The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, we look ahead to preview the upcoming Test series between India and Australia.

We talk home records, legacies and the wider significance of the series for teams, players and world cricket, before diving into more specific questions.

If you enjoyed this episode, 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

Dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with the likes of Jeet Raval, Cam Fletcher and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Shane Bond, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Ish Sodhi, Sophie Devine, Bharat Sundaresan, Melinda Farrell 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, we look back at the Black Caps' white-ball tour to India and the England v South Africa ODIs, plus news in the build up to the Women's T20 World Cup and debate recent comments by Ian Smith about New Zealand's Super Smash. There's also a short chat with Jim Morrison from New Zealand over-40s and 50s cricket, with details about upcoming games and how you can get involved.

New Zealand's tour of India has largely been one way traffic - Black Caps batters have struggled, Shubman Gill has dominated and Kuldeep Yadav has continued his good form - but Raj and Stu attempt to find some positives with the Men's ODI World Cup in mind.

The ODIs between England and South Africa have been entertaining, even if the series feels somewhat squeezed into the schedule. We talk send-offs, moustaches, Temba Bavuma and Moeen Ali, again with an eye to the World Cup.

Speaking of World Cups, the Women's T20 World Cup isn't far away - but is the result a foregone conclusion? Australia look dominant again on paper, Sophie Devine is racing against the clock to recover from a broken foot and Dane van Niekerk has been left out of the South African squad.

Turning our attention to domestic cricket, we discuss recent comments made by Ian Smith about the Super Smash. Is it working in its current iteration? Should it be attempting to compete with the other T20 leagues around the world? And how could New Zealand cricket make that happen?

To round out the show, Stu talks with Jim Morrison from New Zealand over-40s and 50s cricket about the upcoming series against Australia for the over-40s and World Cups for both sides later in 2023. What is over-40s/50s cricket? How do you get involved? Where can we watch the games?

We'll be back in your feed very soon with a preview of the upcoming India v Australia Test series, but 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with the likes of Cam Fletcher, Dean Foxcroft and Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, 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 Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 7 to 5 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are).

Now that we're at the business end of the list, we couldn't resist throwing a few extra minutes on the clock to discuss these legends of the game. Baldy reveals the algorithm's best allrounder, Binksy and Raj disagree about another allrounder and we all marvel at the coolest cricketer ever.

Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media.

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. A few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our website. You'll find the Preamble, plus the list, which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Barry Richards, Gary Stead, Michael and David Hussey, Lesley Murdoch, Jarrod Kimber and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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

Thanks for listening.

*SPOILER ALERT*

This episode features players from 7-5 in the following order.

7 - Sir Vivian Richards

6 - Jacques Kallis

5 - Sir Garfield Sobers

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In this episode of the show, the boys look back at an entertaining ODI series between the Black Caps and Pakistan, as well as some news and notes from the New Zealand domestic circuit.

There are questions about Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell and Finn Allen, as well as discussion around some of the newer members of the white-ball squads for the upcoming series against India.

As we return closer to home, Stu highlights a former East Coast Bays representative who is enjoying an excellent domestic season, the Wellington Blaze break their own record and Baldy gives a shout out to a talented young Australian after an impressive debut.

We'll be back in your feed in the coming days with the next episode of our Hall of Fame series. 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 at our website, and a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our most recent conversation with Canterbury Kings keeper/batter Cam Fletcher, plus chats with Ish Sodhi, Dion Nash, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Katey Martin, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for listening.

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It's a new year, but regular transmission resumes at Top Order Towers. Raj, Baldy, Binksy and Lippy are together in the same room to review the Test series in Pakistan and Australia, plus highlight a few players from the BBL and Super Smash.

We start the show by discussing the drawn series between the Black Caps and Pakistan.

In the second half of the show, we recap another dominant series win by Australia and try to identify the qualities needed the challenge the Aussies on home soil. There's praise for Travis Head, Baldy's still not convinced by Marnus Labuschagne and we cast our eyes forward to the upcoming series in India.

To round out the conversation, we look to the BBL and the Super Smash for standout performances. There are swinging arms, Jonny Wilkinson impersonations, power hitters and really long names as we discuss a host of players who might soon get a taste of international cricket.

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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Cam Fletcher, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen 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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We’ve only gone and released an impromptu Cricketmas wrap up of England and Pakistan's epic 3-0 series and misquoted Christmas lyrics in an all-time low for TTOP!

(You can tell our usual wordsmith didn't write the show notes for this one...)

Bazball/Stokesball continues apace and we at TTOP can barely keep up. Binksy and Baldy have done their best to keep abreast of all the goings on in Pakistan as England move to 9-1 under Stokes/McCullum. Harry Brook, the Ahmeds (Abrar and Rehan) get a rap in this segment, as well as the underrated England bowling attack, and we pay tribute to the retiring Azhar Ali.

To Australia we go in the second half of the show, for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it first Test between the Australians and the Proteas at the Gabba. Was the wicket dangerously under-par? Was it good bowling or poor batting? Or was it all three? The Goldilocks analogy gets a run early doors as we dissect the shortest of Tests and look forward to Melbourne on Boxing Day. Could Australia really do the unthinkable and drop Scott Boland for the second Test? Spin fans might not like Baldy's tongue-in-cheek solution.

We’ll be back again soon to wrap up the Boxing Day Tests from around the 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 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Abdullah Haider previewing the upcoming New Zealand in Pakistan Test series starting on December 26th.

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, Stu is joined by Abdullah Haider from the Pakistan Cricket Podcast to preview the upcoming series between the Black Caps and Pakistan.

The first half of the show focuses on the Pakistan squad, as Abdullah answers questions about injuries to the seamers, shines the spotlight on Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel, before explaining why Pakistan should feel confident despite their series loss to England.

Attention then turns to the Black Caps, starting with Stu highlighting the enormous success New Zealand have had under Kane Williamson's leadership and wondering what impact the captaincy change will have on the Black Caps' style of play. There's talk about Glenn Phillips and Ish Sodhi potentially returning to the Test arena, and Stu outlines why New Zealand have a lot to prove to themselves and to the fans over the course of this series.

Many thanks to Abdullah for joining the show - you can hear more from him by subscribing to the Pakistan Cricket Podcast, or by following them on Twitter (@PakCricPodcast).

And thanks also goes to you, the listener, for joining us throughout 2022. We've been creating content for more than three years now, but we still think it's very cool to have listeners all over the world and we really appreciate you taking the time to hear our thoughts on the great game of cricket.

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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Cam Fletcher, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Mike Hussey, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, Finn Allen, Frankie Mackay, Shane Bond 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 continue our tour around the New Zealand provinces as Stu catches up with Canterbury Cricket wicketkeeper/batter Cam Fletcher.

The show starts with some BazBall chat, before looking back at an impressive 12 months for Cam, which saw him called into the Black Caps Test squad in addition to a tour to India with NZ A.

Cam talks about his experiences in the international environment, how his game has developed over the past few years and the 'finisher' role in T20 cricket.

Stu also asks for some insight into Chad Bowes and Henry Shipley, tries to understand why everyone wants to beat Canterbury and there's even an East Coast Bays reference in there for good measure.

Plenty more episodes on the way over the holiday season, with a Black Caps v Pakistan Test series preview coming soon, plus the boys are hoping to get together again to review the week that was in other parts of the world.

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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Tim Southee, Sophie Devine, Wasim Khan, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, Shane Bond, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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, the Top Order discuss another English Test victory against Pakistan, speculate about the Black Caps squad (recorded before the official announcement) and try to bring some perspective to Australia's sweep of the West Indies.

How sustainable is England's attacking approach to the traditional game?

What lessons should New Zealand be learning from England's success?

Where have Pakistan been hiding Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel?

Key takeaways from Australia v West Indies

Expectations for the Test series against South Africa

There's even unanimous agreement about David Warner-related content, perhaps for the first time ever on the show.

We'll be back in your feed again soon to share a conversation with Canterbury wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher, as well as more news and reviews of all the cricket going on around the world over this holiday season.

If you enjoy the show, 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Luke Wright, Jeet Raval and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Sophie Devine, Tim Southee, Wasim Khan, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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 speak with prolific author and journalist Ken Piesse about his life around the game and all the fascinating players he's had the opportunity to meet and work with along the way.

Ken shares stories about cups of tea with Keith Miller, reminiscing with Bill Ponsford, writing a book with Max Walker and Neil Harvey's footwork, as well as Sir Don Bradman as we fire questions Ken's way about some of the greats of yesteryear.

Ken also shares his views on the future of the game, and there's even a chat about Bert Sutcliffe and a special offer for all the New Zealand listeners out there. We could have spent hours listening to Ken tell stories, and we've no doubt this episode will make you want to book a P & O cruise just to hear more of his yarns.

You can find out more about Ken and all his publications, as well as purchase books from his vast collection, at cricketbooks.com.au. Mention that you listened to this episode and Ken will provide free shipping to New Zealand for any of his books.

We'll be back again soon to discuss the goings-on in the world of cricket, along with another interview from our trip around the New Zealand domestic provinces. 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with the likes of Dean Foxcroft, Sophie Devine and Luke Wright, as well as interviews with Shane Bond, Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Katey Martin, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the 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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