In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it’s a Black Caps focused show as Raj and Stu look back at New Zealand's performances in 2024 take stock of where the side is at heading into a relatively quiet 2025.

We open the show by reviewing the 2024 results, which paint a picture of a middling side that had a big gap between their best performances and their worst ones, before discussing a bowling attack that saw some big changes over the past 12 months with the retirements of Neil Wagner and Tim Southee, plus the emergence of the likes of Will O'Rourke and Ben Sears. We also discuss the spin stocks and whether this is an area of concern.

As we move to the batting department, there's plenty to discuss - primarily the lack of runs by the majority of the core group of players. We talk about Devon Conway, Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson and many others, plus the central contracting system and how New Zealand Cricket are managing the competing pull of franchise leagues.

To round out the show, we look ahead to a 2025 fixture list that looks quite bare after the Champions Trophy to consider where we'd like the side to be by the end of the year..

We'll be back in your feed again later in the week or early next with our regular This Week in Cricket show. 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 with 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: Black Caps' 2024 results

2:55 Thoughts on 2024 as a whole

6:20 NZ's pace-bowling refresh

10:50 Are the spin-bowling stocks a concern?

20:30 Batting depth

22:25 Devon Conway - are we still optimistic about his international future?

25:30 Tom Blundell & wicketkeeping position moving forward

29:55 Casual and central contracts

38:20 Will Young - can he cement a spot in 2025?

42:25 Glenn Phillips - what should his role be in this NZ side?

45:40 Rachin Ravindra's development

51:10 Kane Williamson's form and future

55:20 NZ's fixtures in 2025 and hopes for the year

1:07:22 Coaching situation and ideal potential candidates

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In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it’s an England-centric view as Binksy and Jamie review England’s red- and white-ball performances in 2024 and look forward to a mouthwatering 10 tests against old enemies Australia and India in 2025.

The boys dissect what they want to see as Bazball disciples and look at the personnel England should and might use in 2025. There is confidence in Joe Root, Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, but question marks surrounding Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and the fitness of talismanic skipper Ben Stokes.

With no Baldy to respond, Binksy and Jamie dream of recapturing the urn in Sydney as they forecast the year 2025. The boys also discuss the dramatic decline of the England men’s white-ball side and ponder whether a partnership of Brendon McCullum and Jos Buttler can revive fortunes in an ICC Champions Trophy year.

If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:

https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

We'll be back in your feed again soon with a similar show focused on the Black Caps. 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 with 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

4:30 expectations on our red ball team

11:19 Personnel and emerging talent

21:25 Looking ahead and bolter selections?

27:16 is The Ashes McCullum's Everest?

35:38 White-ball cricket: evolution or revolution?

45:23 Lifting the urn in 2025? Dare to dream?

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In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj look back at the 5th Test between Australia and India, which saw the Aussies get their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in almost a decade and also book themselves a ticket to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa.

We start by talking about the series as a whole. How impressive was Australia's response to a heavy defeat in the first test? Where did it all go wrong for India? Did the theatrics overstep the line? Why did the batters struggle so much in this series? And what's next for both these sides?

There's a chat about Rohit Sharma's decision to step down from the playing XI and questions about the future for both him and the likes of Virat Kohli in the Test arena. There's also praise for debutant Beau Webster, Super Scotty Boland, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal and a whole lot more as we review this fascinating series that always holds a significant place in the cricket conversation.

If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:

https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

We'll be back in your feed again soon with a couple of shows looking back at the year for the Black Caps and England and discuss our hopes for 2025. 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 with 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 Introduction

1:40 Australia's turnaround from defeat to dominance

5:55 Why did India struggle so much in this series?

9:45 India's batting woes

15:20 Was the cricket fun to watch?

16:50 Did the theatrics overstep the line?

18:55 Sam Konstas

24:10 Rohit Sharma's decision to leave himself out of the playing XI

29:25 Virat Kohli

34:15 Beau Webster's outstanding debut

38:55 Scott Boland takes 10-for

44:45 Jasprit Bumrah - player of the series

48:00 Any other positives for India?

49:30 India's Test lineup in the next WTC cycle

53:20 Australia's consistency

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In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Raj react to Australia's win in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, as well as South Africa's win against Pakistan that makes them the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

We start with some initial reaction to the Day 5 action in Melbourne as Australia secured victory against India. Was the decision to bowl Travis Head after tea a masterstroke? Did India get their tactics wrong? And what's going on with Rohit Sharma?

