Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Gardner

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Yas Rana and the returning Phil Walker preview the England-India Test series which gets underway on Friday. There's team news from England, predictions about how India might balance their XI and some key battles to look out for over the course of the summer. Also on the show, more reaction to South Africa's World Test Championship final win, a snippet of Yas' interview with Gary Kirsten, rule changes, tri-series nonsense and more. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:48 Intro / 1:40 Mark Butcher / 13:57 Win T20 tickets / 14:28 Remitly / 15:12 Patreon / 16:22 World Test Championship final / 23:54 England vs India preview / 56:52 Charles Tyrwhitt / 57:51 Gary Kirsten interview / 1:10:36 Bat for a Chance / 1:17:37 Perfect Draft / 1:19:19 Rule changes / 1:20:41 Tri-series / 1:21:37 Outro

On this special bonus episode, Yas Rana, Ben Gardner, Daniel Gallan and Mark Butcher react to South Africa's stunning World Test Championship final victory against Australia at Lord's. We'll also have a regular weekly podcast previewing the England-India Test series on Wednesday/Thursday later in the week. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:51 Intro / 1:42 Mark Butcher on the WTC final / 17:37 World Test Championship final / 20:42 Key moments / 30:08 Lungi Ngidi / 33:45 Kagiso Rabada / 40:11 Aiden Markram / 49:20 Temba Bavuma / 53:34 Australia / 1:05:54 Outro

Lauren Winfield-Hill, Katya Witney, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana reflect on another comprehensive series win for England, this time in the ODIs. 0:00 Intro / 0:55 England vs West Indies / 13:38 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 32:12 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

It's World Test Championship final time! Yas Rana and Ben Gardner are joined by South African journalist Daniel Gallan to preview the showpiece event, as the Proteas take on Australia at Lord's. There's chat about selection dilemmas, what this would mean for South African cricket more broadly, getting over the 'chokers' tag, the World Test Championship as a competition and more. Also on the show, Harry Brook registers another series victory as captain, Mark Butcher reacts to England's squad for the first Test against India, and there's a new issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:44 Intro / 1:21 Mark Butcher / 16:15 World Test Championship final XIs / 31:52 How big is this for South Africa? / 37:58 Getting over the 'chokers' tag / 42:13 WTC as a competition / 46:27 Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius / 49:04 Heinrich Klaasen / 51:24 Win England vs India WT20I tickets / 51:48 Patreon / 52:11 The Pavilion End, St Paul's / 52:53 England vs West Indies / 1:01:03 England Lions & T20 Blast / 1:03:25 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:10:06 Outro

Lauren Winfield-Hill, Katya Witney, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana reflect on England's comfortable 3-0 series victory against the West Indies, despite Hayley Matthews' individual brilliance. The Charlotte Edwards era started strongly, but it wasn't all good news for England, with Heather Knight ruled out of the rest of the summer through injury. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about the County Cup Finals Day, the start of the Women's T20 Blast and an interview with Hampshire captain Georgia Adams. 0:00 Intro / 1:13 Hayley Matthews / 6:44 Heather Knight 11:26 New and returning faces / 14:52 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 27:50 Georgia Adams interview / 43:40 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Yas Rana and The Telegraph's Will Macpherson reflect on the first Test of the English summer, which saw Ben Stokes' side beat Zimbabwe inside three days at Trent Bridge. There's chat about Shoaib Bashir, the Jacob Bethell conundrum and the Test as a spectacle, before digging into the Sikandar Rasa saga and the latest action from the County Championship. 0:00 Remitly / 0:47 Intro / 1:16 Mark Butcher / 15:15 Patreon / 15:48 England vs Zimbabwe / 20:02 Shoaib Bashir / 23:09 Ben Stokes / 27:26 Bethell, Pope, Crawley / 35:50 The Test as a spectacle / 42:28 Sikandar Raza / 46:07 Ireland vs West Indies / 48:36 County Championship / 1:03:44 Outro

