The Final Word Cricket Podcast
Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins present a friendly guide to cricket, blending match analysis with irreverence, politics, interviews, and history as they follow the game around the world. The podcast aims to make cricket accessible to everyone, covering both on-field action and off-field stories. Listeners can support the show via Patreon.
Episodes
TFW Daily - A triumph of organisation - England India, Women's Test, Lord's Day 4
Only Test, Lord's, Day 4: A hot day, a crumbling pitch taking turn, and a raft of spinners ready to use it: this was proper. And it will be a result long remembered in India, as the first women's Test at Lord's ended, as expected, in favour of the visitors. Adam and Geoff talk through the events of the last four days.
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TFW Daily - ECB crash their own party - England India, Women's Test, Lord's Day 3
Only Test, Lord's, Day 3: India continued their ruthless march to a historic victory in the first-ever Women’s Test at the Home of Cricket, but the day will be remembered for another sabotage of a showpiece women’s game with news from the Men’s team. Yastika Bhatia will be the first woman’s name on the century's honours board, whilst Amy Jones provided the only substantial resistance as Tammy Beau
TFW Daily - Heather Knight retires. India in control - England India, Women's Test, Lord's Day 2
Only Test, Lord's, Day 2: Kranti Gaud became the first woman on the Lord’s honours board with a five-wicket haul as India spoiled England’s homecoming party on Day 2 of the Lord’s Test. A record crowd saw England wilt in the heat for the second consecutive weekend in St John’s Wood, before Heather Knight announced her retirement after play. Daniel Norcross joins Geoff Lemon.
Could you suppor
TFW Daily - India still stuck in traffic - England India 5th T20
England v India, 5th T20, Trent Bridge: Jos Buttler roared back into form with a scintillating century, condemning India to their fourth heavy loss of the series. Harry Brook continued his great run in the format, with both batters pasting India to all corners of the Utilita Bowl. It wasn’t guaranteed that India would even make it to the ground, with some serious questions about the Southampton gr
TFW Daily - The last first - England India, Women's Test, Lord's Day 1
Only Test, Lord's, Day 1: A huge week for women's cricket in England continued at Lord's, with the first women's Test at the venue. It was, to some extent, the last major first for the women's game in the UK. And it was a big day with a big workload for England's spinners, after a ropy start for their quicks and a breezy session for India with the bat. Runs, wickets, and plenty of action for a big
Story Time 277 – Who else has clinched the Ashes on debut?
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a scenic backdrop as Adam dials in from another London cricket club, before we wind all the way back to the beginning of the 1900s, and a bowler who perhaps deserved better recognition than he got. Also this week, was Kane Williamson's twin brother mad good on the Playstation, and how do we assess Kane's Test career.
Your Nerd P
TFW Daily - Brook blasts sorry India - England India 4th T20
England v India, 4th T20, Trent Bridge: A chastened India team limped to Bristol after 4 demoralising defeats and produced another limp display to be blasted away at the hands of Harry Brook and Phil Salt, but not before Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue wreaked havoc amongst their much-vaunted batters, with only Shreyas Iyer preventing another calamity. Matt Roller joins Yas Rana.
Could you su
TFW Daily - Gambhir gets angry - England India 3rd T20
England v India, 3rd T20, Trent Bridge: An angry Gautam Gambhir has faced the press after a winless start to a tour that held untold promise for India’s T20 dominance. With a record-breaking loss condemning them to a fourth straight defeat at the hands of Ireland and now England. All eyes were on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and just as at Old Trafford, there was promise with two breathtaking sixe
Australia wins, but who was watching?
Season 20, Episode 20: The morning after the night before, Adam and Geoff discuss a clinical Australian victory over England in a final that was a great event, but circumstances conspired to keep in the back of public consciousness. Jay Shah gave his heartfelt thanks to his old friends in the press box, Pakistan keep surprising us, more Big Bash wrangling, and more.
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TFW Daily - Australia restore the timeline - Women's T20 World Cup final
Women's T20 World Cup 2026 final: England v Australia: A new record crowd for women's cricket in England came down to Lord's, beating the 2017 mark on a perfect sunny afternoon. For Australia, the final test after a brief period without trophies. For England, the final challenge after revitalising their team. Of course, only one could win... Adam and Geoff get together at Lord's.
