THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: Contemplating a summer without playing and the rare joy of a bowler-friendly test wicket.

"I'm curious and a little bit excited to find out what I'll do with ten to fourteen extra summer Sundays."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (11'56): Toby's Summer of Oz cricket

"All of the wheelie bins have cloth covers." 

 

THE REVIEW (28'00): Wodehouse at the Wicket

"Mike was oppressed by that leaden sense of moral inferiority which weighs on a man who has turned up to dinner in ordinary clothes when everybody else had dressed." 

 

Recorded on 7/2/18

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: Zimbabwe take part in an entertaining series against the West Indies but the future for test cricket in the country is uncertain. The Women's Ashes takes over Down Under. 

"We quickly realised hosting tests is something that costs us a lot of money and that's a commodity we don't have at the moment."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (12'20): Graeme Smith comes in at eleven  

"Doing so with an injured left hand and an injured right elbow is beyond insanity." 

 

THE INTERVIEW (22'44): Julian Bishop  

“We decided we were going to visit as many county grounds this summer as possible."

 

THE REVIEW (33'28): Race and Pace  

"A very common tactic was that if you knew you were facing Charlie Griffith that week, you took your holiday that week." 

 

Recorded on 15/11/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: Zimbabwe gets a couple of star players back while Ashes anticipation builds.  

"I remember going to down to the bar and they'd hung out a whole lot of white underwear on washing lines."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (12'14): The Dukes v The Kookaburra 

"We got back to my flat and decided that a game of indoor cricket was in order." 

 

THE REVIEW (25'39): Save Your Legs! 

“In this world, there are the Stavs and the Stav-nots."

 

Recorded on 1/10/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: Affordable cricket, the Refugee Cricket Project, failing to explore new cricket grounds and the Pembrokeshire cricket controversy. 

"I obviously stymied these plans by moving to the other side of the world."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (15'26): Bert Sutcliffe and Bob Blair's heroic stand

"They return to the middle, arm in arm." 

 

THE REVIEW (25'46): Over and Out: Albert Trott - The Man who Cleared the Lord's Pavilion by Steve Neal 

“People would just decide whether he was too English or too Australian."

 

Recorded on 10/9/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: The Dan Lucas Memorial Match, the England mutual appreciation club, the West Indies and international test scheduling. 

"I've just had a flashback to the quiche, a stunning smoked salmon quiche."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (15'27): Galle 

"In the first test at the ground . . . Sri Lanka won by an innings and every single one of their wickets was taken by a spinner." 

 

THE REVIEW (28'22): Following On - Emma John

“It's just a license to go and get smashed."

 

Recorded on 20/8/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: Triumph for a Toby, triumph for England women's team, the weather gods wreak havoc and the YouTube blackhole. 

"You are also supposed to predict the weather more accurately than the Met Office."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (11'56): When KP became captain 

"At that point, it was the start of a brave new era."

 

THE REVIEW (21'58): Amazing Grace: The Man who was W.G. - Richard Tomlinson

“He finds the trout fishing too easy so he decides to go bear tracking."

 

Recorded on 30/7/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: ODI upsets, a bigger Oval, a resignation letter and Joe Root's facial hair. 

"I had a couple of beers and was looking at Joe Root, particularly at his chin."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (11'47): The History of Streaking

"He decided with his spare hand to give this young gentleman a wrap around the buttocks with his bat."

 

THE REVIEW (23'29): A Bat, A Ball and A Boy

“The bowling machine is a real Heath Robinson-esque contraption with a propeller that looks like it would be capable of taking off."

 

Recorded on 11/6/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: Zafar Ansari's retirement, the Women's World Cup, struggling to get a team out and a lack of test matches for Australia. 

"A core part of our crowd are at their happiest when the team is taking a thumping."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (12'36): The Massacre at Sabina Park - 4th Test between West Indies and India in 1976 

""Kill him man!""

 

THE REVIEW (22'36): On Top Down Under: Australia's Cricket Captains - Ray Robinson (with Gideon Haigh)

“When Trott climbed out of the bath and towelled himself the first thing on was his felt hat.” (I actually forgot to bring up this glorious line during the episode but put it here for your enjoyment). 

 

Recorded on 7/5/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: The survival of the defiant blockers, cricket at the Olympic Stadium, the futility of winter nets and the demise of camaraderie between professional sides. 

"There's not the sense of perspective that allows you to step back and say "now is the moment for us to have a beer.""

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (10'20): Cricketing Etymology 

"If you "pull Yorkshire", you're deceiving someone."

 

THE REVIEW (21'32): The Test by Simon Jones (with Jon Hotten)

"The fast bowler's breakfast - two ibuprofen and two paracetamol."

 

Recorded on 17/4/17

THE TEN MINUTE FORTNIGHT: When the fans saved Alistair Cook, Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, ECB's All Star Scheme and the worrying rise of head injuries. 

"Their noise made absolutely clear that he was their man."

 

FROM THE ARCHIVES (13'46): Cricket Posters on the London Underground 

"On the left is a kangaroo, on the right is a lion and they are smiling at each other."

 

THE REVIEW (22'08): Stroke of Genius by Gideon Haigh

"W.G. Grace had to be convinced that there was such a thing as a follow through."

 

Recorded on 19/2/17