The start of the men's international summer is here! Mark Butcher, Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana preview the historic one-off Test against Zimbabwe, chat about the latest round of County Championship action, Roston Chase's appointment as West Indies Test captain and more. There's also a snippet of Jo Harman's interview with Zimbabwean stalwart Sean Williams, available to listen to exclusively on Patreon. 0:00 Remitly / 0:48 Intro / 1:20 Patreon / 2:40 Sam Cook / 14:46 Matthew Potts / 16:58 Ben Stokes / 22:25 Zimbabwe / 29:26 Mark Butcher on ENGvZIM / 38:20 Sean Williams interview snippet / 44:18 England's white-ball squads / 47:54 County Championship / 1:03:02 Roston Chase / 1:07:02 WIN a cricket bat / 1:07:56 Outro

Lauren Winfield-Hill, Katya Witney, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana look ahead to the start of the English international summer, which gets underway with a T20I series against West Indies. Also on the show, Phil Walker's chat with England's new head coach, Charlotte Edwards, as a new era begins. 0:00 Intro / 1:05 Charlotte Edwards interview / 28:56 England / 33:46 West Indies / 37:53 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 51:43 India / 58:28 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Lauren Winfield-Hill, Katya Witney, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana react to the first England squads of the Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards era. There's also Katya's fascinating chat with Emily Arlott, included in those squads after an excellent start to the season. 0:00 Intro / 1:27 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 16:04 England squads / 21:53 What's England's best XI? / 28:47 County round-up / 34:03 Emily Arlott interview / 1:01:59 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Loads to get through this week. There's Yas Rana and Phil Walker on James Rew's England call-up and Rohit Sharma's Test retirement, a special feature celebrating 20 years of Chance to Shine and Ben Gardner on a potential players' revolt. Mark Butcher also joins Yas to chat about talent ID in the wake of Rew's selection. 0:00 Remitly / 0:49 Intro / 2:19 James Rew / 11:30 Patreon / 11:53 Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards / 12:11 Rohit Sharma / 23:39 County Championship / 30:26 Mark Butcher / 41:41 Chance to Shine Pt.1 / 57:36 Chane to Shine Pt.2 / 1:04:27 Howzat Travel / 1:04:51 The players' revolt / 1:20:31 ODI hospitality / 1:21:18 Outro

Yas Rana and Ben Gardner discuss a dramatic finish to the Women's World Cup Qualifier and Lauren Winfield-Hill reflects on a historic opening round of Tier 1 county fixtures. There's also Steve Snell, Head of Performance at Cricket Scotland, with a fascinating insight into the impact of Scotland's near miss at the World Cup Qualifier. 0:00 Intro / 1:31 Steve Snell on Scotland / 22:31 Lauren Winfield-Hill on Tier 1 / 41:22 World Cup Qualifier / 47:12 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Lawrence Booth joins Ben Gardner and Yas Rana to talk about the release of this year's prestigious Wisden Almanack, including the award winners for 2025. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about round three of the County Championship, the latest from the IPL, Mark Butcher on finger spin and much more. 0:00 Remitly / 0:50 Intro / 2:04 Wisden 2025 award winners / 13:09 Lawrence's Editor's notes / 26:55 Questions / 32:32 Gullivers Sports Travel / 33:29 Mark Butcher / 44:09 Wisden Photograph of the Year / 45:15 County Championship / 1:01:14 IPL / 1:06:21 PSL / 1:07:54 BANvZIM / 1:08:49 Jon Hotten / 1:32:13 Outro

