Close of Play

Why are England resting Gus Atkinson after just one game?

Sanjay and Ashes winner Geraint Jones debate the growing tension between rest and performance in the England setup. With county bowlers putting in the work, is the system fair — or is England now managing players purely for the biggest series?

They also cover:

• County form vs England selection
• IPL vs red-ball development
• The spinner dilemma
• Managing Jofra Archer
• Burnout vs big money in modern cricket
• Plus Silly Point and a quick look at the latest England women’s squad news.

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Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen disagree on Jacob Bethell — and it raises a bigger question for England:

• Should Bethell stay in the IPL or return to county cricket?
• Cook believes Bethell should be playing red-ball cricket in England.
• KP argues staying in the IPL will accelerate his development.

We break down the debate and what it means for Bethell’s role in England’s Test side this summer.

Also in this episode:

• England’s possible XI vs New Zealand
• County Championship form – who’s in contention?
• The fast-bowling debate (Archer, Cook, Bamber, Tongue)
• Women’s T20 World Cup squad discussion

⏱ Chapters

00:00 Cook vs KP – the Bethell debate
01:10 IPL or County – who’s right?
04:00 Should Bethell come back?
06:40 Could Bethell open for England?
09:40 England XI vs New Zealand
13:40 County form – who’s pushing?
17:40 England’s bowling options
22:20 Viewer XI reaction
25:40 Women’s T20 World Cup
29:40 England squad debate

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What’s it really like to run England cricket?

This week on Close of Play, Ashley Giles joins Sanjay Murthy and Geraint Jones for a rare inside look at one of the toughest jobs in sport.

From Ashes winner to selector, coach, county chief and Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Giles has seen the game from every angle.

We discuss the pressure of running England, the COVID bubble era, selection, whether counties can survive, the future of the domestic game, and the toll the role took on him mentally.

Plus, Silly Point returns and there are plenty of laughs along the way.

Subscribe and follow Close of Play for weekly cricket debate, interviews and analysis.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:20 Running England Cricket
08:10 Pressure and judgement
14:05 Firefighting vs building
21:25 Mindset and leadership
26:00 County cricket debate
28:20 England XI v New Zealand
38:20 Silly Point
44:15 Can counties survive?
52:25 2005 Ashes memories

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England’s watchlist is under pressure.

After another round of county cricket, we go back to the names we picked and ask: who has actually delivered?

With Charlie Harden, Geraint and Sanjay:

• Break down the standout county performances
• Debate the England opening slot
• Build an England XI based on current form
• Assess the bowlers – who takes the new ball?
• Review the watchlist: who’s rising, who’s drifting

Plus Silly Point and our picks for who to watch next.

CHAPTERS (Spotify timestamps)

00:00 Opening Clips
00:25 County Cricket This Week
02:00 Batter England Can’t Ignore
05:30 Crawley – Who’s Next?
07:30 Duckett – Form Check
10:30 New Ball Debate
14:00 Robinson vs Cook
18:30 Women’s Cricket – Tier System
24:30 Pathway Debate
29:00 England XI – Charlie Harden
37:30 Opening Slot Debate
41:30 Spinner Debate
46:00 Watchlist Review
48:00 Silly Point
53:00 Charlie Harden Interview
56:00 Who To Watch

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We’ve picked our England XIs for the first Test — and after the opening round of the County Championship, the selection conversation is already shifting.

In this episode, Geraint Jones and Sanjay Murthy reveal their England teams, build a watchlist of contenders, and start tracking the players who could force their way in before the first Test against New Zealand national cricket team on 4 June.

There’s a big focus on Jamie Smith after his hundred for Surrey batting at three. Is he already a certainty, and what does Ben Foakes’ form mean for the keeper debate?

We also get into:

• who opens alongside Ben Duckett
• spinner options and balance of the side
• standout county performances
• the England “watchlist”
• who is pushing their way into contention

This is the start of a weekly England selection tracker through the County Championship.

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00:00 Cold open
00:10 Intro
00:40 Jamie Smith: in or out?
02:00 Jonesy’s England XI
05:20 Sanjay’s England XI
09:50 Hardest selection calls
13:30 Spinner debate & team balance
17:00 Who are we least convinced by?
22:00 County Championship — early performances
25:30 Watchlist: players pushing for selection
31:00 Robinson, Lawrence & county standouts
37:30 Silly Point
41:00 England pathway — Lions vs County
46:30 Final pressure points
48:30 Close — who needs runs next week

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Does county cricket still matter for England selection?

We discuss whether England now pick on talent over performance, the role of county cricket in developing players, and who is under pressure ahead of the summer.

In this episode of Close of Play, Sanjay Murthy and Ashes winner Geraint Jones debate whether county cricket still produces England players, or whether selectors are now prioritising raw talent over performance.

From Ben Stokes and Division 2 to the ECB’s financial support of counties, we ask the big question: is the system still fit for purpose?

We also build a potential England XI ahead of the summer and look at which players are under the most pressure to perform.

