The Final Word Cricket Podcast
By: Adam Collins, Geoff Lemon
Language: en
Categories: Sports, Cricket, News, Leisure, Hobbies
Cricket for everyone – your friendly guide to the world's strangest sport. Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins combine match analysis with irreverence, politics, interviews and history as they follow the game they love around the world. You can support the show at patreon.com/thefinalword.Get your big NordVPN discount: https://nordvpn.com/tfw
Episodes
The one time that Beth Mooney couldn't do it
Dec 14, 2025Season 19, Episode 15: This week, from Brunswick Street Oval in Melbourne during our TFW XI match, more Ashes chatter and chunter with Usman Khawaja stepping up to the press conference mic, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to come back for Australia, England to deal with their batting problems in time-honoured fashion by picking the same top seven and dropping bowlers, NZ spank West Indies second time around, and Jimmy Anderson will be a county captain. Most newsworthy of all, though, for the first time in history Beth Mooney didn't make a matchwinning score in a final.
Story Time 250 – Billy Corgan introduces decimal currency
Dec 13, 2025It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, Adam and Geoff get together at Stomping Ground Beer Hall to watch our TFW ale come off the canning line. After that, it's time for a tale about how a crooked priest blew his cash on one of the earliest notable first-class matches, and how the first of the first in another category arrived. What does that have to with 1979? You'll find out.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
20.00 - Seb Goldsmith
1.34 - Amelia Vine
The week that Noosa entered cricket folklore
Dec 11, 2025Season 19, Episode 14: The Ashes players keep on dropping, with Australia and England each losing a vital bowler for the rest of the Ashes, while a backup ball-striker in Mitch Marsh retires from first-class cricket. The England team though are hanging in Noosa, where some onlookers will find that being a prankster is not as easy as most participants think.
Also this week, Emma John has landed in South Australia to begin her trip supported by Tourism Australia, exploring a country that gives memories to last a lifetime.
Support the show with a...
Duration: 01:10:55Story Time 249 – The man who named Bodyline
Dec 09, 2025It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, an extraordinary figure whose efforts spanned two sports, four jobs, and the Federation of Australia. Also, a number puzzle that leads us neatly from one of the greats to one of the great moments.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
5.00 Pat McKeon
7.08 - Stephen Elliott-Nicholls
5.09 Jamie Doe
40.00 - Josh
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Duration: 01:05:09TFW Ashes Daily - Wait, you prepared too much? - 2nd Test, Brisbane wrap
Dec 08, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 5: We're wrapping things up from Brisbane the day after the Test, down by the church to say a prayer for England's campaign. The captain says they were weak at key moments, the coach says they tried too hard, and now they're off for more golf. How to decode this England effort? In the meantime, what does success mean for Australia, especially five-wicket hero Michael Neser and the still hungry Usman Khawaja.
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Duration: 00:31:03TFW Ashes Daily - Resistance (if futile) - 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 4
Dec 07, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 4: Something strange happened on the fourth day at the Gabba. Test cricket broke out. Quality defensive batting met quality probing bowling, and as the day wore on, the slight glimmer of a contest began to glow like a coal. As for the chaotic final session, let us walk you through it. A podcast from underneath an imminent thunderstorm.
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Tr...
Duration: 00:24:52TFW Ashes Daily - Send England home - 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 3
Dec 06, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 3: England got the start they wanted, but then Australia played the perfect day of pink-ball cricket. Sometimes having much more experience in something really does make the difference. Mitchell Starc is finding new ways to torment the visitors, even after England's openers finally find some mojo. Tune in to find out how it all happened.
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Try the new S...
Duration: 00:27:00TFW Ashes Daily - Jake Weatherald's Ashes - 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 2
Dec 05, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 2: It's a tight one in Brisbane, with England not just soiling the bed but throwing it out the window in the first session, only to haul it back in the window and do the laundry in the third, before starting to tip things back out the window by stumps. Weatherald and Head had fun, Jofra Archer bowled some hot spells, Will Jacks did one spectacular thing, and Steve Smith only made half a million instead of a million. This game is still very much on... get the FIRST HOUR klaxon ready.
<... Duration: 00:31:11TFW Ashes Daily - Joe Root versus the hex - 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 1
Dec 04, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 1: This whole series has been set up to see Joe Root face down one giant hoodoo: can he make tons in Australia? Today, it was a familiar tale after early wickets, but the chance got closer and closer... another wild Ashes day with more Starc jaffas, some pulverising late batting blows, remarkable stupidity, and the best run out and catch you may ever have seen in the same innings.