Lauren Winfield-Hill, Katya Witney, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana preview the 2025 women's county season and discuss the latest from the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan. 0:00 Intro / 1:09 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 17:54 County season preview / 29:56 World Cup Qualifier / 47:27 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Ben Gardner reflect on another round of County Championship action, including a statement knock from Durham's Ben McKinney. There's chat around Zak Crawley's England place, gripes with the points system and bad light, Phil's charter for 2026 and more. Mark Butcher also joins the show to chat with Yas about the pros and cons for tall batters and why genuine quicks struggle in the County Championship. 0:00 Remitly / 0:50 Intro / 2:21 Ben McKinney / 11:56 Zak Crawley / 17:45 Points system / 19:25 Cricket's bad light problem / 32:30 Phil's charter for 2026 / 35:15 Other County Championship results / 43:19 Mark Butcher / 59:29 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:00:56 IPL / 1:06:53 Other cricket / 1:11:18 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Nathan Johns and Katya Witney discuss Harry Brook's appointment as England's new white-ball captain and the opening round of County Championship fixtures. Later in the show there's chat about the scheduling of county cricket and the WCA report, as well as an interview with Rod Lyall about his new book on the governance of cricket. 0:00 Remitly / 0:45 Intro / 1:33 Mark Butcher / 16:06 Harry Brook / 18:46 County Championship / 37:21 County schedule / 45:50 WCA report / 1:00:42 WCA report part two / 1:21:51 IPL / 1:23:26 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner, Katya Witney and Lauren Winfield-Hill react to Heather Knight's sacking as England captain, reflect on her legacy and discuss the candidates for taking over. 0:00 Intro / 1:07 Lauren Winfield-Hill on Heather Knight / 19:29 The right decision? / 25:59 Knight's legacy / 29:43 Who should be the next captain? / 46:57 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and CricViz's Ben Jones preview the 2025 IPL, discuss the tools England need to win in Australia, reflect on The Hundred draft and more. Elsewhere in the show there's Mark Butcher on Mark Wood's injury and some comments from David Warner, before Yas' fascinating interview with exciting young Hampshire and England Lions seamer Sonny Baker. 0:00 Intro / 1:34 England's next captain / 9:43 Mark Butcher / 19:26 What England need in Australia / 28:44 Sonny Baker interview / 1:02:22 Wisden survey / 1:02:52 IPL 2025 preview / 1:23:52 The Hundred draft / 1:38:31 T20 double headers / 1:41:07 Saudi T20? / 1:47:01 Outro

We've got loads in store for you on this week's episode. Yas Rana, Ben Gardner, Katya Witney and Lauren Winfield-Hill discuss The Hundred draft, England's squads for their 'A' tour of Australia and the latest from the WPL. Elsewhere in the show we hear from West Indies superstar Chinelle Henry, and Yas is joined by Kate Cross to chat about the rapid rise in pay in the women's game as well as the Ashes. 0:00 Intro / 1:20 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 24:26 Women's Premier League / 28:24 Chinelle Henry / 44:05 The Hundred / 59:37 England A squads / 1:05:25 Kate Cross / 1:17:03 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket/ to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher react to India's victory against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, Harry Brook's withdrawal from the IPL and all the latest news from the world of cricket this week. 0:00 Seat Unique / 0:51 Intro / 1:35 India / 10:01 Rohit Sharma / 14:42 Are India set to dominate? / 18:46 WPA Health Insurance / 19:09 Moment of the Week / 22:44 New Zealand / 28:12 Patreon / 28:38 Final reflections on the Champions Trophy / 35:02 Lord's tickets / 36:06 Harry Brook / 42:21 Ben Stokes / 44:41 Wisden survey / 45:06 Steve Smith / 47:50 Pakistan / 52:48 Developing spinners in England / 1:01:15 Covid's legacy, five years on / 1:04:52 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher discuss Jos Buttler's resignation as white-ball captain and England's disastrous Champions Trophy campaign. There's chat about potential successors to Buttler and new faces in the squad moving forward, before the focus switches to the knockout stages of the tournament this week. 0:00 WPA Health Insurance / 0:40 Intro / 1:24 Jos Buttler resigns / 14:36 Does anyone play 50-over cricket? / 27:02 Brendon McCullum / 35:57 Wisden survey / 36:26 Lord's tickets / 36:59 Predicting England's 2027 World Cup XI / 43:31 Gullivers Sports Travel / 48:35 Do India have an advantage? / 52:53 Champions Trophy semi-finals / 1:04:32 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney preview the 2025 Women's Premier League, discuss the progress being made for Afghanistan's women and ponder what the sale of The Hundred actually means. 0:00 Intro / 1:12 WPL / 14:52 Afghanistan / 20:50 The Hundred sale / 30:35 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

