Podcast appearances and mentions of shane bond

In this episode of the show, Jamie and Stu look back at Day 19 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which saw the Black Caps of New Zealand take on the hosts of Sri Lanka. They also look ahead to a day with massive implications in Group 1 of the Super 8s, on which South Africa meets the West Indies and India & Zimbabwe look to bounce back after difficult losses. We start the show with a quick summary of Jamie's thoughts about England becoming the first side to qualify for the semi-finals, before diving deep into a big win for the Black Caps - and the nervy moments along the way. After being sent in to bat, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips were building a partnership, before a flurry of wickets from Chameera, Theekshana and Wellalage sent New Zealand spiralling from 75-2 to 84-6. Things were looking dicey for Black Caps fans, but after a slow start, Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie - into the side in place of Jimmy Neesham - roared to the finish, taking 70 off the final 4 overs of the innings. Then, with ball in hand, Matt Henry gave New Zealand the perfect start, ripping through Pathum Nissanka, and he was backed up by 17 overs of spin that put the squeeze on Sri Lanka - highlighted by Rachin Ravindra's four-wicket haul. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to what shapes as a huge day for all the sides in Group 1. Will Keshav Maharaj be able to tame the batting power of the West Indies? And which of India or Zimbabwe will keep their World Cup dreams alive heading into the final Super 8 fixtures? We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 England through to the semi finals 3:55 Black Caps v Sri Lanka 20:50 Day 19 Preview: SA v WI, Ind v Zim Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Someone is listening to the Top Order Podcast. Binksy has been calling for more opportunity for Harry Brook - he was elevated to number three in this Super 8 clash against Pakistan and delivered a fine century as England chased down 164. It wasn't without a few nervous moments as late wickets triggered a little bit of a wobble. There are a few nitpicks and work-ons for England going forward, but Baldy and Binksy were impressed with the tactical changes and adjustments that England are making on the fly with their bowling in this tournament. If their batters can do the same the sky is the limit for England. For Pakistan they have it all to do - their encounter with Sri Lanka is a must win and they rely on New Zealand losing tonight against Sri Lanka and/or against England to end Super 8 play to have a chance of progressing. What will they need to change? Again it's the strike rate conversation with Babar Azam coming under the microscope as he walks the fine line between holding the innings together and pushing the strike rate forward. Tonight's clash between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be a battle of two different batting groups. NZ's batters were great in the group stage while the SL batters are now under pressure. Can SL bounce back against a New Zealand attack that could be back at full strength? Will we see Ish Sodhi feature? NZ have plenty of spin options at the disposal. For SL - they need a rollicking good start against the likes of Henry and Ferguson to get them on the front foot in the power play. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binsky and Stu look back at Day 17 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured the Super 8s match between the West Indies and Zimbabwe. After a watchful start and a crucial missed opportunity, the West Indies produced a barrage of sixes on their way to a massive score of 254 against Zimbabwe, which ultimately proved to be well out of reach. We talk about the start from Muzarabani and Ngarava, the dropped catch when Shimron Hetmyer was on 9 and the West Indian range hitting once the spinners came on to bowl - despite Graeme Cremer's ability to turn the ball a long way. And while it was Hetmyer and Rovman Powell who built the decisive partnership, the West Indies gave us another display of their six-hitting depth as Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder all got in on the act. From there, it was Matthew Forde who started well with the ball, and then Akeal Hosein went bang bang to make it 20-3. Hosein finished with 3 wickets and Gudakesh Motie with 4 despite a bit of fight from Brad Evans at the end, as the West Indies took the win and a big boost to their net run rate. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 18, when England will be looking to make it two from two in the group as they take on Pakistan in Pallekele.   We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  0:00 Intro 1:10 West Indies v Zimbabwe 17:15 England v Pakistan preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first two days of the Super 8s are in the books - and aside from the frustrating rain-affected NR between Pakistan and New Zealand there has been some epic results. After an historic T20 WC winning streak India will be primed for a comeback after falling to South Africa to throw Group 1 wide open. The middle order for South Africa were outstanding, and while both teams lost wickets in the Powerplay, it was the South Africans that built better momentum through the middle. Just how important will that 20-odd runs in the final over from Stubbs be in the net-run-rate stakes? India versus the West Indies now shapes as a must-win quarter-final for India. They have the firepower but will need to build back their momentum. Speaking of momentum, the loss to Zimbabwe in group play clearly affected Sri Lanka in their heavy loss overnight to England. Despite injuries their bowlers stood tall to restrict England to a gettable total. England's spinners had other ideas though and the spin trio of Jacks, Dawson, and Rashid powered England to a convincing win. Sri Lanka are pushing now to make the knockouts and will need a bounce back performance to keep their tournament hopes alive. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Group play is all over bar the shouting at the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup for men, and the Top Order assembled an all-star cast to recap the group stage and preview the Super 8s. Jamie and Binksy from the UK were joined by Raj and Baldy from NZ to recap the group stage and preview the key matchups and games to watch in both Super 8 groups. From India's expectations, to the West Indies excitement, to the consistency of South Africa, to Zimbabwe playing with house money, Group 1 promises to be a hotly contested group. Group 2 is wide open. All four teams have a huge opportunity to progress to the knockouts - but which team is struggling with injury and which team has a unique point of difference that might propel them into the knockouts? For the first time ever, there was consensus on both sets of semi-finalists from each group. While unbelievable, the closeness of the Super 8 groups on both sides means upsets and boilovers are sure to transpire. Finally - it wouldn't be a Top Order pod without some robust banter. Australia's shambolic campaign was under the microscope, and Baldy was off the long run. Nothing is safe from scrutiny in the aftermath of the worst T20 WC performance since 2008 and we might have seen some long-running players at a WC for the final time. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we wrapped up the penultimate day in the group stages with some thrilling matches. Afghanistan dominated Canada, winning by 82 runs, while the West Indies continued their unbeaten streak, showcasing their impressive talent. Afghanistan's game plan was spot on, with a stellar performance from Ibrahim, who scored 95 not out. Their spin attack was lethal, with Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi wreaking havoc on Canada's batting lineup. But as we look forward to the Super 8s will Australia manage to bring their flights forward? What are your predictions for the next phase? Let's keep the cricket conversation going!

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at Day 12 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: India v Netherlands, Pakistan v Namibia and South Africa v UAE. We start the show by discussing the tournament favourites, India, and their final pool match against the Netherlands. Abhishek Sharma fell early again, but starts from the rest of the top order were iced by a big contribution from Shivam Dube, who continues to be an unsung hero for India. The Netherlands batters played some quality shots during the chase, but it was Varun Chakravarthy who starred for India with the ball and helped seal a 12th consecutive T20 World Cup victory. The second game of the day saw Pakistan taking on Namibia in Colombo, with Super 8 qualification on the line. But there was barely a nervous moment as a Sahibzada Farhan hundred powered Pakistan close to 200, and then the spinners took charge with the ball - Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq in particular among the wickets. South Africa made four changes to their side, but still finished off their pool play with a comfortable win against the UAE. Corbin Bosch and George Linde were in the wickets as the Proteas put the squeeze on - bowling 53 dot balls across the innings as the UAE reached 122-6. That score was never going to be enough, and South Africa eased to the total without too much trouble. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 13, which sees the West Indies v Italy, Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe and Afghanistan & Canada finish up their 2026 T20 World Cup journey. There's also a brief recap of the Super 8 qualifiers as the next phase is nearly here.   We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  0:00 Intro 0:55 India v Netherlands 12:30 Pakistan v Namibia 21:30 South Africa v UAE 26:55 Day 13 Preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at Day 11 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: New Zealand v Canada, ZImbabwe v Ireland and Scotland v Nepal. We start the show by discussing the Black Caps' win against Canada, which confirmed their progression to the Super 8 phase of the tournament. On paper it looked like a straightforward day at the office, until Yuvraj Samra became the youngest man to score a World Cup hundred, making the Kiwi bowlers look a lot tastier than Mitchell Santner's dodgy burger along the way. We discuss what to make of it all, including a return to form for Rachin Ravindra, whether Glenn Phillips could make a first-class hundred batting left-handed and how the shift to Sri Lanka might impact New Zealand's fortunes for the remainder of the World Cup. Next up was Zimbabwe v Ireland in Pallekele, with plenty on the line for both sides, and Australia hoping the result would fall their way. But unfortunately for Ireland and Australia, the only thing that fell was rain, and the abandoned match put Zimbabwe through to the Super 8 phase. The final game of the day saw Scotland take on Nepal, with both sides looking to finish their World Cup adventure on a high. It was a see-sawing game, with runs for Michael Jones and wickets for Michael Leask, but it was Dipendra Singh Airee's unbeaten 50 off 23 balls that took Nepal to a win - much to the delight of their fantastic fans. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 12, which sees South Africa take on the UAE and two fixtures that will decide the final standings in Group A - Namibia v Pakistan and India v Netherlands.   We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  0:00 Intro 1:00 New Zealand v Canada 18:35 Zimbabwe v Ireland 22:00 Scotland v Nepal 25:40 Day 12 Preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we tried something different. Baldy joined Binksy and Raj on the pod, with Raj and Binksy having watched the overnight games and having prepared. Baldy joined with live reactions not knowing the scores to get real-time, unfiltered feedback on the games overnight, especially Australia's must-win fixture with hosts Sri Lanka. The cricket wasn't pretty - neither were the reactions. If Australia's campaign was on a knife-edge before it has completely unravelled now. From batting collapses to bowling that was yet again unable to make inroads, the crew dissects where it all went wrong for Australia. Where were Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw again? The selection conundrums continue to perplex - but was the batting or bowling more to blame? One thing is for certain - the post WC retrospective will be one to tune into. To the England-Italy fixture we go and the Azzurri put up yet another inspired performance against England. While some big(ger) names haven't quite got going for England yet Binksy is heartened by Will Jacks with the bat, and Overton, Archer, and Curran with the ball. Have England found a winning combination with the ball? Finally, we cover the clutch victory for Afghanistan over the UAE. Omarzai's performance has us fulsome with praise. Rashid brings up 700 T20I wickets as we rue missed opportunities in what could have been a stellar campaign for Afghanistan. Let us know if you enjoyed the 'live reactions'. We did. Well, most of us... We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at Day 8 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: Ireland v Oman, England v Scotland and New Zealand v South Africa. We start the show by discussing the Black Caps' top of the table clash against South Africa, which unfortunately didn't go the way the New Zealanders were hoping. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen raced out of the gates, and Mark Chapman & Daryl Mitchell rebuilt the innings, but a stuttered finish left them short of a par score. And from the moment the ball hit Aiden Markram's bat, South Africa looked completely in control. We talk about the Black Caps' bowling struggles, possibly not giving Markram's brilliance enough credit as we search for answers to the powerplay problems. In the second match of the day, England took on Scotland, who built a nice platform thanks to a strong partnership between Richie Berrington & Tom Bruce, before a flurry of wickets from Liam Dawson & Adil Rashid put the brakes on. With the bat, England weren't exactly commanding, but a Tom Banton half-century led them across the line and left them well-placed for a Super 8 spot. Ireland began Day 8 of this World Cup batting like a side with nothing to lose, looking to set the tone early against an Oman team also searching for their first victory. Unfortunately for them, wickets fell as Oman's spinners found a nice length, until a lifeline for Lorcan Tucker on 18 completely flipped the game. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 9, which sees Nepal face the West Indies, Namibia v USA and the blockbuster of all blockbusters between India and Pakistan in Group A.   We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  0:00 Intro 0:50 New Zealand v South Africa 17:55 England v Scotland 27:45 Ireland v Oman 35:10 Day 9 preview: India v Pakistan the big game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at Day 6 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: Sri Lanka v Oman, Nepal v Italy and India v Namibia. We start the show by discussing India's cruise to victory against Namibia, which saw the return of Jasprit Bumrah and another masterclass from Varun Chakravarthy. There were runs from Ishan Kishan at the top, and a bit of a stutter at the death, mixed in with some nice bowling from Gerhard Erasmus and Bernard Scholtz, as India got the job done before their big clash with Pakistan over the weekend. In the second match of the day, it was the Azzurri of Italy who shone bright, powering to a 10-wicket win against a Nepal side fresh off pushing England so close in their opening game of the tournament. Kalugamage's three wickets led the Italian spinners, before the Mosca brothers made short work of Nepal's 124-run target. Sri Lanka began the day with a comprehensive victory over Oman, who have found it hard work in this tournament so far. Fast fifties for Pavan Rathnayake, Kusal Mendis & a record-breaking half-century for Dasun Shanaka took the home side to 225, which they defended with ease. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 7, which sees Zimbabwe face Australia in Group B, Canada v UAE and a key game for the Netherlands against the USA to keep the pressure on India and Pakistan in Group A.   We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  0:00 Intro 2:20 India v Namibia 13:35 Italy v Nepal 20:50 Sri Lanka v Oman 28:15 Day 7 preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Raj look back at Day 5 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: South Africa v Afghanistan, Australia v Ireland and West Indies v England. We start the show by discussing the Super Over mayhem as South Africa survived about a million scares to prevail against Afghanistan in surely one of the best T20 internationals ever. Ramanullah Gurbaz, Lungi Ngidi, Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and so many more talking points from this wild and emotional game with huge implications for progression to the Super 8 stage.  The final game of the day saw the West Indies defeat England thanks to an impressive half-century from Sherfane Rutherford and a collection of wickets from the Windies spin attack, with Gudakesh Motie leading the way. To cap off the last game on the slate we move to Group B, where Australia kicked off their World Cup campaign in style against Ireland, thanks to 4-wicket hauls from Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa. There's talk of Australia's bowling lineup without the familiarity of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, a nasty injury to Mitchell Marsh and how the batting line up looked without him in it.  To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 6, which sees two home teams in action in Sri Lanka and India as they face Oman and Namibia respectively, while Italy take on Nepal in between those two fixtures.  We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.  And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at Day 4 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: Netherlands v Namibia, New Zealand v UAE and Pakistan v USA.   We start the show by discussing the Black Caps' win against the UAE, which saw them power home thanks to a record-breaking partnership between Tim Seifert & Finn Allen. We talk about playing smart, bowling rotations, Alishan & Waseem's 100-run partnership and the impact of Michael Bracewell's injury news. The first game of the day saw the Netherlands bounce back from their tough loss to Pakistan with a fairly comfortable win against Namibia. There were missed chances early, but Aryan Dutt and Logan van Beek were impressive with the ball, then Bas de Leede produced an all-round masterclass to ice the game and get the Dutch back on track. Next we move on to Pakistan's victory against the USA, which edges them one step closer to the Super 8s. There were runs for Farhan and Babar, then wickets for the spinners to restrict the USA. Despite the loss for the USA, there's praise for Shadley van Schalkwyk and the batting of Ranjane & Jahangir, plus Shadab Khan's impact for Pakistan. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 5, which looks set to be a cracker, with games between Afghanistan and South Africa, England and the West Indies, plus Australia begin their World Cup against Ireland. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.   0:00 Intro 2:30 New Zealand v UAE 13:50 Netherlands v Namibia 19:05 Pakistan v USA 26:00 Day 5 Preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at Day 2 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which featured three games: New Zealand v Afghanistan, England v Nepal and Sri Lanka v Ireland.   We start the show by discussing the Black Caps' crucial victory against Afghanistan. Lockie Ferguson dismissed the dangerous Gurbaz & Ibrahim inside the powerplay, but it was Gulbadin Naib who powered Afghanistan to 182-6. The total looked even more challenging when Mujeeb went bang-bang in the second over, but Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips combined to get the Kiwis back on track. And despite the odd stutter along the way, the Black Caps secured a crucial victory to get their tournament off to a great start. Up in Mumbai, England chose to bat first against the well-supported Nepal, and again you'd have been forgiven for thinking they were going to rack up a huge score and a comfortable win. But boy oh boy that's not what played out. We chat about the dramatic finish, Sam Curran's final over, Lokesh Bam taking down Jofra Archer, and what both sides can take away from this thrilling encounter. The final game of the day saw Sri Lanka host Ireland and it was yet another case of the underdog left thinking about what might have been. Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis led the way for the home side, but Ireland had their chances to restrict the Sri Lankan total to well below the 164 it finished up on. Then with the bat, Ireland needed 60 off 6 with Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker at the crease, but Sri Lanka's spinners showed their class and ultimately sealed the win for their side. To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 3, which sees one of the tournament favourites, South Africa, in action. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.   0:00 Intro 1:15 New Zealand v Afghanistan 13:55 England v Nepal 24:05 Sri Lanka v Ireland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at Day 1 of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which opened with three games today: Pakistan v Netherlands, West Indies v Scotland and India v USA.   We start the show by discussing India's game against the USA, which saw the hosts open the tournament with a win - but not without a few stutters along the way. An early score of 45-1 quickly became 77-6 and it took a captain's knock from Suryakumar Yadav to lift them to a total in excess of 160. Then, after early wickets from Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj, the USA got themselves into a position to strike, but ultimately back-to-back wickets for Axar Patel settled any Indian nerves. Speaking of nerves, the Pakistan ones must have been jangling when a fairly comfortable chase flipped completely on its head and Faheem Ashraf found himself on strike with 29 needed off 12 balls. A few sixes and a dropped catch later, he walked off the field a hero. For the Netherlands, it'll be a case of what might have been, as they nearly started off the tournament with a bang.   West Indies v Scotland was probably the least dramatic of the games on Day 1, but there was still plenty of action. We were treated to power hitting from Shimron Hetmyer, a couple of incredible outfield catches, a hattrick from Romario Shepherd and a Scotland chase that looked poised at one stage to take the game right to the wire. To round out the show, the boys share their feelings about the Black Caps' Day 2 match against Afghanistan, which could prove pivotal for both sides for the remainder of the tournament. Plus we have games between England & Nepal and Sri Lanka v Ireland to look forward to. