The Top Order

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 6 of IPL 2025, which saw the top 7 sides break away, Vaibhav Suryavanshi score a 35-ball century, Mumbai demolish Rajasthan, KKR win a final-ball thriller, Punjab secure a crucial two points against LSG, England name their first Test squad of the summer, and plenty more! We start this week by talking about Sunday's double-header, which saw KKR seal a nervy 1-run victory against RR to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, and Punjab Kings take a big step towards the semi-finals with an impressive victory against LSG. We spend a long time discussing Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cover drive, as well as the skill and quality of Arshdeep Singh as the battle for the Top 4 heats up. From there, we move to Stu's claim that this tournament is tracking towards a Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans final. Ryan Rickelton joined Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in the runs this week, while Trent Boult continues to take wickets alongside Jasprit Bumrah. For GT, it's the top 3 of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler who continue to shine alongside their balanced bowling attack led by Prasidh Krishna. We discuss how IPL form could lead to Test opportunities, and whether the upcoming match between these two sides could be a preview of the big dance. One side who haven't been flying high in 2025 is Sunrisers Hyderabad, and despite their tiniest of tiny chances of sneaking into the playoffs, we decide it is time to bite the bullet and discuss what went wrong this season. The short answer is everything, but without Baldy there to defend him somehow the conversation turns to whether Pat Cummins is a marquee player in T20 cricket and how SRH could look to improve their bowling attack in 2026. We round out the show by talking some Test cricket, thanks to England naming their first squad of the summer to take on Zimbabwe in a one-off fixture. The boys evaluate the squad, noting Ben Stokes on the comeback trail, an injury to Jordan Cox, a potential debut for Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir's inclusion and what bearing any of it could have for an exciting summer to come. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:35 KKR v RR - thrilling finish keeps KKR's chances alive 5:50 Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cover drive 12:30 Punjab v LSG - Arshdeep Singh's swing helps Punjab to crucial win 22:50 Are Mumbai and GT the best two teams in the tournament? 39:00 What's happened to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025? 50:00 England's Test squad to face Zimbabwe 54:25 Why has it taken Sam Cook so long to get a chance? 1:00:15 Shoaib Bashir's role Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy and Stu look back at week 5 of IPL 2025, which saw Mumbai and RCB make their moves, CSK start looking to next season and New Zealand Cricket invest in Major League Cricket in the USA. We start this week with a check in about RCB. It's been a strange season for them so far - less hyped than previous years, struggles at home, but with a lot of the players in key positions all delivering on what's required. We talk about Virat Kohli's quietly impressive stats, Josh Hazlewood doing the business, Tim David's finishing, Krunal Pandya's key moments and whether it's time to load up on RCB stock before it is too late. From there, we move to Mumbai's charge up the table thanks to Rohit Sharma's return to form, Suryakumar Yadav's consistency, a bag for Trent Boult and a bowling attack that looks so much more complete now that it features Jasprit Bumrah. Then it's time to bounce around a few different topics - from the top 6 teams putting a gap between them and the rest, to left-handed openers like Priyansh Arya and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the contrasting fortunes of teams like the Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. We round out the show with a discussion about New Zealand Cricket's investment in MLC in North America. Is international investment in franchise cricket a glimpse into the future of the game? How will it work in reality? Who could it benefit? Could we ever see something similar in the IPL? We'll be back in your feed again soon with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:50 Is it time to invest in RCB & Virat Kohli? 6:35 Mumbai Indians on the charge 10:25 Net Run Rate and the top 6 breaking away 12:45 Can we put a line through CSK and RR? 14:30 Are the Sunrisers also done? 19:25 Do CSK need to look to the future? 22:00 Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliance 23:35 Is 2025 the year of the specialists? 27:15 Priyansh Arya and the importance of composure 29:55 Why the hesitancy about DC? 36:15 New Zealand Cricket's investment in Major League Cricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 4 of IPL 2025, which saw a host of close matches, a few low scores, highlights from Jos Buttler, Mitchell Starc, Yuzvendra Chahal, a debut for 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi and plenty more. We start this week by talking about the remarkable debut of Vaibhav Suryavanshi for the Rajasthan Royals. There's talk about what we were doing at 14 and the confidence of youth, but also about what a missed opportunity this week was for RR to get themselves back into the tournament now that Yashasvi Jaiswal is firing. From there, we bounce around from the chances of the Mumbai Indians to go on a winning streak, CSK doubts, super overs and close games, Mitchell Starc yorkers and RCB's Josh Hazlewood tactics. There's also praise for Jos Buttler and the way he's adjusted to life at the Gujarat Titans, excitement from the Auckland studio about wrist-spinners and Yuzvendra Chahal in particular, before we start yelling at clouds about robot dogs, obscure applications of the laws of cricket involving Heinrich Klaasen's wicketkeeping gloves and we update our tournament winner predictions as the tournament passes the halfway mark. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Vaibhav Suryavanshi's debut at 14 years old 8:30 Rajasthan's missed opportunities 12:05 Mumbai Indians poised to swoop 15:15 CSK's win papered over the cracks 17:25 Close games, super overs and the 180-run sweet spot 22:20 Mitchell Starc & Josh Hazlewood bowling well 25:40 Gujarat Titans - Jos Buttler & co. continue to impress 33:55 Wrist spinners starting to shine - Chahal, Varun, Kuldeep 41:15 Robot dogs, rulebook badgers & Heinrich Klaasen's wicketkeeping gloves 47:15 Tournament predictions at the halfway point Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 3 of IPL 2025 through a stock market lens. Who are we buying? Who are we selling? And what are we watching with our fingers poised ready to pounce in the coming weeks? We start this week with an injury update - and it's not been good news both on the field for the Kiwis Lockie Ferguson and Glenn Phillips, and in the podcast studio, with almost all of us suffering from one ailment or another. Once things do turn positive, it's the Gujarat Titans who are first to receive praise - in particular Sai Sudharsan and the consistency he's shown throughout the tournament so far. We also talk about Punjab's Indian core and the golden duck to century turnaround for Priyansh Arya. Dr Jamie takes us through the mindset needed to succeed across a long tournament like the IPL, in which you're bound to fail along the way - perhaps more often than you do succeed. Next we talk about the Sunrisers Hyderabad after Abhishek Sharma's outrageous 141, which saw them chase down almost 250 and maybe kick-start their turnaround. Is it time to load up on SRH stock? Or are there still worrying signs? Things get dark when discussion turns to CSK - the intent has disappeared, no one is scoring runs and not even MS Dhoni cameos can really get the crowd excited any more. Can they turn it around? Or is it already time to sell all our stock despite it reaching an all-time low? To round out the show, we detour briefly to talk about Harry Brook's appointment as England captain, we talk Digvesh Rathi's celebrations, Vipraj Nigam establishing DC's spin trio & Nicholas Pooran's six-hitting prowess as LSG continue to impress. We expect to be back in your feed later in the week with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:00 Injuries to Glenn Phillips & Lockie Ferguson 4:45 Gujarat Titans - batting consistency & Sai Sudharsan 14:20 Punjab Kings - Indian batting core & Priyansh Arya's hundred 19:40 Sunrisers Hyderabad - we're back, baby! Abhishek Sharma & Travis Head go boom 29:15 Chennai Super Kings - what on earth is going on? 40:30 Digvesh Rathi's celebrations & DC's spin trio looking good 43:10 Harry Brook named England white-ball captain 48:15 Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant & Nicholas Pooran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at the two white-ball series between New Zealand and Pakistan, which the Black Caps won in dominant style - 7-1 across the ODI and T20s combined. We start the show as we mean to continue, with huge praise for NZ and the depth on display during the two series, but also with a big question to answer: Were the Black Caps fantastic or was Pakistan terrible? As things get specific, plenty of New Zealanders are thrust into the spotlight. Jacob Duffy is now the world's number-one-ranked T20 bowler, Ben Sears took back to back five-wicket bags and Will O'Rourke continues to impress. On the batting front, we saw impressive debuts from Muhammad Abbas and Rhys Mariu, Mark Chapman continued to take his opportunities, Mitch Hay produced an innings of real substance and Tim Seifert blasted his way to the Player of the Series in the T20s. Who are we most excited about? And when might there be more opportunities for these players to shine? To round out the show, there's also a word for Neil Wagner's fairytale finish - a five-wicket bag to seal the Plunket Shield for Northern Districts in his final first-class appearance in New Zealand. Legend. We'll be back in your feed in a few days to continue our IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:25 Black Caps v Pakistan - were NZ incredible or were Pakistan not very good? 4:40 Fringe players and returnees step up: Seifert, Duffy & Chapman 9:30 Younger players show promise: Mitch Hay, Muhammed Abbas, Rhys Mariu 14:55 Will O'Rourke & Ben Sears 15:55 Michael Bracewell leads from the front 16:25 Do we like the return of uncontracted players? 