakistan, the Black Caps have already secured the silverware, thanks in large part to consecutive displays of batting carnage from Finn Allen. We discuss the enormous sixes, his game-changing potential and whether this run of consistent performances can be the start of a breakthrough year. We also chat about New Zealand's fast bowling stocks, after impressive performances from Adam Milne and Ben Sears alongside Tim Southee, plus the injury to Kane Williamson and the criticism directed towards Babar Azam despite three consecutive 50s. To round out this short episode, Stu admits his Shivam Dube error, Baldy gets angry about Australia despite a dominant first day against the West Indies and we get our first look as Steve Smith the opener. We'll be back again in a few days with an extended preview of the India v England Test series, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at the Australia v Pakistan Test series, as well as the Black Caps white ball squad to face Pakistan with one eye on the T20 World Cup later in the year. David Warner's long farewell to Test cricket came to a conclusion with at least some parts of the fairytale playing out as scripted at the SCG, but what now? Baldy's fired up about the decision to move Steve Smith to the top of the order and the omission of Cameron Bancroft, but aren't we headed for another Test series sweep as the West Indies begin their Australian tour? There's praise for Aamer Jamal, Shan Masood and the Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, plus we try to unpack why the Aussies are so dominant on home soil. As we return to New Zealand, we discuss the Black Caps' T20 squad to face Pakistan, which has a much more experienced look to it than the recent series against Bangladesh. Will that lead to more convincing performances on the field? And what questions are still to be answered in the coming months as Gary Stead and the selectors look ahead to the T20 World Cup in June? There's mentions for Super Smash standouts like Nathan Smith and Tim Robinson, discussion about where Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra currently fit in the Black Caps' T20 plans, plus Binksy's food and beverage recommendations for Eden Park. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, as well as a preview of the England v India Test series, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with the likes of Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Andre Adams, 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, Baldy and Stu get together for an unscheduled review of the South Africa v India Test series, which featured five days of fascinating cricket despite the short finishes and the 1-1 scoreline. Ball dominated bat throughout the two Tests, and pitches have stolen the limelight after the series ended with India winning the shortest Test of all time, but we also saw hundreds from Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram and KL Rahul, seam bowling at its very best from the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada, brilliant crowds, impressive debuts from Nandre Burger and David Bedingham, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in challenging conditions, 55 all out, and 6 wickets for the loss of 0 runs, followed by a piece of commentary from Ravi Shastri that will live long in the memory. We do eventually discuss the pitches and why they proved so difficult, particularly the surface at Newlands, plus South Africa's Test side to tour New Zealand, whether it is signals the death of Test cricket and a whole lot more in this extended conversation. We'll be back again in a few days' time with more news and views, focusing on the Australia v Pakistan series and the New Zealand summer, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all enjoyed some rest at the end of 2023 and are now looking ahead to what 2024 might bring. From a cricketing point of view, the calendar looks very full with plenty of intriguing series and tournaments to look forward to. In this episode of the show, we discuss the series, players and tournaments we're most excited about in 2024, including: The Black Caps' home summer, which features Tests against South Africa and Australia. The England Test tour to India, possibly the biggest challenge yet for the Bazball era. The T20 World Cup and Australia's quest to hold the major men's ICC trophy in three different formats. The impact of the USA co-hosting the T20 World Cup and the 20-team format. What the year might hold for Glenn Phillips, for Jimmy Anderson, for Cameron Green and many others! We'll likely be back to our regular This Week in Cricket shows from next week, with news and views on topics such as David Warner's Test farewell, the India v South Africa series and the New Zealand home summer, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

Happy Holidays! It is the festive season - a time to reflect on the year gone by, so we did exactly that in this review of the 2023 calendar year. We discussed our highlights, such as: Australia's world title success for both the men's and women's sides The men's ODI World Cup as a whole The double Ashes Controversies involving Angelo Mathews, Alex Carey and the Long Room Along with some individuals who stood out for their impressive performances and achievements during the year: Daryl Mitchell Nat Sciver-Brunt Travis Head Stuart Broad And many more! We'll be back again next week with a preview of 2024, focusing on some of the things we're most looking forward to for the year ahead, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Tim Southee, 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