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.   0:00 Intro 1:40 India v USA 10:55 Pakistan v Netherlands 21:30 West Indies v Scotland 28:00 Day 2 Preview: NZ v Afghanistan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu preview the Men's ICC T20 Cricket World Cup 2026. We discuss the key contenders from each group and the questions facing their sides, then make predictions about how the tournament will play out. We start the show with a quick tournament explainer, before moving on to Group A, which features India, Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands and the USA. The home side comes into the tournament in great form, with runs flowing from the bats of Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav & Ishan Kishan, and the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy with the ball. Pakistan have dealt comfortably with Australia in their most recent games, but will they ever shake their 'mercurial' tag in big ICC events? And can the Kiwi connection help the Netherlands to the Super 8s? Or will the USA be a surprise packet yet again? Group B is home to Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Oman and Zimbabwe, and could be a bit tougher for batters. Pat Cummins is out for the Aussies and Steve Smith wasn't selected, but can Ashes hero Travis Head power them to another title? On paper the Sri Lankan lineup looks a lot of fun, but will playing at home help or hinder their chances? And can Ireland, Zimbabwe or Oman throw a spanner in the works? As the episode continues, we turn our lens towards England's chances in Group C, which also includes the West Indies, Italy, Nepal and Scotland. With Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer & co., England have plenty of matchwinners - but how many matches will they actually win? The West Indies have power players like Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell in the lower order, but will the top order set a good enough platform? And will Tom Bruce's Scotland give us a classic World Cup moment? Or will it be the new boys Italy and Nepal? The final group could very well be the most closely fought, with New Zealand's Black Caps, South Africa and Afghanistan battling for two Super 8 spots along with Canada and the UAE. For New Zealand, the batters look in fine touch, with recent runs for Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, but will it matter if the bowlers can't keep going the distance? South Africa pushed India hard in the 2024 final, and with Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock leading the charge, will they go one better this time around? And you'd be brave to write off any side with Rashid Khan, an opening partnership of Ibrahim & Gurbaz, but the real question is - will Gulbadin fall over again? To round out the show, we make our predictions - semi-finalists, winners, top runscorer, top wicket-taker and some bold predictions that may or may not make us look silly in a month's time. We'll be back in your feed again regularly once the tournament starts - potentially with daily recaps from Day 1. 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 2:25 Tournament explainer 6:10 Group A 21:00 Group B 34:30 Group C 47:40 Group D 1:01:55 Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu chat about the Black Caps' white-ball series in India, the vibes in the England camp over in Sri Lanka, discuss some future stars at the ICC Under-19 World Cup and finish things off with a big announcement! We start the show by talking about the Black Caps' white-ball tour to India, which at the time of recording was two games into the T20 series. There's been runs for Glenn Phillips and Suryakumar Yadav, along with a host of other players, and we discuss the challenge for bowlers in the powerplay on batter-friendly pitches. [Note there's a brief moment where we lost some audio, so at one point Stu goes from talking about Mark Chapman to highlighting Finn Allen, around the 22:30 mark after the second of silence.] As the episode continues, we turn our lens towards England to see how the mood is over in Sri Lanka a few weeks removed from the disappointment of the Ashes. The conversation inevitably turns to Brendon McCullum's future in the coaching role, and whether the T20 World Cup could be the end of his England tenure. To round out the show, we talk about ICC Under-19 World Cup, which has seen a lot of rain for New Zealand, but impressive performances for both Australia and England. Baldy and Binksy take us through a few names to watch, before there's an announcement about upcoming content from the team in the coming months. We'll be back in your feed again next week with a T20 World Cup preview show, then regularly throughout the tournament. 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 Black Caps v India: T20 bowlers in the power play 11:00 NZ's seam bowling options 14:05 Runs for Suryakumar Yadav & India 19:05 Glenn Phillips' form a huge positive for NZ 23:10 England v Sri Lanka ODIs 28:15 World Cup or bust for Brendon McCullum? 32:25 Jamie Smith's outlook 35:00 ICC U19 World Cup: Australia & England potential future stars 44:40 Special announcement! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, it's a heavy New Zealand focus as Baldy, Raj and Stu discuss the Black Caps' white-ball series in India, New Zealand's T20 World Cup squad and the potential for the NZ20 - a proposed privately-backed T20 franchise league to replace the Super Smash. We start the show by talking about the Black Caps' white-ball tour to India, which at the time of recording was only two games into the ODI series. At the risk of getting too far ahead of ourselves, we talk about Daryl Mitchell's fantastic form, the additional craft Kyle Jamieson seems to have added to his game and the two debutants, Jayden Lennox and Kristian Clarke. As the episode continues, we turn our lens towards New Zealand's T20 World Cup squad. Were Tim Robinson and Bevon Jacobs unlucky to miss out? What role might Jimmy Neesham play? Should Tim Seifert & Finn Allen be over in India rather than at the BBL? How much will newborn babies impact the seam-bowling rotation? And more! To round out the show, we talk about the NZ20 - a proposed franchise T20 competition that could start as early as January 2027. Is it a good idea? Will it be good for players? Good for fans? Good for New Zealand cricket pathways? We'd love to hear what you think, as the details are still thin on the ground at this early stage. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more from the cricketing world, including the Black Caps' white-ball series in India and the lead-in to the T20 World Cup. 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 1:50 Black Caps v India: the ODI series 3:30 Daryl Mitchell looks in great form 8:45 Kyle Jamieson's variations 11:55 Debuts for Jayden Lennox & Kristian Clarke 19:00 India's performances 21:30 Kuldeep Yadav 24:40 Black Caps' T20 World Cup squad discussion 31:55 Bevon Jacobs 34:50 Should the entire T20 WC squad be in India now? 42:45 NZ20 - potential positives & negatives for New Zealand cricket 1:00:55 ICC Under-19 World Cup begins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, the Top Order Podcast team look back at the final Ashes Test between Australia and England (and the series as a whole), which ended with another victory for the home side to seal a dominant 4-1 scoreline. We start the show with our initial thoughts and reactions at the end of the Sydney Test and Australia's Ashes win in commanding style. In many ways, the game in Sydney reflected themes from the entire series - England showed glimpses of the side they could be if things went well, but Australia won the big moments or the big sessions to swing momentum back their way. Travis Head delivered again, the Aussie bowlers delivered again, while Josh Tongue, Jacob Bethell and Joe Root gave the visitors reasons for optimism. As the episode continues, we dive into the potential fallout from the series from an England point of view. How damaging has this been for Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes and Rob Key? What about the players? Will we see wholesale changes? Or is it just a matter of tweaking a formula that has shown potential in the past, but has taken a big hit in recent times? From there, we circle back to Australia to highlight Travis Head's incredible series, as well as discuss the differences between the two bowling attacks - primarily the consistency and relentlessness of Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Michael Neser & company. To round out the show, we ask a few questions about why spin has played such a small role in this series and what that means for Shoaib Bashir and spin in Australia in general. There's also praise for Beau Webster and Usman Khawaja, who retired from international cricket at the conclusion of this match and series. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more from the cricketing world, including plenty of Black Caps news as they embark on a white-ball series in India. 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: Ashes 5th Test Review 2:20 Australia's win in Sydney mirrors the entire series in many ways 8:00 The knives are out for England 13:30 Does this English side need more accountability? 22:30 Should Bazball be over now? 38:50 Travis Head's outstanding series 45:00 Mitchell Starc and the Australian bowling strength 54: 20 What happened to spin and Shoaib Bashir in this series? 1:09:05 Usman Khawaja's retirement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England, which saw the visitors secure their first victory on Australian soil in almost 15 years. We start the show by talking about our experiences of yet another two-day Test. For Binksy, as an English fan, was this a hollow victory since the series has already been lost? Or a joyous, historic moment since wins have been so hard to come by in Australia? We also discuss whether the narrative needs to change as Test cricket evolves - do two-day Tests have to be a disappointment? If we're given maximum entertainment, is that not enough to satisfy our hunger for the game? As the episode continues, the conversation inevitable turns to the pitch, plus the implications for Cricket Australia of such a short game. Are batters simply not good enough any more? Or did the groundstaff get this one horribly wrong? From there, we move to highlighting individual players, starting with Josh Tongue. What made him so successful on this surface? And did England miscalculate what was needed from a bowling point of view in this series? We also discuss whether Jacob Bethell's bright and breezy second-innings knock could spell the end for Ollie Pope. We also touch on Australia's batting, which, despite the 3-1 scoreline, still appears to have plenty of questions to answer. To round out the show, we look ahead to the options facing both sides for the final Test in Sydney, and what's riding on the match. Gus Atkinson's hamstring means at least one change for England, and will Todd Murphy get another opportunity for Australia? We'll be back in your feed again soon with more from the cricketing 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: Ashes 4th Test Review 1:45 Initial reaction to England's win inside two days 9:10 Do we need to rethink the way we view & discuss Test cricket? 