Tailenders

‘Clickgate’ rocks the world of Village Cricket,  Greg is in trouble with the law, Mattchin invokes the ‘Spirit of Cricket' for his latest quiz and the pros and cons of Cricketing Songs.

We follow Harry Brook and Liam Plunkett in an attempt to switch codes and do a bit of baseball. We do so with no Greg and Jimmy, so it’s left to Felix and Mattchin to initiate Melanie Newman and Xavier Scruggs into the world of cricket.

Mel and X are usually found hosting MLB Bases Covered Live with Felix, but this week they’ve been at Lord's to soak in England's ODI victory over India. They explain why Ben Duckett’s scoop is nasty, how Chris Woakes is an icon, and why the Czech Republic are baseball's ones to watch.

Plus a Mattchin quiz featuring baseball legends Randy Sam, Alexis "Sombrero" del Fuente, and Hot Steve.

Tailenders tech chaos this week as Greg sneaks off from holiday to present live from a southern French location whose WiFi only allows 5 minute cameos. When he does freeze, Felix steps in like Dan Burn to cover his teammate.

Issy Wong runs us through an emotionally draining weekend at Lord’s, featuring retirements for Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Ecclestone’s name on the Honours Boards, and ultimately a convincing India victory… and some kerfuffle over a Rubik’s Cube.

There was also a men’s team announcement in the midst of it; Sir Jimmy Anderson reflects on the cherished early years of the Brendon McCullum era and the impact of the unloved ‘Bazball’ moniker.

Aside from spending time in the Wimbledon Royal Box, Greg and Jimmy have had equally glamorous weeks - Greg at the wedding of the century in New York, and Jimmy tending to his tomato plants. Revealing insights are shared into both.

Following the shock announcement of Ben Stokes’ retirement from International Cricket, Greg, Jimmy and Felix try to make sense of a dramatic week at Trent Bridge. So many questions…..Why now? Who will be the new Captain? What next for Baz? Will Ben change his mind?

Why are talking about legendary photographer Martin Parr and Archduke Franz Ferdinand?

Plus the joy of watching New Zealand play and history made for Ireland.

Despite it being 200 degrees and Sharky insisting all fans and air con are turned off (it’s too noisy) the Tailenders assemble to review the Mens 2nd Test between England and New Zealand, heap praise on Matt Henry, marvel at Joe Root’s 14,000 runs and ask is it ok for Rock Stars to wear shorts?

Plus some Stat Bombs from Andy Zaltzman, Mattchin’s mystery holiday meeting, and can the Tailenders community help Issy Wong finish her World Cup Sticker album?

The Tailenders assemble to discuss events on the pitch, off the pitch and the pitch itself following a dramatic 1st men’s Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s. Plus who will get the nod for the 2nd Test at The Oval,  Mattchin and Issy preview the Women’s T20 World Cup that starts today and the joy of rain breaks.

Is the IPL, the biggest franchise tournament in World Cricket, becoming boring, predictable, too batter friendly and in need of a shakeup?

Plus a lookahead to the 1st Mens Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s - can England bounce back from their Ashes defeat?

The return of ‘General Cricketing Sadness’, A.I. Slop, a very ‘high concept’ quiz from Mattchin and why ‘Untenable’ might be word of the summer.

Jonty Rhodes, one of our favourite cricketers ever and arguably the best fielder the game has ever seen, is our very special guest this week. A whole generation of cricket fans, including us, grew up watching Jonty do things on a cricket field that had never been seen before - extraordinary catches, diving stops and ridiculous run outs - a proper pioneer. In a wide ranging interview we cover his career highlights, the players he now admires, the art of fielding, THAT 1999 World Cup Semi Final, investing in franchise cricket, coaching in the IPL and crucially which character in ’The Lion King’ does he most resemble? Plus Mattchin is back with a ‘Jonty Rhodes’ inspired quiz.

The King of Spain, Ashley Giles, is our special guest on this week’s Tailenders. Inevitably we travel back to the 2005 Ashes series - the greatest series of all time -  but also reflections on the highs and lows of professional sport, the genius of Richie Benaud, bowling to Brian Lara, the Art of Spin and the challenges of running Worcs CCC.  Plus Mattchin has a new feature ‘Village People’ as he seeks to discover the underbelly of Village Cricket.