Could you supp
TFW Daily - The Kid debuts! Sooryavanshi time - England India 2nd T20
England v India, 2nd T20, Old Trafford: The day has finally come! Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his full international debut for India, becoming their youngest player to do so. And what did he do? Walked out and started hitting sixes. Naturally. England's own young gun Jacob Bethell had his say in the chase, but that's not the story.
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Story Time 276 – Who is Piccolo Jim, and why will his centenary be 2029?
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, there will be plenty of centenaries and sesquicentenaries coming up over the next few years, but we have found a rather more niche one than the first Test or Bodyline or Bradman's debut. Find out about a bloke called Piccolo Jim. Also this week, the drag-flickers who swapped sports, and a lovely left-armer. Adam and Geoff are bac
TFW Daily - England are Australia's challenger - Women's T20 World Cup, semi-final 2
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, 2nd Semi-Final: England v South Africa: Another huge crowd, with 21,000 in at The Oval leaning strongly towards the home team, and South Africa gave them plenty to worry about. A rollicking Powerplay with the ball, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail with duelling death stares, from where it took all the experience of Heather Knight and the returning Nat Sciver-Brunt to b
Hubris and the fall: the sad, mad end of Ben Stokes, Test cricketer
Season 20, Episode 19: It's been a mad old week in cricket. We took a beat to consider the weekend exit of Ben Stokes from international cricket, at least for now, but the time that has passed hasn't made it make any more sense. The England men's team right now is a mess of self-justification and self-interest, and who knows where it will land. All we know is that the current direction cannot be
TFW Daily - Perry's final fitness scare - Women's T20 World Cup, semi-final 1
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, 1st Semi-Final: Australia v West Indies: A start like no other, where West Indies batter Deandra Dottin appeared to faint during the national anthems, seemed to galvanise superstar Hayley Matthews. Spin put the brakes on for the Aussies before their batters put on a show. But this will be the third showpiece with an injured Ellyse Perry. Will she battle through like 201
Story Time 275 – Once again, stump becomes weapon
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, Adam and Geoff catch up in London to look at a special but ill-fated career, a slow build from a difficult beginning, and the greatest first day of them all.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
2.04 - Bala Sivaraman
16.00 - Graeme Innes
7.75 - Alex Linsley
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TFW Daily - Ben Stokes chaos ends in superb Kiwi win - England NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 5
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 5: There was a collective weariness at Trent Bridge on Day 5 from all apart from the impressive New Zealand team. A sparse, quiet crowd saw the Kiwis' depleted attack take out the Test and series, and they look good value to get some big results out of the next 12 months. The 160-run win was inspired by their Day 1 run-fest and a bloody-minded 2nd in
TFW Daily - Stokes retires, England go bizarre - England NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 4
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 4: News of Ben Stokes’ retirement at the end of this Test was released in the middle of an over just prior to the tea break. In an amazing, Stokesian piece of theatre, the next ball was a wicket… to Ben Stokes. The Test turned truly bizarre, with the skipper's wild innings as an opener and a shuffled batting order that mimicked his approach, raising
TFW Daily - India's last chance - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 15
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 15, Australia v India, South Africa v Bangladesh: Two matches to decide one semi-final spot, with so many permutations depending on each of the possible results. India needed to beat the champs, South Africa had to hope and worry, and Australia didn't have to do anything but hone their game. We ended up with one of the best matches of the tournament. Firdose Moonda
TFW Daily - NZ greats bow out - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 14
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 14, England v New Zealand: Already qualified, against a team motivated by not just a place in the semi-finals but by extending the careers of three legends, you could forgive England for taking their foot off the gas for a brief moment. A record crowd for a group game witnessed a red-letter evening. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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TFW Daily - Seesaw rocks Kiwis way - England NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 3
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 3: A Test that continues to confound expectations swung violently in New Zealand’s direction on an engrossing third day. A Test and a series that was England’s to win in the morning is now well and truly in the crosshairs of the Kiwis. Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross to try to make sense of it.