14:35 The pitch and the impact it had on this game 26:40 Key players - Josh Tongue 38:20 Jacob Bethell 44:50 Australia's batting 49:50 What's riding on the Sydney Test for both sides? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Jamie and Stu chat with Australian international Pete Handscomb about The Ashes and the ups and downs of his cricket career so far. We start the show by diving into Pete's experience watching the Ashes as someone playing first-class cricket and with a lot of connections on both sides. Has anything come as a surprise so far? How tough is the challenge as a batter of moving from English pitches to Australian pitches? And should we expect anything different from in Adelaide or Melbourne? As the conversation continues, we move to Pete's own Ashes experience and the extra levels of scrutiny that come from playing on the biggest of stages. There's plenty in here about mindset and approach, and how tough times led to a rethink that has paid huge dividends in recent seasons. Along with sharing the tough times, Pete also recalls the moment he first received his Baggy Green from long-time friend and current Cricket Victoria coach Chris Rogers, and the moment he scored his first Test hundred against Pakistan. With the fires still burning for an international recall, Pete talks about how the game has changed since his debut, looks back at the challenge of facing India in India on difficult batting surfaces and shares what he's learned about the leadership style that works best for him, plus a few young players to watch out for on the Australian domestic circuit, such as Campbell Kellaway and Oliver Peake. To round out the show, we run through our quickfire round that hits on a number of topics, such as Pete's favourite innings, the toughest bowler he's faced and the most talented cricketer he's ever encountered. All in all, it was a conversation we really enjoyed and we hope you will too. We'll be back in your feed after the Test matches between England & Australia and New Zealand & the West Indies. 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: Pete Handscomb joins the show 0:55 Pete's experience and thoughts on The Ashes so far 5:55 Challenges for English batters in Australian conditions 7:55 Could moving to Adelaide help England get back on track? 16:20 Pete's own Ashes experience from 2017 21:50 Working through the tough times 31:10 The drive to play international cricket again 35:15 How cricket has changed over the past 10 years 40:05 Baggy Green and first Test hundred 43:50 Leadership 47:15 Facing up to India in India in 2023 54:00 Young players to watch out for in Australia 56:40 Quickfire round - favourite moments and toughest opponents Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj look back at the second Test between New Zealand and the West Indies, which saw the Black Caps take a 1-0 series lead at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. We start with our initial reaction to a game between two teams with a host of changes, that at times looked set to be closely fought but ultimately ended in a comfortable victory for the Black Caps. The New Zealand bowling attack comes in for praise, especially Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy and Michael Rae, and there's also a conversation about the role of spin in the Test team going forward and the role Zak Foulkes can play once the ball stops swinging. As we bounce around a number of talking points, we chat about Mitch Hay's impressive debut, Devon Conway's recent form and how the Black Caps dealt with losing another fast bowler to injury early on in the match. To round out the show, we discuss the level of disappointment the West Indies must be feeling, a potential debut for Kristian Clarke and our hopes and dreams for the third and final Test at Mount Maunganui, starting 18 December. If all goes to plan, we'll be back in your feed in a day or two to bring you a conversation with Australian international Peter Handscomb, which is bound to include a bit more Ashes chat. 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 v West Indies 0:40 Injury-enforced changes and nervous moments in the first hour 2:50 New Zealand's bowling performance - Blair Tickner 6:25 How NZ handled another in-game bowling injury 8:55 How does spin fit in to the Black Caps' Test plans? 14:45 Michael Rae and Jacob Duffy 21:20 Any concerns about Zak Foulkes? 25:15 Mitch Hay's impressive debut 30:15 Is Devon Conway back in form? 33:35 A disappointing performance from the West Indies? 38:50 Potential changes & hopes for the third Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, it's a full house as we look back at the second Ashes Test between Australia and England, which saw the hosts take a 2-0 lead after a comprehensive win at the Gabba. As per tradition, we start with the victors: first to praise Australia and then to attempt to understand why they've been so dominant so far - and where England have let themselves down. There's talk of key moments, of selection, of game management and much more as we bounce around a number of different talking points. As the episode continues, the conversation turns to individuals: Mitchell Starc's starring role in the series and his overall status in the Test game; Is Jake Weatherald looking like the long-term solution for Australia at the top of the order?; Joe Root's first hundred on Aussie soil; Alex Carey's performance with the gloves; criticism of Jofra Archer and whether England are actually learning from their mistakes. To round out the show, we look ahead to the options facing both sides for the third Test in Adelaide as injury ins and outs seem set to play a major role: Mark Wood and Josh Hazelwood out for the series, but Pat Cummins is on track to return. We'll be back in your feed at the end of the week with more from the cricketing 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: Ashes 2nd Test Review 1:45 Australia's dominant victory: more impressive than the first test? 3:15 Did we underestimate Australia before the series started? 7:00 Why are England not performing up to expectations? 19:40 Key performers: Mitchell Starc stars again 23:40 Nathan Lyon's exclusion & stats-based decision-making 27:20 Are England making tactical errors? 34:35 How much is the Bazball mindset contributing to these results? 37:35 Alex Carey's performance with the gloves 42:45 Joe Root's first hundred in Australia 44:40 Is Jake Weatherald a long-term solution at the top for Australia? 49:30 Selection questions for the third Test: Australia 53:20 Selection questions for the third Test: England 57:15 Quick predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Raj look back at the first Test between New Zealand and the West Indies, and give a brief shout out to Virat Kohli and a live reaction to the goings on in the second Ashes Test. With England and Australia still on the field at our regular Sunday recording time (check back in a day or two for our wrap of that match), we dedicated the majority of this episode to unpacking the West Indies' impressive rearguard action against the Black Caps at Hagley Oval. We start with a round-up of emotions after what proved to be a draining final couple of days in the first Test of the New Zealand summer. The Black Caps looked set for victory with the West Indies at 72-4 chasing 500+, but injuries to Matt Henry, Nathan Smith & Tom Blundell and an outstanding fighting effort from Shai Hope, Justin Greaves & Kemar Roach took the game into the final overs and secured a draw for the visitors. As we bounce around a number of talking points, there's also praise for Jacob Duffy, Tom Latham & Rachin Ravindra, we discuss the pitch and umpiring decisions, and debate whether the Black Caps still had enough chances to win or whether the West Indies should have put the accelerator down in the final session in an attempt to chase down the target. In amongst all of that, we speculate on the New Zealand lineup for the second Test and the prospect of potential Test debuts for Mitch Hay and Michael Rae or an SOS call-up to Kyle Jamieson. To round out the show, we there's a shout-out to Virat Kohli for his stacks of runs in the ODI series against South Africa, plus Baldy's live reaction to the news that Australia were on the verge of victory against England under lights in Brisbane. We'll be back in your feed in a day or two to review that second Ashes Test, then again next week with more from here in New Zealand and 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 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 v West Indies 1:00 West Indies fight back to secure a draw 3:05 Black Caps injury crisis 4:20 Shai Hope, Justin Greaves & Kemar Roach dig in 9:25 Thoughts on the Hagley Oval pitch 13:00 Jacob Duffy's lion-hearted effort 16:10 What will NZ's bowling attack look like at the Basin Reserve? 23:15 Are New Zealand still favourites for the second Test? 24:10 Missed opportunities and DRS decisions 27:30 Rachin Ravindra & Tom Latham's big partnership 31:20 Should the West Indies have gone harder for the win? 34:20 India v South Africa ODIs - Virat Kohli is still good at batting 37:45 Baldy's live Ashes reaction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at South Africa's 2-0 sweep of India, and look ahead to the upcoming series between the Black Caps and the West Indies, as well as the second Ashes Test. We start the show by discussing South Africa's dominant victory against India in the second and final Test of that series, which saw lower-order runs from Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen backed up by impressive performances from Jansen and Simon Harmer with the ball. There's plenty of praise for the visitors, but why were they able to be so successful? Are they better than we thought? Was Shubman Gill's injury that impactful? And how much pressure does another home sweep pile on Gautam Gambhir? Next we head back to New Zealand, where we look forward to the Test series against the West Indies, which starts at Hagley Oval on Tuesday. It's a matchup that favours the Black Caps on paper, but how much have injuries impacted the strength of this Kiwi side? We talk through possible lineups, what's at stake for the likes of Devon Conway and Tom Latham with a big 12-18 months ahead, and the role Mitchell Santner could fill at number 7 in the batting order. To round out the show, we chat about the Ashes, with team selection in focus. Mark Wood is out for England, Pat Cummins isn't yet back for Australia and the Travis Head or Usman Khawaja to open the batting question still remains. Plus: could Nathan Lyon miss out, and should we even have pink-ball Tests at all in the Ashes? We'll be back in your feed next week to review the Tests and anything else that catches our eyes 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 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 1:10 India v SA Test series review: South Africa's statement win 10:50 Jansen, Stubbs, Muthusamy all step up 13:45 Simon Harmer's performance & do Indian batters have a weakness against spin? 22:25 How much pressure is on Gautam Gambhir? 30:30 Black Caps v West Indies Test series 32:15 Injuries and absences for NZ 34:35 Black Caps bowling attack 37:50 What's at stake for New Zealand as a team and individually? 48:00 Will this be Kane Williamson's last Test series at home? 52:00 The Ashes 2nd Test preview: will Travis Head open for Australia? 1:00:00 England selection questions and build up 1:03:30 Do we need a pink-ball Test in the Ashes? 