🎯 Topics:
– Does county cricket still matter for England selection?
– Should England only pick from Division 1?
– Are counties financially sustainable?
– Who is under pressure ahead of the summer?

👇 Let us know in the comments:
Should England pick on performance — or potential?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Does county cricket still matter?

02:30 Should England captain play in Division 2?

06:30 Is county cricket fit for purpose?

12:00 Do England selectors ignore performances?

18:30 Are counties financially broken?

25:00 Silly Point – Who Am I?

32:00 County title race & teams to watch

40:00 Who is playing for their England place?

46:00 England XI debate

52:00 Who is under pressure this summer?

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What was it really like inside the 2005 Ashes?

In this episode, Geraint Jones takes us inside one of the greatest series in cricket history — from the Lord’s long room to the chaos of Edgbaston and the moment England realised they could beat Australia.

We cover:

The dressing room before the series

When belief kicked in

The truth about that Edgbaston finish

How England handled Australia’s auraThe characters behind the team

Geraint’s combined 2005 Ashes XI

Plus: how the series changed English cricket forever.

Next week: we preview the County Championship and what it means for England this summer.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:00 First memories of 2005

02:30 Lord’s long room & start of series

06:15 When it felt “real”

08:00 Dressing room & Vaughan leadership

11:30 Build-up & confidence pre-Ashes

15:15 When belief kicked in

20:30 McGrath injury & Edgbaston

21:00 Edgbaston finish (inside the moment)

25:00 Trent Bridge & Flintoff

29:30 Silly Point – Ashes hundreds quiz

31:30 Regret: missed Ashes hundred

32:00 Did Australia lose their aura?3

5:00 Leadership: Vaughan vs big characters

38:00 Facing Australia mentally

41:00 Post-match culture & respect

43:00 Why 2005 still matters

45:00 Best combined XI

49:00 Celebrations & aftermath

51:30 Did 2005 change English cricket?

54:00 What happened after the series

57:00 Closing + next episode

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BBC cricket commentator, Aatif Nawaz, tells us his story of growing up, how he started in comedy and how that led to his work on Test Match Special. Isa Guha played a major part in his transition and so she gets an honourable mention too!

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Can parents afford for their children to play cricket?In this episode of Close of Play, we’re joined by former England cricketer Sajid Mahmood to unpack the real cost of playing cricket in the UK — from kit and club fees to the growing gap between state and private school pathways.We discuss why access is becoming a major issue, what’s happening at grassroots level, and what can realistically be done to open the game up again.We discuss the Barclays Knight Stokes Trophy, a state school T20 competition and explore the difference between state and private school pathways, whether the system is producing the right kind of players, and what can be done to make cricket more inclusive.Plus Silly Point and other cricket chat.⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro01:30 Why this matters: access to cricket04:30 Sajid Mahmood on Reeqip08:30 Cost of playing cricket13:30 Barriers to entry for young players20:00 Pathways into cricket - state v private schools27:00 Knight Stokes Trophy32:00 Advice for young cricketers36:00 Silly Point; Liam Livingstone; ECB Media ban; The Hundred

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India are T20 World Cup champions again — but did the final live up to the occasion? After a tournament packed with drama, the final ended in a dominant victory for India. Some fans are calling it one of the most one-sided World Cup finals ever. Others say that misses the point — great teams win big games.And should the country who provides the ICC Chair be allowed to host ICC tournaments after Jay Shah's lack of impartiality in this event.In this episode of Close of Play, Sanjay Murthy and Geraint Jones break down the final, the semi-finals, and what the tournament means for the future of the game.They discuss:• Was this the worst T20 World Cup final ever?• India’s dominance and the role of the IPL pipeline• England’s semi-final defeat and Jofra Archer’s tournament• Whether the ICC chairman’s country should host ICC events• How the ICC could grow the tournament globally• And this week’s Silly Point: which famous cricketer broke Sanjay’s toe?Plus a look ahead to next week’s show with Sajid Mahmood where we discuss how to make cricket more accessible.00:00 Was This The Worst T20 World Cup Final Ever?00:45 Opening Thoughts – India Win The T20 World Cup01:10 Was The Final Actually Entertaining?05:00 Why Did New Zealand Bowl First?06:00 India’s Dominant Batting & Bumrah’s Bowling09:40 Indian Players Criticised For Celebrating11:20 Spirit Of Cricket – Arshdeep & Mitchell Moment13:40 Should The ICC Chairman’s Country Host The Tournament?21:30 Stadium Announcer & Crowd Bias Debate23:30 Is The IPL Making India Unstoppable?28:50 England vs India Semi-Final Review30:40 Jofra Archer’s Tournament – What Went Wrong?33:50 Axar Patel’s Fielding & India’s Strengths35:50 South Africa vs New Zealand Semi-Final37:10 Finn Allen’s Incredible Knock38:50 Silly Point – Which Cricketer Broke My Toe?42:00 Dermot Reeve Revealed44:10 How Should The ICC Grow The T20 World Cup?50:00 Who Is The Greatest Healy?52:30 Next Week: Saj Mahmood & ReEquip

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