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Duration: 00:34:48TFW Ashes Daily - Is Pat Playing?! Gabba Intrigue - 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 0
Dec 03, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 2nd Test, Brisbane Day 0: Is that Pat Cummins' walk-on music? Is he running into the ring? It had a wrestling feel to it at the Gabba as Steve Smith hasn't at all ruled out Australia's skipper making a shock return to the Brisbane XI from outside of the original squad. But what about Josh Inglis? Or the opening position? Or Beau Webster? These decisions are all to come. As for England, they've also changed things up with the inclusion of utility Will Jacks. Once the preview chat is done (helped by a Crash Craddock cameo), Adam...
Duration: 00:26:56Khawaja is out - two hours after we recorded this
Dec 02, 2025Season 19, Episode 12: With Usman Khawaja's back injury seeing him left out of the Brisbane Test, that may be it for Australia's opening bat. Not that we knew this when we recorded two hours before the announcement. So stand by for some chat from another universe when he was still in the squad and would have been in the team. Also this week, India's drubbing by South Africa, Kohli's return to century-making, and a milestone for Amanda-Jade Wellington.
Also this week, Emma John joins us for her first segment on visiting Australia from the UK, supported by Tourism...
Duration: 01:11:07The Final Word with Paul Marsh, ACA chief executive
Nov 30, 2025Season 19, Episode 11: The decisions made about international cricket over the next couple of years are likely to have a major influence on how the game is played for decades to come. With much on the line and much up in the air, Paul Marsh decided it was time to come back to the sport that was his first love, returning to again lead the Australian Cricketers Association. Needless to say, there was a lot to get through when Adam and Geoff sat down with a man who is right at the heart of these major debates.
<...
Story Time 248 – Nepotism is fine when it's your brother
Nov 28, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we're looking at shit brothers: one who genuinely was terrible, and one who might have been hard done by in the long term. Also this week, a note of appreciation for a player who is currently under the cosh, because two things can be true at the same time.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
50.00 - Roger Moffatt
7.50 - Ben C
2.18 - Andrew West
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Duration: 00:57:12The Grade Cricketer x The Final Word
Nov 27, 2025Season 19, Episode 10: For years, people have asked about the BEEF between us and The Grade Cricketer. The reality is, for a decade now, we've all been in this together. So, sure enough, here's the collab ep hosted by Sam Perry and Ian Higgins in their Melbourne studio as we both forget to talk about our new books. Instead: back stories, politics, Saudi money, the future and everything else you might expect with the four of us in the same place.
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The Melbourne launch is November 27 at the Comme...
Duration: 01:34:55Mark Wood driving to Brisbane is the only driving England is allowed
Nov 25, 2025Season 19, Episode 19: No, that's not true, they're back driving on the golf course. But we're not going to talk too much about Ashes wash-up... ok, only a little. The wider world is still waiting, where South Africa are dominating India in the second Test of their series, where there are comebacks for Final Word faves Kemar Roach and Dane van Niekerk, and where another tasty Shield round has taken place. Also, more on the possible 12-team World Test Championship, and you'll never believe who's playing each other in the T20 World Cup.
Pre-order your...
Duration: 00:58:47Story Time 247 – The best fourth-innings bat of all?
Nov 24, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we're looking at one of the great fourth-innings players, and a player whose marks of greatness were early enough that some of the milestones have been less acknowledged. Also this week, a wild start to a belated Ranji career, Geoff's favourite subject of all, and a tribute to a dancer.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
236.00 - Ramana D
8.65 - Dannish Babar
52.00 - Stuart B
23.50 - Venugopala Reddy Dumpala
<... Duration: 01:21:40Is Khawaja done? Are England capable of humility? Our Perth wash-up
Nov 23, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 1st Test wash-up: A two-day Test brings many questions to consider. For the winners, is Travis Head up top for Brisbane after his all-timer? If so, what does that mean for Usman Khawaja's career? And for the defeated, are they capable of the introspection many believe they require to evolve into a fighting force on lively pitches? Bharat Sundaresan joins Adam to ponder this, recorded alongside the blameless Perth pitch.