1:07:10 Could Cummins still play? Would Nathan Lyon miss out? 1:12:45 Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at the first Test between Australia and England, which was action-packed but was finished within two days. There was plenty of drama in the lead-up to The Ashes, but that was nothing compared with the rollercoaster we saw on the field. Mitchell Starc started with a bang, England's pace battery hit back and it seemed like things were about to settle down by lunch on the second day with England one wicket down and leading by 99. But instead the action resumed, with the visitors crumbling and Travis Head's hundred powering Australia to victory within two sessions. We react to the emotion of the two days, then discuss the lineups and the pitch before highlighting key performers like Starc, Head, Ollie Pope, Jofra Archer and Marnus Labuschagne. We ask where it all went wrong for England, debate whether Travis Head's success could bring an unexpected end to Usman Khawaja's Test career, talk through potential changes for the second Test and plenty more as we try to process a game which moved through the gears at a rapid pace. We'll be back in your feed soon with more news and notes 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 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 1:45 Initial reactions to a wild two-day Test 8:35 Toss and lineups 14:00 Pitch conditions - too spicy or poor batting? 17:00 Key performers - Mitchell Starc's 10-wicket haul 21:30 Did England miss a leader in their bowling attack? 29:00 England's superb bowling on day 1 32:20 Travis Head's outrageous hundred 43:20 Was Jamie Smith out? 47:00 Is Usman Khawaja's future in doubt? 56:45 Do England's tactics need a rethink? 1:11:05 TNT coverage in the UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

- Get NordVPN with a special discount - https://www.nordvpn.com/goodareas- Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code 'goodareas' at checkout. Download Saily app or go to:https://saily.com/goodareas-This week on Wagon Wheel Jarrod shares his opinion on the best cricketers to never represent the Big Three. What would Shane Bond have done if he had a functioning body? Has cricket adopted to having their own MoneyBall approach. And more fun stuff.-You can buy my new book 'The Art of Batting' here:India: https://amzn.in/d/8nt6RU1UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1399416545-To support the podcast please go to our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32090121. Jarrod also now has a Buy Me A Coffee link, for those who would prefer to support the shows there: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jarrodkimber.Each week, Jarrod Kimber hosts a live talk show on a Youtube live stream, where you can pop in and ask Jarrod a question live on air. Find Jarrod on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JarrodKimberYT.To check out my video podcasts on Youtube : https://youtube.com/@JarrodKimberPodcasts-This podcast is edited and mixed by Ishit Kuberkar, he's at https://instagram.com/soundpotionstudio & https://twitter.com/ishitkMukunda Bandreddi is in charge of our video side. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at the first Test between India and South Africa, which saw the hosts take a 1-0 series lead at Eden Gardens. A quickfire Test but plenty of talking points as seam dominated day 1 and then spin took centre stage on days 2 and 3. Jasprit Bumrah's remarkable skills were on display yet again, Simon Harmer continued his good form and Ravindra Jadeja tore through South Africa's batting lineup in the third innings as the game sped to a conclusion. It all looked to be on track for an Indian win - until it wasn't. We talk about the quality bowling on show, what made batting so tough, the impact of the injuries to Shubman Gill and Kagiso Rabada, and whether India can bounce back at Guwahati. Plus plenty more! We'll be back in your feed later in the week with more news and notes 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 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 1:00 South Africa pull off a stunning victory 5:25 Simon Harmer's impressive performance 9:30 Were India's spinners outbowled? 13:15 Was that style of pitch the optimum surface for India? 20:25 Shubman Gill's injury & the pressure on India 31:00 Can South Africa make it 2-0 or will India bounce back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Jamie, Raj and Stu look ahead to the 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England. As usual, the Ashes hype machine has been in overdrive in recent months, but the cricket is finally (almost) here and the Top Order team are fizzing. We talk squads and potential line ups, key players and matchups, grounds and conditions, storylines to watch for and make our predictions for the series. How much will the Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood injuries hurt Australia? How excited are the English to unleash Jofra Archer and Mark Wood on an under-pressure Australian top order? Will Joe Root and Steve Smith imprint their class on the series? Will Nathan Lyon have an impact? Is it Scott Boland's time to shine? Can Harry Brook Bazball Australia to dust? Or will Marnus Labuschagne bounce back in a big way? And can Ben Stokes' boys etch their name into history on Aussie soil? Or will Steve Smith, Pat Cummins & co. inspire another victory for green-and-gold? There's all that and plenty more as we preview a series that's set to provide entertainment galore over the coming weeks. We'll be back in your feed regularly throughout this series to review/preview games and catch up on what's happening elsewhere in the world, including India v South Africa and Black Caps v West Indies. 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 2:00 Potential lineups for first Test - questions for Australia? 14:55 How will England manage their seamers through the series? 23:55 Has Australia won the preparation battle? 36:25 How will Australia's top order respond to pressure? 48:50 Key matchups: Nathan Lyon v England's middle order 54:20 Jofra Archer, Travis Head, Harry Brook, Joe Root 58:10 Mitchell Starc, Ben Duckett, captaincy 1:02:20 What can we expect from the pitches? 1:09:20 Predictions: Who will win The Ashes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at the cricketing week that was, which saw NZ in T20 action against the West Indies, India win the Women's World Cup and Australia name their squad for the first Ashes Test. We also look ahead to an intriguing Test series between India and South Africa. We start the show by congratulating India on their Women's World Cup win, before moving back to New Zealand where the Black Caps are 2-1 up in their T20 series against the West Indies. There's praise for Matthew Forde, Ish Sodhi and Mark Chapman, plus questions about NZ's death bowling and what the T20 World Cup squad might look like if - and it's looking like a bigger 'if' with each passing day - injured players like Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Will O'Rourke and Lockie Ferguson do return. Next we head to India, where Rishabh Pant returns for the home side as they prepare to take on South Africa in what shapes to be the toughest challenge to date for the current World Test Champions. Can Pant and Dhruv Jurel play in the same XI? Is Keshav Maharaj the best spinner in the world? And will India simply be too strong on home soil? We round out the show with the latest Ashes news, which mainly involves asking Baldy his thoughts on the Australian squad for the first Test. Jake Weatherald's inclusion has generated most of the headlines, but will he actually play? And if so, what might that mean for Marnus Labuschagne, Beau Webster, Cameron Green - and even Sam Konstas? We'll be back in your feed next week with a full preview of The Ashes, plus some more news and notes 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 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 India win the Women's World Cup 3:10 Black Caps v West Indies: Matthew Forde impresses 6:00 Do NZ have a death-bowling problem? 8:00 Ish Sodhi bowling well 11:20 Is NZ's T20 World Cup squad any clearer? 23:15 India v South Africa Tests: Rishabh Pant returns 26:40 Will India be too strong? 37:35 The Ashes: Australia name their squad 39:10 Will Jake Weatherald make his Test debut? 51:45 What next for Sam Konstas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at the past two weeks, which saw NZ sweep England in an ODI series, Rohit & Virat roll back the years, Women's World Cup upsets & South Africa win a Test away in Pakistan. We start the show in New Zealand, where the Black Caps beat England 3-0 in the ODI series after a rain-affected false start to the international summer. There were plenty of positives for New Zealand - Daryl Mitchell, most of the bowlers and Mitchell Santner's bat, to name a few - as they chased down the visitors' modest totals on three separate occasions. We talk about Zak Foulkes's composure, Kane Williamson's retirement from T20 internationals and ask if there's anything to worry about from an England point of view. Next we head to Australia, where the home side has been playing white-ball cricket against India, but inevitably the conversation turns towards The Ashes. Has Marnus done enough? Would they actually leave out Beau Webster? And is Josh Hazlewood the first name on the Australian teamsheet? There's also praise for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's unbeaten partnership in the 3rd ODI, which could well be the last time the two of them stride to the middle on Australian soil. Then it's off to the Women's World Cup, where we saw India end Australia's incredible run and South Africa reverse their opening-match loss to England on their way to the final. Batting was in the spotlight once again in our discussion of this tournament, with the hundred from Jemimah Rodrigues taking top billing. To round out the show, there's a brief shout-out to the South African men's side for defeating Pakistan in the second Test of their series, thanks in no small way to Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer as the latter brought up his 1000th first-class wicket during the match. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket 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 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 Black Caps v England: slow start to the NZ summer 5:05 Plenty of positives for NZ - Daryl Mitchell 7:10 Anything to worry about for England? 