The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu share some extra thoughts on the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final, plus the tournament as a whole, including pitches, the 20-team format & scheduling. We also look ahead to the upcoming Test series between England and the West Indies, and the first game in particular, which will be Jimmy Anderson's final Test.

We start the show by getting Raj's thoughts on the final, since he missed our previous episode, and all wonder in hindsight why none of us predicted India as the champions before the tournament started. There's discussion about Axar Patel and Virat Kohli, India's team-first mentality, and of course praise for Jasprit Bumrah's special talents.

As we move to the tournament overview, we share our thoughts on the pitches, whether we liked the 20-team format, how we might tweak the Super 8 phase and what we'd change about the scheduling and pre-tournament rankings going forward.

In the second half of the show, we return to the white clothing, looking ahead to the West Indies' Test tour to England. We talk about new names in both squads, potential mixed messaging coming out of the BazBall camp and a few Jimmy Anderson thoughts as the realisation hits that we might be about to watch him for the final time.

Unless something unexpected happens in the cricket world that we can't wait to talk about, we'll be back again after the conclusion of the first England v West Indies Test. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro - let's move on from the controversy about SKY's catch

2:50 Extra thoughts on the T20 World Cup final

6:55 Why didn't we predict India would win this a month ago?

11:25 Rohit, Virat and Ravindra Jadeja have retired from T20s - what's next for India?

14:40 Tournament overview: Were the pitches up to standard?

20:25 20-team format and the scheduling

33:05 England v West Indies Test series - squad news

37:05 Making sense of England's squad

46:25 Jimmy Anderson's final Test

52:15 Thoughts on the West Indies' squad

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In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at India's triumph in the Men's T20 World Cup final.

We bounce around a bit during this discussion, but start the show by talking simply about what a great game of cricket it was - a game where the momentum swung back and forth throughout the match, with key players stepping up to turn the match all the way down to the final over as India defeated South Africa by 7 runs.

In a show filled with praise for both sides, we pay special attention to Virat Kohli's innings, Jasprit Bumrah's continued excellence, Suryakumar Yadav's catch, Axar Patel's growing importance, Heinrich Klaasen's power hitting and the two captains Aiden Markram and Rohit Sharma for their part in this thrilling encounter.

We also hit on the main narratives - the fairytale finish for Kohli, Sharma and also Rahul Dravid, plus whether South Africa choked in their first men's ICC final.

It's been a lot of fun covering this tournament over the past month, and we'll be back later in the week to take a wider look at the tournament and a few other things going on in the world of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro - A fantastic way to finish the tournament

3:20 Virat Kohli laid the platform for India's innings

8:50 Was 176-7 par, under par or above par?

10:35 South Africa really targeted India's spinners

14:45 Heinrich Klaasen took South Africa so, so close

17:50 Jasprit Bumrah is fantastic

20:15 Suryakumar Yadav's catch was remarkable

24:20 A word on both captains

27:10 Did South Africa choke?

29:40 The fairytale finish for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid

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In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at the two semi finals at the Men's T20 World Cup with one eye on the final, which will see India take on South Africa.

We start the show by discussing India's win against England, which was set up by an excellent partnership from Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, then finished off by India's brilliant bowlers. We talk about setting the tone at the top, underrated Axar Patel, more Jasprit Bumrah magic and who from England might be saying farewell.

Next we move to South Africa's dominant win against Afghanistan, which takes them to their first-ever final. Marco Jansen gets a shout out, as well as Afghanistan's tournament as a whole, before the conversation focuses on whether the pitch was up to standard for such a crucial game and what the Proteas can take from such a one-sided fixture.

To finish, we look ahead to the final in Bridgetown. Will Rahul Dravid go out on a high thanks to a Virat Kohli special? Or will South Africa's well-balanced bowling lineup and powerful middle order see them lift the trophy for the very first time?

We'll find out the answers to those questions on Sunday morning New Zealand time, and we'll be back in your feed after that to celebrate the champions and take a wider look at the tournament and the past month of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro - Two dominant semi final wins

1:20 India v England - Rohit Sharma sets the tone again

14:50 South Africa v Afghanistan - Marco Jansen delivers

24:25 Final Preview - Redemption for India or is it finally South Africa's time?

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In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at the final four games of the Super 8 stage at the Men's T20 World Cup with one eye on the semi finals, which will see India take on England and South Africa vs Afghanistan.

We start the show by discussing India's win against Australia, which sent the Aussies home. There's huge praise for Rohit Sharma's impressive performance, plus a brilliant catch from Axar Patel, a remarkable swivel from Hardik Pandya and a Kuldeep Yadav googly to get excited about.

For their semi final opponents, England, it was a much cruisier stroll into the knockout stages, with a hat trick from Chris Jordan and the power hitting of Jos Buttler taking them to a dominant win against the USA. Are they shifting into top gear at the right time? Will it be enough to defeat India?

From there we move to two nail-biting finishes - South Africa almost choking but then coming through when it mattered most against the West Indies, and then Afghanistan finding a way in between the rain against Bangladesh.