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The Melbourne launch is November 27 at the Commercial Club in Fitzroy
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Duration: 00:41:37TFW Ashes Daily - Travis Head's day of annihilation - 1st Test, Perth Day 2
Nov 22, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 1st Test, Perth Day 2: We thought the first day in Perth was crazy, but the second was perhaps even more so. England continued on their merry way, in terms of game style and in terms of the regular shedding of wickets, but things still felt fairly close given the nature of the scores to date. Scott Boland had his comeback, Mitchell Starc completed his set, but eventually the day was handed over to one Travis Head, makeshift opener. Strap yourselves in for what happened next.
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Duration: 00:27:43TFW Ashes Daily - Carnage in the West - 1st Test, Perth Day 1
Nov 21, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 1st Test, Perth Day 1: Hooley dooley! We thought that things were going in one direction when Mitchell Starc went on a rampage through the first half of the day, but then Ben Stokes went on one himself through the back half. We are into this series with a bang, and everybody will be turning to Perth for the second day.
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The Melbourne launch is November 27 at the Commercial Club in Fitzroy
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Duration: 00:26:23TFW Ashes Daily - The green monster is soothed - 1st Test, Perth Day 0
Nov 20, 2025The Ashes Daily 2025, 1st Test, Perth Day 0: We've all been hearing about the Green Monster, but it looks a bit more like a cricket pitch now that we're one day out from play. Geoff and Adam are back together at Perth stadium in an unseasonably cool week, ready for the preliminaries to end.
Pre-order your copy of Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics: linktr.ee/tfwbook
The Melbourne launch is November 27 at the Commercial Club in Fitzroy
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
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Duration: 00:26:25The Ashes, here at last
Nov 19, 2025Season 19, Episode 9: Adam and Bharat come to you from the back row of Perth Stadium, for the Ashes of 2025-26 has nearly arrived. From their vantage point, they catch a lovely moment with two proud Indigenous men set to represent Australia on Friday. It's one of many talking points from the west before drifting to India's Kolkata capitulation, Roger Twose expanding World Test Championship, and a nice moment for the McDonald family.
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The Melbourne launch is November 27 at the Commercial Club in Fitzroy
S...
Duration: 01:25:22TFW Book Club - Steven Finn's Ashes Files
Nov 17, 2025So much of Steven Finn's story is wrapped up in Ashes cricket, from his first trip to Australia in 2010-11 through to playing a major hand in regaining the urn for England in 2015. Already one of the game's best pundits in retirement, this book, written with occasional TFW host Matt Roller, is drawn from diary entries taken at the time and comes up beautifully. A top guest.
Buy The Ashes Files: My Pride and Pain in Cricket’s Most Intense Series here: achette.co.uk/titles/steven-finn/the-ashes-files
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Duration: 00:49:46Story Time 246 – Sacking Whitlam, sacking Boycott
Nov 15, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we're recording 50 years to the day since the Whitlam Government was sacked by the Governor-General... but what was happening that day in the Sheffield Shield? Also this week, a wild coincidence leads us to the story of another famous sacking, and there's always time to loop back for another tale from the Centenary Test.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
11.75 - Matt May
2.46 - Paul Seddon
6.26 - Duncan Thomas
<...
TFW Book Club - Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics
Nov 13, 2025One for those who couldn’t make the launch of our history book, Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics (out now; links below). Take a listen as regular co-host Daniel Norcross steers a Q&A session with Adam and Geoff on the genesis and popularity of Story Time. The audio is recorded live from a busy South London pub where a miserable November night couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the room.
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The Melbourne launch is November 27 at the Commercial Club in Fitzroy
Support th...
Duration: 00:32:45The last London sleet before Perth heat
Nov 11, 2025Season 19, Episode 8: Adam and Geoff are in London this week, where it's freezing and awful, and the dream of Perth summer beckons like a mirage. But this vision is real, as England are learning after arriving there themselves. We'll be not far behind. The new TFW book is launched, there's more Ashes squad intrigue, and a lap around the world takes in Paul Stirling making runs in the Ireland Test cap, Bangladesh's most dedicated reporter firing up after 25 underwhelming years at Test level, and Quinton de Kock slotting back in for South Africa. Also this week, a chat with...
Duration: 01:15:45Um, dois, três, Cricket Brasil! - part two, The Final Word in Brazil
Nov 10, 2025Season 19, Episode 7: We left our conversation in part one at the South American Championships, reflecting on where Brazil has been over the last quarter of a century. This time, recording at Poços de Caldas - the remarkable home of cricket in the country - it's time to cast ahead to the decades to come. For that, England legend Claire Taylor, with her MCC hat on, leads the ep. She's followed by Jon Surtees of the Surrey CCC, talking about their charitable contributions in high-performance infrastructure. Then last but not least, the man more important than any vaulting the g...
Duration: 00:39:54Um, dois, três, Cricket Brasil! - part one, The Final Word in Brazil
Nov 09, 2025Season 19, Episode 6: When the game was looking for good news stories during the Covid pandemic, we found one in Brazil. Five years on, Adam has spent the week there, and what a week. In this first of two eps, he speaks with great friend of the pod Roberta Moretti Avery - now the President of Cricket Brasil - then later chats with her husband Richard, who is coach of the men's team, who have recently joined the women as professional players. Between times, MCC representatives from the women's and men's teams, currently touring the country during the South American...
Duration: 00:52:43The Ashes squad has landed
Nov 05, 2025Season 19, Episode 5: At last, the speculation is over. At least, Geoff and Bharat think that it is, because they think this Australian Ashes squad leaves no doubt about what the final XI will be. Also this week, Kane Williamson is not bringing the snacks, James Anderson goes along with conformity, England create some weird tension on the contract list, and we farewell young Ben Austin.
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Our book launches are in London, November 10 at the Jolly Gardeners in Vahxuall, and Me...
Duration: 01:09:22TFW Daily - History for India - Women's World Cup Day 34, the final
Nov 02, 2025Women’s World Cup 2025, Day 34, the final, India South Africa: After two iconic semi-finals, the double underdogs that triumphed in those contests moved to the final chapter of the tournament. And if you thought the Jemimah Rodrigues story was a good one, the Shafali Verma comeback tale gives it a run for its money. A starring influence with bat and ball saw her give Harmanpreet Kaur's team the advantage in one innings, then the other, while the South Africans battled hard with Laura Wolvaardt again leading from the front. A historic day in Mumbai.
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Duration: 00:43:51TFW Daily - Women's World Cup final preview - India South Africa
Nov 01, 2025Women’s World Cup final preview, South Africa India: It’s the big one, and it’s the matchup that nobody expected. Both of these teams pulled out astonishing semi-final performances, but who can repeat the dose? Will India ride the hometown wave, or will it all be too overbearing? Can South Africa, after such a disastrous opening to the tournament, make this the greatest cricketing year in their proud history? Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:27:52TFW Daily - The greatest chase - Women’s World Cup Semi Final 2, India Australia
Oct 30, 2025Women’s World Cup Semi Final 2, India Australia: Two duelling hundreds between Phoebe Litchfield and Jemimah Rodrigues lit up an already electric atmosphere at a sold out semi final in Navi Mumbai. It was a night for breaking records, thrilling batting, and jaw-dropping cricket as both teams left it all out on the field. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:45:08TFW Daily – The innings of a lifetime - Women’s World Cup Semi-Final 1, South Africa England
Oct 29, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 30, 1st semi-final, South Africa England: After England humiliated South Africa to open the tournament, this knockout rematch was always going to be spicy. What nobody anticipated was an innings for the ages by Laura Wolvaardt, one that will never be forgotten. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:37:35Is it Weatherald versus Renshaw now to open the batting?
Oct 29, 2025Season 19, Episode 4: The women's World Cup semis are around the corner, so first up it's time to run the rule over the four remaining teams, and get a sense of what might happen and what might not between England, South Africa, India and Australia. Also this week, Pat Cummins is confirmed to miss the first Ashes Test, Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon to offer informed theories about what might follow that, while the rest of the field jockeys for position.
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O...
Duration: 01:01:16Story Time 245 – 1990s Australia is another country
Oct 28, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, an inadvertent detour into just how distant the 1990s version of Australia feels from today, in maturity and tone and the possibility of change. The reconciliation journey that stalled, the television broadcasts that foundered, and the scope that narrowed. Also this week, the first burst of many from a burst expert, and the puzzling world of cricket slash fiction.
Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week:
2.61 - Jeffrey Gabriel
5.23 - Nick Donovan
4.60...
Duration: 01:24:12TFW Daily - Can India now push Australia? - Women's World Cup Day 27, Eng NZ + India Bang
Oct 27, 2025Women's World Cup Day 27, England New Zealand & India Bangladesh: Not a day they will be making a commemorative DVD from, it is fair to say. Appropriately enough, it ended in yet another washout after England did as you might expect to New Zealand who were already eliminated, sad as that will be for Sophie Devine playing her final ODI. It's Daniel Norcross and Firdose Moonda with you as we now look ahead to the business end.
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Duration: 00:20:31TFW Daily - Alana King’s astonishing 7fa - Women's World Cup Day 26, Australia South Africa
Oct 26, 2025Women's World Cup Day 26, Australia v South Africa: What a performance, what a bowler. Alana King’s 7 for 18 defined Australia’s annihilation of South Africa, making sure the best team in the world will qualify in top spot for the pointy end of the tournament. Firdose Moonda and Daniel Norcross watched the magician at work.
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Duration: 00:29:38TFW Daily - Virat and Rohit light up one last time - Australia India, 3rd ODI, Sydney
Oct 25, 2025TFW Daily, Australia India 3rd ODI, Sydney: For one last time in Australia, the old partnership did it again. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scoured back the rust and wound back the clock with a vintage partnership that set the SCG alight. Just as well, in a game that had its flat points thanks to an indifferent Australian performance, but in the end it was all about the star power - and Ravi Shastri's metaphors. Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:38:06TFW Daily - Zero scrutiny of washout shambles - Women's World Cup Day 25, Sri Lanka Pakistan
Oct 24, 2025Women's World Cup Day 25, Sri Lanka v Pakistan: Another washout. Another one. What a shambles. It makes three abandoned games each for Sri Lanka and Pakistan as their tournaments end with 26 balls in Colombo. Adam has Andrew Fidel Fernando with him to lament just how a significant portion of this marquee tournament was somehow scheduled in a monsoon season.
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Duration: 00:21:37TFW Daily - Then there were four - Women's World Cup Day 24, India New Zealand
Oct 23, 2025Women's World Cup Day 24, India v New Zealand: It was always likely that today would seal the last semi-final spot in this edition of the World Cup, as long as a sodden New Zealand didn't bring the weather with them. India were out to shrug off a series of tight losses and also break a three-game losing streak against the current T20 World Cup holders. Geoff Lemon joins Daniel Norcross.
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Duration: 00:34:00TFW Daily - The onfield casualty ward - Australia India, 2nd ODI, Adelaide
Oct 23, 2025TFW Daily, Australia India 2nd ODI, Adelaide: It was a full game this time around, and it involved a proper battle between old foes Starc and Hazlewood on the one side and Rohit Sharma on the other. Meanwhile, it was a bittersweet final visit to Virat Kohli's favourite city, and a day for the best of the Big Bash to prove their worth for Australia: Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, and Mitch Owen. Stick around for a vintage Hall of Fame.
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Duration: 00:37:19TFW Daily - Punch and counterpunch - Women’s World Cup Day 23, England Australia
Oct 22, 2025Women's World Cup Day 23, England v Australia: England began both innings full of purpose and daring and ready to rattle some Australian cages before the knockout stages of the tournament. There was the inevitable counter-punching from Australia’s superstars. Geoff Lemon is joined by Firdose Moonda.
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Duration: 00:28:31His cuffs are bone dry: everything's coming up Marnus
Oct 21, 2025Season 19, Episode 3: Round 2 of the Shield has come and gone, and you won't believe it, but there was another big Marnus ton. The Premier Jake Weatherald is also making a case, while Cam Green and Beau Webster flirt with injury and Mitch Marsh flirts with whacking sixes. Hmm. Also this week, Alyssa Healy has her own injury problem, the Sheffield Shield trials substitute players, while Pakistan and Afghanistan fall out over a fatal border strike.
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Duration: 01:04:41TFW Daily - A new number one - Women's World Cup Day 22, South Africa Pakistan
Oct 21, 2025Women’s World Cup 2025, Day 22, South Africa Pakistan: Once again, rain affected the game in Colombo, but the amazing groundstaff ensured a result. The respective Powerplays dominated the game, and we now have a new tournament leader. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:27:21TFW Daily - Disaster at the last - Women's World Cup Day 21, Sri Lanka Bangladesh
Oct 21, 2025Women’s World Cup 2025, Day 21, Sri Lanka Bangladesh: Once again, we came down to the final over in this World Cup, in an absorbing tussle throughout. None of the high-scoring T20 era stuff here, this was a proper scrap. And with six balls to go, and Sri Lanka a bowler down, neither team was confident about seeing it through. But nor did either expect the ending they got.