12:20 Black Caps bowlers - Foulkes, Duffy, Tickner 20:25 Kane Williamson retires from T20s 24:00 Australia v India white-ball series/Ashes build up 44:25 Women's World Cup: Jemi Rodrigues ends Australia's run 56:20 South Africa v Pakistan Second Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at a rainy week on the cricketing calendar, which saw England begin a T20 series against the Black Caps, Australia hosting India, Pakistan defeating South Africa, rain dent the White Ferns' chances at the Women's World Cup and the advent of a new format (that looks somewhat similar to an old format and a current one). We start the show at Hagley Oval, where the Black Caps hosted England in an incomplete T20I to start off the series with a stutter. There was talk about the return of Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham's ability to make things happen, whether Tom Banton can turn domestic form into international success - and more moustache-related praise. Next we head to Australia, where at the time of recording it was also raining in Perth, as the home side welcome India for 3 ODIs and 5 T20s. We talked about what's at stake for the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, there was some Ashes-based discussion and we asked for listener feedback about what Indian fans - and Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli - would like to see in this series. After a quick detour to Pakistan to talk about Noman Ali's pearler to Dewalt Brevis and Shaheen Shah Afridi's yorkers, it's off to the Women's World Cup, where rain has put a dent in the White Ferns' semi-final hopes. Alyssa Healy and Laura Wolvaardt continue to pile on the runs for Australia & South Africa, but are England going under the radar? Or is their potential challenge about to drop away? To round out the show, we debate the merits of a proposed new cricket format - Test Twenty - which will see young players from around the world test its merits in January 2026. Is this format a gimmick? Or could it actually stick? Does it actually blend Test cricket and T20? Or is it just two T20 games in a row? We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket 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 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 Black Caps v England T20 series - key questions 17:45 Australia v India ODIs - what's at stake? 35:40 Pakistan v South Africa - home side takes 20 wickets again 39:05 Women's World Cup - England about to be tested 51:00 Test Twenty - what do we think? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, the Raj, Baldy and Stu look back at a busy week on the cricketing calendar, which saw India wrap up a 2-0 Test series victory against the West Indies, Australia's women continue to roll on in the World Cup and Sean Solia keep Samoa's T20 WC chances alive. We also look ahead to the upcoming series between the Black Caps and England, and provide a live update as South Africa take on Pakistan in the first Test of that series. We start the show in India, where the home side made the West Indies follow-on and looked set for another innings victory, before John Campbell and Shai Hope, with help from Roston Chase, Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales, dug in to make it much more of a contest this time around. We give credit where it's due to both Campbell and Hope, talk about Kuldeep Yadav's performance with ball in hand, take stock market updates on Dhruv Jurel and Sai Sudharsan, dish yet more praise on Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and look ahead to what's next for both sides. Next up we talk about the Women's World Cup, where the White Ferns have stumbled, Team India have lost two nail-biters and South Africa are charging again after their first-up loss to England. And yet again, Australia, thanks to contributions from almost everyone - including a fantastic hundred from Alyssa Healy - keep marching on. Back on NZ shores, we look forward to the Black Caps taking on England in three T20s and three ODIs - although injuries continue to linger. How will the bowling attack take shape? Can Jimmy Neesham take another step towards World Cup selection? Will Devon Conway find form? And how will Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra slot back into the side? To round out the show, we give a shout out to Sean Solia and Ross Taylor for their efforts for Samoa in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, as well as discussing the in-progress Test between South Africa and Pakistan - another home Test for Pakistan that looks to be dominated by spin. Will this prove to be their best path to the World Test Championship Final? Or is it actually doing more harm than good? We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket 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 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 India v WI: West Indies show some fight as Hope & Campbell make 100s 13:50 Stock market check on Dhruv Jurel & Sai Sudharsan 20:50 Siraj, Gill & Jaiswal 28:45 Women's World Cup playoff race heating up 41:15 Black Caps v England 48:30 Samoa make the Super Sixes 52:00 Pakistan v South Africa update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, the team look back at a busy week on the cricketing calendar, which saw Australia's men and women get the better of their New Zealand counterparts, India secure an innings victory in their first Test against the West Indies and Chris Woakes call stumps on his Test career. We start the show in India, where the home side demolished the West Indies by an innings in the first Test. An all-round bowling performance was backed up by hundreds from KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel & Ravindra Jadeja and some nice catches in the field as India proved they are currently a class above the West Indies. There's talk of the visitors' batting woes, Jurel's future and some spin chat. Next up we talk about the Black Caps v Australia T20 series, which was disrupted by rain but saw Mitch Marsh steal the limelight as the visitors secured a 2-0 series win to retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. There's praise for Tim Robinson's batting, Matt Henry's moustache and plenty of discussion around what we learned from this short series. At the Women's World Cup, Australia inflicted another defeat on New Zealand, but not without a few wobbles along the way. The White Ferns made inroads into the Aussie batting lineup, but it was Ash Gardner's quickfire century that proved to be the difference despite Sophie Devine's impressive response. We also talk about England's big win against South Africa and how that positions them for the remainder of the tournament. To round out the show, there's a quick word of farewell to Chris Woakes, who announced his retirement from Test cricket. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket 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 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 1:25 India v WI: West Indies' batting woes 15:20 Plenty of positives for India 25:00 Black Caps v Australia: Mitch Marsh stars & Kiwi questions 43:40 Women's World Cup: Big wins for Aus & England 58:00 Chris Woakes announces international retirement & Baldy's black book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu recap the India v Pakistan Asia Cup final and take a brief look at all the cricket to look forward to over the next few months. We start the show by talking about Pakistan's impressive start, with Farhan and Fakhar combining to reach a score of 113-1. And then the wheels fell off as a mixture of excellent spin bowling and poor shot selection led to the collapse of all collapses, which saw Pakistan crumble to be all out for 146. It wasn't all smooth sailing for India, though, who found themselves in trouble at 20-3 before Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube played their part in what proved to be an exciting final and one which saw India crowned as Asia Cup champions in 2025. Do Pakistan have enough building blocks for a 2026 T20 World Cup challenge? And is SKY's spot under threat? To round out the show, we make quick mention of a few things we're looking forward to in what shapes as an exciting finish to the calendar year in the world of cricket. We'll be back in your feed again soon to discuss the week that was, which should include India v West Indies, the Chappell-Hadlee T20 series and the Women's World Cup, among other things. 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 1:25 Asia Cup Final: Pakistan's brilliant start 5:30 Did Pakistan show a lack of game awareness? 13:30 India in trouble early - enter Tilak, Samson and Dube 21:00 Is Suryakumar Yadav's India spot under threat? 26:20 An exciting few months of cricket ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy and Binksy look ahead to the India v Pakistan Asia Cup final and the Women's World Cup, plus discuss England's squad for The Ashes and Quinton de Kock's decision to unretire. We start the show once again by talking about the Asia Cup, which is set to conclude with an India v Pakistan final. It's the game the crowds wanted, but will it live up to the hype? Can Pakistan learn from Sri Lanka's approach and push India all the way? Next we turn the The Ashes, as England named their squad this week. Were there any surprises? Any spots up for grabs leading into the first Test? And will it be strong enough to challenge the Aussies in their own backyard? To round out the show, we make quick mention of Quinton de Kock's decision to 'unretire' after Baldy drops off the video, before Baldy's voice returns to take through what he's looking out for ahead of the Women's ODI World Cup. We'll be back in your feed again very soon to discuss the Asia Cup final & plenty of other cricket that begins over the coming week. 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 Asia Cup Final - India v Pakistan 10:30 England's Ashes squad 35:50 Quinton de Kock unretires 40:40 ICC Women's World Cup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu discuss India v Pakistan at the Asia Cup, the Black Caps' T20 squad to take on Australia, NZ A's tour to South Africa and the start of Australia A's tour to India. We start the show once again by talking about another dominant Indian performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup - this time in the Super 4 stage. Last week it was two brilliant allrounders - Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel - who made important contributions for India, but this time the spark came from Shivam Dube, who slowed Pakistan's momentum after a rather sloppy start to the match. There's also more praise for Abhishek Sharma, as well as discussion around the controversial catch by Sanju Samson. Next it's a Black Caps focus - first the T20 squad named to take on Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee series, in which Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Kane Williamson and a host of other key names are unavailable for the Kiwi side. We discuss how the NZ T20 side might take shape over the course of the home summer, with an eye to the ICC T20 World Cup in February. Is it a good thing that we can't name the Black Caps' best XI? Or a concern that so many roles feel up for grabs this close to a major event? To round out the show, first we give a big tick to NZ A's overall tour to South Africa. Things started slow with the white ball, and the final Test ended in a fairly subdued draw, but the likes of Rhys Mariu, Dale Phillips, Curtis Heaphy, Adi Ashok and Matt Fisher all made cases for higher honours over the years to come. We also quickly touch on Australia A's tour to India, in which we saw bat dominate ball in the first Test of that series, with Sam Konstas, Dhruv Jurel & Devdutt Padikkal among those to impress. We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket, including the Asia Cup & more from New Zealand. 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 1:05 India cruise to another Asia Cup win against Pakistan 3:05 Shivam Dube & the spinners 7:05 Are India that far ahead? Or are Pakistan in transition? 