Episodi

  • This Week in Cricket #216: Black Caps' missed opportunities, Bavuma's heroics & Australia's batting in the spotlight again

    This Week in Cricket #216: Black Caps' missed opportunities, Bavuma's heroics & Australia's batting in the spotlight again
    Oct 26 2026
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at a busy week of international cricket, which saw the New Zealand summer begin with a T20 series against India, as well as South Africa roaring back in the second test against Australia to level that series at 1-1. We start the show with the Black Caps v India T20 series, which at the time of recording had begun with two wins for the visitors, both at Hagley Oval. New Zealand did a lot of things well - there were two excellent innings for Glenn Phillips, positive signs for Bevon Jacobs, success for both Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell with the ball - but India's star-studded batting lineup found a way in both matches to power to victory. There are questions about Daryl Mitchell's role, the fast-bowling combinations, whether it is even possible to stop an Indian batting lineup with Abhishek Sharma & Sanju Samson at the top and the likes of Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir & Nitish Kumar Reddy all the way down at 8, the lively crowds and even NZ A v India A as we review a fun start to the NZ summer of cricket. As the conversation continues, the rest of the show focuses on South Africa's outstanding response in the second test against Australia, which saw them secure an innings victory to level the series. Of course there's plenty of praise for the home side, who were helped by Temba Bavuma's big hundred, lower-order runs (and wickets) from Marco Jansen & Simon Harmer, plus the return of Kagiso Rabada and how that boosted the South African bowling lineup. On the flip side, Australia's batting finds itself under the microscope again, who despite a 3rd innings hundred for Travis Head and plenty of fight from Scott Boland, crumbled to be all out 99 in their first innings and relinquish their grip on the series - a series that looked to be all but theirs after the first two rain-affected days of this test match. We debate what was real about that performance and what the outliers are; we ponder how many changes might make with Cameron Green and Josh Inglis fit again, plus the potential return of Nathan Lyon; and talk generally about the Australian selection process and whether they are moving the team in the right direction. We'll be back again soon with more news and views from the South Africa v Australia series, Black Caps v India and any other cricket news that catches our eyes. 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. 0:00 Intro 1:25 Black Caps v India first two T20s: Missed opportunities? 6:50 Black Caps batting questions 10:20 BJ Jacobs & Glenn Phillips 15:35 India's batters got the best of NZ's seamers 25:00 NZ's focus on the test series 27:30 NZ A v India A 30:00 South Africa v Australia second test 32:10 What's real from this series so far? Australia's batting questions 42:40 Nathan Lyon's non-selection 45:10 Temba Bavuma's heroics with Marco Jansen & Simon Harmer 50:00 Kagiso Rabada's return 51:45 Australia's selection questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 ora e 16 min
  • This Week in Cricket #214: Black Caps v India white-ball preview, plus England contracts and Aus v SA changes

    This Week in Cricket #214: Black Caps v India white-ball preview, plus England contracts and Aus v SA changes
    Oct 18 2026
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu react to team changes for the second test between South Africa and Australia, look ahead to the Black Caps upcoming series against India, and discuss some notable points from England's central contract list. We start the show with news from Gqeberha, where it was drizzling at the time of recording but the South African and Australian playing XIs had been announced. There's surprise at the omission of both Nathan Lyon and Keshav Maharaj, but no doubt that Scott Boland fully deserves another opportunity at test level. We'll have more on this match at the conclusion of the game. As the conversation continues, we move back to New Zealand, where the home summer is about begin with a tour from India. We share our excitement at the prospect of a three-format tour filled with stars on both sides. While Hardik Pandya will miss the series and Jasprit Bumrah is only here for the tests, the visitors still boast the batting firepower of the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, as well as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - for possibly the final time on NZ shores. We highlight spin as a key battle, as Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel prepare to take on Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Daryl Mitchell and co. We also discuss the careful approach with Will O'Rourke, potential ODI outings for Finn Allen and Lockie Ferguson, plus a BBL opportunity for BJ Jacobs. To round out the show, we highlight a few talking points from the England Men's central contract list. There's a Rew switcheroo, a potential demotion for Rehan Ahmed, and a return for Mason Crane, before we finish with some coaching chat and a look at how the sons of former England players are moving through the grades. We'll be back again soon with more news and views from the South Africa v Australia series, Black Caps v India and any other cricket news that catches our eyes. 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. 0:00 Intro 1:05 SA v Aus - changes for both sides 8:30 Black Caps v India Preview 11:45 ODI opportunities for Finn Allen/NZ's T20 batting options 16:55 Will O'Rourke injury/NZ bowlers 18:25 India's stars on show/spinners a key challenge for NZ 22:30 BJ Jacobs' BBL opportunity 26:25 England contract news Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 min
  • South Africa v Australia First Test Review: The Renshaw game, Australia's discipline & what next?