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TFW Daily - The longest final over - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 13
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 13, Sri Lanka v Scotland: It was the battle of Final Word faves: our fascination with Sri Lanka's improvement versus the heart with which the Scots have tackled big tasks at this World Cup. And for the entire duration, this one was evenly matched. Toe to toe, pressure versus pressure, and it came down to the final couple of balls with one of the more dramatic finish
TFW Daily - England’s best day for a year? - England NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 2
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 2: The headline may be recency bias, but England will be delighted with their day’s work. Considering the match situation, the conditions, and weary legs from one of their toughest days yesterday, England have turned the Test, the series, and possibly even the future employment of Brendan McCullum on their heads. An early blast from Stokes and Bashir
TFW Daily - Latham & Conway smash records – England NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 1
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Day 1: Another UK scorcher saw England toil under blue skies. A day that was meant to be triumphant for the returns of Stokes and Atkinson saw the unheralded duo of Latham and Conway put on 317 before England took a wicket. But, like Nottingham buses, you wait for one, and then four come along unexpectedly and quickly. Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross to
TFW Daily - Stuttering India stay alive - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 12
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 12, India v Bangladesh: India got the result they needed to keep their hopes of back-to-back ICC trophies alive, but the manner of it will concern the team, and their legion of fans. Melissa Story joins Adam Collins.
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TFW Daily - England seal a semi-final - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 11
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 10, England v West Indies: A record June day of heat in England, and a crowd of 14,000 at Lord’s: the thermostat was up, and Heather Knight was cooking. But hottest of all was Hayley Matthews’ temper, which might have the West Indies skipper in hot water.
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TFW Daily - Bazball's last Test? - England NZ, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge Preview
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge, Preview: A wild series comes to its unmissable conclusion this week at Trent Bridge. For New Zealand, dependable all-rounder Mitch Santner will come in for the rested Kyle Jamieson, but the bigger focus will be on England’s changes. A huge chance for Shoaib Bashir to prove his worth on a hot week, of course, but there’ll be no greater focus this year t
TFW Daily - Perry power locks up Aussie semi - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 10
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 10, Australia v Pakistan, Sri Lanka v Ireland, Scotland v New Zealand: Australia are locked in at the top of Group A, after a performance where Pakistan had their moments but their moments were brief. Group B, however, remains a totally open race, after Chamari Atapattu reprised her Bristol special, and New Zealand finally got their act together with the return of t
We're in the Lord's penthouse, Baz is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon
Season 20, Episode 18: Coming to you from the absurd penthouse terrace with a clear view of the Lord's pitch, Adam and Geoff are back together. England have been thumped by New Zealand, and Ben Stokes is coming back for the third Test, but his relationship with Brendon McCullum might be strained after the strange Baz comments "worrying" about his team's captain. Also this week, Sooryavanshi destro
TFW Daily - South Africa flip the table - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 9
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 9, India v South Africa, West Indies v Sri Lanka, England v Scotland: Marizanne Kapp has turned Group A upside down with a solo performance for the ages, as India now face a quarter-final against the Aussies. Meantime, West Indies keep barelling on, and England show why they might be real contenders.
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TFW Daily - King Henry’s 11 - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Day 5
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Day 5: England needed a miracle performance without their miracle man. Realistically, any of the three sessions or near 300 runs required were going to take Herculean efforts against the Kiwis high-quality attack, and it was their leader, Matt Henry, who took the best figures for a New Zealander against England. The post-mortems will be wide-ranging. Does Brend
TFW Daily - The first Aussie-Dutch stoush - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 8
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 8, Australia v Netherlands, Pakistan v Bangladesh: Australia have never played the Dutch in a T20 before, and the Aussie challenge was whether they could top the NRR boost that India got from the same fixture. After that, Pakistan and Bangladesh scrapped it out in what became a scrappy game but a fierce, compelling contest. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff.
Could you s
TFW Daily - Kiwis soar high - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Day 4
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Day 4: A day where New Zealand’s much vaunted attack showed why they garner so much respect. Only Joe Root, again, was able to hold the tide at bay, assisted with some Bazballian flourishes from Harry Brook. All four results are still possible, but one seems more likely than the other. Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross.
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TFW Daily - Ireland fumble a heist - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 7
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 7, Ireland v West Indies: Just the one game today, but it was the closest one we've had yet, and for almost all of it, the Irish women responded to the pressure they've been under by scaring the daylights out of New Zealand. Melissa Story joins Geoff.