It's finally over. England's Ashes nightmare ended with an absolute thrashing in the MCG Test as Australia secured a comprehensive 16-0 whitewash. Yas Rana, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney try to make sense of a miserable few weeks for England. 0:00 Intro / 1:19 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 22:13 Women's Ashes, part two / 42:25 U19 World Cup / 47:48 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Phil Walker reflect on India's 4-1 T20I series victory, including a controversial concussion sub, Abhishek Sharma's stunning century and some very ordinary England batting. Later on there's chat about the ongoing sale of The Hundred, the latest developments around two-tier Test cricket, Australia's thumping victory against Sri Lanka and more. Somerset's Tom Banton speaks to Katya Witney about the ILT20 and his England ambitions, while Mark Butcher joins the show to discuss the T20Is and The Hundred. 0:00 Intro / 5:16 Mark Butcher / 22:40 India vs England / 51:20 Tom Banton interview / 1:07:37 The Hundred / 1:15:55 Two-tier Tests / 1:20:39 Sri Lanka vs Australia / 1:24:33 England Lions / 1:27:18 T20s / 1:32:46 Outro Did you know 1/4 men in the UK suffer low Testosterone? That's where our partners Manual want to help! Use code WEEKLY45 for 45% off your blood test kit: https://bit.ly/WisdenManual2025

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and ESPNCricinfo's Matt Roller discuss England's T20I series against India so far, picking their best XIs and reviewing some of the standout performers from both sides. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about West Indies' win in Pakistan, a thrilling Big Bash final, the sale of The Hundred and more. Mark Butcher joins the show to chat about the ongoing T20I series, while Katya Witney speaks to Dan Lawrence about his time in the ILT20, the franchise circuit and England ambitions. 0:00 Intro / 2:48 India vs England / 12:41 What's England's best XI? / 23:10 Adil Rashid / 31:07 India / 37:22 Mark Butcher / 47:24 The Hundred / 51:50 Pakistan vs West Indies / 54:26 Big Bash / 59:02 T20 league round-up / 1:03:19 Understanding T20 tactics / 1:12:31 Dan Lawrence interview / 1:24:36 Outro Did you know 1/4 men in the UK suffer low Testosterone? That's where our partners Manual want to help! Use code WEEKLY45 for 45% off your blood test kit: https://bit.ly/WisdenManual2025

It's gone from bad to worse over in Australia for England, who find themselves 12-0 down and on the verge of a humiliating clean sweep heading into this week's Test at the MCG. Yas Rana, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney discuss another tough week for Heather Knight's side, the gulf between the two teams, a potential new captain and more. 0:00 Intro / 1:26 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 27:03 England's batting / 28:29 A change of captain? / 32:21 World Cup qualification / 33:02 U19 World Cup / 41:25 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Three weeks into January 2025, it's awards time! Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Ben Gardner reveal Wisden's best Test innings and spells of 2024, as well as the magazine's Test XI of the year. Mark Butcher joins to chat about James Vince's decision to quit first-class cricket for the PSL, there's an exclusive interview with Dan Worrall, a round-up of all the franchise T20 leagues going on at the moment and much more. 0:00 Intro 1:05 Best innings 29:43 Best spells 44:35 Best Test XI 55:47 Mark Butcher on James Vince 1:15:24 Sam Cook 1:22:29 Dan Worrall interview 1:47:59 Other news 1:50:31 T20 leagues 1:58:18 Wisden Cricket Monthly 2:01:02 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney reflect on England's disappointing start to the 2025 Women's Ashes, losing the first two ODIs. 0:00 Intro / 1:01 England's approach / 12:13 Conditions / 16:13 Reasons for optimism / 27:00 Heather Knight & Jon Lewis / 30:47 Ireland vs India / 33:30 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Phil Walker reflect on the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which saw Australia win the SCG Test and take the series 3-1. There's chat about both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's struggles, Jasprit Bumrah's workload and what the triumph means for this generation of Australian players. Elsewhere in the show there's discussion about the ICC's reported plans to introduce a two-tier system for Test cricket and calls for England to boycott their Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan. Mark Butcher also joins Yas to chat about the role of the spinner in Australian Tests and the start of the SA20. 0:00 Intro / 2:58 Rohit Sharma / 12:31 Virat Kohli / 17:17 India / 20:46 Scott Boland / 25:23 Mark Butcher / 37:03 Two-tier Test cricket? / 52:33 Graeme Smith / 55:48 Should England boycott Afghanistan? / 1:14:37 Outro