Can this new South Africa be relied on? Who thought the dream was over when Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen collapsed in a heap? How did Rashid Khan not win player of the match? Will Gurbaz be available? Do fairytales come true? And Gulbadin fell over!!!!!!

We are planning to record regularly throughout the next phases of the tournament, so expect to be in your feed every few days through to the final match - our next show will be a review of the semi-finals/look ahead to the final. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro - have we enjoyed the Super 8s?

2:15 India v Australia - Rohit Sharma's rampage

12:10 England v USA - Jos Buttler and Phil Salt key to England's chances

19:50 South Africa v West Indies - South Africa win a close one AGAIN!

26:50 Afghanistan v Bangladesh - Gulbadin fell over!!!!

37:45 Final words

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In this episode of the show, we look back at the latest four games of the Super 8 stage at the Men's T20 World Cup, which saw India all but book a semi-final berth while all other sides fight for their tournament lives.

We start the show by discussing Afghanistan's historic win against Australia. Captain Cummins got another hat trick, but it was first Gurbaz and Ibrahim and then Gulbadin who flexed their muscle and secured a famous victory. Was it a mistake to leave out Mitchell Starc? And could this win propel Afghanistan all the way to the title?

From there we move to India's game against Bangladesh, which resulted in a fairly comfortable win and India putting one foot in the next round. There were positive signs for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shivam Dube, wickets for Kuldeep Yadav and even positives for Bangladesh to take from the performance of Rishad Hossain throughout this tournament.

Third up in our match review was South Africa's win against England. Quinton de Kock looked like he was batting on a different pitch than everyone else, but it was a game that went right down to the wire and looked like it could go either way when Ottniel Baartman was bowling full tosses and Liam Livingstone and Harry Brook were hitting them over the rope.

In the fourth and final game covered, we discuss the impact of the West Indies' big win against the USA, and how it has set up a potential knockout game against South Africa in the final round of the Super 8. There's also praise for both Shai Hope and Darren Sammy as this comprehensive victory rounds out the show.

We are planning to record regularly throughout the next phases of the tournament, so expect to be in your feed every few days through to the final match - our next show will be a preview of the semi-finals, on Tuesday night NZ time. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:50 Australia v Afghanistan - Gulbadin flexes his muscles

16:10 India v Bangladesh - positive signs for Rohit and Virat?

24:05 England v South Africa - South Africa win a close one AGAIN!

35:20 West Indies v USA - Run rate boost as Shai Hope goes boom

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In this episode of the show, we look back at the first four games of the Super 8 stage at the Men's T20 World Cup, which saw Australia, England, India and South Africa record victories.

We start the show by discussing Australia's win against Bangladesh - a game that included a 'Pat trick' as Captain Cummins collected three wickets from three balls across two overs. We also saw Adam Zampa and David Warner continue their good form, and explored Baldy's nervous nature despite Australia's history of success.

From there we move to India's game against Afghanistan, which was highlighted by Suryakumar Yadav's impressive fifty and then Jasprit Bumrah reducing Afghanistan to 23-3 in the early stages of their innings. We pile praise on these two T20 stars, and marvel in particular at Bumrah, whose ability to sum up conditions in an instant is second-to-none.

Third up in our match review was England's performance against the West Indies. Was it a statement win? How fun is it to watch Jonny Bairstow and Phil Salt in full swing? Do both sides need to make changes to their bowling lineups? And can the West Indies still make the semi-finals?

In the fourth and final game covered, we saw South Africa's top order finally hit some form - this time against the USA, despite a strong start from Saurabh Netravalkar. Quinton de Kock got busy, and the Proteas kicked off the Super 8s in style.

We round out the show with more praise for the USA, some crystal ball gazing about what the future might hold for them, and also discuss the news that Kane Williamson and Lockie Ferguson are set to decline Black Caps contracts. Is the sky falling for New Zealand? Or could this actually be a good thing?

We are planning to record regularly throughout the next phases of the tournament, so expect to be in your feed every few days through to the final match. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:30 Australia v Bangladesh

7:15 India v Afghanistan

15:48 England v West Indies

26:35 South Africa v USA

37:15 Kane Williamson and Lockie Ferguson decline NZ central contracts

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In this episode of the show, we look back at the final group games at the T20 World Cup, which saw the USA qualify for the next round and the Black Caps limp out of the tournament. We also look ahead to the Super 8 phase, previewing the two groups and the chances of heavy hitters like India, Australia, England and South Africa, as well as the two hosts.

We start the show by discussing Australia's win against Scotland, which had Binksy reaching for the tinfoil hat and Baldy drifting off to Tatooine. Brandon McMullen shone, but ultimately a partnership from Marcus Stoinis and Travis Head secured England a spot in the next round.

From there we try to wrap our heads around South Africa's performances so far - four wins from four, winning all the big moments, but not reaching 120 yet with the bat. Is this a different South Africa than we've seen before? Is their batting about to fire? Or will their top order woes continue in what looks like a challenging Super 8 group? We discuss the Heinrich Klaasen's run out against Nepal, Binksy hands out the turquoise cap and we attempt to fix a flaw in the DRS procedure that may have cost Bangladesh a victory.