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TFW Daily - Henry & Nicholls make England wilt - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Day 3
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Day 3: It was a red-letter day for the return of Henry Nicholls, who notched up a classy century to put a flat England to the sword. With only Matt Fisher showing early resistance with the bat, it was down to the bowlers to keep England in the match on a beautiful batting wicket. Days 4 and 5 will be intriguing. Will England launch another Bazballian chase on
TFW Daily - Two absolute belters - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 6
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 6, Scotland v West Indies, South Africa v Pakistan: Two absolute belters on two consecutive nights, as mistakes and pressure made for compelling viewing. Tonight, the Scots threatened to create their biggest ever upset against the late emerging power of West Indies, while the previous evening Pakistan somehow threatened to come back from the dead against South Afric
TFW Daily - Cricket’s favourite son tons up - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Day 2
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Day 2: Glenn Phillips, seemingly the cricketer that everyone loves, finally scaled the mountain to score his maiden Test century. It made him the 35th man to score a century in all three international formats. It led to an enthralling battle on a pitch that still offers the occasional assistance to hard-working fast bowlers. England’s batters fought hard, but
TFW Daily - England's attack a study of inexperience - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Day 1
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Day 1: A day that opened up for England but couldn't quite stick with an attack finding its way against a batting group that has seen plenty. It's Daniel Norcross and Ben Jones, at stumps on a day that was in stark contrast to the chaos of Lord's.
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TFW Daily - Run rate for Aus & India - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 5
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 5, Australia v Bangladesh, India v Netherlands: Not competitive games, but there was some enjoyment to be had from the Dutch performance, while very nervous, against a powerful India side. Less so as Bangladesh faltered against Australia, but key absences raised more interesting questions about which XI will do the job from here on in. Adam and Geoff look over the d
TFW Daily - Defending champs on the brink - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 4
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 4, Sri Lanka v New Zealand, England v Ireland: What a finish, and what a refusal to lay down. People still underestimate Sri Lanka, but we've been tracking their improvement for years. This performance may be their finest, as the trophy holders have almost dropped it. Also, Ireland took on the big task of England. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff.
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TFW Daily - Root Ashes 2027 captain? - England NZ, 2nd Test, Oval Preview
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 2nd Test, Oval, Preview: For England, it’s hard to imagine how their time since Lord’s could’ve been more chaotic. So much drama, so many changes. Now across the river, it means at least two debuts, possibly three, and up to give changes pending circumstances outside of their control in a birthing suite. What of Stokes, and McCullum’s press conference yesterday? And of Root, w
CA sell-off hits more roadblocks, Ben Stokes hits the showers
Season 20, Episode 17: Cricket Australia emerged from an all-states meeting claiming a consensus agreement to sell some Big Bash clubs, but there are a lot of caveats to work through first. The Age chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig joins the show to unpick the latest. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes will miss the next Test, with plenty of politics still afoot around England's captain. Plus, a special fini
TFW Daily - The India Pakistan formula - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 3
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 3, India v Pakistan, West Indies v New Zealand, and Netherlands v Bangladesh: The big one in terms of attention, rarely the big one in terms of competition, but today there were some moments that suggested a turn in the story. Also, the Dutch World Cup debut is a strong one, Bangladesh find power, and West Indies play out a thriller against the defending champs New
TFW Daily - Aussies vulnerable? Not yet - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 2
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 2, Scotland v Ireland and Australia v South Africa: Lots of chat from South Africans before this tournament about taking the next step, and from all of about whether Australia might be vulnerable, but they sure didn't look like it when Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Wareham set about their work. Also today, the Bryce sisters pull out a special partnership to set up h
TFW Daily - England start furiously - Women's T20 World Cup, Day 1
Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Day 1, England v Sri Lanka: There has been plenty of pressure on the England women's team coming into a home World Cup after their poor recent history, but they couldn't have done any more than they did in their opener against Sri Lanka. A record tournament score, one wicket down, and a ruthless bowling performance to close out a thumping win. Meanwhile, Chamari Atapatt
Emergency ep: Kane Williamson retires
Don’t say it’s over. After one last go around at Lord’s, Big Daddy Kane has left the arena, retiring from all New Zealand cricket. An abrupt decision in the middle of their Test series against England, but one in keeping with someone who has always kept his own counsel. Two of the Fab Four have now given up the whites, with Williamson departing as an all-time great, and New Zealand’s finest ever w
Ben Stokes and the grown men under curfew
Season 20, Episode 16: Ben Stokes and trouble on a night out, is it? Deidre Chambers. But then, is there more to this, or less to this, than meets the eye? How much comes down to the ECB’s management of everything around its team? Also this week, Cricket Victoria lob a grenade into the Big Bash privatisation story, planning to blow up both the Stars and the Renegades, and the mighty Bangladesh Tig
Story Time 274 - Let’s all eat some ants
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, the best performances that didn't go so well on the other side of the ledger, a firebrand whose madness was seen both on the field and off, an early shapeshifter who surprised in his non-preferred suit, and an unexpected dietary quirk along the way. Geoff and Adam combine.