Massive mailbag time! The San Jose Hockey Now Podcast takes on all your questions…four hours worth! Beast asked: Do the San Jose Sharks regret signing Sam Dickinson so early? Because if they had waited for longer, he could be NCAA-eligible next year. (1:46) Grand Nagus Shark asked: Could the Sharks loan CHL prospects like Quentin Musty to European pro leagues? Chris asked: What does the future hold for Bordeleau and Gushchin? Scott Z asked: “Any chance one or both of Macklin Celebrini or Will Smith gets sent to the Barracuda after the NHL season?” (20:40) Jan “Yon” asked: Could Kunin or Goodrow get traded? Nick Valderrama asked: What would your asking price be at the Deadline for Granlund, Jake Walman, Cody Ceci, Mario Ferraro (42:35) or Nico Sturm? Also, which current/retired Sharks player would you most want to ADD NEXT to Keegan on the pod? (55:16) splash114 asked: When do the Sharks move on from Jan Rutta? Embrace_the_rebuild asked: What is your prediction for Kostin, Zetterlund, Kovalenko, and Mukhamadullin? Fin Coe asked: “Two areas where Mike Grier's team seem to have excelled so far are talent evaluation and goaltending development; are there any other areas that they seem particularly stronger or weaker on?” (1:11:05) “Also, who in the bottom-six deserves to still be playing here after the Trade Deadline? After the season ends?” Zeke asked: “Which younger players do you think it's time for the San Jose Sharks to cut bait with sometime this season or off-season?” (1:25:55) FaultySynapse asked: “Who would be some free agents the organization should target this off-season? One unlikely dream scenario pick and one realistic possibility?” Scott Stephens asked if the Sharks will be looking at a big-name free-agent D.  Douglas Fowler asked: “How long do we control Celebrini and Smith, and when do you foresee a long-term contract happening?” Also, when do we project Dickinson to make the NHL? (1:45:35) Bob Horenstein asked: “You know a lot about hockey and details. What's your background?” (1:47:42) Ricky W asked: “Do you think Mike Grier could use Eklund as a trade piece if a great opportunity presents itself?” (1:58:52) Sven_ asked: “Would you trade Eklund and Granlund for Elias Pettersson?” Stephen Akerson-Nagy asked if Macklin may get homesick for Vancouver in his career. Ryan Martinez asked about Dickinson getting AHL time this year. (2:07:20) Lincoln Race asked why Goodrow keeps getting played? Andrew Maloata asked why Ferraro and Ceci keep getting played? James R asked: Which current Sharks D are here for the long term Also, “beyond Askarov, any Cuda players you think will play meaningful minutes for the Sharks in the second half?” (2:30:48) Eric asked: Seeing how the San Jose Sharks have drafted under Grier, do you think their 2025 Draft top-five is, in order, Schaefer, Misa, Hagens, Martone, and Jackson Smith? Nimrod asked: What would Šimon Nemec cost the Sharks? Blue Science asked: What are some team micro-stats for where the Sharks are at right now? Joe Epstein asked: “Could Luca Cagnoni have a ‘Dan Boyle' type of true ceiling?” (2:44:13) Tejus Govindjie asked: “Bold prediction for 2025 Sharks? Can be for latter half of this season, off-season, or beginning of next.” Megabite thinks Celebrini is getting too much coverage and exposure. (2:51:45) Stephanie K asked: Should the Sharks use Celebrini's Calder Trophy chase as motivation? What would you be willing to trade to get Rasmus Anderson? Kevin asked: “Is there a reason the lines are different every game?” Lina/Leonard/Steven Stoker/Austin Dias all asked about Logan Couture. (3:06:55) Alex Genadinik: If the Chicago Blackhawks got the No. 1 pick of the 2025 Draft, would they go forward or defense? “What's the level of James Hagens in terms of comparing him to other top recently-drafted centers like Bedard or Celebrini,Will Smith, Fantilli or Carlsson?” Ben Gardner asked: Eklund, Clarke, and Guenther went No. 7 through 9 in the 2021 Draft…have Clarke and Guenther moved ahead Eklund in projected ceiling?  Fred Azevedo asked: Could an NHL team bring the ECHL back to Stockton? (3:22:12) matthias893 asked: “Any word on Gannon Laroque?” Gary To asked: What's one thing that Celebrini, Smith, and Mukhamadullin each need to work on to push them to the next level? Sharksmustbealways asked: “What's the panic level with Georgiev?” Falco5 asked: How often do you hold back info and opinions because you are concerned it might hurt your relationship with current players? Alaskanice asked about our best and worst in-person game experiences. timorous me asked Sheng about his favorite food on the road and Keegan about his Sharks fandom. el gato joe asked: Have you gotten players' thoughts on CTE? (3:42:30) CeleBeauty asked about the WJC, Dickinson's play, and 2025 draft eligible tourney players. Mabel Trager asked if Vlasic's Jofa chest pads are older than Celebrini. Meetyourmako asked what is the faceoff probability stat? Tony De Matei asked: “I know there are different types of sources ... I guess my main curiosity is what is their incentive to be a ‘source'?” (3:55:40)