15:15 Sanju Samson catch, Nawaz run out 19:10 Black Caps name T20 squad to face Australia 26:15 Ish Sodhi, Tim Seifert, Mitch Hay 35:25 Rhys Mariu shines for NZ A in South Africa 45:30 Runs galore between Aus A & India A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Jamie and Stu discuss India v Pakistan at the Asia Cup, the white-ball series between South Africa & England, NZ A's tour to South Africa and the NZC casual contracts that leave the Black Caps with some tough decisions in the build up to the T20 World Cup. We start the show by talking about India's dominant performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup group stage. We talk about India's depth and the balance that their two brilliant allrounders - Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel - provide, as well as the impressive contributions of the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. Saim Ayub's bowling was a bright spot for Pakistan in what was otherwise a tough day at the office for Mike Hesson's side. Next we move to the final stages of the English home summer to discuss a damp end to the white-ball series against South Africa, which saw a return to form for England's batters in between the rain. After scores of 400 in an ODI then 300 in a T20, it wasn't hard to hand out praise, with Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell in particular our topics of conversation. We also look back at a full international summer from Jofra Archer and try to make sense of a very full domestic calendar. We round out the show with a Black Caps focus - first a NZ A performance against South Africa which put the likes of Rhys Mariu, Dale Phillips, Curtis Heaphy, Adi Ashok and Matt Fisher in the spotlight, before running through NZ Cricket's decision to hand out five casual contracts to Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway and Kane Williamson. Does Kane's inclusion mean we might see him at the T20 World Cup? And did you realise the NZ home international summer is only two weeks away? Finally, we mention Gary Stead's new gig in the Ranji Trophy, and shout out Leicestershire for gaining promotion in the County Championship. We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket, including the Asia Cup & more from England and New Zealand - maybe even some Australia A v India A content. 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 0:40 Asia Cup - India's dominant win against Pakistan 15:05 England's batters come to life against South Africa 18:30 Phil Salt's impressive performance 22:10 Jacob Bethell's hundred 26:30 Jofra Archer's home summer 29:15 England's disjointed domestic schedule 33:15 Mariu, Ashok, Fisher & more shine for NZ A 40:00 NZ Cricket's casual contracts 46:30 Gary Stead's Ranji Trophy gig & Leicestershire's promotion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu discuss the white-ball series between South Africa & England, NZ A's tour to South Africa and Ross Taylor's return to the international arena. We start the show by talking about South Africa continuing to impress across all formats, this time in a white-ball series against England. Aiden Markram at the top of the order has been well supported by a powerful and dynamic middle order of Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs and Dewalt Brevis as the Proteas surged to a 2-0 series lead. Throw in impressive displays from Keshav Maharaj and the rest of the bowling attack and South Africa looks a side that shapes as a strong contender for the upcoming World Cups. Turning our attention to England, we wonder whether Jamie Overton's decision to step back from Test cricket is a sign of things to come, and also assess where the holes are in this current ODI squad. The praise for the Proteas continues in the next segment as we talk about NZ's A tour to South Africa, as it has been a good week to be a Hermann brother. The home side took the 50-over series 2-1 thanks to runs galore from Rubin and Jordan, with Dale Phillips's 147 the shining light for New Zealand's batting display. To round out the show, we discuss Ross Taylor's decision to come out of international retirement to play for Samoa in the upcoming East Asia-Pacific qualifiers for the ICC T20 World Cup along with Sean Solia and the rest of the squad. Aside from it being a heartwarming story, it also raised a few questions for us about the international eligibility rules. Would it be good for the game to reduce the stand-down period? Or would that simply lead to manipulation? We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket, including the Asia Cup as well as more of the South Africa 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 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 1:00 England v South Africa - Proteas keep rolling on 4:10 England in a white-ball rebuild phase? 6:55 South Africa's depth looking good 11:00 Where are the gaps in England's squad? 14:30 Jamie Overton's decision to step away from red-ball cricket 20:20 NZ A v SA A - Good week to be a Hermann brother! 34:05 Ross Taylor returns to play for Samoa - should cricket's eligibility rules change? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu discuss a range of topics from the cricketing news cycle, including: white-ball series between Australia and South Africa, NZ A tour to South Africa, England also scheduled to play the Proteas and the recent comments from Todd Greenberg about the future of Test cricket. We start the show by talking about Australia's mixed performances against South Africa and what both sides can take from a series missing a few star players. There's praise for Tim David and Dewalt Brevis, question marks over the Aussie bowling bench, while Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green all score hundred on the night of recording. The conversation moves on to the NZ A tour to South Africa, which features a number of players who have already made their debut for the Black Caps. We're excited to see how young players like Muhammad Abbas, Rhys Mariu & Bevon Jacobs perform, as well as the chance it provides Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Ben Lister and many others to continue pushing for more opportunities at the top level. Next it is off to England to discuss Jacob Bethell's selection as T20 captain against Ireland, before a brief introduction to Sonny Baker. Then we round out the show with our reaction to comments by Cricket Australia Chief Todd Greenberg about the future of Test cricket and the ICC working group that could shape what unfolds. We'll most likely be back in your feed again next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:25 Australia v South Africa series - have we learned anything? 21:05 NZ A tour to South Africa - Black Caps bench strength 32:15 English summer update - Bethell and Baker 43:25 Is quality more important than quantity for Test cricket? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at a run of dominant performances by the Black Caps in Zimbabwe, share a few more thoughts about the Test series between England and India, and discuss cricket at the LA Olympics as well as overseas investment in The Hundred. We start the show by talking about the two-Test series between the Black Caps and Zimbabwe, which resulted in heavy defeats for the home side. New Zealand ticked a lot of boxes, with debuts to Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy and Matt Fisher, plus impressive performances from the likes of Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls. We discuss what it all means in the context of Zimbabwe's own struggles, and ponder how Test cricket can grow while still ensuring the games remain competitive. The conversation continues with Raj and Baldy sharing their thoughts on the epic series between England and India. We talk the spirit of cricket, Mohammed Siraj, the England bowling attack and why it is a shame that both sides aren't heading straight into another Test series. To round out the episode, there's talk of the qualifying outlook for the LA Olympics cricket event, which looks set to features only six teams for the men and women. We also discuss overseas investment into The Hundred and how that could potentially change both the tournament and the global cricket calendar. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:05 Black Caps v Zimbabwe - what did we learn about NZ? 3:30 Zak Foulkes's impressive debut & NZ's bowling depth 7:05 Matt Henry continues to be world class 9:00 Did NZ make the right decision to declare? 14:05 Where to now for Zimbabwe? Two-tier WTC? 28:20 England v India: a hard-fought series 32:55 Mohammed Siraj & India's allrounder options 38:50 England's bowling attack for the Ashes 42:00 2028 LA Olympics qualifying 53:50 The Hundred: Overseas investment & another T20 window? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at an incredible finish to the Test series between England and India by reviewing the final Test at The Oval. We start the show by talking about a dramatic final day, which saw Mohammed Siraj emerge as the hero for India as the visitors secured a six-run victory to level the series at 2-2. There's plenty of praise for Siraj's heart and spirit both in this game and across the five Tests, plus a discussion about Harry Brook's dismissal and the key moments of this epic match. The conversation continues with a word on India's other heroes, such as Akash Deep and Yashasvi Jaiswal, plus a look at Ollie Pope's captaincy, the injuries and the viability of a five-Test series in this packed schedule, before we try to put the overall series into context by throwing around phrases like 'Best since the '05 Ashes' like they are going out of fashion. Then, as always, the English boys look ahead to the key questions in the lead up to the Ashes. We'll be back in your feed at the end of the week to discuss the Black Caps v Zimbabwe Tests, plus more stories from the world of cricket (and probably this England v India 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 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 1:20 Absolute scenes as India secure a six-run victory 7:35 Mohammed Siraj was outstanding 11:35 Was Harry Brook's dismissal the key moment? 26:20 India's other heroes in this game and series 29:25 Akash Deep's innings and Ollie Pope's captaincy 35:00 The injury toll and the viability of five-Test series 44:45 Where will this series will rank historically? 54:10 Looking ahead - England's Ashes questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at the fourth Test between England and India, plus New Zealand's victory in the T20 Tri-Series final against South Africa. We also look ahead to the 5th Test in the UK and the Black Caps v Zimbabwe series. We start the show by talking about India's fantastic fightback on days 4 and 5 of the Test at Old Trafford, which saw the series remain at 2-1 with one match to play. There were hundreds for Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, but also some controversy surrounding the conclusion of the day's play. Ben Stokes wasn't happy then, but he'd done plenty to earn his player of the match award, taking a 5-wicket bag and scoring 100 across the course of the Test. Joe Root was equally impressive, and Rishabh Pant's bravery stood out for the visitors. We round out the India v England conversation with a discussion about potential and probable changes the 5th and final Test. To finish the show, Stu chimes in to highlight the Black Caps' unbeaten run to some T20 silverware in Zimbabwe, which culminated in a dramatic final against South Africa. With 7 runs needed from 6 balls, Matt Henry stepped up and, with the help of two fantastic catches in the outfield, closed out the victory for New Zealand. In addition, we look ahead to the upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the England v India and NZ v Zimbabwe Tests. 