The IPL doesn't start until the end of March, but the news cycle has already begun with huge trades and big paydays for some at the 2024 mini auction. In this episode of the show, we take a look at the auction night activity of all 10 teams, including: Record-breaking fees for Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. Sunrisers loading up on overseas players, adding Hasaranga and Travis Head to Cummins and their already impressive lineup of stars. The Chennai Super Kings transformation to CSK New Zealand as Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra join Mitchell Santner and Devon Conway under the leadership of Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni. Mumbai Indians grabbing two young stars of the World Cup in Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madushanka - but is everything okay in the camp after the Hardik Pandya trade? Other key trades, involving Cameron Green, Avesh Khan and Devdutt Padikkal. Rishabh Pant's potential return for Delhi. And much more! We'll be back again next week with a review of the 2023 cricket year, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Finn Allen, 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, Baldy and Stu look back at the week that was, including the Black Caps' Test victory against Bangladesh, the build up to the Australia v Pakistan series, England Cricket news and other bits and pieces that caught our attention. We start by discussing Glenn Phillips and his heroics at Mirpur, which saw New Zealand pick up their first points of this World Test Championship campaign in challenging conditions. There's praise for his approach, his partnership with Mitchell Santner and a conversation about what this performance might mean for his next 12 months across all formats. Eventually the conversation turns to the pitch, and the contrasting comments made by Tim Southee and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Was it fun to watch? Or was it the worst pitch ever? Or was it fun to watch because it was the worst pitch ever? There are also mentions for Ajaz Patel, a nod to conversations about where this win ranks alongside other wins for the Black Caps in Tests away from home, and some excitement towards the end of the episode about a potential ODI debut for Will O'Rourke as the two sides shift countries and formats to do it all again in a matter of days. Our next stop on this cricketing journey is Australia, where pitches have been in the spotlight as well in Geelong and at the Manuka Oval. We talk about who might replace David Warner for Australia when he finally does sail off into the sunset (in Tests at least) and whether there's any chance Pakistan can make this upcoming series a competitive one. England's white-ball squad are in the West Indies, but Binksy was excited to discuss the recently announced Test squad to tour India, which features two uncapped spinners in Tom Bartley and Shoaib Bashir. There's also brief mentions of the BBL, a Jofra Archer sighting, the upcoming India v South Africa Test series and more as we bounce around a wide range of topics. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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, Raj, Stu and Binksy discuss Bangladesh's win in the first Test against the Black Caps, the India v Australia T20 series, the first West Indies v England ODI, Mitchell Johnson's war of words, a rough week for the White Ferns, Rahul Dravid's extension and even a little bit of Ford Trophy news as we look back at the week that was. The first half of the show is focused on the Black Caps, after they made a disappointing start to their World Test Championship campaign at the hands of Bangladesh, who spun their way to victory thanks to a 10-wicket haul for Taijul Islam and an impressive century from captain Shanto. We discuss expectations for this New Zealand side, where they are as a Test team right now, the role that spin played in the outcome of the match, player development and team selection, including the Rachin Ravindra v Henry Nicholls conversation that has been a big talking point over the past week. We also give praise to Kane Williamson for his first-innings century and the bright red cherries all over the middle of his bat. From there we bounce around a few of the bilateral white-ball series across the world to talk about: Quick-fire hundreds from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Glenn Maxwell in the 3rd T20 between Australia and India. A Shai Hope century in the West Indies. Separate coaches for different formats - do the early returns suggest it is working? Rahul Dravid's extension Pakistan's T20 wins against the White Ferns. We also touch on Mitchell Johnson's comments about David Warner, a big hundred from Finn Allen and much more in this wide-ranging conversation. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Tim Southee, Sophie Devine and Ajaz Patel, 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

The World Cup is over but the cricket rolls on and we're back to review the week that was and look forward to what's to come. In this episode of the show, we discuss the India v Australia T20 series, in which we've seen Steve Smith at the top of the order, Rinku Singh making a big impact from a small number of deliveries and the talent of Yashasvi Jaiswal on full display. The IPL is fast becoming a year-round enterprise, and the most recent news has been all about retentions, releases and trades, with Cameron Green and Hardik Pandya on the move before the auction on December 19. By the time you're listening to or watching this episode, the first Test between the Black Caps and Bangladesh will be well underway, but Binksy, Stu and Raj took a wider look at the New Zealand draw for the World Test Championship cycle to talk through realistic goals and where the team needs to evolve over the next few years. We finish the show with a whizz around a number of different topics, including Babar Azam stepping down from the Pakistan captaincy, Uganda's big win at the African T20 qualifiers, the stop clock, Georgia Plimmer's hundred and the eye-catching nature of every Zak Foulkes highlight. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is over, with Australia securing their sixth title, beating a fantastic Indian side in the final. In this episode of the show, we bounce around a range of topics to review the tournament as a whole, including: Was this Australia's most unexpected white-ball title? How will this win change Pat Cummins' legacy? What does the future hold in white-ball cricket for the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? Is the 10-team round robin the best format for an ODI World Cup? Is ODI cricket broken? What changes would we make? We also discuss our individual highlights from the World Cup, and attempt to pick a tournament team that includes at least one player from each squad, which inevitably leads to further discussion about the performance of each country against the expectations we had prior to the tournament. We'll be back again next with more news and views as the cricket calendar rolls on, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