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TFW Daily - Should Archer come straight back?- England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Review
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Review: It’s the day after one of the shortest 40-wicket Tests on record and Adam has Daniel Norcross with him to ponder what it all means. The Lord’s pitch is where attention continues to sit, albeit with MCC presenting a path to a better future for the contentious 22 yards. Casting to The Oval, where the next Test begins next Wednesday, is it simply the case
TFW Daily - Crapshoot or new era? - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 4
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 4: What do England and New Zealand take away from this match? Do they even need to? Ben Jones joins Daniel Norcross to discuss whether a win is just that, or if there’s more to it than meets the eye.
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TFW Daily - Lunch stops play - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 3
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 3: The sun was out today, but the umpires had decided to take lunch. Before you roll your eyes, we try to explain why. It typified a frustrating stop-start day, with players on and off the field, taking this Test into a fourth day with the game still in the balance. We also have an explanation about impact on DRS. With plenty still to talk about, Ben Jone
TFW Daily - Does Lord’s have a problem? - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 2
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 1:There'll be questions asked about another dicey pitch at Lord's in early June, with 33 wickets falling in total by the end of the second day. Emilio Gay provided some respite, raising a 50 on debut in an hour of relative calm, before the pitch started
playing havoc again and New Zealand’s catching joined the chaos. Despite that, the game is evenly poise
TFW Daily - 16 wickets of madness - England NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 1
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Day 1: Marauding pace bowlers dominated the highly anticipated return of Test cricket for the summer, as momentum shifted from one extreme to the other under changeable weather conditions at Lord’s. Kyle Jamieson kicked things off for New Zealand, Harry Brook counterattacked, before the returning Ollie Robinson caused some chaos of his own. Ben Jones joins Dan
TFW Daily - How much pressure for Baz? - Eng v NZ, 1st Test, Lord’s, Preview
Eng v NZ Daily 2026, 1st Test, Lord’s Preview: Adam has Ben Jones with him, who will be co-piloting the Daily eps from the first Test series of the England summer with the Black Caps in town at a wet Home of Cricket. When they do get on, just how much pressure are the England top brass
under this week? We have a pretty good idea of how they’re shaping up, with room to move if the rain keeps coming
Virat Kohli and RCB double the fun
Season 20, Episode 15: A big week in India, as Virat Kohli led the way in second consecutive IPL win for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also this week, some moves from the ICC board meeting, including a new appointment; Ireland host a rare Test; England cricket tries to take control of its media product; and the Aussies go down to battling Pakistan.
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Story Time 273 – The Monte Carlo black streak
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, an ancient tradition that predates cricket entirely, yet has accompanied the game through every match that has been recorded, leads us to a Monte Carlo casino in 1913, and Geoff's pet topic of probability. Also, a spinner's day that didn't work out, Bradman's dalliances with the pen, and a crime
The Final Word with Will Bosisto
Season 20 Episode 14: It has been a long time coming, but here we are: one of the Final Word’s all-time favourites, Will Bosisto, joins the show. Gracious enough to enjoy being a cricketing cult hero, worldly enough to have drawn wisdom from his many experiences in the game, Will is as insightful a guest as we could have hoped. Catch up with him on the pressure of expectation, the redefining of sa
More drama as Cricket Australia exec leaves during spending scandal
Season 20 Episode 13: Cricket Australia are pushing a line about needing more money coming in, but that didn't stop a bunch of money going out, after a technology executive was accused of funnelling contracts to their own company. Meanwhile, the whistleblower who reported the problem was sacked. Things aren't going well at head office. Also this week, Jacob Bethell's broken finger opens up an Engl
Story Time 272 – One couldn't bat, the other couldn't keep
It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, those rare away wins keep on coming up, as does a score that shouldn't lead to defeat still manages to do so. We have a wicketkeeping double act, a life of service following a tough beginning, and another look at a different aspect of the series that at least one of us loves the most.