Next there's praise for the young stars who shone brightly - Sam Konstas, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Yashasvi Jaiswal - as well as the old heads like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith & Marnus Labuschagne who provided the backbone for Australia's win. We also discuss Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance, whether he's getting enough support from the other bowlers, what India need to do to turn this around, and whether the Aussies need to consider changing a winning side for the Sydney test.

We finish up with a discussion about South Africa's win against Pakistan, which books them a spot in the World Test Championship final. Is it great for the game? Does their path to the final justify their inclusion? Are they massively under-rated? And how do we process the fact that they played a second-string side against NZ and still qualified with a test in hand?!

If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:

https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series and more. 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 with 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 Introduction

1:20 Australia v India Day 5 instant reaction - Travis Head turns the game

6:30 India's tactics

10:20 Rohit Sharma's frustration

15:35 Young stars shine - Sam Konstas

24:20 Is Mitchell Marsh under pressure?

27:15 Nitish Kumar Reddy's breakout hundred

31:30 Yashasvi Jaiswal continues to impress

36:45 Australia's experienced players stand up

45:00 Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance

50:15 How can India turn things around in Sydney?

57:00 South Africa make the World Test Championship Final

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It's Cricketmas time again on the Top Order Podcast! This week we have a very special episode* wrapping up recent Tests in Brisbane and Hamilton.

Firstly to the Brisbane Test between Australia and India [0:00]. With both top orders struggling, we try to decipher which team has more rocks or diamonds. In amongst all the analysis and breakdown is the shock retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin that broke just minutes before we recorded on Wednesday 18 December. We pay tribute to a true great of the game and lament his non-availability for what promises to be two exciting Tests in Melbourne and Sydney with the series on a knife-edge at 1-1.

Then it's time to wrap up both the England v New Zealand series from Hamilton [33:56] and the retirement of the great Tim Southee. Raj wants to maximise the remainder of Kane Williamson's career (don't we all) and we contemplate if Will Young has done enough to hold his spot going forward. On the England side, our northern hemisphere analysts discuss whether Ollie Pope has done enough to keep his spot, and how good Jacob Bethell could be going forward.

From all of us at the Top Order Podcast, have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:

https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from the cricket world. 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 with 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.

* We're not sure how it's special. It's special like all Christmas episodes are special we suppose. Except we don't sing. We truly value our listeners too much to do that...

0:00 Introduction

1:20 India v Australia - questions for the Aussies after rain disrupts play

21:55 Questions for India

27:40 Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement

34:00 Black Caps v England - NZ win the third Test

46:20 England's tactics and approach

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In this episode of the show, Binksy and Jamie jump online for an English Cricket check-in, in which they to try and keep their feet in the here and now but inevitably turn their thoughts to the Ashes.

They start the show by discussing Darren Lehmann's comments regarding Joe Root, then move to the brilliance of both Root and his Yorkshire teammate Harry Brook. There's a conversation about team permutations for both the Black Caps and England heading into the third and final test of the series in New Zealand, which will serve as Tim Southee’s farewell to Test cricket.

To round out the show, there’s also a brief but fruitless chat on how to improve over rates, plus breaking news at the time of recording concerning Jason Gillespie resigning from his role as Pakistan coach.

If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:

https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from the cricket world. 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 with 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

1:40 Darren Lehmann's comments about Joe Root

6:45 Harry Brook moves to #1 in the ICC rankings

14:25 Changes for the third Black Caps v England Test in Hamilton?

23:20 The over-rate debate

32:20 Predictions for NZ v England final Test

34:15 Jason Gillespie resigns as Pakistan coach

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In this episode of the show, Baldy & Stu look back with contrasting emotions at the week (or three days) that was after Australia's convincing win against India and New Zealand once again collapsing against England.

We start the show on a happy note for Baldy by discussing a turnaround in fortunes for Australia during the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Scott Boland picked up where Josh Hazlewood left off, Mitchell Starc's radar was on from ball one and Pat Cummins also played his part in a dominant performance from the Aussie quicks. We also saw valuable contributions from Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney, a hundred from Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy continue to look very comfortable at Test level. There's also discussion about why batters are struggling so much at the moment when the ball moves around, and the topsy-turvy nature of Test cricket results all over the world.

In the second half of the show, it was rinse and repeat for England as Harry Brook and then Brydon Carse took centre stage again and the Black Caps crumbled under the pressure. In fact, England were so dominant we didn't even mention that Gus Atkinson took a hat-trick! There's praise for Joe Root, Jacob Bethell & Nathan Smith, Tom Blundell's return to form, a conversation about England winning the tactical battle, and unfortunately more selection questions for New Zealand with Tim Southee and Devon Conway in particular under the spotlight.

We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from both these exciting series. 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

1:30 Australia's bowlers set the tone for a big win against India

5:00 Scott Boland steps in and doesn't miss a beat

6:45 Why are batters struggling so much in the longer format?

9:35 Key partnership from Marnus Labuschagne & Nathan McSweeney

16:10 Travis Head breaks loose

19:10 Pat Cummins' contribution

20:45 Nitish Kumar Reddy looks ready for Test cricket

24:00 Is India's batting lineup dangerous or fragile?

30:10 Rohit Sharma the middle-order batter

34:35 Test cricket results are all over the place

36:55 Looking ahead to Brisbane

40:15 Black Caps v England reaction

42:25 Harry Brook's performance, along with Ollie Pope

48:00 England winning the tactical battle against NZ

51:05 England targeting Tim Southee

57:20 New Zealand's batting woes, particularly Devon Conway

1:06:25 Tom Blundell's hundred

1:10:10 Changes for the Black Caps?

1:14:45 Jacob Bethell and Joe Root

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In this episode of the show, we review England's big win against the Black Caps at Hagley Oval, plus discuss some squad/injury news in the Border-Gavaskar series.

England had some excellent performances from the likes of Harry Brook and Brydon Carse, but is it simply a case of catches win matches (or in New Zealand's case, dropped catches lose matches)? We discuss the first Test in plenty of detail, with comments on Brook, Carse, Ollie Pope, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith and others, plus look ahead to the selection questions facing both sides. Is there a spot for Will Young? Has Jacob Bethell done enough with his chance for England to hold his place? And much more . . .

We also chat about potential changes to both Australia and India for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series, with Josh Hazlewood injured and doubts about Mitchell Marsh, while for India it looks likely that both Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will return. Who will India leave out? And will the injuries provide a lifeline for Marnus Labuschagne?

We'll be back in your feed again soon with more news and views from both these exciting series. 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

1:40 Initial reaction to England's big win against New Zealand

3:50 Did the Black Caps drop the game?

5:55 Harry Brook takes advantage

9:45 Ollie Pope's contribution, as well as Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes

16:45 Did New Zealand pick the right bowling attack?

21:00 Black Caps struggling for consistency

22:30 Brydon Carse takes 10 wickets in the match

30:00 NZ selection questions

48:15 Any questions for England?

53:00 Hazlewood injury & Marsh doubts for Australia

58:05 Shubman Gill & Rohit Sharma set to return for India

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In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu react to both days of the IPL mega auction, which saw Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer attract record bids, 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi picked up by Rajasthan Royals & the Mumbai Indians add a few Kiwis to their squad.

We discuss the big winners (local players), Bevan-John Jacobs' surprise selection, powerful top orders, the Right to Match cards, where the New Zealanders and Australians landed (or didn't land), and how the huge player movement impacts the fan experience for overseas viewers.

We'll be back in your feed again at the conclusion of the first Test in the Black Caps v England series with more news and views from the cricketing week that was. 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

1:15 Local players on the move at high prices

9:30 Where did the Black Caps end up?

12:15 Bevan-John Jacobs selected by Mumbai Indians

14:45 Australians everywhere

16:45 David Warner among the snubs, but 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi goes to RR

22:10 Daryl Mitchell goes unsold, along with Shardul Thakur and other notable names

26:20 How does the player movement impact the fan experience?

35:05 Final thoughts

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In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu review the first Test of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, which saw India start slowly but then roar back to dominate Australia and make a number of significant statements at Optus Stadium.

We talk about Jasprit Bumrah's leadership (and his magnificent bowling), the patience and application shown by KL Rahul & Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli's return to form. There are questions about where it all went wrong for Australia, what to do with Marnus Labuschagne, as well as praise for their bowlers - Josh Hazlewood in particular - along with declarations, DRS decisions, debutants and much more as we unpack this fascinating game.

We'll be back in your feed again in the next 24 hours with our initial reaction to the IPL mega auction, and then at the conclusion of the first Test in the Black Caps v England series. 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 and Australia's great start to the match

4:30 Jasprit Bumrah's leadership and his influence with ball in hand

12:40 Mohammed Siraj's strong performance

14:40 Yashasvi Jaiswal's patience and skill combine

20:50 KL Rahul ground Australia down

23:50 Virat Kohli's hundred

27:40 India's declaration paid off!

29:40 Are Australia in crisis? And what to do with Marnus Labuschagne?

35:40 What's happened to Australia's batting depth?

48:15 Final comments

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