The Top Order Cricket Podcast

Someone is listening to the Top Order Podcast. Binksy has been calling for more opportunity for Harry Brook - he was elevated to number three in this Super 8 clash against Pakistan and delivered a fine century as England chased down 164.

It wasn't without a few nervous moments as late wickets triggered a little bit of a wobble. There are a few nitpicks and work-ons for England going forward, but Baldy and Binksy were impressed with the tactical changes and adjustments that England are making on the fly with their bowling in this tournament. If their batters can do the same the sky is the limit for England.

For Pakistan they have it all to do - their encounter with Sri Lanka is a must win and they rely on New Zealand losing tonight against Sri Lanka and/or against England to end Super 8 play to have a chance of progressing. What will they need to change? Again it's the strike rate conversation with Babar Azam coming under the microscope as he walks the fine line between holding the innings together and pushing the strike rate forward.

Tonight's clash between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be a battle of two different batting groups. NZ's batters were great in the group stage while the SL batters are now under pressure. Can SL bounce back against a New Zealand attack that could be back at full strength? Will we see Ish Sodhi feature? NZ have plenty of spin options at the disposal. For SL - they need a rollicking good start against the likes of Henry and Ferguson to get them on the front foot in the power play.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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.

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In this episode of the show, Binsky and Stu look back at Day 17 of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which featured the Super 8s match between the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

After a watchful start and a crucial missed opportunity, the West Indies produced a barrage of sixes on their way to a massive score of 254 against Zimbabwe, which ultimately proved to be well out of reach. We talk about the start from Muzarabani and Ngarava, the dropped catch when Shimron Hetmyer was on 9 and the West Indian range hitting once the spinners came on to bowl - despite Graeme Cremer's ability to turn the ball a long way.

And while it was Hetmyer and Rovman Powell who built the decisive partnership, the West Indies gave us another display of their six-hitting depth as Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder all got in on the act. From there, it was Matthew Forde who started well with the ball, and then Akeal Hosein went bang bang to make it 20-3. Hosein finished with 3 wickets and Gudakesh Motie with 4 despite a bit of fight from Brad Evans at the end, as the West Indies took the win and a big boost to their net run rate.

To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 18, when England will be looking to make it two from two in the group as they take on Pakistan in Pallekele.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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

1:10 West Indies v Zimbabwe

17:15 England v Pakistan preview

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The first two days of the Super 8s are in the books - and aside from the frustrating rain-affected NR between Pakistan and New Zealand there has been some epic results.

After an historic T20 WC winning streak India will be primed for a comeback after falling to South Africa to throw Group 1 wide open. The middle order for South Africa were outstanding, and while both teams lost wickets in the Powerplay, it was the South Africans that built better momentum through the middle. Just how important will that 20-odd runs in the final over from Stubbs be in the net-run-rate stakes? India versus the West Indies now shapes as a must-win quarter-final for India. They have the firepower but will need to build back their momentum.

Speaking of momentum, the loss to Zimbabwe in group play clearly affected Sri Lanka in their heavy loss overnight to England. Despite injuries their bowlers stood tall to restrict England to a gettable total. England's spinners had other ideas though and the spin trio of Jacks, Dawson, and Rashid powered England to a convincing win. Sri Lanka are pushing now to make the knockouts and will need a bounce back performance to keep their tournament hopes alive.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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. 

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Group play is all over bar the shouting at the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup for men, and the Top Order assembled an all-star cast to recap the group stage and preview the Super 8s.

Jamie and Binksy from the UK were joined by Raj and Baldy from NZ to recap the group stage and preview the key matchups and games to watch in both Super 8 groups. From India's expectations, to the West Indies excitement, to the consistency of South Africa, to Zimbabwe playing with house money, Group 1 promises to be a hotly contested group.

Group 2 is wide open. All four teams have a huge opportunity to progress to the knockouts - but which team is struggling with injury and which team has a unique point of difference that might propel them into the knockouts?

For the first time ever, there was consensus on both sets of semi-finalists from each group. While unbelievable, the closeness of the Super 8 groups on both sides means upsets and boilovers are sure to transpire.

Finally - it wouldn't be a Top Order pod without some robust banter. Australia's shambolic campaign was under the microscope, and Baldy was off the long run. Nothing is safe from scrutiny in the aftermath of the worst T20 WC performance since 2008 and we might have seen some long-running players at a WC for the final time.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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. 

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Today, we wrapped up the penultimate day in the group stages with some thrilling matches. Afghanistan dominated Canada, winning by 82 runs, while the West Indies continued their unbeaten streak, showcasing their impressive talent.

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In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at Day 12 of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which featured three games: India v Netherlands, Pakistan v Namibia and South Africa v UAE.

We start the show by discussing the tournament favourites, India, and their final pool match against the Netherlands. Abhishek Sharma fell early again, but starts from the rest of the top order were iced by a big contribution from Shivam Dube, who continues to be an unsung hero for India. The Netherlands batters played some quality shots during the chase, but it was Varun Chakravarthy who starred for India with the ball and helped seal a 12th consecutive T20 World Cup victory.

The second game of the day saw Pakistan taking on Namibia in Colombo, with Super 8 qualification on the line. But there was barely a nervous moment as a Sahibzada Farhan hundred powered Pakistan close to 200, and then the spinners took charge with the ball - Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq in particular among the wickets.

South Africa made four changes to their side, but still finished off their pool play with a comfortable win against the UAE. Corbin Bosch and George Linde were in the wickets as the Proteas put the squeeze on - bowling 53 dot balls across the innings as the UAE reached 122-6. That score was never going to be enough, and South Africa eased to the total without too much trouble.