Our final podcast of 2024, and two Boxing Day classics to review. Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher react to Australia's thrilling win against India at the MCG, as well as South Africa's victory against Pakistan which saw them secure World Test Championship final qualification. There's also chat about whether the WTC is actually good, there's finally an update on the 2025 Champions Trophy and England have announced a squad for that tournament. 0:00 Intro / 1:05 Australia vs India / 7:54 Sam Konstas / 15:18 Steve Smith / 20:33 Virat Kohli / 24:52 Nitish Kumar Reddy / 30:32 Jasprit Bumrah / 38:49 South Africa vs Pakistan / 42:39 World Test Championship / 50:39 Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan / 52:53 Champions Trophy / 1:00:18 England's squad / 1:07:27 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner, Katya Witney and Lauren Winfield-Hill react to the announcement of England and Australia's Ashes squads. There's also discussion about the tour's relentless schedule, the Test being played last and whether it's time for the format of the women's Ashes to change. 0:00 Intro / 1:13 Scheduling / 12:06 Warm-up matches / 16:35 Time for a change? / 20:37 Australia / 27:57 England / 33:45 Format / 40:39 Future of women's Tests / 46:38 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney react to England beating South Africa by 286 runs in Bloemfontein – their first Test win in a decade. Also on the agenda is India's white-ball series against West Indies and the Women's Premier League auction, while Lauren Winfield-Hill joins Yas to review the Test. 0:00 Intro / 1:10 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 13:40 South Africa vs England / 28:02 India vs West Indies / 33:29 Women's Premier League auction / 44:44 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher react to England's thumping defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton, and reflect on England's 2024 as a Test side. There's also chat about the drawn Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane and Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement from international cricket. 0:00 Intro / 1:28 New Zealand vs England / 12:32 Why do England collapse so often? / 20:36 England's 2024 / 32:07 New Zealand / 38:53 England Lions / 40:53 Mark Butcher / 57:03 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 59:30 Patreon / 1:02:30 Australia vs India / 1:10:44 Ravichandran Ashwin / 1:25:32 Other cricket / 1:28:01 Fab Fours / 1:32:44 CRICBABY / 1:40:51 Outro

Loads to get through on this week's show. Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney reflect on England's 2-1 ODI series victory against South Africa and look ahead to the one-off Test, starting on Sunday. There's also chat about the WPL auction and Ireland's series in Bangladesh. Lauren Winfield-Hill joins Yas to discuss the continued pay inequality between the men's and women's Hundred, as well as the emergence of a new Australian white-ball star. 0:00 Intro / 2:08 The Hundred pay inequality / 12:46 Australia vs India / 28:06 South Africa vs England ODIs / 37:25 SAvENG Test preview / 44:53 WPL auction / 49:59 Bangladesh vs Ireland / 52:53 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Ben Gardner, Katya Witney and Yas Rana review England's 3-0 T20I series win in South Africa, as well as touching on the WBBL final and the state of the ODI Women's Championship. Lauren Winfield-Hill will be on another show later this week to talk about the conclusion of the WBBL in more depth. 0:00 Intro / 1:12 SAvENG / 7:22 Sophia Dunkley / 11:32 Resting players / 15:48 Should this be a multi-format points series? / 21:25 WBBL / 24:09 Women's Championship / 28:21 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher look ahead to the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and reflect on England's white-ball tour of the Caribbean. There's also discussion about the ongoing Champions Trophy fiasco, Tim Southee's Test retirement, some Abu Dhabi T10 chat and why Test batting has become so difficult. 0:00 Intro / 0:49 Australia vs India preview / 18:54 Is there a global run-scoring crisis? / 31:59 West Indies vs England / 47:52 Tim Southee / 53:11 Champions Trophy / 59:46 Other news / 1:04:02 Outro