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 4:05 India's 4th innings fightback 7:00 England reaction 11:30 Was the pitch too flat? 21:10 Joe Root's brilliance 30:10 Ben Stokes's bowling and leadership 37:05 Rishabh Pant's bravery 42:30 Controversy corner 50:50 Changes and predictions for 5th Test 1:04:40Black Caps win T20 series against SA & Zim 1:08:40 NZ v Zim first Test starts Wednesday 30 July Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at Australia's 3-0 Test series victory in the West Indies, which saw them produce a near record-breaking performance in the final match. We also discuss the start of the T20 Tri Series from a Black Caps point of view, with NZ back in action on the world stage. (Note the episode ends abruptly, as we lost the final 2 minutes of the recording, which was mainly Baldy talking about how fun it has been to watch Lhuan-dre Pretorius bat in his short international career.) We start the show by talking about Australia's performance against the West Indies. Three games, three wins, maximum World Test Championship points, but was it a good performance? There's plenty of talk about the batters, with Sam Konstas and Cameron Green mentioned, before we move to the bowling group to discuss Mitchell Starc's milestone match and the best bowler in world cricket who hardly ever plays, Scott Boland. To round out our conversation about this series, we ask where the West Indies can find some batters who can support their bowling group. With the Black Caps taking part in the T20 Tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, we discuss New Zealand's first two matches and the depth they appear to be building in the T20 format. There are mentions for BJ Jacobs, Tim Robinson, Devon Conway and Mark Chapman, before the recording cut off just as Lhuan-dre Pretorius was being discussed. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the 4th Test between England and India and more news from 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 1:15 Australia v West Indies: Worst 3-0 Test series win ever? 6:35 Cam Green a shining light for Australia's batting? 11:10 Mitchell Starc shines in his 100th Test 17:05 Scott Boland: hattrick hero who barely gets a game 25:10 West Indies 27 all out: where to from here? 29:50 Did Sam Konstas misfield on purpose? 34:00 Black Caps building depth in the T20 format Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at an epic encounter at Lord's, which saw England go 2-1 up against India. We start the show by talking about the quality of the match and the emotions of a gripping 4th innings, in which Ravindra Jadeja almost played hero with the tail but ultimately saw the legend of Ben Stokes grow even further. The conversation then bounces around from India's missed opportunities to the quality of batting on display from KL Rahul and Joe Root, the return of Jofra Archer and the ongoing discussion around slow over rates and the Dukes cricket ball. To round out the show, we look ahead to the selection questions facing both sides for the 4th Test. Will Jasprit Bumrah play? Should India make more changes? A bump in the road for Shoaib Bashir and whether England will rotate their bowling attack in what shapes to be another fascinating encounter. We'll be back in your feed early next week to recap the Australia v West Indies series along with more England/India news and maybe even a Black Caps update. 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 What an epic Test match! 3:55 Emotions of Days 4 and 5 9:20 The Ben Stokes legend grows 14:45 Did India play the better cricket for longer? 21:30 Will we ever fix slow over rates and the cricket ball? 29:30 Will Joe Root overtake Tendulkar? 35:20 Jofra Archer's return and England's bowling 42:35 Key selection decisions ahead of the 4th Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Agnew is alongside Ashes winning bowler Steven Finn and BBC Sport writer Matt Henry to discuss Jofra Archer's return to the England Test side. England captain Ben Stokes explains the decision. Plus, we hear from his teammates Chris Woakes and Saqib Mahmood, and former New Zealand bowler Shane Bond - who is Archer's bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

In this episode of the show, the entire Top Order Podcast team gather to discuss the recent Test matches between India and England, and the West Indies and Australia — one which saw a complete reversal of the previous encounter and another that was déjà vu all over again. We start at Edgbaston, where a Shubman Gill masterclass and bags of wickets from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj inspired India to a comprehensive 336-run victory over England. We talk about India's selection, Gill's brilliance, how India's seamers stepped up without Jasprit Bumrah, Jamie Smith's star continuing to rise, what went wrong for England and whether either side needs to make changes for the third Test at Lord's. In the second half of the show, we move to Grenada where Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy with a Test win in very familiar fashion to the first match of the series. Australia's top order largely struggled, the middle-order dug them out of a hole, the West Indies threatened at times but ultimately the world-class Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Lyon quartet (backed up by Beau Webster) took the 20 wickets the Aussies needed to secure a comfortable victory in the end. In addition to all of that, we discuss a step forward from Cam Green and potential changes for the final Test. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the third Tests between India v England and Australia v West Indies, plus anything else that grabs our attention. 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 England v India - India make changes and deliver a big win 4:45 Shubman Gill's masterclass 7:10 Is it time for England to panic? 10:55 Did England get their tactics wrong? 14:40 Shubman Gill again 17:00 Mohammed Siraj & Akash Deep step up 20:40 Jamie Smith better than Adam Gilchrist? 28:20 Selection questions for both teams 43:40 West Indies v Australia - deja vu as Australia win the Frank Worrell Trophy 49:00 Sam Konstas and the Australian top order struggles 55:35 Beau Webster and Alex Carey 1:01:00 Changes for the 3rd Test? 1:06:25 Black Caps' Test squad named for Zimbabwe series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Jamie look back at Australia's 'comfortable' win against the West Indies, discuss selection questions facing India and England for the second Test of their series, plus a short conversation about the Black Caps T20 squad for the tri-series also involving South Africa and Zimbabwe. We start the show by talking through Australia's win against the West Indies, which saw the visitors bat first and concede a first innings lead but still come away with a comfortable victory on the scorecard at least. To no one's surprise, there are conversations about Australia's top order once again, with Sam Konstas and Cameron Green in the spotlight, plus dropped catches, praise for the likes of Jayden Seales, Josh Hazlewood and Shamar Joseph across both bowling attacks, and also some DRS controversy that certainly bothered Roston Chase. In the second segment, we look ahead to the second Test between England and India at Edgbaston, mainly with an eye to selection. Jofra Archer has joined the England squad - will he play? And should he? Whereas India have a few questions to answer, particularly in the bowling department. Does England's win in the first Test mean Jasprit Bumrah needs to play the second? Do India need to be braver in their selection? What do they do with the 4th bowling option/number 8 - Shardul Thakur? Nitish Kumar Reddy? Kuldeep Yadav? Arshdeep Singh? To round out the show we briefly discuss the Black Caps T20 squad to face Zimbabwe and South Africa in the upcoming tri-series, which looks to favour an explosive top order of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, and has no room in it for Devon Conway or Mitch Hay. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the second Tests between India v England and Australia v West Indies, plus anything else that grabs our attention. 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 0:50 A comfortable win for Australia? 1:55 Australia's top order struggles - Konstas, Green 11:40 Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales shine for the West Indies 19:25 DRS controversy 27:10 Dropped catches 30:20 Australia's bowlers - Starc, Hazlewood 34:25 England v India - Jofra Archer added to England squad 42:30 What's India's best way to take 20 wickets? 52:10 Should India change their batting order? 1:00:05 Black Caps T20 squad - Allen & Seifert in, Conway & Hay out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show Binksy and Jamie discuss a captivating 1st Test at Headingley where a brilliant 4th Innings hundred from Ben Duckett saw England chase down 370. We'll be back in your feed to recap the first Australia v West Indies Test and discuss more India v England news. 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 2:53 England's Historic Chase 6:07 Key Players and Strategies 8:54 India's Batting 11:58 England Bowling Effectiveness? 15:00 Fielding Standards and Catching 18:03 Looking Ahead to the Next Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look ahead to the upcoming Test series between the West Indies and Australia. Fresh off a loss in the World Test Championship Final, Australia head to the West Indies with very little time to lick their wounds and a lot of questions hanging over their heads, particularly the batters. Steve Smith is injured (at least for the first Test), Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped and Sam Konstas looks set to return to the top of the order. We start the show with an explainer, then touch briefly on the West Indies side and what we might expect as a formula for victory over the course of the series. We talk about comments from Daren Sammy, the fast bowling trio of Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, the inclusion of Shai Hope and Brandon King and non-selection of Alick Athanaze and Joshua da Silva in what could be a much changed batting lineup. From there on, it becomes an Australian deep dive as we try to figure out what the selectors are thinking and whether the batting collapses against South Africa at Lord's were an anomaly or a sign of things to come. Will Sam Konstas get a consistent run of games? Can Josh Inglis take his opportunity and become a Test regular? And where should Cameron Green bat? We also discuss the Australian bowling group with an eye to the future - can Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon make it through the full WTC cycle? Who are the next players in the pecking order? And does that even matter at this point? To round out the show, we make tentative predictions and then look at the World Test Championship fixture list to talk about who should be favoured and who has the best chance to be in that final in 2027. We'll be back in your feed soon to review the first Test between India and England, then again to recap Australia v West Indies. 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 2:00 Dates and venues 3:25 West Indies squad news 10:30 Fall out after Australia's WTC Final loss - Labuschagne dropped 17:00 Has Beau Webster secured his spot? 20:55 Australia's top 4 - Konstas and Inglis come in, but for how long? 30:55 Other batting options for Australia in future 36:10 Australia's bowlers - how long can this fantastic group continue? 43:00 Series expectations 47:30 World Test Championship fixtures - who has the best draw? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices