The Top Order Cricket Podcast

Drama, controversy, moral victories, rain, retirement, boring Aussies, Bazball heroes, photos with the urn – even some cricket! The fifth Test of this fascinating Ashes series is in the books, and Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the key moments and storylines from the final Test between England and Australia for 2023.

Stuart Broad flipped the bails, announced his retirement and then delivered the fairytale finish that his career deserved as England squared the series 2-2 with a win at The Oval.

There's also praise for Chris Woakes and Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting calls for an investigation and spin even gets a mention as we discuss the performances of Moeen Ali and Todd Murphy as well as the absences of Jack Leach and Nathan Lyon.

We'll be back next week with more news and views from all the cricket currently going on around the world. In the meantime, 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 chats with Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Georgia Wareham, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, 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.

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This week on the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the rain-affected 4th men's Ashes Test at Old Trafford, discuss a few talking points from the Black Caps' T20 squad to face the UAE and England, plus give a shout out to Virat Kohli for his 29th Test hundred in his 500th international match.

Were England robbed?

What happened with Australia's team selection?

Should Ben Stokes have declared?

Is Pat Cummins a good captain?

Plus Zak Crawley's dominant display, Mark Wood rockets, Chris Woakes 5-fors, Marnus Labuschange's match-saving hundred, changes and storylines for The Oval and much more from another fascinating instalment of this edition of the men's Ashes.

We round out the show by discussing a potential Black Caps debut for Dean Foxcroft and Adi Ashok, as well as the return of Kyle Jamieson for the upcoming T20 tour of the UAE and England. Then we bemoan the continued creep of T20 league cricket, which looks set to impact South Africa's Test tour of New Zealand in the summer of 2024, and Stu continues his year-long apology to Virat Kohli after the King's 29th Test hundred during the second Test between India and the West Indies.

We'll be back next week to wrap up the final men's Ashes Test, plus whatever else catches our eyes from all the cricket currently going on around the world. In the meantime, 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 chats with Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Georgia Wareham, Rachin Ravindra, Sophie Devine, 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.

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This week on the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu recap the week that was and look ahead to the 4th men's Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

We start by discussing India's dominant victory against the West Indies, which saw a big century on Test debut for Yashasvi Jaiswal and a 12-wicket haul for Ravichandran Ashwin. Alick Athanaze offered some glimmers of positivity for the West Indies, but, apart from winning the battle of the uniforms, it was a tough outing for the home side.

In New Zealand news, Gary Stead received a contract extension that will see him remain as head coach through to the end of this World Test Championship cycle in 2025. Did this come as a surprise? Were there other candidates in the mix? Should NZC have given more thought to a split coaching role? Or does Stead's outstanding record as coach speak for itself?

Attention then turned to the Kiwis on display around the world, including Matt Henry, who starred in the Vitality Blast, combining with Ish Sodhi to bowl Somerset to the title. Is the best still yet to come for Henry in international colours?

At Major League Cricket in the USA, Devon Conway scored the first 50 of the tournament, but it was Corey Anderson who had us all wondering what might have been if injuries hadn't disrupted his international career. We give our initial thoughts on the tournament so far, and whether it has the potential to become a significant part of the cricket calendar.

We round out the show by looking ahead to the next men's Ashes Test, fresh off Australia securing the women's Ashes with a narrow victory in the second ODI. Both teams have questions around selection, with David Warner, Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh in the spotlight for Australia and an absent Baldy making a case for Michael Neser to play. But will we actually be looking at largely unchanged sides in a few days' time? And will the rain stay away long enough for a result?

We'll be back next week with more of the same, including the Tests in England and the West Indies. In the meantime, 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 chats with Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Sophie Devine, 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.

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In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the 3rd Ashes Test at Headingley, which saw England secure a crucial win to keep the series alive.

After yet another close finish, there's plenty to discuss about these two good cricket sides who both still have a lot of questions to answer.

Is Bazball good again?

Why was this Mark Wood's first Test of the series?

How much did Australia miss Nathan Lyon?

Has England wrestled back the momentum?

Is David Warner about to be dropped?

What's happening with Australia's lower order?

Plus struggles for Jonny Bairstow and Scott Boland, Zak Crawley's impact, the Moeen Ali at 3 experience, Chris Broad's Simpsons fandom, Ben Stokes with the tail, some (brief) New Zealand news and more!

If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram and 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.

Dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hussey, Bharat Sundaresan, Finn Allen, Sophie Devine, Wasim Khan, Gary Stead, Shane Bond, Barry Richards 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.

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In this episode of the show, Binksy and Baldy review the second Ashes Test of 2023.

Australia won the Test, but who is winning the PR battle? There was controversy galore - from Mitchell Starc’s (non) catch, to the Alex Carey/Jonny Bairstow run out and the reaction of the MCC members at Lord’s - but are all the distractions making it hard to step back and consider which team is actually playing the better cricket? And if Australia continue to win, will it be the end of BazBall? The end of Brendon McCullum?

Ben Stokes and Steve Smith provided highlights, Nathan Lyon’s 100th consecutive Test ended with injury and both sides have plenty of questions to consider in the short turnaround before the third match in the series.

We’ll be back again next week to review all the action, but please take the time before then to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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, and our recent episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at growing this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Jeetan Patel, Colin Munro, Sophie Devine, 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.

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In this episode of the show, we cover a lot of ground. From India's Test squad, to the women's and men's Ashes, across to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers and back to New Zealand.