After 45 pool games and two semi-finals, the Big Dance is finally here: Australia, India, Ahmedabad, 130,000 people in the crowd and more than a billion watching from afar. In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu look review the final, discussing the key players and moments. We talk the toss, the powerplays, Pat Cummins as a bowler and a captain, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Travis Head's catch and his innings, Marnus Labuschagne's tournament and the hurt the Indian players and fans must be feeling after what has been a brilliant World Cup up until this point. But of course, the spoils go to the victors, so there's plenty of praise for Australia and the way they built into this tournament after a difficult start, and produced their best performance when it mattered most. We'll be back again in a few days' time to look back at the tournament as a whole and shine a light on some of our favourite moments. 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

After 45 pool games and two semi-finals, the Big Dance is finally here: Australia, India, Ahmedabad, 130,000 people in the crowd and more than a billion watching from afar. In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look ahead to the final, discussing the key players and match ups, each side's path through the tournament and predict how the game will be won. Rohit Sharma v Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood Australia's middle order v Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja Adam Zampa v Virat Kohli David Warner & Travis Head v India's fiery pace trio Plus the pitch, the crowd, the joys of a knockout game and plenty more! We'll be back again after the final to review the game and crown the champions. 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the second semi-final between Australia and South Africa. After a tournament filled with huge scores and sixes raining down from the sky, we were transported back to 1999 for a low-scoring thriller which saw Australia move into the final after a 3-wicket win. Baldy, Raj and Stu discuss the key moments and performances: The opening spell from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood A fightback partnership from Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller The initial attack from David Warner and Travis Head The nervy finish as South Africa's spinners and Gerald Coetzee kept taking wickets. We also discuss South Africa's tournament as a whole, praise Australia's pathway to the final after being written off after two games, and plenty more in this penultimate daily review. We'll be back again later in the week to look ahead to the final, and then to review the big dance between India and Australia at Ahmedabad on Sunday, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the first semi-final, between India and the Black Caps. The hours before the game were filled with social media controversy about the pitch, but out in the middle it was a run-fest as India piled on nearly 400 at the Wankhede. From Rohit’s fast start to fantastic innings from Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer that will be overshadowed by Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI century, it was a brilliant display of batting from the home side. Was there anything the Black Caps could have done to slow down India? But even with that mammoth score, New Zealand’s chase gave India a scare thanks to a Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson partnership that put them in within striking distance before Mohammad Shami put an end to that with a remarkable 7 wicket haul that sent India to the final. We'll be back again tomorrow to review the second semifinal between Australia and South Africa, but until then please also 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 chats with former World Cup stars 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

After 39 days of pool play, the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 has reached the business end of the tournament, which means there was time for all of us to get together in-person to look ahead to the semi-finals. It was great fun to be back in the same room together, with plenty of laughs alongside reflections about the tournament as a whole and where these two big games will be won. How do you beat this Indian side? Can New Zealand's top 4 of Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell put pressure on this incredible Indian bowling attack? Will the Black Caps look to target Kuldeep Yadav? Mohammed Siraj? Who will win the battle between Trent Boult and Tim Southee and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? Are Australia peaking at the right time? Will South Africa's powerful batting lineup, featuring the likes of Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock, continue to dominate this Australian bowling lineup? Do Australia have a powerplay problem? Is there room for Marnus Labuschagne? Can South Africa overcome their semi-final hoodoo and bury the ghosts of 1999? Is the semi-final format fair? And much, much more! We'll