    South Africa v Australia First Test Review: The Renshaw game, Australia's discipline & what next?
    Oct 14 2026
    In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu review the first test between South Africa and Australia. We start the show with positivity from an Australian point of view after their commanding victory in the first Test. From a tricky position, the visitors turned the game on its head and, led by a near double hundred from Matt Renshaw, they took control of the match and never let go of that advantage. As the conversation continues, we highlight discipline as a key difference between the two sides, with both bat and ball. Australia's incredible bowling unit of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon found the perfect line and length to bowl on the Durban surface, then executed their skills much better than their South African counterparts. For Australia, Renshaw's success, and to a much lesser extent Nic Maddinson's 48 in the second innings, look to have revitalised the strength of the batting lineup, but it also creates more questions. Should Renshaw stay at 5 now? Is Travis Head being wasted at the top? How could Cameron Green slot back in to this side? On the South Africa side, there were positives to take from the match - Aiden Markram's fight, Anrich Nortje's test return, two solid innings from David Bedingham - but how much will they rue not having another seam bowler in their lineup? And with Kagiso Rabada set to return for the second Test, will they take the opportunity to make more changes? We'll be back again soon with more news and view from this series and any other cricket news that catches our eyes. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 Australia win by 214 runs 6:50 Did we underestimate Australia? 13:45 Matt Renshaw's epic test match 18:45 The discipline of Starc, Cummins, Hazelwood & Lyon 27:50 Nathan Lyon & the impact of spin 31:45 Do Australia have even more batting lineup questions now? 45:15 Positives for South Africa? 48:20 Changes for the second test? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 ora e 4 min
  • South Africa v Australia Day 3 first session live watch along - plus a World XI to face the aliens!

    South Africa v Australia Day 3 first session live watch along - plus a World XI to face the aliens!
    Oct 11 2026
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy and Stu test drive the YouTube livestream as we watch the first session of Day 3 during the first Test between South Africa and Australia. And over the course of the session, we select a World Test XI for a three-Test series against the alien collective at the MCG, Ahmedabad and Lords. We start the show with a recap of the first two days of the test, including selection decisions from both sides, the early inroads made by South Africa's bowlers and the impressive recovery from Australia led by a near double century from Matt Renshaw. As the conversation and the session continues, attention turns to picking a World XI to face the alien collective in a three-match series. We debate bringing people out of retirement, the balance of the squad, the kind of qualities needed to represent the Earth in an intergalactic battle and plenty more in this extended discussion as the Australian bowling attack makes inroads into South Africa's top order. To round out the show, we finish with a few listener questions about the NZ20 and the Black Caps' ODI squad for the upcoming India tour. We'll be back again soon to discuss the first test of this series and any other news that catches our eyes. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro: Australia v South Africa, Day 3 session 1 0:30 Days 1-2: Selection & Matt Renshaw's heroics 26:10 World XI to face the aliens 1:35:55 Listener questions: NZ20 & Black Caps v India Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    2 ore e 7 min
  • South Africa v Australia Test Series Preview, plus NZ20 & the India v WI runfest

    South Africa v Australia Test Series Preview, plus NZ20 & the India v WI runfest
    Oct 7 2026
    In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu quickly hit on a couple of news items out of New Zealand and India before diving into an extended preview of the upcoming Test series between Australia and South Africa, which begins on 9 October. We start the show with news of disharmony among some New Zealand cricket legends, including Sir Richard Hadlee, about the way the NZC board has approached the consultation and communications process that led to the decision to pursue the NZ20. Will it prove to be the best decision for New Zealand Cricket? That's a question we might not know the answer to for a good few years yet. We also briefly touch on the runfest going on in the white-ball series between India and the West Indies, which has seen hundreds galore and a sparkling double-century - the fastest ever in ODI cricket - from Shubman Gill. As the conversation continues we move to the main feature of the show and the much anticipated Test series between World Test Champions South Africa and the visiting Australian side. We discuss the shape of the series and recent performances, and run through a range of squad news including the fitness of Kagiso Rabada and Cameron Green, plus call-ups for Nic Maddinson, Marques Ackerman and Sam Harper. Next we move to the key players and matchups that could define the series. What role will spin play? Will Keshav Maharaj outbowl Nathan Lyon? Can Steve Smith prop up an Australian batting lineup that looks more vulnerable than it has in a long time? Does none of that matter because Australia's seamers are so good? Or can Temba Bavuma go big to lead this South African side to another famous victory? In the final segment of the show, we make some series predictions so it's all on record to review at the end of what we hope will be a fascinating few weeks of test cricket. We'll be back again soon to discuss the first test of this series and any other news that catches our eyes. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Sir Richard Hadlee's letter to NZC 12:05 India v West Indies 17:40 Australia v South Africa Test Preview 18:50 Squad news & Australia's batters 26:20 Who bats 5 for Australia? 32:10 South Africa's squad/lineup decisions 41:00 Key players/match ups: Lyon v Maharaj 48:00 South Africa's batters v Australia's seamers 53:25 Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 ora e 4 min
  • This Week in Cricket #214: Batting questions for Aus, England summer review & Black Caps T20 squad