To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 13, which sees the West Indies v Italy, Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe and Afghanistan & Canada finish up their 2026 T20 World Cup journey. There's also a brief recap of the Super 8 qualifiers as the next phase is nearly here.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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

0:55 India v Netherlands

12:30 Pakistan v Namibia

21:30 South Africa v UAE

26:55 Day 13 Preview

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In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at Day 11 of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which featured three games: New Zealand v Canada, ZImbabwe v Ireland and Scotland v Nepal.

We start the show by discussing the Black Caps' win against Canada, which confirmed their progression to the Super 8 phase of the tournament. On paper it looked like a straightforward day at the office, until Yuvraj Samra became the youngest man to score a World Cup hundred, making the Kiwi bowlers look a lot tastier than Mitchell Santner's dodgy burger along the way. We discuss what to make of it all, including a return to form for Rachin Ravindra, whether Glenn Phillips could make a first-class hundred batting left-handed and how the shift to Sri Lanka might impact New Zealand's fortunes for the remainder of the World Cup.

Next up was Zimbabwe v Ireland in Pallekele, with plenty on the line for both sides, and Australia hoping the result would fall their way. But unfortunately for Ireland and Australia, the only thing that fell was rain, and the abandoned match put Zimbabwe through to the Super 8 phase.

The final game of the day saw Scotland take on Nepal, with both sides looking to finish their World Cup adventure on a high. It was a see-sawing game, with runs for Michael Jones and wickets for Michael Leask, but it was Dipendra Singh Airee's unbeaten 50 off 23 balls that took Nepal to a win - much to the delight of their fantastic fans.

To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 12, which sees South Africa take on the UAE and two fixtures that will decide the final standings in Group A - Namibia v Pakistan and India v Netherlands.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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

1:00 New Zealand v Canada

18:35 Zimbabwe v Ireland

22:00 Scotland v Nepal

25:40 Day 12 Preview

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In this episode we tried something different. Baldy joined Binksy and Raj on the pod, with Raj and Binksy having watched the overnight games and having prepared. Baldy joined with live reactions not knowing the scores to get real-time, unfiltered feedback on the games overnight, especially Australia's must-win fixture with hosts Sri Lanka.

The cricket wasn't pretty - neither were the reactions. If Australia's campaign was on a knife-edge before it has completely unravelled now. From batting collapses to bowling that was yet again unable to make inroads, the crew dissects where it all went wrong for Australia. Where were Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw again? The selection conundrums continue to perplex - but was the batting or bowling more to blame? One thing is for certain - the post WC retrospective will be one to tune into.

To the England-Italy fixture we go and the Azzurri put up yet another inspired performance against England. While some big(ger) names haven't quite got going for England yet Binksy is heartened by Will Jacks with the bat, and Overton, Archer, and Curran with the ball. Have England found a winning combination with the ball?

Finally, we cover the clutch victory for Afghanistan over the UAE. Omarzai's performance has us fulsome with praise. Rashid brings up 700 T20I wickets as we rue missed opportunities in what could have been a stellar campaign for Afghanistan.

Let us know if you enjoyed the 'live reactions'. We did. Well, most of us...

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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. 

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It's 9 days into the tournament and two big guns flexed their might overnight with commands performances.

Starting with India, Ishan Kishan was batting on a different surface as his 77 proved decisive in the match against Pakistan. Pakistan played all six spinners and held India through the middle overs, but key moments didn't go their way. A near hattrick for Saim Ayub, and an LBW shout could have been the turning points. As it was India's bowlers also proved too strong for the Pakistan top order. Binksy and Baldy round out this segment with praise for an unlikely Indian pace spearhead.

To the other big powerhouse in group play - yes, the West Indies as they roll over Nepal in a comprehensive 9-wicket victory. The WI seamers dominated the early going - while Holder got the wickets it was Forde that was the superstar in our eyes as the WI shut down Nepal and paved the way for a comfortable chase.

Finally, the USA gets some love as their campaign builds in what is shaping up as a run that has us excited for the future of cricket in that country.

Going forward it's a huge night for Australia - their encounter with Sri Lanka is must-win, and we cover what needs to go right for the Aussies. Steve Smith has arrived - but is it too late? The Ireland and Zimbabwe game 24 hours later will be a decisive fixture in Group B.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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.

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.

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

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at Day 8 of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which featured three games: Ireland v Oman, England v Scotland and New Zealand v South Africa.

We start the show by discussing the Black Caps' top of the table clash against South Africa, which unfortunately didn't go the way the New Zealanders were hoping. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen raced out of the gates, and Mark Chapman & Daryl Mitchell rebuilt the innings, but a stuttered finish left them short of a par score. And from the moment the ball hit Aiden Markram's bat, South Africa looked completely in control. We talk about the Black Caps' bowling struggles, possibly not giving Markram's brilliance enough credit as we search for answers to the powerplay problems.

In the second match of the day, England took on Scotland, who built a nice platform thanks to a strong partnership between Richie Berrington & Tom Bruce, before a flurry of wickets from Liam Dawson & Adil Rashid put the brakes on. With the bat, England weren't exactly commanding, but a Tom Banton half-century led them across the line and left them well-placed for a Super 8 spot.

Ireland began Day 8 of this World Cup batting like a side with nothing to lose, looking to set the tone early against an Oman team also searching for their first victory. Unfortunately for them, wickets fell as Oman's spinners found a nice length, until a lifeline for Lorcan Tucker on 18 completely flipped the game.

To round out the show, the boys look ahead to Day 9, which sees Nepal face the West Indies, Namibia v USA and the blockbuster of all blockbusters between India and Pakistan in Group A.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. 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

0:50 New Zealand v South Africa

17:55 England v Scotland

27:45 Ireland v Oman

35:10 Day 9 preview: India v Pakistan the big game

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