Season 7, Ep 8: After handing down Steve Smith's ban, Cricket Australia took the unusual step of linking the player with Maurice Duffy, an Irish academic who describes his job as a 'mindset coach'. The pair worked together throughout that year and through Smith's remarkable Ashes series that followed. We caught up with Maurice to talk about how the relationship.

Also, our comprehensive Women's Big Bash wrap, a look at bans for James Pattinson and Em Smith, and a brief flirtation with Nerd Pledge.

Send us your Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Listen to all our episodes at finalwordcricket.com

The Final Word is produced by Bad Producer Productions

Title track by Urthboy: www.elefanttraks.com

Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maurice Duffy on Steve Smith

Cricket for everyone – your friendly guide to the world's strangest sport. Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins combine match analysis with irreverence, politics, interviews and history as they follow the game they love around the world. You can support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword.

Hobbies

Games & Hobbies

News

Sports

Leisure

Cricket

Sports News

Season 1, Ep 4: Reloading lost episodes from the early Final Word. The 2015 Ashes came to a close, after a series of batting collapses and occasional bowling blowouts. Australia out for 60 in Nottingham, out for 136 in Birmingham, England out for 103 at Lord's - no Test was competitive, even if a 3-2 scoreline looked that way. After a final belting of England by an innings at the Oval, Geoff and Adam got together in London with the BBC's Alison Mitchell and Cricinfo's Vithushan Ehantharajah to run the rule over the series, talk through best and worst moments, assess the departing Australian captain Michael Clarke, and ponder what might be next for his unproven young replacement Steven Smith.
This season was originally recorded for the ABC - this is the extended edition, restoring omitted material.

Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword 
Find more episodes at finalwordcricket.com 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archive: The 2015 Ashes - throwing up at a house party

Season 16, Episode 8: We've seen her do unreal things before, but this one was the best of the lot. The biggest chase ever in women's cricket, with Chamari ending on 195 not out. Also this week, Meg Lanning's interview about her struggles, the new English women's domestic structure becomes clear, and in men's cricket we have Australian domestic players refusing state contracts, Scott Boland injured out of the county season, Peter Siddle going around yet again, and another hectic week in the run-fest IPL. 

Your Nerd Pledge number this week:
82.15 - Pat Dempsey

Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Get your 10% discount on top-notch kit from Serious Cricket.
Use FINALWORD24 at checkout --> seriouscricket.co.uk

Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw
Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners
All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com
Title track by Urthboy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chamari Athapaththu launches into space

Season 16, Episode 7: It's been a rugged month at Cricket Ireland. In a buoyant mood after winning their first men's Test Match in March, the focus has quickly moved to internal affairs, whether that be the postponement of Australia's visit, budgets or company cars. It's the perfect time for another chat with Warren Deutrom, who has been the chief executive at CI head office since 2006. To help frame this detailed conversation, Nathan Johns from the Irish Times also joined Adam in Dublin. 
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Get down to Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City! More extra, less ordinary. westfield.com/united-kingdom/london

Get your 10% discount on top-notch kit from Serious Cricket.
Use FINALWORD24 at checkout --> seriouscricket.co.uk

Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw
Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners
All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com
Title track by Urthboy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the craic in Ireland at the moment? With CEO Warren Deutrom

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a search for the greatest Welsh all-rounder, and another search for a run out of historical significance. We have a caller on the line sounds weirdly like Steven Finn, an unexpected link from Bradman to Murali, and a song of praise for the most swoon-worthy wrist position of all.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
10.00 - Anna Forsyth
4.00 - Amelia Vine
4.78 - Ed Barr-Sim
9.51 - Darragh O'Donovan

Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Get your 10% discount on top-notch kit from Serious Cricket.
Use FINALWORD24 at checkout --> seriouscricket.co.uk
Get that sweet Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Donate to support our Edinburgh Marathon runners for the Lord's Taverners
All links at linktr.ee/thefinalword

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com
Title track by Urthboy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Story Time 178 – Wherever you go, there is Gary Pratt

Season 1, Ep 5: Reloading lost episodes from the early Final Word. Partway through a busy Australian tour of England in 2015, it was time to take stock of the short format. We started in The Cricketers pub in Cardiff, recording with Melinda Farrell after the Women's Ashes had just finished with three T20s. Two new women's T20 competitions were soon to start in Australia's Big Bash and England's Super League. So we spoke about the start of men's professional T20s in 2003 with Paul Robertson, the man who led that charge. Then we dropped in on journalist Peter Miller to talk T20 evangelism and look at the upcoming 50-over series between Australia and England men. On new recruit Jason Roy: "I think he'll do a pretty good job at the top of the order."
This season was originally recorded for the ABC - this is the extended edition, restoring removed material.

Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword 
Find more episodes at finalwordcricket.com 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maurice Duffy on Steve Smith

Download our free app to listen on your phone