    This Week in Cricket #214: Batting questions for Aus, England summer review & Black Caps T20 squad
    Sep 27 2026
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at the week that was to discuss batting questions for Australia's white-ball side, England's summer performance, the arrival of Stephen Fleming, the retirement of Mark Wood, and the Black Caps' T20 squad to take on India in a few weeks' time. We start the show with a conversation about Australia's recent white-ball performances and the key questions facing the squad a year out from the ODI World Cup. We examine the allrounder position, potential roles for Cameron Green and Matt Renshaw, plus another segment from the Cooper Connolly fan club. Within this section, there's also praise for Marco Jansen and Matthew Breetzke for their roles in the first ODI. As the conversation continues and England's series with Sri Lanka comes to a close, we turn our attention to the English summer as a whole. At times it's felt very tumultuous, with the departure of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum being removed from the test coaching, but on the other hand the white-ball team has performed incredibly well. We discuss some positives, a few work-ons and the arrival of Stephen Fleming after his first few interviews to the British media as test coach. We also pay tribute to Mark Wood, who announced his retirement from international cricket after 250+ wickets for England across all formats. In the final segment of the show, we react to the Black Caps T20 side named to face India in late October. Conversation centres mainly on the strength of the side, and also how the casually contracted players like Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne and Mark Chapman look set to play big roles. We also discuss the inclusion of Bevon Jacobs and why he may have been chosen over other potential candidates. We'll be back again next week, most likely with news from the India v West Indies series and an Australia v South Africa Test series preview. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 Australia v South Africa 2:30 Role questions for Australia 11:45 Matt Renshaw & Cooper Connolly 17:50 Matthew Breetzke 20:00 England's home summer review 25:45 Kevin Pietersen joins the English coaching staff 30:35 Stephen Fleming's first interviews 35:00 Mark Wood's retirement 39:05 Black Caps T20 squad v India 50:20 Rachin Ravindra's injury Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    59 min
  • England v Pakistan 3rd Test Review: What have we learned from England's clean sweep?

    England v Pakistan 3rd Test Review: What have we learned from England's clean sweep?
    Sep 13 2026
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at the third test between England v Pakistan with an eye to what we've learned from the series as a whole and the key questions still remaining for England before they head to South Africa. We start the show with our initial reaction to England's dominant series win, which has been somewhat overshadowed by Pakistan's flat performances on the field and at times shambolic team dynamics off it. As the conversation continues, we discuss what we've learned from the series and what might still be up for debate. Jofra Archer stayed fit all summer, Ollie Robinson took bags of wickets and they were nicely backed up by Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue. On the batting side of things, it's looked much harder work for both sides, with no centuries from either side. With an England focus, we cast our eye up and down the lineup to discuss who might miss out when Jacob Bethell returns, as strong series from Dan Lawrence and Jordan Cox have complicated matters. We also ponder what Stephen Fleming would have been thinking while watching the series and what he might have learned from these three test matches. To round out the show, we touch on BBL deals for Mark Chapman and Tim Robinson, plus the offer made to Mitchell Santner, and how this provides yet another signal that the fate of the NZ20 will be an interesting watch over the next 12 months. We'll be back again soon with more news and views, recaps and previews. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro: England v Pakistan 1:15 Initial reaction to the series 10:30 A full summer of Jofra Archer 16:50 Top order batting is hard 22:20 Who misses out when Jacob Bethell returns? 34:15 How different is batting 3 than opening? 40:40 England's best XI right now if everyone is fit? 43:10 What would Stephen Fleming be thinking? 48:40 Black Caps in the BBL & NZ20 thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 ora e 5 min
  • England v Pakistan 2nd Test Review: Robinson stars again as England dominate

    England v Pakistan 2nd Test Review: Robinson stars again as England dominate
    Aug 31 2026
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the first two tests between England v Pakistan, which have seen the English bowlers dominate, piling even more pressure on the visitors. We start the show with the positives for England, who have started the Joe Root reboot with two dominant performances to wrap up the series with a test to spare. While they wait for Stephen Fleming to arrive, the bowling group seems to be coming together and Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue & Gus Atkinson seem to be complementing each other beautifully. In particular, we ask whether England missed a trick leaving him largely on the sidelines for the past three years. As the conversation continues, we discuss the growing trend of shorter test matches. Why is it happening? And is it actually an issue if the games are still entertaining? We also try to make sense of the multitude of problems that appear to be plaguing Pakistan. Mohammad Abbas is shining, Mohammad Ali is trying hard, but why is everyone else finding it so tough? In the final segment of the show, we look ahead to the third test. Do Pakistan have any hope of turning around the result? And are England likely to make any changes? We also pay tribute to Richard Hayward - 'a true gentleman of the game'. We'll be back again soon with more news and views, recaps and previews. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 England v Pakistan 3:00 Positives for England 9:35 England's bowlers 12:20 Ollie Robinson 18:00 Are the pitches too bowler-friendly? 20:50 Are short tests a problem? 36:25 Why are Pakistan struggling so much? 44:25 Outlook for the 3rd test? 51:50 Richard Hayward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 min