19:30 What do the next 12 months look like for NZ? 21:50 Fairytale finish for Neil Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at week 2 of IPL 2025 through a stock market lens. Who are we buying? Who are we selling? And what are we watching with our fingers poised ready to pounce in the coming weeks? We start on a positive note with praise for the Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals for their performances this week, as well as a shout out to the mega auction player reshuffle that has led to an unpredictable start to the 2025 edition of this tournament. As we move through the episode we hit on a number of other topics: Can DC keep up their good form? What's happened to Travis Head and the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting lineup? Are the Chennai Super Kings confused? And is MS Dhoni part of the problem? Is the impact player rule leading to fewer competitive games? Will the return of Jasprit Bumrah change the fortunes of the Mumbai Indians? Why isn't the fielding better? Is it time to reinvest in pace bowlers? And much more! We'll be back in your feed in a day or two with a NZ-focused episode looking back at the two Black Caps white-ball series against Pakistan. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:10 Buying: Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals & the unpredictable nature of the tournament 6:30 Can DC keep up this great form? 8:13 Selling: CSK - role confusion, batting struggles and MS Dhoni 14:15 Watching: SRH's slump - what's happened to their powerplay? 19:00 Are impact players leading to less competitive games? 26:15 Watching: KL Rahul and more DC stock 28:35 Watching: Jasprit Bumrah's return for MI 33:20 Sell: MS Dhoni & Rishabh Pant? 38:25 Sell: Fielding - why isn't it better? 45:05 Buy: Mohammed Siraj, Jofra Archer, Lockie Ferguson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at two midweek games: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans. We start by discussing the most recent game, which saw Gujarat spoil Raj's return to our IPL coverage with a dominant win in Bengaluru. Mohammed Siraj knocked the top off the RCB batting lineup and despite a recovery through the middle and a messy fielding performance from GT, it turned out that 169 wasn't close to enough. Sai Sudharsan set the platform for GT in the powerplay, before Jos Buttler's 73 guided them home. Next we move to Punjab's impressive win against LSG. There's talk about Shreyas Iyer's excellent run of form, PBKS's Indian core doing the business, LSG's absences, Nicholas Pooran's ball-striking and whether it's time to start worrying about Rishabh Pant's lack of runs. To finish, there's a quick look ahead to the upcoming SRH v KKR clash - a 2024 final rematch that now shapes as an important fixture for different reasons in 2025. We'll be back in your feed on Monday with our weekly IPL Buy/Sell/Hold show. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:20 GT v RCB - Siraj, Buttler & Sudharsan shine in big GT win 14:30 PBKS v LSG - Shreyas Iyer is on fire 33:50 SRH v KKR - Important game ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 1 of IPL 2025 through a stock market lens. Who are we buying? Who are we selling? And what are we watching with our fingers poised ready to pounce in the coming weeks? We start on a positive note, highlighting a balanced RCB side unbeaten at the time of recording thanks to a bowling attack featuring the quality of Josh Hazlewood and a top order that's firing thanks to Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajit Patidar and co. In the Buy section of the show there's also praise for Sai Sudharsan, MS Dhoni and wicketkeepers in general. We're watching the impact player performances and how that's impacting games and batting lineups. We're selling a star-studded Mumbai Indians batting lineup featuring Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and friends because we can't understand why they're continuing to struggle, and watching closely to see how much tinkering do with their teamsheet, tactics and batting lineup with the likes of Curran, Dhoni, Jadeja and Ashwin who could all slide up and down the middle order. To round out the show, there's chat about whether teams will score 300, how home ground advantage could play a role and if it is too early to be worried about Pat Cummins and his SRH bowling attack. We'll be back in your feed later in the week with more of a game review style show. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:00 Buy - RCB top of the table thanks to Hazlewood, Salt, Patidar & co. 5:05 Buy - Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, Jurel, Kishan, Buttler, De Kock, Pooran 7:05 Buy - Sai Sudharsan & GT's batting lineup 9:00 Watch - Impact player performances 17:50 Sell - Mumbai Indians - Why are they struggling with the bat? 24:05 Sell - Umpire review of wides 26:20 Sell - Do seam bowlers need more craft? 33:20 Sell/Watch - CSK's batting order Ashwin/Jadeja/Curran/Dhoni 37:45 Watch - Will we see 300 scored this season? 41:55 Watch - Is SRH's bowling lineup a concern? 45:05 Watch - Variation across venues Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at the opening game of IPL 2025, before diving into team by team previews of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. Recorded on Sunday 23 March, we start by discussing game 1 of the tournament, which saw RCB record an impressive victory against the defending champions KKR. New recruit Josh Hazlewood was excellent, as well as Krunal Pandya, as RCB restricted Kolkata from 100-1 to 174-8. Then it was Virat Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajit Patidar who took charge as the away side cruised to a comfortable victory in the end. Was that the perfect formula for RCB? Will they be able to repeat it enough times to make the playoffs in 2025? For the Delhi Capitals, there were questions around how much Harry Brook's decision to withdraw has left them short on options, plus a chat about the potential impact of spin duo Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Gujarat on the other hand have a big-name Englishman in the squad in the form of Jos Buttler, but do he and Shubman Gill have enough batting support to help out their well-balanced bowling attack? Punjab have completely overhauled their roster, with Ricky Ponting bringing in a host of his fellow countrymen to join Arshdeep, Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh, plus a new captain in Shreyas Iyer. Will the overseas matchwinners bring enough consistency to lead this team to the knockout stages? And will the young Indian talent like Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge and Nehal Wadhera perform well enough to give Punjab a wide range of options for their bowling attack? For Lucknow's not-just-regular giants, their strategy seems to have been to stack the batting with overseas talent and rely on a quality local group of seamers to assist Ravi Bishnoi with the ball. But have injuries to Mayank Yadav and co. already crushed their title dreams? To round out the show, the boys do their best to predict some playoff teams and give their pick for who will be lifting the trophy at the end of May. We'll be back in your feed at least a couple of times a week for the duration of IPL 2025. So if you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 RCB's win against KKR - a template for future success? 13:45 DC: Has Harry Brook's withdraw set them back? 23:15 GT: Do they have enough batting quality? 33:05 PBKS: A talented side, but what will it look like in reality? 44:30 LSG: Have injuries already curtailed their chances? 50:20 Prediction time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu kick off the IPL 2025 coverage by previewing the fortunes of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. We start with a Baldy explainer, and a quick chat about the impact of the mega auction, before moving straight into the team previews. We discuss what excites us about our chosen teams, whether that's particular players or team storylines, and whether they'll be in title contention come the business end of the tournament. First up is KKR, in which Binksy asks why they aren't favourites with the betting agencies, highlights the importance of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine again, as well as the talented Indian bowling core featuring the likes of Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora. There's also a word on Ajinkya Rahane taking over as captain. Next is Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which Stu gets excited about songs, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, the power-packed batting lineup and bowling reinforcements, before asking whether this team can go one better in 2025. For the Rajasthan Royals, the absence of Jos Buttler is the question on our minds. Without him and others, they look weaker and the betting agencies have written them off. But can Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and co. make those odds look silly when the winners medals are handed out at the end of May? The Mumbai Indians are up fourth, and Baldy proceeds with caution when discussing their favouritism with the bookmakers. Will the star-studded batting lineup featuring Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and friends deliver in 2025? Or will the absence of Jasprit Bumrah - for how long? - be too difficult to overcome with the ball in hand? To round out part one of our preview, Jamie takes a look at CSK, highlighting the plethora of options their allrounder-packed squad provides them. What role will Rachin Ravindra play? Will MS Dhoni continue his six-hitting exploits? And when the team does settle on a best XI, will it be strong enough to take them to the final? We'll be back in your feed again at the end of the week with the second episode of our IPL 2025 Preview. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 4:20 Impact of mega-auction on overseas fans 7:00 Kolkata Knight Riders 14:05 Sunrisers Hyderabad 21:30 Rajasthan Royals 28:50 Mumbai Indians 37:30 Chennai Super Kings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu felt like bouncing around a few topics in the aftermath of the Champions Trophy before the news cycle is dominated by the IPL. There's a bit of ODI format chat, then a quick check-in on the teams we support - Australia, England and New Zealand. The episode starts with a discussion about the Champions Trophy format and ODI cricket in general. Did the tournament make a convincing case that there's still life left in 50-over cricket? Or are ODIs too formulaic? If the number of bilateral ODIs are declining, is that a problem? Or does it make these tournaments more exciting? Was the jeopardy of knockout cricket something the World Cup should consider? Or is a longer tournament still the best way to find out who the best team in the world is? We round out the show by touching base in Australia to wonder whether any of the fringe players did enough to force their way into best XIs when Cummins, Hazlewood and co. return? Then in England to ponder on the white-ball captaincy after Jos Buttler decided to step down. And we finish by looking at New Zealand's home series against Pakistan, which saw the return of some familiar names in Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Jimmy Neesham and Ish Sodhi, but it was Kyle Jamieson who stole the show in the first T20 as the Black Caps powered to an emphatic win. We'll be back in your feed again later with the first instalment of our IPL 2025 Preview. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 Was the Champions Trophy fun? Is ODI cricket still in trouble? 11:50 Did Australia learn anything about their fringe players in the Champions Trophy? 15:25 Jos Buttler steps aside as white-ball captain - will he be replaced by Harry Brook or AI? 20:00 Black Caps v Pakistan - old faces return and Kyle Jamieson looks fantastic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Binksy, Raj and Stu look back at the tournament final between New Zealand and India. It's a tough morning for Black Caps fans as another ICC final ends in defeat, but for India it was congratulations all around as we saw a continuation of an astonishing run of form for their white-ball side - which has seen them as runners-up in 2023 and winners in 2024 and now 2025. We discuss the key contributions and moments - from Matt Henry's injury-enforced replacement to KL Rahul's calmness, Rohit Sharma's leadership, the quality (yet again) of this four-pronged Indian spin attack, Rachin Ravindra's tournament, the Black Caps' ability to stay in the fight even when it seemed like they were slightly behind for the majority of the game and much more. We'll be back in your feed next week - possibly to review the tournament as a whole, or maybe even look ahead to the IPL and the Black Caps white-ball series against Pakistan. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching throughout this tournament, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Binksy and Stu look back at the second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand, then glance forward to a Dubai final where the Black Caps will face the might of India. It was just about the perfect performance for New Zealand, with Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson both scoring hundreds to set up a platform from which Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell could put the icing on the cake. On the other hand, right when it looked like South Africa might do the same, Mitchell Santner ripped the heart out of the Proteas middle order, picking up Bavuma, Van der Dussen and Klaasen within a short space of time. David Miller scored a consolation hundred, but the Black Caps spinners continued to squeeze and booked themselves a date with India in the final. To round out the show, we discussed a couple of the key things to watch out for in that big dance, which sees the best two sides in the tournament line up in what we hope will be a classic final. We'll be back in your feed to review that final, and if you've enjoyed listening and/or watching throughout this tournament, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Binksy and Baldy reflect on a command performance by India as they cruise past Australia on their way to the ICC Champions Trophy final. Mohammed Shami set the early tone for India, and despite Australia trying to match India's strength by also selecting four spinners, the slow bowlers dominated Australia's batting efforts. Crucial chances cost Australia, but did they get the selection wrong? Baldy dissects some possible alternatives. India's batters come in for some praise from both Baldy and Binksy. What can stop India from picking up the silverware? Looking ahead to NZ and South Africa, Mitchell Santner's captaincy comes in for some praise, and the lads discuss where the second semi-final could be won or lost. Will Binksy and Baldy agree on the prediction for the semi-final? We'll be back in your feed tomorrow to recap the second semi-final. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Raj and Stu look back at the final group match of the tournament between India and New Zealand, then glance forward to the semi-finals. The Black Caps made a brilliant start in Dubai, with a quality opening burst from the seamers and some outstanding catching headlined by Glenn Phillips' screamer to dismiss Virat Kohli, but ultimately it was India's spinners who had the final say. We discussed the approach of both sides, how it might translate to the semi-finals and give praise to the efforts of Varun Chakravarthy among India's four-pronged spin attack and Kane Williamson's fighting knock. To round out the show, we look ahead to India's semi-final against Australia and New Zealand's game against South Africa. Will Varun play? Can NZ take wickets through the middle? Will Rohit and Shubman take the game away from Australia in the first 10 overs? How scared are we about Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller?! We'll be back in your feed to review the semi-finals and again for the final. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Jamie. Raj and Baldy dissect the disappointment of England's performance against South Africa. South Africa are on a roll with bat and ball, but do they have a selection headache for the semi? For England, their exit with a whimper raises questions for the future of white-ball Baz-ball. The hits keep on coming in this episode as Baldy lays into the Australian bowling attack for conceding 37 extras in 50 overs and ponders a crucial change to the lineup for the semis. Have Australia over-achieved by making it out of the group stage? In the final feel-good segment, the boys preview India and New Zealand. Who will have the best spin attack for the middle overs, and will each side hold back their trump tactics for a possible meeting in the final? Jamie gives us great insight into the psychology behind preparation for big matches. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow and again with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Binksy and Jamie discuss another ICC tournament catastrophe for England as they crash out in the group stages. They discuss England's batting order and bowling plans and the stand out performers for Afghanistan. They also take a look forward to the closing fixtures of the group stages and early thoughts on the knockout stage. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow and again with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Binksy, Raj and Stu review the Group A clash between New Zealand and Bangladesh, and look ahead to Australia v South Africa. On paper things looked fairly comfortable for the Black Caps, thanks in part to Michael Bracewell's 4-26, which helped restrict Bangladesh to 236-9. And despite a few nervy moments, a Rachin Ravindra hundred and a fifty from the calming presence of Tom Latham eased New Zealand to the top of the table and into the semi-finals. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow to review Australia v South Africa. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Baldy and Stu review the Group A clash between India and Pakistan, and look ahead to the Black Caps' upcoming match against Bangladesh. It was a fairly comfortable Indian victory in the end in what shaped as an important fixture for both sides. Babar Azam flashed his quality early on, but Hardik Pandya and the Indian spin trio chipped out wickets whenever they were needed. Despite a couple of quality deliveries to dismiss Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, once Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer built a partnership, it became clear the 240 was never going to be enough, with Kohli sealing his hundred, the win and India's spot in the semi-finals with the last shot of the match. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow to review the Black Caps v Bangladesh. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Jamie and Baldy cover rivalry round! England and Australia faced off overnight in the highest scoring game in Champions Trophy history, and preview the face-off between India and Pakistan tonight in the greatest rivalry in cricket. There were records galore in Lahore in a benign surface that had both sides looking like nine an over was gettable at any time. Duckett provided fireworks with the bat for 165, Joe Root did Joe Root things and for a few brief hours England held the record for the highest score in the Champions Trophy. For Australia, the not-so-household names shone brightest, and for Binksy and Jamie the solace of England-born Josh Inglis hitting the match-winning hundred will hold little comfort. England now face must-win games against Afghanistan and South Africa. For India and Pakistan the question on both Jamie and Baldy's minds was how much Pakistan could lift emotionally against India. India are almost certainly favoured in Dubai conditions, but can Pakistan pull out something special in the UAE in their home tournament? Like England, Pakistan are in win-or-bust mode for the rest of the tournament. With their backs to the wall, will this be when Pakistan's star shines brightest? For both pundits, the Indian spin strength in the middle overs will be where the game could be decided. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow and again with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Jamie and Stu look back at day 3 of the tournament, which featured a strong performance from South Africa against Afghanistan, and look ahead to the big clash between England and Australia on day 4. Ryan Rickelton led the charge for the Proteas with an impressive hundred as South Africa's batting strength was on full display despite the absence of Heinrich Klaasen. We talked about the run-rate implications, the ODI cricket template, pace-bowling tactics in this tournament and discussed English optimism ahead of their clash with the Aussies. Jamie Smith at three was the headline, but the battle between Archer, Wood, Carse and co. against Travis Head and Steve Smith should make for fascinating viewing. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow and again with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Champions Trophy is on and popping! India beat Bangladesh overnight, and Shubman Gill's hundred has Baldy happy. Shami gets a five-for, and Hridoy gets a hundred in a losing cause. India look strong, but are there trends emerging in the pitches that are important going forward? Raj and Baldy then preview the upcoming match between South Africa and Afghanistan. In the battle of spin, who will emerge stronger in a crucial group? We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with more Champions Trophy news and views. 