be back again on Thursday and Friday mornings (NZ time), to review both semi-finals, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the final match of the pool play, between India and the Netherlands. A flat wicket and a dominant Indian batting performance saw the final match of the pool play become a run-fest as first Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, then Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul all enjoyed their time at the crease in Bengaluru. Raj and Stu discuss sixes onto the roof, Teja Nidamanuru's day out, India's sixth bowler, the Netherlands campaign and India sweeping the pool play with impressive performance after impressive performance over the past 5-6 weeks. We'll be back again tomorrow with our preview of the semi-finals (India v New Zealand and Australia v South Africa), but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 38 double header games between Australia v Bangladesh & England v Pakistan. In the early game, Bangladesh were sent in at Pune and reached 306-8, with contributions from young players Shanto, Tanzid and Hridoy, but in the end it wasn't nearly enough as Australia chased it down with plenty of time to spare thanks largely to a big daddy hundred from Mitchell Marsh. Binksy, Baldy and Stu also discuss Adam Zampa, some time in the middle for Steve Smith and what that means for Marnus Labuschagne. Millions of people all around New Zealand turned on the TV for the all-important toss between England and Pakistan, and cheers of joy erupted when Babar Azam called incorrectly and Jos Buttler chose to bat. As the celebrations eased, the game began and England reached 337-9 thanks to fifties from Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Joe Root, plus a late flurry from the lower order. David Willey struck early to remove both openers, Adil Rashid spun one through the gate and England sealed their spot in the Champions Trophy as Pakistan fell a long way short to end the match and their tournament. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 37 match between Afghanistan and South Africa. Both teams have now completed their group stage, and it's probably fair to say that both nations have exceeded their expectations thus far. South Africa were pretty clinical in their victory, but a niggling injury to captain Temba Bavuma could spell trouble ahead of their 1999 semi-final rematch with Australia. Raj and Baldy break down this game and preview both Australia x Bangladesh and England x Pakistan features tonight, including the all important toss in the England x Pakistan fixture that all New Zealand fans will be tuning in for. Breaking news then on the Top Order Podcast as the ICC announced that cricket in Sri Lanka is suspended... We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 36 match between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka. With the threat of rain in the forecast, Stu was delighted when Kane Williamson won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat. From there, things went pretty much to script for the Black Caps (aside from a few wickets towards the end of their chase), with early wickets to Trent Boult and another Mitchell Santner masterclass highlighting the bowling effort. Baldy and Stu discuss the positives and the areas still to tidy up for New Zealand, plus all the permutations for Pakistan and Afghanistan as their task to pass the Black Caps to secure a semi-final spot became much tougher after this result. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 35 match between England and the Netherlands. To say the English campaign hasn't gone to plan is a bit of an understatement. And batting first at 192-6, many fans might have felt another disappointing result was on the way. Enter Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, who combined for a 129-run partnership to propel their side to 339-9 - a score that would ultimately prove too big for the Netherlands to chase. Binksy and Stu talk through the key performances of the game, more unforced errors for the Netherlands, Champions Trophy qualification and what might be next for England's white ball setup. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 34 match between Australia and Afghanistan. Glenn Maxwell is remarkable! 201* out of a total of 293, taking Australia from 91-7 to an incredible win. Baldy and Stu break down the key moments, giving praise to Ibrahim Zadran and Pat Cummins, but really just waxing lyrical about a performance from The Big Show that may well be the greatest ODI innings of all time. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 33 match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Charith Asalanka scored 100 for Sri Lanka as they posted 279 batting first, but that proved not enough as impressive contributions from Najmul Shanto and Shakib al Hasan saw Bangladesh home. The game also included another major talking point, when Angelo Mathews was timed out. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the top of the table clash between India and South Africa. Two top sides, at Eden Gardens among a sea of blue shirts - this game had all the ingredients for an epic encounter. It didn't quite pan out that way, but for all the Indian fans who invited themselves to Virat Kohli's birthday bash it'll be a day they remember for a long time. We talk ODI records, dream deliveries, Rohit Sharma making statements, Ravindra Jadeja's all-round contributions and much more as we break down another dominant win for India. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson and chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 31 double-header, featuring the Black Caps v Pakistan and England v Australia. The boys are a bit flat this morning after a remarkable game of cricket in Bengaluru, which saw New Zealand score 401-6 off their 50 overs but lose to Pakistan via DLS after they finished at 200-1 after 25.3 overs. We talk gut punches, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mohammad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman, selection and more as we try to unpack the result. In the second half of the show, Baldy breaks down an Australian performance that all but assures them of a semi-final spot. We discuss Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa, Adil Rashid, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Miller's match report for ESPN Cricinfo and much more, before a quick word on tonight's top of the table clash between India and South Africa. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 30 match between Afghanistan and the Netherlands, which saw Afghanistan win their third consecutive game to keep their semi-final dreams alive. Baldy and Stu discuss the lack of close games throughout the tournament, unforced errors from the Netherlands and the unsung heroes of Afghanistan's campaign - Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi. There's also talk about the big weekend ahead, with New Zealand's game against Pakistan shaping up as a potential quarterfinal and the verbal jousting between Australia and England about to play out on the field. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 29 match between India and Sri Lanka. India have been in top form so far in this tournament, cementing themselves as title favourites. Could Sri Lanka do anything to halt the home side’s momentum? Or would we see a repeat of the one-sided Asia Cup final? As it turns out it was deja vu all over again as India piled up another massive score, then routed Sri Lanka for 55. Even in this one-sided content there were some highlights for Sri Lanka as Dilshan Madushanka picked up his maiden five-for, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav. But was that enough to win him the coveted CricInfo MVP award? The plaudits keep coming for Mohammad Shami, but Raj, Baldy, and Binksy cannot agree on the best bowler for India. At any rate, can anyone beat India come knockout games? Finally, Raj and Baldy put their proverbial supporter hats on and don the stethoscopes as we look at the rising injury toll for Australia and New Zealand and what impact that might have on the balance of both sides for their respective games at the weekend... We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 28 match between South Africa and the Black Caps. The game started well for New Zealand when Tom Latham won the toss and Trent Boult picked up an early wicket, but from then on South Africa took charge thanks to a 200-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen. New Zealand's run chase against Australia had commentators and fans holding out hope they could do it again, but Marco Jansen dismissed Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra inside the first 10 overs and wickets continued to tumble as the Black Caps limped to a heavy defeat. Stu and Baldy talk tosses, sixes, run rates, injuries and the outlook for both sides in the run home to the semi-finals. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 27 match between Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was a must-win game for both teams, but the result seemed decided within a few overs of the match, with Shaheen Shah Afridi knocking the top off the Bangladesh order. We discuss what that means for Pakistan's semi-final chances, and what they still need to improve to click into top gear. Raj and Stu also look ahead to a big game for the Black Caps as they prepare to take on South Africa after back to back losses and with the injury concerns starting to pile up. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 26 match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which saw Afghanistan keep their semi-final hopes alive with an all-round bowling performance and fifties from Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai that ultimately led to a comfortable victory. Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss all that plus wrong-uns through the gate, what's next at this World Cup, Champions Trophy qualification and also try to make sense of England's struggles so far. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our latest conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 25 match between India and England. The home side are unbeaten, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and co looking unstoppable so far in this tournament, but they face an England squad who came to India as one of the tournament favourites. England began like it's 2019 and for a while there Willey and Woakes had England fans believing they'd found the fun again. But all that is old is new again for Indian captain Rohit Sharma who put away the swashbuckling starts he's been treating us with to steer his side to 229. A total that proved just too much for England to compete with. In the second half it was all praise for Japsrit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami - two excellent spells left England with too big a mountain to climb. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 24 double header featuring Australia against the Black Caps and Bangladesh v the Netherlands. Clashes between Australia and New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup never disappoint and this was no exception. 