Ben is the Director of Vermont Academy at Mt. Snow. We speak about his passion for education, how we learn, and the unique  program he oversees.  www.rickyartist.com

Following New Zealand's famous 3-0 whitewash against India and South Africa's victory in Bangladesh, Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Dan Gallan discuss the state of the World Test Championship and the wider Test game. There's also chat about England's ODI series defeat to the West Indies – Mark Butcher joins us for that from the Caribbean – as well as their Test squad to tour New Zealand and the relentless nature of the international schedule. 0:00 Intro / 1:13 Mark Butcher on WIvENG / 19:24 WIvENG / 24:12 The state of the schedule / 31:42 England Test squad / 44:41 Central contracts / 46:20 India vs New Zealand / 56:38 South Africa / 1:07:54 Is the World Test Championship good? / 1:19:02 Anderson & Warner / 1:20:41 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Katya Witney conduct a deep dive into England's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, examining what needs to change if they're to win the tournament on home soil in 2026. Lauren Winfield-Hill also joins the show to discuss England's next steps and the start of the WBBL. 0:00 Intro / 0:59 Lauren on WBBL & England / 28:56 England deep dive / 41:41 Struggling under pressure / 45:37 Structure / 50:44 The Hundred / 56:02 Captaincy / 59:58 Fitness / 1:03:28 Six hitting / 1:09:36 Personnel changes / 1:13:47 Reasons for optimism / 1:17:46 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Katya Witney and Ben Gardner discuss all the latest news from the world of cricket this week, including New Zealand's stunning victory against India in Bengaluru, Kagiso Rabada's 300th Test wicket and more. Mark Butcher also joins the show to preview the third Pakistan-England Test in Rawalpindi. 0:00 Intro / 1:11 India vs New Zealand / 16:45 Mark Butcher / 25:54 Pakistan vs England / 38:47 West Indies vs England ODIs / 44:49 Kagiso Rabada / 49:24 David Warner & Australia / 56:47 Fulltrack AI / 1:08:51 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner, Katya Witney and Lauren Winfield-Hill review the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup, which saw New Zealand beat South Africa in the final on Sunday. 0:00 Intro / 1:11 New Zealand / 14:59 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 45:22 South Africa / 53:06 Players of the tournament / 1:00:04 The tournament as a whole / 1:07:42 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Ben Gardner review Pakistan's 152-run victory against England in the second Test and react to an action-packed first two days of India vs New Zealand. Mark Butcher also joins the show to reflect on an enthralling Test match in Multan. 0:00 Intro / 1:39 Pakistan's selection calls / 7:33 Did England do much wrong? / 12:09 Ben Duckett / 17:50 England on spinning pitches / 22:12 Pakistan's spinners / 24:36 Kamran Ghulam / 28:10 Brydon Carse & Matthew Potts / 32:59 England's spinners / 36:11 Jamie Smith & Ollie Pope / 43:16 England's sloppiness / 46:05 Mark Butcher on PAKvENG / 59:37 India vs New Zealand / 1:06:07 Zimbabwe / 1:07:41 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana review the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan. In response to Pakistan's 556 on an extremely flat pitch, England racked up a stunning 823-7d in just 150 overs, with Harry Brook making a triple century. Joe Root made 262, surpassing Alastair Cook as England's leading Test run-scorer in the process, before England's bowlers got the job done on the fourth evening and fifth morning. 0:00 Intro / 1:14 England's approach / 10:57 Harry Brook / 15:54 Joe Root / 23:17 England's bowling / 33:38 Ollie Pope / 37:17 Pitch / 43:39 Pakistan / 54:42 Changes for the second Test? / 57:48 Outro

