The Final Word Cricket Podcast

Season 16, Episode 31: It's Adam's birthday, and another decade approaches. So too do the 2028 Olympic Games, with cricket's moment coming up. Will it be better received than Raygun? We are on the side of both. Also this week, the complexities of Graham Thorpe's life, Ben Stokes to miss the Sri Lanka series, more movement in the England squad, West Indies escape from South Africa, Ireland shock Sri Lanka, and England's counties talk paywalls. As an extra this week, Mohammad Isam checks in about the unresolved questions for Bangladesh cricket under the country's new administration.

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Get the Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Find all our 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

Season 16, Episode 30: A conversation with the most prolific fast bowler in the history of the game is the type of thing that might normally take us a couple of hours or more. Given that wasn’t possible we found another way to do this, and it worked a treat. Jimmy joined Adam to talk about growing the game but stuck around to reflect in a heartfelt manner on his retirement, staggering longevity, desire to keep bowling for some time yet, and difficulty coming to terms with being officially described as middle-aged.

And as Jimmy says, find yourself a place to play cricket in the UK. It’s very easy – jump on here and pop in your postcode, et voila: www.ecb.co.uk/play

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Get the Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Find all our 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

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, most people do not seem to relish being clobbered in the scone, but one man did. One brave, strange man who kept going back for more. Also this week, navigate through some dusty old bastards, find out why Garfield Sobers was cricket's Wilbur Smith, and marvel via the medium of off-spin at the confounding fact that this game has survived at all. Daniel Norcross joins Geoff Lemon for a very fun episode.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

54.32 - Phoebe Haylen

4.04 - Robran Cock

4.80 - Henry Branson

2.26 - Erin Kane

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

Check out Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City

By downloading the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Title track by Urthboy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 16, Episode 29: The foundation of Australia's white-ball success in the post-Covid era has been the dependability of their star spinner, Adam Zampa. A key member of two World Cup winning teams, he's never been better or in greater demand. Adam caught up with him at The Oval in London where he's letting the good times roll with the Oval Incincibles in The Hundred tournament. A thoughtful guy with plenty to say, this was time very well spent.

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Get the Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Find all our 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

Season 16, Episode 28: Deep in the fervour of an Olympic week, falling in love with new sports around the clock, Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff to talk about their faves. There is tragic news with a farewell to Graham Thorpe, wild news as Bangladesh's student protests overthrow a government and force the potential relocation of a World Cup, and the return of old news as India and Sri Lanka play some bilateral ODIs. How we've missed them.

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Get the Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Find all our 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

Season 16, Episode 27: He's one of the most impressive figures in the contemporary game, and not just because he's about six foot eight. Jason Holder was the youngest ever West Indies captain and did the job for six eventful years. He's now maintaining his commitment to the Test team to try to develop another generation of players. He also speaks with candour and insight about the issues that confronted him and the ones that confront the game more widely. An exceptional conversation.

Your Nerd Pledge revisit this week:

9.51 - Darragh O'Donovan

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Get the Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Find all our 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

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, is it possible to arrive with cutlery during childbirth? Because apparently this man did, and he looked great while doing it. Also, using stumps for purposes that they were never intended, and couches for that matter. And maybe the French Revolution had some good ideas?

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

2.33 - Leigh Couchman & Sean McGivern

6.20 - Justice SZ

2.78 - Alisa Miller

3.44 - Mark Gray

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

Check out Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City

By downloading the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Title track by Urthboy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 16, Episode 26: Matthew Mott has got the chop as a national coach, but should England have followed tradition and blamed the Buttler instead? There's a case to be made. Also this week, Sri Lanka's women continue their surge, knocking off India in a huge Asia Cup final result. Ireland hosted Zimbabwe for a Test strongly influenced by the Lord of Joy, Suryakumar Yadav had an unlikely bowl, and Waqar Younis has a new job - but for how long?

Pardon any moments of robot audio on this ep, we had a mic problem.

Your Nerd Pledge revisit this week:

9.51 - Darragh O'Donovan

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Get the Nord VPN discount - nordvpn.com/tfw

Find all our 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

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we're on the trail of someone very hard to track down. Where was he born? Where did he spend his time? Was his rank a Private? The many mysteries of Frank Ryan. Also, a left-arm handover, the brief chance for Australia's biggest bolter, a code-cracking Test finish, and a delightful newlywed trip to a magic mountain.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

8.41 - Steve Dodkin

4.37 - Bayley Quinnell

3.09 - Harsha G

2.06 - Max Harris

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

Check out Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City

By downloading the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Title track by Urthboy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2024 England West Indies Daily, Edgbaston, Day 3: In a familiar tale, West Indies started the day with some hope of staying in the game. Mikyle Louis had his best day on tour, Kavem Hodge played at his brightest, and Mark Wood had an afternoon of up de la gasolina. Then it was over to Ben Stokes to put an unexpected exclamation mark on things.

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

Check out Westfield London and Stratford City.

Download the app: westfield.com/united-kingdom/app

Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com

Title track by Urthboy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices