The bushfires continue to rage on, but thankfully cricket is stepping up to the plate. Warney’s baggy green has gone for over a million thanks to a heart-warming donation from a beloved Australian financial institution; and a Bushfire Relief game is set to restore us back to Waugh/Buchanan-era levels of safety. As king of the coats Scott Morrison would indeed smugly say, “How Good!”

 

Meanwhile, Stoinis slaps a wristy and "historic" 147* in the Big Bash, friend of the show Chris Green is done for chucking, and... Dale Steyn has apparently left the country/BBL? Didn't realise he was here. Anyway, we’re off to India this week for an ODI series that’s so fucking meaningless that our coach, Justin Langer, isn’t even going. Anyway, it’s happening thousands of miles away in a weird timezone on foreign soil and exclusively available to PayTV subscribers (i.e. the perfect conditions for another Sandpaper-style scandal) so should be worth keeping an eye on.

 

Josh Philippe joins us to talk about his limited, albeit scaring experiences of grade cricket, playing for the Sydney Sixers, getting picked up in the IPL, how the Coogee Pavillion is the greatest place on earth, circuiting with Steve O'Keefe and one score in the Big Bash can mean that you'll probably be captain of the Test team within 6 months.

 

Finally, #AskTGC provides advice to a young cuck weighing up the benefits of a humanitarian career (i.e. feel better about self, help people) vs a life in Sydney’s financial services sector (i.e. guaranteed SCG membership and premium access to intimate Steve Smith net sessions from close quarters). We also ruminate over the prospect of a Quadruple C (Century, Circuit, Chop, Conception) and ponder whether the Lord's slope also extends to the showers.

 

Thanks once again to @BudgySmuggler for their continued support of this podcast, despite our increasingly wild and tangential ad reads.

 

***

 

We do events, too. If you have sporting entertainment needs and prefer material sourced after 1975, please talk to us. We’ve performed across Australia and the UK, and love telling stories from clubland, or interviewing those who tell them even better. Contact [email protected] for more details.

 

***

 

We have merch, namely Stubby Holders, and Smugglers. Head to https://gradecricketer.club/shop for the specifics

 

***

 

Big thanks to Jarryd Biviano @thefifthcreative and Julia Dowe for our podcast art, Toby Shain for the voiceovers + fake ad production, and Adrian Leung for our intro tune.

 

***

 

Email the show at [email protected]

 

***

 

We’re able to do all of this thanks to the fit, intelligent, enterprising people at Budgy Smuggler. It either is, or is nearly, summer somewhere in the world. For the entirety of your colourful swimwear needs, head to budgysmuggler.com.au

EXTRA HOUR of AskTGC EVERY WEEK: https://patreon.com/gradecricketer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.