Your Ner
The Final Word with Charlotte Edwards
Season 20 Episode 12: Charlotte Edwards is one of the most respected people in all of cricket. With her career in the game now entering a third decade, she’s now in the job she always wanted since finishing as a superstar player and captain in 2016: coach of the England Women’s Team. Taking over at a low ebb last year, we find a mentor who has found the empathy needed for a role like this, but als
Zak Crawley sails to Valinor
Season 20 Episode 11: England’s Test squad is out, and the end has indeed come for Bazball’s mascot. Elsewhere, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins gets stroppy at media reports, but isn’t it more likely to be people he knows who keep using his name?
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/the
Story Time 271 – Forest Whittaker meets Dr Pierre Rock
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a cryptic dance that ended up being far more geographical, the historical evolution of big days out, a deep dive into Australian sin taxes, and Adam has not seen The Crying Game.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
2.35 - Michael Blesic
2.22 - Debashish Biswas
3.50 - Sean Moynihan
14.20 - Nick Ibis
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TFW Book Club - Picture of England, with Gareth Copley-Jones
Sports photography isn’t just about the right lighting or composition, but forging relationships with the subjects and an understanding of the context that can turn photographs into stories. Gareth Copley-Jones has been behind the camera for some of England cricket’s most iconic images: Ben Stokes at Headingley, Jofra Archer’s delirium at Lord’s, Chris Woakes walking out to bat with his arm in a s
In Aussie cricket, who benefits from scaring the horses?
Season 20, Episode 10: A big news story this week claims discontent at the top of Australia's player ranks about the fact that private cash is not imminent in the BBL - but how real is that, and whose interest is served by reporting it? Also this week, squads aplenty, a big game for some of our Bangladeshi faves, and major moves in the county round along with a hat-trick on debut, so we'll intervi
Story Time 270 – The man who slept at the non-striker's end
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, Andrew Fidel Fernando joins the show for an unlikely tale of an unlikely nap, one with real consequence. There's also a Welsh excursion for a squad of Western Australians, the kid who won player-of-the-match from well down the pecking order, and a return to one of the faves of faves.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
11.33
TFW Book Club - James Vince and the unbearable sadness of batting, with Jon Hotten
Jon Hotten is one of the most engaging writers our game is blessed with, so any topic he turns his pen to is going to be worth reading about. His latest book, Vinciness, is unusual as the subject isn’t really what he’s writing about. Not all the time, anyway. For the “decadent and depraved” majesty of cover driving to so much more, Daniel Norcross steered the conversation with this outstanding aut
Ding dong, the Big Bash sale is dead
Season 20, Episode 9: Stand down, defenders of the realm. The brave Queenslanders have come to the aid of New South Wales (did we ever doubt them?) and that means that with 33% of the states now off the idea, Cricket Australia can't take the Big Bash to the sale yard to get a price. Everybody is seemingly pissed off with somebody. Is this a good outcome, bad outcome, head in the sand, resolute bel
Story Time 269 – Still the best run chase in history?
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a player we've just learned about who had a compelling tale either side of the Great War, a big day in the East for the West, a brief but wild innings with the ball, and is this still the greatest run chase of all time?
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
9.83 - Niall Taylor
5.67 - StuG
4.38 - Paul Batfay
8.62 - Matt Gayn
TFW Book Club - Father Marriott’s Summer Hols, with Max Bonnell
The mighty Max Bonnell returns to Book Club to discuss his acclaimed title from last year about an oft-discussed character on Story Time, leggie Charles ‘Father’ Marriott. Naturally, there’s so much more to this man than the curiosity that his only Test netted him the stunning match figures of 11/96, the of his life so well told in the pages of Father Marriott’s Summer Holidays. Daniel Norcross pi
Can Cricket Australia's chair juggle a second job?