Yas Rana, Katya Witney and Ben Gardner review the end of the 2024 English season, domestic women's salaries and cover all the latest news from the international game. Lauren Winfield-Hill joins Yas to chat about equal pay and what 2025 currently looks like for Tier 2 counties, while Andy Tennant talks to Katya about Sunrisers' RHF triumph. 0:00 Patreon / 3:06 Intro / 4:00 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy / 14:19 Equal pay / 23:25 2025 season / 26:36 Lauren Winfield-Hill / 40:43 Andy Tennant interview / 57:08 Heather Knight / 57:54 AUSvNZ / 59:23 PAKvSA / 1:06:30 Sri Lanka / 1:08:09 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Yas Rana discuss the ongoing England-Australia ODI series, Surrey's third successive County Championship title and much more. Mark Butcher also joins the show to reflect on England's impressive win and Harry Brook's excellent century in the third match of the series. 0:00 Patreon / 4:05 Mark Butcher on ENGvAUS / 17:46 England vs Australia ODIs / 39:35 Rado / 40:02 County Championship / 1:00:19 Player power & One-Day Cup / 1:08:20 SLvNZ & INDvBAN / 1:10:30 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:15:03 Outro

Ben Gardner, Matt Roller, Yas Rana and Mark Butcher discuss England's drawn T20I series against Australia, Harry Brook's appointment as stand-in ODI captain, Gloucestershire's T20 Blast triumph and more. 0:00 Intro / 0:36 Liam Livingstone / 12:00 Jacob Bethell / 16:32 Central contracts / 24:16 Sam Curran / 31:16 Brydon Carse / 34:38 England vs Australia ODIs / 45:02 Mark Butcher / 59:19 Seat Unique / 59:54 T20 Blast / 1:14:51 Hollywood in The Hundred? / 1:17:49 Outro

Ben Gardner, Katya Witney, Yas Rana and Mark Butcher react to a famous Test win for Sri Lanka against England at The Kia Oval. We'll have another episode covering everything else from the world of cricket later this week. 0:00 Intro / 1:41 England vs Sri Lanka – part one / 16:17 Howzat Travel / 17:08 Mark Butcher on ENGvSL / 26:55 Seat Unique / 27:29 England vs Sri Lanka – part two / 45:38 Outro ✈️ HOWZAT TRAVEL: Head to howzattravel.co.uk to book your dream cricket holiday!

Yas Rana, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Katya Witney and Ben Gardner discuss how conditions could playing a defining role in the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup, as well as reflecting on England's squad composition for the tournament in the UAE. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about England's ongoing series in Ireland and the latest action from the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, while Ireland's Arlene Kelly chats to Katya about her journey so far. 0:00 Intro / 1:02 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy / 11:31 Ireland vs England / 19:03 T20 World Cup – part one / 24:56 T20 World Cup – part two / 35:02 England players to watch / 42:03 Ireland / 45:02 Arlene Kelly interview / 55:46 Domestic restructure / 59:03 2025 schedule / 1:02:55 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket.

Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Yas Rana react to the breaking news that Brendon McCullum will become England men's all-format head coach from 2025 after agreeing a deal to take on the white-ball sides. There's also reflection on a comfortable win at Lord's – which Mark Butcher dials in for – including stellar performances from Joe Root and Gus Atkinson, as well as some worrying crowds on day four. Elsewhere in the show, England's latest white-ball squads, a thrilling round of County Championship action and another famous win for Bangladesh in Pakistan are all on the agenda. 0:00 Intro / 1:23 Brendon McCullum / 14:01 England vs Sri Lanka / 47:51 Mark Butcher on ENGvSL / 1:04:46 Seat Unique / 1:05:21 England's white-ball squads / 1:15:30 Pakistan vs Bangladesh / 1:28:22 County Championship / 1:37:12 Outro ✈️ GULLIVERS SPORTS TRAVEL: Tour Pakistan or New Zealand this winter: http://gulliverstravel.co.uk/

Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Yas Rana react to England's five-wicket victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford. They discuss Jamie Smith's maiden Test century, Ollie Pope's position at No.3, 20-year-old Josh Hull's call-up as Mark Wood's replacement and more. Later in the show there's chat about Bangladesh's historic win against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, while Mark Butcher dials in to reflect on the first Test, Hull's call-up and the 2025 English schedule. 0:00 Intro / 0:45 Sri Lanka / 10:19 Substitutes / 14:27 Ollie Pope / 27:17 Jamie Smith / 31:51 Matthew Potts / 34:05 Dan Lawrence / 36:44 Crowds / 39:58 Mark Butcher on ENGvSL / 53:57 Live show / 54:25 Josh Hull / 1:02:40 Chris Woakes / 1:09:22 Pakistan vs Bangladesh / 1:16:27 Outro