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. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Raj and Stu look back at the first game of the tournament, between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand's Black Caps, which saw the visitors secure a clinical 60-run victory thanks to centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham, a quality all-round display from Glenn Phillips and a disciplined bowling performance.. We'll be back in your feed with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Jamie, Baldy, Binksy and Stu preview the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy held in Pakistan and Dubai. We start the show with one of Baldy's famous explainers, before discussing the favourites, the each-way chances and the outsiders. That means covering India, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in an attempt to predict who will lift the trophy on Sunday 9 March. Questions include: Can anyone stop Rohit Sharma's India? Do Australia deserve to be among the favourites after the loss of Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood & Co.? Have the Black Caps timed their run to perfection? Is this one tournament too early for an England white-ball side still under construction? Will the likes of Klaasen and Rabada power South Africa into the final? Can Babar Azam whip the home crowd into a frenzy? Are Ibrahim & Gurbaz going to repeat their T20 WC heroics? Do Bangladesh have any chance at all? And so much more! We'll be back in your feed with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Tournament explainer 3:55 India 14:05 Australia 25:10 New Zealand 34:50 England 44:40 South Africa 51:40 Pakistan 59:30 Afghanistan 1:04:55 Bangladesh 1:06:45 Tournament predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Jamie, Baldy and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including Australia's 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka, the England v India ODI series, a tri-series for the Black Caps, Champions Trophy injuries and some New Zealand domestic players we're keeping an eye on. We start the show by discussing Australia's 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka. Despite Baldy's worries about selection, it was another dominant performance from the Aussies at Galle - led by Steve Smith with the bat and in the field. We also talk about Dimuth Karunaratne's legacy in what was his 100th and final Test. Next we move to white-ball cricket, with England taking on India in ODIs. Results keep going India's way, thanks to an excellent return to form for Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja's craft & the all-round contributions of Axar Patel. There's also chat about England's batters, dot balls in the middle overs and what clues selections are giving us for the Champions Trophy. We then turn our attention to the tri-series between the Black Caps, Pakistan and South Africa, which has seen a stunning hundred from Glenn Phillips, a record-breaking debut from Matthew Breetzke and a mammoth partnership between Kane Williamson and Devon Conway. We discuss the importance of these fixtures and what we might be learning with one eye on the ICC tournament to follow. To round out the show, Stu gives a shout out to the Kerr sisters and the Boyle brothers, before sharing a few names he'll be watching for the remainder of the NZ domestic summer. We'll be back in your feed again next week with a full preview of the Champions Trophy. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:35 Australia's dominant win against Sri Lanka 2:35 Steve Smith at the top of his game again 4:30 Australia's spin bowlers did the business 8:10 Was Cooper Connolly's selection a mistake? 18:10 Alex Carey's hundred 19:05 Dimuth Karunaratne's retirement and legacy 23:30 India v England - any positives for England? 30:45 England remain a work in progress in white-ball cricket 37:25 Rohit Sharma's delightful return to form 42:40 NZ v SA and Pakistan - runs galore for Matthew Breetzke, Glenn Phillips, Kane Williamson & Devon Conway 48:00 Who will open the batting for the Black Caps in the Champions Trophy? 52:00 What have we learned from the tri-series so far? 56:20 Champions Trophy injury news 1:01:30 Super Smash winners and NZ domestic players to watch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Raj discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including the England v India T20 series, Australia's innings victories in the tests against Sri Lanka & India, plus a Sachin Tendulkar/Steve Smith stat-off to finish. We start the show by discussing Australia's WAshes victory and the fallout for an England side that has performed well below their own expectations. Will there be changes at the top? There's also praise for Alana King, Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner and more. Next up we move to India's T20 series with England. The show was recorded before India's crushing win in the 5th match, but the discussion around England's mixed performances shone through. There are question marks around the finishing and concussion substitutes, but plenty of positives for Varun Chakravarthy and also Hardik Pandya's leadership. After that we move to another big Australian victory - the innings win against Sri Lanka at Galle. We talk about the manner of the victory and the dominant performance, but of course Baldy is always looking for improvements from this Australian team. Usman Khawaja and Josh Inglis went big, but should Sam Konstas have played? How well did the Aussie spinners bowl? And what was Dhananjaya De Silva doing? To round out the show, it was a good old fashioned head-to-head battle as the boys discuss the records of Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Smith after the latter passed 10,000 runs. We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Australia's clean sweep of the WAshes 12:45 India's T20 series win against England 21:30 Concussion substitutes 36:15 Australia's dominant win against Sri Lanka 46:45 Should Sam Konstas have played? 56:45 The Sachin Tendulkar v Steve Smith stat-off! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including the England v India T20 series, Australia's dominance of the WAshes, whether there should be NZ teams in the BBL and a look ahead to Australia's Test tour to Sri Lanka. We open the show by discussing the first two T20s between England and India, mainly from an England point of view aside from a SRH fan club shout out for Abhishek Sharma. We talk about closers, Jos Buttler's role and England's reliance on Adil Rashid. From there we move to the Women's Ashes, which have been one-way traffic so far as Australia continue their dominant run that looks to be extending for yet another year on the international stage. Staying in Australia, we also talk about recent discussions in New Zealand about getting some Kiwi sides into the BBL. Would this be good for the competition? For NZ Cricket? For anyone? To round out the show, we look ahead to Australia's upcoming Test tour to Sri Lanka. With injury concerns on both sides and World Test Championship final spots basically secured, how much does this series actually matter? We talk about whether Australia will shuffle the likes of Travis Head and Usman Khawaja, the role Scott Boland could play in Sri Lankan conditions, what we might see from newcomers like Sam Konstas, Beau Webster and Cooper Connolly and Sri Lanka making the most of the Galle fortress. We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:35 England v India T20s - early impressions for England 6:55 Abhishek Sharma excitement & India's T20 dominance 8:10 England's finishers 12:15 The WAshes - Australia's dominance against England 24:00 Should there be NZ teams in the BBL? 39:30 Australia v Sri Lanka Test preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Raj, Jamie and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past couple of weeks, including the apparent proposal to change the Test structure to two tiers, India's 10-point plan towards team harmony, Champions Trophy news, James Vince, Pakistan spinning their way to victory against the West Indies and Jimmy Anderson's love for the game. We open the show by discussing the reports suggesting the boards of England, Australia and India are planning to start a conversation that could lead to a proposal to separate Test cricket into two divisions of seven. With a lot of details still to be determined, we talk about our initial reactions to the idea, how an ideal version of the proposal could work, who might benefit from it and ultimately whether it would be a step forward from the current World Test Championship. From there we move to white-ball cricket and the Champions Trophy, with India naming their squad yesterday. Mohammad Shami returns from injury with Rohit Sharma as captain and the experienced core of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and co. given an opportunity to go one better than the World Cup in 2023. We also discuss the BCCI's 10-point 'Policy Document for Team India', plus England's upcoming white-ball tour. To round out the show, we talk about pitches in Pakistan and batters around the world struggling against spin, the PSL window and how James Vince's decision could lead to more instances of the nomadic cricketer, plus a shout out to Jimmy Anderson as he looks set to return to Lancashire for the county season. We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show and hopefully the full crew back together. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:45 The two-tier test proposal 17:45 Champions Trophy squad news - India 20:30 The BCCI's 10-policy 'Policy Plan for Team India' 32:40 England's best XI for the Champions Trophy 42:15 Pakistan v West Indies - pitches and spin 54:00 James Vince & the PSL 1:03:45 Jimmy Anderson playing on with Lancashire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it's a Black Caps focused show as Raj and Stu look back at New Zealand's performances in 2024 take stock of where the side is at heading into a relatively quiet 2025. We open the show by reviewing the 2024 results, which paint a picture of a middling side that had a big gap between their best performances and their worst ones, before discussing a bowling attack that saw some big changes over the past 12 months with the retirements of Neil Wagner and Tim Southee, plus the emergence of the likes of Will O'Rourke and Ben Sears. We also discuss the spin stocks and whether this is an area of concern. As we move to the batting department, there's plenty to discuss - primarily the lack of runs by the majority of the core group of players. We talk about Devon Conway, Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson and many others, plus the central contracting system and how New Zealand Cricket are managing the competing pull of franchise leagues. To round out the show, we look ahead to a 2025 fixture list that looks quite bare after the Champions Trophy to consider where we'd like the side to be by the end of the year.. We'll be back in your feed again later in the week or early next with our regular This Week in Cricket show. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro: Black Caps' 2024 results 2:55 Thoughts on 2024 as a whole 6:20 NZ's pace-bowling refresh 10:50 Are the spin-bowling stocks a concern? 20:30 Batting depth 22:25 Devon Conway - are we still optimistic about his international future? 25:30 Tom Blundell & wicketkeeping position moving forward 29:55 Casual and central contracts 38:20 Will Young - can he cement a spot in 2025? 42:25 Glenn Phillips - what should his role be in this NZ side? 45:40 Rachin Ravindra's development 51:10 Kane Williamson's form and future 55:20 NZ's fixtures in 2025 and hopes for the year 1:07:22 Coaching situation and ideal potential candidates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it's an England-centric view as Binksy and Jamie review England's red- and white-ball performances in 2024 and look forward to a mouthwatering 10 tests against old enemies Australia and India in 2025. The boys dissect what they want to see as Bazball disciples and look at the personnel England should and might use in 2025. There is confidence in Joe Root, Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, but question marks surrounding Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and the fitness of talismanic skipper Ben Stokes. With no Baldy to respond, Binksy and Jamie dream of recapturing the urn in Sydney as they forecast the year 2025. The boys also discuss the dramatic decline of the England men's white-ball side and ponder whether a partnership of Brendon McCullum and Jos Buttler can revive fortunes in an ICC Champions Trophy year. If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We're delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again soon with a similar show focused on the Black Caps. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 4:30 expectations on our red ball team 11:19 Personnel and emerging talent 21:25 Looking ahead and bolter selections? 27:16 is The Ashes McCullum's Everest? 35:38 White-ball cricket: evolution or revolution? 45:23 Lifting the urn in 2025? Dare to dream? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj look back at the 5th Test between Australia and India, which saw the Aussies get their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in almost a decade and also book themselves a ticket to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa. We start by talking about the series as a whole. How impressive was Australia's response to a heavy defeat in the first test? Where did it all go wrong for India? Did the theatrics overstep the line? Why did the batters struggle so much in this series? And what's next for both these sides? There's a chat about Rohit Sharma's decision to step down from the playing XI and questions about the future for both him and the likes of Virat Kohli in the Test arena. There's also praise for debutant Beau Webster, Super Scotty Boland, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal and a whole lot more as we review this fascinating series that always holds a significant place in the cricket conversation. If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We're delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again soon with a couple of shows looking back at the year for the Black Caps and England and discuss our hopes for 2025. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Introduction 1:40 Australia's turnaround from defeat to dominance 5:55 Why did India struggle so much in this series? 9:45 India's batting woes 15:20 Was the cricket fun to watch? 16:50 Did the theatrics overstep the line? 18:55 Sam Konstas 24:10 Rohit Sharma's decision to leave himself out of the playing XI 29:25 Virat Kohli 34:15 Beau Webster's outstanding debut 38:55 Scott Boland takes 10-for 44:45 Jasprit Bumrah - player of the series 48:00 Any other positives for India? 49:30 India's Test lineup in the next WTC cycle 53:20 Australia's consistency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Raj react to Australia's win in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, as well as South Africa's win against Pakistan that makes them the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final. We start with some initial reaction to the Day 5 action in Melbourne as Australia secured victory against India. Was the decision to bowl Travis Head after tea a masterstroke? Did India get their tactics wrong? And what's going on with Rohit Sharma? Next there's praise for the young stars who shone brightly - Sam Konstas, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Yashasvi Jaiswal - as well as the old heads like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith & Marnus Labuschagne who provided the backbone for Australia's win. We also discuss Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance, whether he's getting enough support from the other bowlers, what India need to do to turn this around, and whether the Aussies need to consider changing a winning side for the Sydney test. We finish up with a discussion about South Africa's win against Pakistan, which books them a spot in the World Test Championship final. Is it great for the game? Does their path to the final justify their inclusion? Are they massively under-rated? And how do we process the fact that they played a second-string side against NZ and still qualified with a test in hand?! If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We're delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series and more. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Introduction 1:20 Australia v India Day 5 instant reaction - Travis Head turns the game 6:30 India's tactics 10:20 Rohit Sharma's frustration 15:35 Young stars shine - Sam Konstas 24:20 Is Mitchell Marsh under pressure? 27:15 Nitish Kumar Reddy's breakout hundred 31:30 Yashasvi Jaiswal continues to impress 36:45 Australia's experienced players stand up 45:00 Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance 50:15 How can India turn things around in Sydney? 57:00 South Africa make the World Test Championship Final Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Cricketmas time again on the Top Order Podcast! This week we have a very special episode* wrapping up recent Tests in Brisbane and Hamilton. Firstly to the Brisbane Test between Australia and India [0:00]. With both top orders struggling, we try to decipher which team has more rocks or diamonds. In amongst all the analysis and breakdown is the shock retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin that broke just minutes before we recorded on Wednesday 18 December. We pay tribute to a true great of the game and lament his non-availability for what promises to be two exciting Tests in Melbourne and Sydney with the series on a knife-edge at 1-1. Then it's time to wrap up both the England v New Zealand series from Hamilton [33:56] and the retirement of the great Tim Southee. Raj wants to maximise the remainder of Kane Williamson's career (don't we all) and we contemplate if Will Young has done enough to hold his spot going forward. On the England side, our northern hemisphere analysts discuss whether Ollie Pope has done enough to keep his spot, and how good Jacob Bethell could be going forward. From all of us at the Top Order Podcast, have a wonderful and safe holiday season! If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We're delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from the cricket world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. * We're not sure how it's special. It's special like all Christmas episodes are special we suppose. Except we don't sing. We truly value our listeners too much to do that... 0:00 Introduction 1:20 India v Australia - questions for the Aussies after rain disrupts play 21:55 Questions for India 27:40 Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement 34:00 Black Caps v England - NZ win the third Test 46:20 England's tactics and approach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Jamie jump online for an English Cricket check-in, in which they to try and keep their feet in the here and now but inevitably turn their thoughts to the Ashes. They start the show by discussing Darren Lehmann's comments regarding Joe Root, then move to the brilliance of both Root and his Yorkshire teammate Harry Brook. There's a conversation about team permutations for both the Black Caps and England heading into the third and final test of the series in New Zealand, which will serve as Tim Southee's farewell to Test cricket. To round out the show, there's also a brief but fruitless chat on how to improve over rates, plus breaking news at the time of recording concerning Jason Gillespie resigning from his role as Pakistan coach. If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We're delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from the cricket world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Darren Lehmann's comments about Joe Root 6:45 Harry Brook moves to #1 in the ICC rankings 14:25 Changes for the third Black Caps v England Test in Hamilton? 23:20 The over-rate debate 32:20 Predictions for NZ v England final Test 34:15 Jason Gillespie resigns as Pakistan coach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy & Stu look back with contrasting emotions at the week (or three days) that was after Australia's convincing win against India and New Zealand once again collapsing against England. We start the show on a happy note for Baldy by discussing a turnaround in fortunes for Australia during the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Scott Boland picked up where Josh Hazlewood left off, Mitchell Starc's radar was on from ball one and Pat Cummins also played his part in a dominant performance from the Aussie quicks. We also saw valuable contributions from Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney, a hundred from Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy continue to look very comfortable at Test level. There's also discussion about why batters are struggling so much at the moment when the ball moves around, and the topsy-turvy nature of Test cricket results all over the world. In the second half of the show, it was rinse and repeat for England as Harry Brook and then Brydon Carse took centre stage again and the Black Caps crumbled under the pressure. In fact, England were so dominant we didn't even mention that Gus Atkinson took a hat-trick! There's praise for Joe Root, Jacob Bethell & Nathan Smith, Tom Blundell's return to form, a conversation about England winning the tactical battle, and unfortunately more selection questions for New Zealand with Tim Southee and Devon Conway in particular under the spotlight. We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from both these exciting series. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 Australia's bowlers set the tone for a big win against India 5:00 Scott Boland steps in and doesn't miss a beat 6:45 Why are batters struggling so much in the longer format? 9:35 Key partnership from Marnus Labuschagne & Nathan McSweeney 16:10 Travis Head breaks loose 19:10 Pat Cummins' contribution 20:45 Nitish Kumar Reddy looks ready for Test cricket 24:00 Is India's batting lineup dangerous or fragile? 30:10 Rohit Sharma the middle-order batter 34:35 Test cricket results are all over the place 36:55 Looking ahead to Brisbane 40:15 Black Caps v England reaction 42:25 Harry Brook's performance, along with Ollie Pope 48:00 England winning the tactical battle against NZ 51:05 England targeting Tim Southee 57:20 New Zealand's batting woes, particularly Devon Conway 1:06:25 Tom Blundell's hundred 1:10:10 Changes for the Black Caps? 1:14:45 Jacob Bethell and Joe Root Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we review England's big win against the Black Caps at Hagley Oval, plus discuss some squad/injury news in the Border-Gavaskar series. England had some excellent performances from the likes of Harry Brook and Brydon Carse, but is it simply a case of catches win matches (or in New Zealand's case, dropped catches lose matches)? We discuss the first Test in plenty of detail, with comments on Brook, Carse, Ollie Pope, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith and others, plus look ahead to the selection questions facing both sides. Is there a spot for Will Young? Has Jacob Bethell done enough with his chance for England to hold his place? And much more . . . We also chat about potential changes to both Australia and India for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series, with Josh Hazlewood injured and doubts about Mitchell Marsh, while for India it looks likely that both Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will return. Who will India leave out? And will the injuries provide a lifeline for Marnus Labuschagne? We'll be back in your feed again soon with more news and views from both these exciting series. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Initial reaction to England's big win against New Zealand 3:50 Did the Black Caps drop the game? 5:55 Harry Brook takes advantage 9:45 Ollie Pope's contribution, as well as Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes 16:45 Did New Zealand pick the right bowling attack? 21:00 Black Caps struggling for consistency 22:30 Brydon Carse takes 10 wickets in the match 30:00 NZ selection questions 48:15 Any questions for England? 53:00 Hazlewood injury & Marsh doubts for Australia 58:05 Shubman Gill & Rohit Sharma set to return for India Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu react to both days of the IPL mega auction, which saw Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer attract record bids, 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi picked up by Rajasthan Royals & the Mumbai Indians add a few Kiwis to their squad. We discuss the big winners (local players), Bevan-John Jacobs' surprise selection, powerful top orders, the Right to Match cards, where the New Zealanders and Australians landed (or didn't land), and how the huge player movement impacts the fan experience for overseas viewers. We'll be back in your feed again at the conclusion of the first Test in the Black Caps v England series with more news and views from the cricketing week that was. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Local players on the move at high prices 9:30 Where did the Black Caps end up? 12:15 Bevan-John Jacobs selected by Mumbai Indians 14:45 Australians everywhere 16:45 David Warner among the snubs, but 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi goes to RR 22:10 Daryl Mitchell goes unsold, along with Shardul Thakur and other notable names 26:20 How does the player movement impact the fan experience? 35:05 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu review the first Test of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, which saw India start slowly but then roar back to dominate Australia and make a number of significant statements at Optus Stadium. We talk about Jasprit Bumrah's leadership (and his magnificent bowling), the patience and application shown by KL Rahul & Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli's return to form. There are questions about where it all went wrong for Australia, what to do with Marnus Labuschagne, as well as praise for their bowlers - Josh Hazlewood in particular - along with declarations, DRS decisions, debutants and much more as we unpack this fascinating game. We'll be back in your feed again in the next 24 hours with our initial reaction to the IPL mega auction, and then at the conclusion of the first Test in the Black Caps v England series. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro and Australia's great start to the match 4:30 Jasprit Bumrah's leadership and his influence with ball in hand 12:40 Mohammed Siraj's strong performance 14:40 Yashasvi Jaiswal's patience and skill combine 20:50 KL Rahul ground Australia down 23:50 Virat Kohli's hundred 27:40 India's declaration paid off! 29:40 Are Australia in crisis? And what to do with Marnus Labuschagne? 35:40 What's happened to Australia's batting depth? 48:15 Final comments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we preview the Test series between the Black Caps and England, which starts on 28 November at Hagley Oval, plus welcome Jamie to the Top Order team. We discuss the venues, the build up, the key matchups and give our series predictions as we bounce around a huge number of topics and questions facing both sides. Which New Zealand side is real, the one that lost four consecutive Tests against Australia and Sri Lanka? Or the first team ever to win 3-0 in India? And what about England - are they more likely to score 800 or collapse in a Bazball heap? Can Latham and Conway outpoint Crawley and Duckett? Will Joe Root and Harry Brook carve up the Black Caps again? Why did England bring three spinners on the tour? Will the Black Caps send Tim Southee out on a high? Or will they extend his Test career into a World Test Championship final? And much more! We'll be back again a few days with a review of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia, as well as a recap of the IPL mega auction. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro and welcome to Jamie Barker 2:20 Venues, dates and World Test Championship permutations 5:50 The build up - contrasting form for the two sides 7:10 Which NZ team is real? The 3-0 v India or 0-2 v Sri Lanka? 10:40 Will England's confidence be dented by the Pakistan series? 16:30 Squads - any surprises or question marks? 22:45 Jordan Cox injury - how will that impact England's lineup? 29:00 Why have England picked three spinners in the squad? 31:40 England's seam attack in transition 35:25 Rehan Ahmed 38:10 Key matchups - Duckett & Crawley v Latham & Conway 46;10 Do England already have one eye on the Ashes? 50:15 Series predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we preview the Border-Gavaskar Test series between Australia and India, which starts on 22 November in Perth and has huge implications for the World Test Championship ladder. We discuss the venues, the build up, the key matchups and give our series predictions as we bounce around a huge number of topics and questions facing both sides. Will Jasprit Bumrah dominate the Australian top order? Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma find form again against Captain Cummins and his high-class bowling attack? What about Ashwin v Lyon? And who will win the series? Redemption for India after the disappointments against New Zealand? Or will Australia put one foot into the World Test Championship final? We'll be back again next week with a full preview of the Black Caps v England series, followed closely by a review of the first Australia v India Test from Optus Stadium. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:00 Venues and pitches - are Australia's pitches becoming more bowler friendly? 13:30 The battle of the seam attacks - who will lineup alongside Bumrah for India? 23:45 Batting questions for India - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the spotlight 34:55 Australia's lineup largely settled, but are they in form? 47:40 Australia's bowling questions 51:55 Series predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we discuss the upcoming retirement of Tim Southee from the Test arena, plus quickly whip around some of the white-ball series going on around the world and the off-field challenges threatening to disrupt the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025. We start with Tim Southee's announcement and a potential fairytale finish in the World Test Championship final, before touching on the Black Caps' squad to face England, which looks likely to feature a Test debut for at least one of Nathan Smith or Jacob Duffy. Then we move to Sri Lanka, Australia, the West Indies and South Africa to talk about Haris Rauf's speed, Adam Zampa's hair, Jacob Bethell's potential and India's T20 dominance in 2024, before examining the unfortunate off-field situation developing in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy. We'll be back in your feed soon with a separate episode on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series, then again next week with a full preview of the Black Caps v England series, followed closely by a review of the Aus v India Test in Perth. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:00 Tim Southee announces his intentions to retire from Test cricket 14:25 Black Caps name Test squad for England series 16:50 White-ball round up - NZ v Sri Lanka 18:55 Australia v Pakistan 21:30 England v West Indies 24:00 India v South Africa 25:35 Champions Trophy concerns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we reflect on the Black Caps' 3-0 series win against India, which left interesting questions for both sides as they head into their next fixtures. We also discuss potential World Test Championship final scenarios and the flurry of white-ball series from around the world.   