Season 20, Episode 8: Note: an earlier version of this podcast confused NRMA motoring association (not a CA sponsor) with NRMA insurance (CA's major Test series sponsor). They're different companies with shared branding. Apologies. Nonetheless, this story is strange, with CA chair Mike Baird planning to double up that job with being CEO of NRMA motoring association. How is that possible? Also this
Story Time 268 – There's only one thing Kohli can't stand: the Dutch
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, the greatest run of free lunches in a particular journalist's history. An adopted hero, a distant memorial, a new era beckoning for Bangladeshis bowling fast, and there's only one thing in this world that Virat Kohli can't stand.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
2.14 - Harsha G
3.51 - Not The Run Machine
6.00 - Ale
This is W̶o̶m̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ cricket | The Final Word
Season 20, Episode 7: Live from Lord’s at the annual MCC Women’s Day. Adam Collins brings you a series of chats from prominent women in cricket, proving that it’s not just what happens on the field or on TV that keeps the juggernaut of the women’s game rolling. From Meg Lay, the first woman to prepare an international cricket pitch, record-setting German international Tina Gough, Dutch captain and
More corruption accusations in world cricket as ICC does nothing
Season 20, Episode 6: A new investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has brought to light the extremely serious risk that rottenness has consumed cricket administration in that country. The ICC, of course, has hands in pockets while whistling. Also this week, Tom Decent joins the show to update us on Cricket Australia's campaign to win over the state associations and sell the Big Bas
Story Time 267 – When Mr Cricket passed The Don
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a 77-year dynasty of decent boring men, a piece of pure cricket slapstick in the middle of a tough streak, an accidental stumbling onto someone's favourite player, and the moment when a legend in the making passed the biggest one of all.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
3.00 - Andrew Cooper
18.46 - Calum Evans
13.00
Wisden 2026 with Lawrence Booth
Season 20, Episode 5: We love a tradition on The Final Word, with one of those our annual chat with Lawrence Booth, the editor of the little yellow bible of the game, every year in the MCC Library before he and Adam go across the road to the Long Room for the launch dinner. Once again, the book is a tour de force – we expect nothing less. And as ever, the man who steers the ship is on top form, be
Brazil's world record, and Dave Warner nicked on the drive
Season 20, Episode 4: Another big week, do we keep saying that? Laura Cardoso from our favourite cricket team claimed the best bowling figures in T20 history this week with 9 for 4, so let's break down how it happened and hear, briefly, from teammate Roberta Moretti Avery. Making the news for less salubrious reasons was Dave Warner, blowing twice the legal limit into a breathalyser over Easter. Al
Story Time 266 – Why do bowlers only get 20 percent?
It's Story Time, your weekly walk through cricket history. This week, why is it accepted wisdom that bowlers in limited-overs formats should only get 20 percent of the overs each? Let's have a look. Also this week, a little-known WACA classic, a storied ground whose stories have run out, and the curse of the Mitchells.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
2.00 - Joel Emonson
9.10 - Ben He
The Final Word with Jake Weatherald
Season 20, Episode 3: We find the Australian Test opener at The Oval, where he’s set to play for Leicestershire against Surrey in the county championship – a gig he only found out he had a couple of weeks ago. It’s emblematic of the 31-year-old’s fascinating and unconventional career so far, which has taken the left-hander far and wide from his Northern Territory home, all in pursuit of his Test d
Red-ball cricket shoots emerge from frozen winter ground
Season 20, Episode 2: This won't be the practice every week, but why note spend half an hour talking about the county round to begin the first episode of county season? Red-ball cricket is back in the north, baby, and past Final Word guests are outdoing everyone else. Also this week, tremulous responses to Pat Cummins' back scan, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the talk of the IPL, South Africa have some c
Story Time 265 – The Rastafarian Lion of Judah
It’s Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, Bharat joins Geoff to realise how little they both know about Ethiopia, and to attempt a correction. Is there a cricket link? Of course there is. Also this week, hometown heroes, golden boys, injustices whose sting will never fade, and more than one significant dip in the pool.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week
6.60 - Terr
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