771 runs, only 5 the difference at the end of the game, and so many turning points to talk about. It wasn't a perfect performance from either side, but flaws make for great heroes. From Rachin Ravindra to David Warner, from Travis Head to Darryl Mitchell, and Glenn Maxwell to Jimmy Neesham, it was mostly batting that won praise from Baldy and Raj in this recap. But who can forget the great spell from Glenn Phillips! Good things happen in threes folks - tune in tomorrow for what could be a hattrick of great encounters following England and India... We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 23 match between Pakistan and South Africa. The Proteas batting lineup has been on fire, particularly Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen, whereas Pakistan come into this game fighting for their tournament lives after recent disappointing results. Could they turn things around? Or would South Africa continue their march towards the finals? We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 22 match between England and Sri Lanka. Both sides have performed well below their own expectations so far in the tournament - a must-win game for England and Sri Lanka in order to keep their semi-final chances alive. Who would seize the opportunity? Sadly for Binksy, not England. Three changes to reinstate the all-rounders missing from the last up defeat did nothing to resurrect the campaign of the defending champions. England were in the game in fits and starts, but it was Sri Lanka that took home the chocolates and welcomed the evergreen Angelo Mathews back to ODI cricket. Both sides still have plenty of work to do, and for England a lot relies on Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler finding some form. Binksy and Baldy turn their eye to the weekend and another exciting fixture list that could sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of the teams vying for semi-final spots. But the question remains - can anyone catch Virat, Rohit, Jasprit and this Indian side? We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent conversation with Mike Hesson, and chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 21 match between Australia and the Netherlands. The Netherlands have equipped themselves well in this tournament so far, but it was all about Australia today as they improved their chances no end with a record-breaking performance led by the fastest century ever in a men's World Cup by Glenn Maxwell and a second consecutive hundred from David Warner. There was also runs for Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, while Adam Zampa's slight dip in form seems to be over as he cleaned up the tail to bring Australia home. Baldy, Binksy and Stu broke down all that and more, including an exciting few days ahead for the tournament. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the match between South Africa and Bangladesh, which saw the Proteas post another massive score as they moved to second on the table. Bangladesh took two early wickets, but from then on it was the Quinton de Kock show, with great support from Aiden Markram followed by another destructive innings from Heinrich Klaasen. Mahmudullah fought hard, but the game was over long before it was officially over - and that all but ends any hope Bangladesh had of making the semi-finals. Is Raj convinced South Africa are the real deal now? Is Heinrich Klaasen the greatest finisher of all time? Why is Quinton de Kock retiring from ODIs after this World Cup? All that and plenty more is right here for your listening pleasure. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. We're no longer calling them upsets... Afghanistan were brilliant again overnight, defeating Pakistan for the first time and recording their second win in three matches. Afghanistan took full toll as their four spinners (yes, that's not a misprint) in Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmed, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi contained Pakistan to 282/7. Pakistan might be guilty of not remembering their homework as Afghanistan got off to another flying start, before bringing home a very professional run-chase that has Pakistan's World Cup aspirations teetering. From missing homework to England suddenly having hope again, Baldy and Binksy dissect another magnificent win for Afghanistan and the implications for the back half of the tournament. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent chat with Mike Hesson, and conversations with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the 21st match of the tournament, between the only two previously unbeaten sides - India and the Black Caps. The game was missing Kane Williamson and Hardik Pandya, but there were still plenty of stars on show in this top of the table clash, which saw India take the early advantage before a superb partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell gave New Zealand the perfect platform to launch. Enter Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and co., who fought back brilliantly to restrict the Black Caps to 274. When India walked to the crease, it was Rohit Sharma who set the tone for everyone to follow, and although New Zealand continued to pick up wickets, another Virat Kohli special and an important contribution from Ravindra Jadeja saw them home with two overs to spare. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent chat with Mike Hesson, and conversations with former World Cup stars 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

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is here, and the Top Order Podcast has you covered with regular game reviews and recaps. In this episode of the show, we discuss the Day 17 double-header, featuring matches between The Netherlands and Sri Lanka plus England v South Africa. Sri Lanka made inroads in the early game, but an impressive partnership between Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek gave the Netherlands a fighting chance - would it be enough to secure another win? There were changes galore in the second game of the day, with Temba Bavuma ruled out for South Africa and Ben Stokes, David Willey and Gus Atkinson returning to the English lineup as they searched for a change in fortunes in what shaped as a crucial fixture for both teams in the race to the semi-finals. We'll be back again tomorrow with more news and views, but until then please also 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 our most recent chat with Mike Hesson, along with conversations with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, plus 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