The Black Caps made it a clean sweep against India with a 25-run victory at Wankhede Stadium, to cap off a remarkable month for New Zealand cricket. Ajaz Patel was crowned player of the match and Will Young the player of the series, but those performances might still not be enough to get them into the starting XI for the home summer. We talk through the spin bowlers on show, heap praise on Daryl Mitchell's fighting effort with bat in hand and raise questions that now face this Indian side: Are they still the best Test team in the world? Do Gautam Gambhir and the leadership group need to make changes? Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bounce back against Australia? Is there a place for all three of Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the XI away from home? We also discuss whether the ICC need to consider moving to four-day Tests, then take a quick look at the white-ball series featuring NZ, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, Australia and Pakistan - so many that we ran out of time to cover the 47 other series that are currently under way. We'll be back again next week with a full preview of the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the Black Caps v England preview not far behind that. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:50 Black Caps win again at the Wankhede 7:05 Ajaz Patel & Glenn Phillips edge out Jadeja, Ashwin and Sundar 18:05 A word on Matt Henry 21:50 Daryl Mitchell and Will Young stood up with the bat 27:25 Questions for India - key players under the microscope 28:25 Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli 32:00 Have things changed under Gambhir? 38:15 Can Ashwin bounce back in Australia? 42:25 Four-day tests? 48:55 England v West Indies 52:55 NZ v Sri Lanka - all eyes on Mitch Hay and Zak Foulkes 56:40 Aus v Pakistan & Nathan McSweeney set to be Australia's new Test opener Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we celebrate another incredible week for the Black Caps, which culminated in a series win in India for the Black Caps for the very first time. We also look back at Pakistan's turnaround against England as they spun their way to another victory in the third Test of that series.   The Black Caps' win in Pune capped off a remarkable sequence - a first Test victory in India for 36 years, then another one a week later. We discuss whether this series win is the Black Caps' finest achievement, try to break down how they came to beat the best team in the world in their home patch and heap praise on Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Yashasvi Jaiswal - plus much more. We then turn our attention to Pakistan, where the home side's spinners once again tangled the English batters in knots to win the third and deciding Test. There's praise for Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan, a little Jamie Smith and Saud Shakeel, big fans and questions about whether it's time for England to consider a new approach. We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:05 NZ beat India again - Greatest moment in Black Caps' history? 6:30 How did NZ find the formula to beat India at home? 8:00 NZ's batting tempo, tactics and Tom Latham's performance 16:45 Mitchell Santner - the unlikely hero 22:15 How concerning should this result be for India? 25:25 Virat Kohli's scary stats 29:55 Washington Sundar takes 12 wickets 32:45 World Test Championship Final implications 34:50 Rohit Sharma's captaincy decisions 38:15 Pakistan v England - Have Pakistan found a formula for home success? 45:15 Do England need to tweak their Bazball style? 57:55 Saud Shakeel and Pakistan's batting 1:00:00 Border-Gavaskar Trophy selection questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we celebrate an incredible week for New Zealand Cricket that culminated in a Test win in India for the Black Caps for the first time in 36 years and a T20 World Cup for the White Ferns within 12 hours of each other. We also look back at Pakistan's bold decisions against England and how they paid off to set up a mouth-watering decider in the third Test of that series.   After opening with our thoughts, feelings and emotions as New Zealand fans, we start by discussing a White Ferns World Cup win that seemed almost unthinkable when the tournament began. It was a true team performance from New Zealand, and we highlight the key role players who played a huge part along the way, as well as focusing our attention on Amelia Kerr's remarkable few weeks. We then turn our attention to the Black Caps, who made history of their own this week by beating India in the first Test of the series - something they hadn't done for 36 years. There's plenty of praise for the bowlers - who skittled India for 46 in the first innings - the 'Rachin Ravindra is amazing' segment that has become a regular occurrence on the show over the past 12 months, as well as conversations about the toss and team selection. We also look at India's fightback, Sarfaraz's big hundred and what that means for the side going forward, Rohit Sharma's captaincy and much more as we break down this rollercoaster of a Test match.   To round out the show, we review Pakistan's turnaround in the second Test against England, which saw a host of changes that made the selection panel look like geniuses when Kamran Ghulam, Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali starred as the team surged to victory. We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 3:45 The White Ferns win the T20 World Cup! 9:10 Amelia Kerr - player of the tournament 11:55 South Africa runners-up again 13:35 Australia's campaign - was it a disappointment? 17:35 Black Caps beat India - 36 years in the waiting for NZ 19:35 Was it a terrible decision from India to bat first? 22:35 Team selection - New Zealand's decision to pick three seamers paid off 27:15 Will Young and Devon Conway 31:40 Rachin Ravindra 35:00 Is Tom Blundell on the hot seat? 38:10 Tim Southee and Matt Henry 40:00 India's fightback 41:40 Rohit Sharma's captaincy - did he make a few mistakes? 45:15 Bowling rotations during Ravindra/Southee partnership 48:25 India's second innings batting - Kohli and Rohit 49:40 Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan 55:10 Have NZ's expectations risen after this win? 59:15 Pakistan v England - bold selections pay off for Pakistan 1:05:20 Is spin Bazball's kryptonite? 1:11:10 Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali combined for all 20 English wickets 1:13:10 Pakistan's batters 1:15:00 Who has the edge for the third Test? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we move to a new studio but it's still cricket on the agenda as we look back at the week that was. England broke plenty of records on a Multan road, Kane Williamson looks set to miss at least the first Test against India, the White Ferns breathed life into their T20 World Cup chances and Team India's depth was on show again against Bangladesh.   We start by discussing England's remarkable win against Pakistan, in a game which looked headed for a dull draw on a very flat pitch until first a Joe Root and Harry Brook partnership then a flurry of Pakistan wickets late on Day 4 swung the Test England's way. We talk about whether the match was enjoyable as a cricket fan, marvel at Joe Root's brilliance and wonder how both sides will back up after so spending so long in the field.   We then turn our attention to India, where the Black Caps are about to embark on a three-Test tour as heavy underdogs, without Kane Williamson – at least for the first match. How should the NZ batters attempt to combat this formidable Indian bowling attack? Will Matt Henry replace Tim Southee? And can the Kiwis put up a fight or will India win the series with ease?   In some positive New Zealand news, the White Ferns put together an almost complete performance to beat India in their opening game of the T20 World Cup, giving them a great opportunity to advance through to the semi finals. But then Australia came along and burst the bubble of joy, looking every bit the champions in wait as they skittled NZ for 88. We talk about the controversy involving Amelia Kerr, and praise Rosemary Mair for her strong performances so far. To round out the show, we discuss the batting firepower of India's next generation T20 side as they lead Bangladesh 2-0, and Baldy opens the black book again with a Sheffield Shield update. We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:45 England v Pakistan - A record-breaking win for England, but was it fun to watch? 12:50 Joe Root becomes England's all-time leading Test runscorer 20:00 Will Joe Root pass Sachin Tendulkar's record? 21:45 Harry Brook's performance and Ollie Pope the opener 26:55 How will these two sides manage the short turnaround before the second Test? 31:05 Shan Masood's response to pressure 33:00 Black Caps head to India without Kane Williamson - can they avoid a 3-0 sweep? 35:10 How should NZ's batters approach this formidable Indian bowling lineup? 41:35 Changes to the bowling for New Zealand? 45:50 India likely to have a similar looking side to the Bangladesh series 49:10 T20 World Cup - White Ferns beat India, but Australia marches on 55:45 India v Bangladesh T20s - India's next generation have serious batting firepower 59:00 Sheffield Shield news and outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we discuss another busy week of cricket from all around the world - from Sri Lanka's dominant win against the Black Caps in Galle, which led Tim Southee to step down from the captaincy, to India's whirlwind victory against Bangladesh in Kanpur. We also quickly look ahead to England's Test tour of Pakistan and the Women's ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE. We start in a sombre mood, with the woes of the Black Caps front of mind after a crushing loss against Sri Lanka. We talk about the self-inflicted nature of the performance, whether New Zealand are actually equipped to win a series like this one, what's next for this Test side following Tim Southee stepping aside as captain and whether more changes should be made in the very near future. There's also praise for Kamindu Mendis and Nishan Peiris, and Sri Lanka in general as they keep their World Test Championship Final dreams alive. Conversation then moves to Kanpur, where it looked like the weather would have the final say - until Rohit Sharma two-stepped down the wicket and launched the ball over long on. We discuss India's positive approach to the game, Jasprit Bumrah's offspin, high-level catching, Ravindra Jadeja joining the elite 300/3000 club and debate whether this Test is an advertisement for making four-day Tests the norm. We finish the show by looking ahead to England's visit to Pakistan - do they have the bowling attack to take 20 wickets? And will Pakistan ever get it together off the field? - as well as a quick preview of the women's T20 World Cup, which will see Australia go in as favourites yet again, but Baldy assures us is shaping up to be one of the most closely contested tournaments in recent memory.. We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:50 SL v NZ: the Black Caps collapse in Galle 8:45 - Did NZ actually have the tools to win in Sri Lanka? 13:25 - Tim Southee steps down as NZ Test captain: is it time for even more change? 23:55 - Kamindu Mendis and NZ's toss training 27:05 - India v Bangladesh: India's whirlwind win 31:35 - Should we move to four-day Tests? 34:50 - Jasprit Bumrah is a cheat code 38:55 - India brilliant in the field & Ravindra Jadeja joins 300/3000 club 42:20 - England v Pakistan: Why can't Pakistan sort out the off-field dramas? 45:15 - Expectations for England: will their bowling attack stack up? 54:25 - Women's T20 World Cup: can anyone stop this amazing Australian side? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, the Top Order are together again to discuss a busy week of cricket from all around the world - from Sri Lanka's win against the Black Caps in Galle to India's dominant performance against Bangladesh in Chennai, before a whirlwind around the grounds to drop in on series involving England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan. We start by analysing the closely fought Test in Galle, which saw Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis bowl Sri Lanka to victory despite an impressive 92 from Rachin Ravindra. Was this a missed opportunity for the Black Caps? Did they pick the right XI? How high is the ceiling for Will O'Rourke? And how worried should we be about Devon Conway? Conversation then moves to Chennai, where the Tigers started with a hiss and a roar before Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja turned the match in India's favour. We talk about these two great allrounders, before discussing Rishabh Pant's return to Test cricket, the seam attacks for both sides and Team India's dominance at home. We finish the show by whizzing around some of the other series going on around the world - we saw big hundreds from Travis Head and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while the White Ferns continue to struggle with the bat in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:55 SL v NZ - A missed opportunity for the Black Caps? 10:30 - Will O'Rourke 14:00 - NZ's team selection and Ajaz Patel's performance 23:50 - Rachin Ravindra 29:35 - Devon Conway worry levels 32:18 - India v Bangladesh - Are R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja underrated? 41:50 - India's balanced bowling attack 43:10 - Is Rishabh Pant better than Adam Gilchrist? 46:15 - Is this India side historically one of the greats? 50:40 - England v Australia white-ball series 56:20 - Afghanistan's series win against South Africa 57:55 - White Ferns struggles with the bat continue as the T20 World Cup approaches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we discuss the abandoned Test in Greater Noida between Afghanistan and New Zealand, Sri Lanka's win against England, India's squad to face Bangladesh and a the England v Australia bilateral T20 series.   We start the show with a rant about the shambles that saw no play between the Black Caps and Afghanistan, but instead featured cutting up of the outfield, household fans and quite a bit of rain. Could this have been avoided? Or do we chalk it up to unseasonable weather and move on with our lives?   It's then time to heap praise on Sri Lanka for their comfortable victory in the third Test against England – a result that looked unlikely after a light-affected Day 1. Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis shone with the bat, as well as Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando, in a win that keeps their World Test Championship dreams alive. For England, we ponder whether this was just a bad few days at the office or something more concerning. We discuss Harry Brook, a relatively inexperienced seam attack and whether Dan Lawrence will ever play for England again.   To round out the show, we look at India's squad for their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, as well as a few over-reactions after Game 1 of the England v Australia T20 series (which Liam Livingstone must have heard before Game 2!).   We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:05 The shambles in Noida - should we have seen some cricket between Afghanistan & the Black Caps? 9:00 Sri Lanka beat England - did England get complacent? 14:15 Did Sri Lanka find an effective counter to Bazball? 18:35 Sri Lanka outbowled England 23:10 Shoaib Bashir chat 26:40 Will Dan Lawrence play Test cricket again? 29:35 Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis were excellent 31:50 England v Australia first T20 - Jake Fraser-McGurk and Liam Livingstone in the spotlight 44:10 India v Bangladesh - Can in-form Bangladesh give India's balanced squad a run for their money? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy, Raj and Stu are back in the same room again after a short break to discuss the cricketing week (or couple of weeks) that was, with a focus on England v Sri Lanka and the upcoming six away tests for the Black Caps. Recorded after Day 1 of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka, we begin with a conversation about bad light, prompted by the lack of play on that first day. Baldy looks to the Olympics for a solution, whereas Binksy suggests interchangeable balls - but how much of an issue is this, really? We then move to the on-field action, where Kamindu Mendis has been Sri Lanka's shining light in the series so far, Joe Root has strengthened his case as England's greatest batter of all time, Brendon McCullum has extended his coaching contract and picked up the white-ball squad as well, and Gus Atkinson added a century to his already impressive home summer. To round out the show, we look ahead to two months of the Black Caps playing Test cricket, first against Afghanistan, followed by Sri Lanka and then India. We talk about lineups, the threat of Afghanistan, spin-bowling, Glenn Phillips and two new names to the central contract list, with Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson added this week. There's also a quick mention about Australia's new white-ball era sans David Warner, and Bangladesh's historic Test series victory in Pakistan. We'll be back again next week to wrap up England v Sri Lanka and New Zealand v Afghanistan. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:25 Is bad light a huge issue for Test cricket? 12:25 Kamindu Mendis Sri Lanka's shining light 17:20 Is Joe Root England's GOAT? 25:40 Brendon McCullum to coach England in red- and white-ball cricket 35:00 A great summer for Gus Atkinson 40:00 Black Caps begin a subcontinent tour - what will final XI look like? 54:15 Australia v Scotland and Bangladesh v Pakistan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Stu and Baldy discuss the Black Caps test squad to face Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, plus the contractual situation facing NZC now that Devon Conway and Finn Allen have stepped away from the security of a central contract. We also look back at the quality bowling on show in South Africa's series win against the West Indies, as well as the impact of Ben Stokes's injury on the upcoming England v Sri Lanka series. We begin with a conversation about the potential dilemma facing New Zealand Cricket with the continued rise of franchise tournaments and their clash with the NZ home summer. Devon Conway has moved to a casual contract, Finn Allen has opted to play for the Perth Scorchers – but is it actually a dilemma? We then move to the West Indies where South Africa secured a valuable series win to keep their World Test Championship chances alive. There's praise for Jayden Seales and Keshav Maharaj in particular, and we wonder whether the Proteas will regret not sending a full strength team to New Zealand in 2023. To round out the show, we look ahead to the upcoming England v Sri Lanka series, which will see Ollie Pope captain the home side following a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the rest of the summer. Who will replace Stokes in the starting XI? Will England's style change at all? And can Sri Lanka pose any problems or will this be another straight sets win? We'll be back again in about a week with our regular This Week in Cricket programming. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:55 Devon Conway and Finn Allen step away from NZC central contracts 4:00 How concerned should New Zealand be? 12:45 South Africa edge West Indies 1-0 in Test series 20:20 Jayden Seales and the impressive seamers on show 22:35 Keshav Maharaj's importance 24:25 A word on Kagiso Rabada 27:10 Can South Africa make the WTC final? 28:40 England v Sri Lanka - will it be plain sailing for the home side? 32:25 The impact of Ben Stokes' injury and selection decisions 40:50 Ollie Pope the captain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, we take a break from the live cricket to discuss the most influential cricketers of the 21st century. This is Part 2 of this discussion, so if you haven't yet listened to Part 1, go back in your feed and start there to hear our definition of 'influential', and the wider group of candidates we considered. In this second half of our discussion, we narrow down the debate and each decide on our top 4 cricketers to etch into stone for the Top Order Podcast Mount Rushmore. We talk about T20 influencers like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, Indian powerhouse figureheads like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, culture setters like Brendon McCullum and Andrew Strauss, outliers like Ellyse Perry, Lasith Malinga and Rashid Khan as we try to evaluate who how the game of cricket got to where it is today and who has had the biggest impact. Who did we forget? What do you agree with/disagree with? We've love to get your thoughts and continue the discussion. We'll be back again in about a week with our regular This Week in Cricket programming. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro - the categories 5:50 Chris Gayle v Kieron Pollard 12:40 Brendon McCullum v Andrew Strauss 23:40 MS Dhoni v Virat Kohli 30:30 Ellyse Perry, Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan, Adam Gilchrist 39:45 Who makes Mount Rushmore? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices