Season 6, Ep 12: The world's foremost (only?) cricket-stat comedian Andy Zaltzman joins Nerd Pledge Quiz to solve number riddles set by our listeners. God love him. If you want to set a Nerd Pledge challenge it's through patreon.com/thefinalword

Before that Adam and Geoff talk through events of the week including Afghanistan's Test thriller, the departed spinner Abdul Qadir, and the mess of the UK honours system. We also get Eliza Bartlett on the phone as she walks from Italy to Scotland.

Eliza's fundraising page is elizabartlettJDRFwalk.com

Title track - Urthboy, Stories. www.urthboy.com / www.elefanttraks.com

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

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Nerd Pledge Quiz with Andy Zaltzman

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

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Season 16, Episode 6: One of our staples is to speak with Lawrence Booth, the editor of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, on the day of its release in the Lord’s Library. In this, his 13th edition in charge, no punches are pulled. As he says in his editors’ notes, it’s clear that the future of Test cricket, beyond the wealthiest nations, really is at the crossroads. And as always, there’s so much more celebrating the year that was – forthright and thoughtful, the good book is doing exactly as it should.

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

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Use FINALWORD24 at checkout --> seriouscricket.co.uk

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Run or donate to the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon for the Lord's Taverners
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Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com
Title track by Urthboy
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Wisden 2024 with Lawrence Booth

Season 16, Episode 5: Deep into western Victoria, in the land around Harrow and Edenhope, was the home of the great cricketer Unaarrimin, more broadly known as Johnny Mullagh. We've told the story before of his 1868 Aboriginal team that toured England. Last weekend, Geoff headed to Harrow for commemorative matches between the veterans' Indigenous teams of Victoria and New South Wales. It was something special. Also this week, our county cricket updates, some rare multi-day domestic cricket for India's women, and our IPL wrap.

Your Nerd Pledge number this week:
7.64 - Satchmo Distel

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

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Use FINALWORD24 at checkout --> seriouscricket.co.uk

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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
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A new Indigenous gathering at an ancient place

Ben Bloom - Batting for Time: The Fight to Keep English Cricket Alive
Moreso by the year, the future of domestic cricket in England is up for grabs. Operating in a squeezed schedule at the same time franchise tournaments are changing the global landscape, the place of the County Championship and many of its clubs is complicated like never before. In 2023, Ben Bloom explored the underlying issues by interviewing 100 people in the thick of things. The result is this fine and important book, which has made headlines at the start of a new season. He spoke with Adam, appropriately during a county game, at The Oval in London.
Get the book: https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/batting-time

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
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TFW Book Club – Ben Bloom

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, what is the worst bowl-first decision of all time? And what does it have to do with the Vengaboys and the bravest innings ever played near a giant fruit? Plus the byword for cricket arcania, the portrait that should grace the mantelpiece of Daniel Norcross, and some stories we can tell you about the Stories we can tell you. 

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
2.58 - Sam Brown
1008 - Alan Edgar 
5.11 - Jeffrey Gabriel
4.50 - Simon Butcher & Andrew West 
5.69 - Matt May
3.49 - Matt Near the Gabba

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

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Use FINALWORD24 at checkout --> seriouscricket.co.uk

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Donate to support our Edinburgh Marathon runners for the Lord's Taverners
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Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com
Title track by Urthboy
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Story Time 177 – The path to the Elefant graveyard

Greatest Season That Was, Episode 10 – Damien Fleming. By this stage on the re-release of The Greatest Season That Was series on the 1999 Men’s World Cup, we have revisited interviews with players and broadcasters who were front and centre from South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, England and India. But what about Australia? The story of their staggering semi-final tie was told earlier in the series, but their campaign to that point was already noteworthy. From teetering on the edge of elimination to an internal shake-up to a fateful night of ten-pin bowling, a man in the thick of things throughout was Damien Fleming. The ever-enthusiastic Australian quick takes us back 25 years, but to 1996 as well when they also snuck through the semi only to blow the big one. He explains in this conversation with Shannon Gill (Code Sports), Dan Brettig (The Age) and Adam Collins why history didn’t repeat when the men in the bright gold uniforms made it to Lord’s.

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
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Nerd Pledge Quiz with Andy Zaltzman

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