We start by discussing India's Test squad for their upcoming tour to the West Indies, which does not include Cheteshwar Pujara, but instead features the young talents of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Was it the right call?

More Ashes content follows, as the two series continue to deliver maximum entertainment both on and off the field. We recap a closely fought women's Test, which saw individual highlights for Tammy Beaumont, Sophie Ecclestone, Ash Gardner, Annabel Sutherland and many others, and another Australian victory.

On the men's side, it's been non-stop banter. Zak Crawley's predicting a big win for England. Ollie Robinson is claiming a points victory, but Pat Cummins and his Australian side have preferred to let the former players do the majority of the talking.

Over in Zimbabwe, it's been a run-fest so far at the ICC ODI World Cup Qualifiers. The home side has been piling on the runs, and are in pole position to nab one of the two remaining 2023 World Cup spots as the Super Six begins. On the other hand, the West Indies' campaign is in tatters after their second loss of the tournament - Logan van Beek's incredible Super Over, in which he plundered 30 from the bowling of Jason Holder, saw The Netherlands home after the scores were tied at 374 (no that's not a typo) at the end of the first 100 overs.

To round out the show, we discuss Kane Williamson's social media tease, as well as the impact of Michael Bracewell's injury for the Black Caps' World Cup chances and Leigh Kasperek's return to the White Ferns.

We'll be back next week to wrap the second men's Ashes Test between England and Australia, plus the World Cup qualifiers and anything else that grabs our attention across the cricket world. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram and 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 with Wasim Khan, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Bharat Sundaresan, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Barry Richards 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.

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In this episode of the show, we review the first Ashes Test of 2023, which saw Australia defeat England by 2 wickets.

Zak Crawley signalled England's intent from the first ball, and from there the game see-sawed back and forth in front of a raucous crowd until Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon combined with the bat to carry Australia across the line.

We talk declarations, tactics, leadership, throwing your bat into the air, Australia's number XIs, Ricky Ponting blanking Kevin Pietersen, whether England care more about entertaining than winning and how over the course of one match Australia went from the World Test Champions to the plucky underdogs against the big bad Bazballers.

We also discuss the individual performances of Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Nathan Lyon, Alex Carey and Jonny Bairstow, as well as looking ahead to the second Test at Lord's.

We'll be back again next week, most likely with our Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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, and our recent episodes as well as some selected interviews are available on YouTube.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Sophie Devine, Tim Southee, Finn Allen, George Dobell 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.

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On this episode of the show, we look ahead to one of the most anticipated Ashes series in a while, as the recently crowned World Test Champions look to become the first team to win a series against England in the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era.

We start by discussing why this particular series feels different - and more exciting - than in recent years, before working our way through the big questions of the series.

Who are the potential game-changers?

Has Scott Boland done enough to be selected ahead of Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc?

Can Travis Head maintain his red-hot form?

After being a shining light of an otherwise disappointing Ashes series for England in 2021, do we expect a repeat performance from Mark Wood?

What role will spin play?

Will Zak Crawley last the series?

Who will win and why?

Plus Jonny Bairstow, Marnus Labuschagne, bold predictions and much more!

We'll have plenty of Ashes coverage throughout the course of this series, with reviews of every Test match and hopefully some special guests along the way. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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, and our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube for anyone who would like to watch along as you listen.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Luke Wright, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Daniel Brettig 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.

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In this episode of the show, we look back at the World Test Championship final, which saw Australia defeat India to claim the title.

We discuss the selections - most notably India leaving Ravichandran Ashwin on the bench - the toss, the pitch, the over rates, the format and even some of the actual cricket in what proved a fascinating contest, despite Australia holding the upper hand by tea on Day 1.

There's praise for the brilliant partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith, questions about India's decision to bowl Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami for the entire first hour on Day 1, and a conversation about Scott Boland to discover what makes his performances at Test level so impressive.

We also touch on the controversy surrounding Cameron Green's catch - and Shubman Gill's reaction - the brilliance of Steve Smith's catch to dismiss Virat Kohli, and completely forget to mention the two fighting knocks by Ajinkya Rahane or the fact that Daniel Vettori made sure at least one New Zealand hand remained on the mace.

To round out the show, Stu discusses the talking points from the Black Caps' contract list - most notably the absence of Ajaz Patel and Jimmy Neesham, and potentially some good news for those hoping to see Trent Boult back in black more regularly over the next 12 months.

Hot on the heels of this episode, we'll be back again with a full preview of the Ashes. You can also check out our most recent Test Cricket Hall of Fame episode, which featured a discussion about Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne to try to answer the question: Who is the greatest Test spinner of all time.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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, and our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube for anyone who would also like to watch along as you listen.

You can dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Rachin Ravindra, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Dion Nash, 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.

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In this episode of the Top Order Podcast Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we discuss and compare the careers of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's Shane Warne in order to determine who is the greatest ever spinner (and bowler) in the history of Test cricket.

With more than 1500 Test wickets between them, it's hard to split these two giants of the game, but we do our best as we look at the stats, plus all the intangibles that made these players special.

Do you agree with our assessment? Or have we got things horribly wrong? Don't be shy to tell us how you feel via social media or at [email protected].

We'll be back early next week to preview the Ashes and celebrate the holders of the World Test Championship mace. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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, and our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - if you preview a video panel discussion, check out our channel and be sure to subscribe.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Shane Bond, Lesley Murdoch, Jeetan Patel, Barry Richards, Jarrod Kimber 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.

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