In the second half of the show, Stu is put under the microscope to review the Black Caps' early exit from the tournament, and what the next steps are for this side. Has Trent Boult played his final game for New Zealand? Do the Black Caps have a T20 identity? Is it time for change?

We finish the show with some praise for the West Indies, with Nicholas Pooran leading the charge against Afghanistan and backed up by a deep batting line up and some quality spin options. There's also talk about India's quiet week/tournament so far, and whether that might actually be great for their prospects over the next 10 days or so as this World Cup makes its way towards a conclusion.

We are planning to record regularly throughout the next phases of the tournament, so will hopefully be in your feed every few days. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro - Super 8 groups confirmed

3:20 Australia do England a big favour by beating Scotland

16:12 Pitches and the jeopardy of the tournament

21:52 South Africa coming through in the clutch!

27:15 DRS controversy

33:17 New Zealand's limp exit - will this be a turning point?

51:12 West Indies looking dangerous

54:35 India's quiet tournament so far - a good thing?

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In this episode of the show, we look back at a busy week of games at the T20 World Cup, which saw India and the USA beat Pakistan, Afghanistan beat New Zealand, plus Australia and South Africa take control of their groups.

We start the show by discussing the low-scoring thriller between India and Pakistan, which saw Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and others shine as India roared home to secure a crucial victory in Group A. We discuss Saurabh Netravalkar and USA's Super Over tactics, whether there's still a chance for Pakistan and wonder why teams are unable to turn good batting starts into big scores.

In Group B we heap praise on Scotland's performances so far, before turning our attention to the marquee matchup between Australia and England. Baldy enjoyed David Warner's control of the powerplay, Binksy couldn't understand England's tactics and Adam Zampa's consistency came into the spotlight.

As attention turned to Group C, it was Stu and Raj's turn to show their frustration, as we looked back at an uncharacteristically poor performance by the Black Caps, particularly in the field. We talked team selection, build up, whether they can bounce back against the West Indies or if their tournament is as good as over already.

To round out the show, we try to predict who will make it out of Group D, with South Africa taking charge and the Netherlands perhaps the most impressive of the other sides so far. Can Sri Lanka find a way back? What about Bangladesh?

We are planning to record regularly throughout the tournament, particularly as we approach the Super 8 and knockout stages. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:05 Group qualification looking harder to predict than the seedings suggested

2:15 India's win against Pakistan

5:50 Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance

10:45 Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel

14:15 Why are teams not capitalising on strong positions?

17:40 Are Pakistan gone? USA in the box seat

21:10 USA v Pakistan Super Over

23:10 Group B - Scotland top the group

26:10 Australia v England - David Warner controlled the powerplay

28:10 Did England get their tactics wrong?

33:25 Adam Zampa's consistency

36:50 Group C - NZ's shocker against Afghanistan

53:15 Group D - Who will join South Africa in the Super 8s?

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In this episode of the show, the team are all in the same room to review the first few days of the ICC T20 World Cup hosted by the West Indies and USA.

We discuss our early impressions, throw out a few hot takes and share our favourite performances from the opening week.

We are planning to record regularly throughout the tournament, particularly as we approach the Super 8 and knockout stages. All going well, we’ll have at least one more episode available by Sunday night. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:20 Super 8 seedings are ridiculous

10:25 USA v Canada - How good is Aaron Jones's bat?

18:25 West Indies v PNG - The importance of a gameplan against spin

23:50 Bowlers on top so far

30:45 South Africa v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka in trouble already?

34:40 Afghanistan's impressive start

37:30 Namibia v Oman Super Over drama

41:00 Are the low scoring games fun to watch?

43:45 Can Ireland upset India?

46:50 New Zealand's build up

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In this episode of the show, the team are all in the same room to preview the ICC T20 World Cup hosted by the West Indies and USA.

We discuss the 20-team format, what overall tournament success looks like for the ICC, the quick turnaround from the IPL and the type of cricket we might see played throughout the month of June.

We then look at the 4 groups in more detail - will India and their star-studded line-up cruise through Group A? How much pressure is there on England to bounce back from their ODI World Cup disappointment? Will the Black Caps make it to the knockout stages yet again? Is this South Africa's moment? Or is a home win for the West Indies written in the stars? Which teams hold the biggest upset potential? And prediction time!

We won't be doing daily updates of this World Cup, but are hoping to record regularly throughout the tournament, particularly as we approach the Super 8 and knockout stages. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro - when and where?

3:29 Do we like the 20-team format?

7:10 What does success look like for the ICC?

10:07 Short turnaround from the IPL

14:43 Expectations for pitches and scores?

19:00 Group A preview - India, Pakistan, Ireland, USA, Canada

29:15 Group B preview - Australia, England, Namibia, Scotland, Oman

41:15 Group C preview - West Indies, New Zealand, Afghanistan, PNG, Uganda

52:50 Group D preview - South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Nepal

1:01:55 Predictions!

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