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Duration: 00:38:56TFW Daily - India’s tournament on the brink – Women’s World Cup Day 20 – India England
Oct 19, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 20 – India vs England: Another nerve-shredder of a match involving India. There was high quality across the park from both teams, with a see-sawing encounter testing the fortitude of both teams. Daniel Norcross joins Firdose Moonda.
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Duration: 00:34:49TFW Daily - Kohli and Rohit bomb out - Australia India, 1st ODI, Perth
Oct 19, 2025Australia v India, 1st ODI, Perth: They're back, the big dogs who retired from Tests in Australia earlier this year after flaming out in that format. Their return in one-dayers failed at the first attempt, with Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc taking the honours before the run of rain delays that made this match a weird one. Is it even viable for players to be ODI specialists in this day and age? Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:35:13TFW Daily – Harmanpreet’s week of destiny – Women’s World Cup Day 19, Pakistan New Zealand
Oct 18, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 19, Pakistan v New Zealand: With the counter ticking over to 350 overs lost in Colombo during the tournament, we turn our attention to an England v India match that looms like the rain clouds for an India team carrying huge expectations at home. Meanwhile Pakistan are now all but out of the World Cup, but what of New Zealand? Phil Long joins Daniel Norcross.
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Duration: 00:27:55Story Time 244 - To lose the Championship by 10 feet
Oct 17, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, have you heard the one about the three-time premiership Lion who played state cricket for the Tigers? Neither had we! That Brisbane link joins us to Ian Healy's finest day with the bat, before turning to a tailender who biffed. To finish, ecstacy/agony for '80s Notts.
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Duration: 01:26:26TFW Daily – Why play in a Monsoon? – Women’s World Cup Day 18, Sri Lanka v South Africa
Oct 17, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 18, Sri Lanka v South Africa: Another day, another rain-affected game in Colombo. We examine the extent of play lost in the Sri Lankan leg of this tournament, exploring potential reasons and alternatives. South Africa, meanwhile, did their best to overcome Sri Lanka and the weather. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon
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Duration: 00:28:29TFW Daily – Healy: World Cup Boss – Women’s World Cup Day 17, Australia v Bangladesh
Oct 16, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 17, Australia v Bangladesh: Alyssa Healy loves the big dances. Is she the best of all time? Bangladesh were commendable and valiant, but there’s only so much you can do to hold back Australia’s captain when she’s in this mood. Have Australia done enough to secure the top spot? Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon review the day.
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Duration: 00:30:37TFW Daily - A heartbreaking ending – Women’s World Cup Day 16, Pakistan vs. England
Oct 15, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 16, Pakistan v England: Who benefited most from the rain? There’ll be arguments back and forth, but it seemed like we were on the verge of a historical result. Adam Collins is joined by Fidel Fernando from Colombo.
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Duration: 00:24:44Cummins and Head reject 10 million IPL bucks to ditch Australia
Oct 14, 2025Season 19, Episode 2: The Ashes runway continues, the Women's World Cup is mid-flight, and the Indian men's team are about to land in Australia for a white-ball series. It must be October. Also this week, an IPL franchise tries to buy two of Australia's biggest names year-round, Marnus makes another domestic ton, and if the CAXI is coming back, surely Will Bosisto must be doing the same? In red-ball cricket, West Indies resist India, South Africa tussle with Pakistan, and the Kookaburra ball is banished from England.
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Duration: 01:00:30TFW Daily – Lanka's fastest fifty – Women’s World Cup Day 15, Sri Lanka NZ
Oct 14, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 15, Sri Lanka vs New Zealand: A 26-ball fifty from Nilakshika Silva lit up a stormy Colombo evening, in a game which saw seen India get an unexpected reprieve as far as tournament standings go, while New Zealand are now backed into a corner and can only win their way out. Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon reunite.
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Duration: 00:19:21TFW Daily - Three balls remaining - Women’s World Cup Day 14, Bangladesh South Africa
Oct 13, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 14, Bangladesh v South Africa: After being dismantled by New Zealand, Bangladesh's batting found a new level of resolve, topped off by Shorna Akhter with the most dynamic hitting in this team's history. That put them in a strong position against South Africa, who once again had to manage a chase right down to its nervous end. Geoff Lemon is joined by Firdose Moonda (and Ked).
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Duration: 00:32:59TFW Daily - World record run chase - Women's World Cup Day 13, Australia India
Oct 12, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 13, Australia India: That was quite something. India set Australia the biggest ever run chase in women's ODIs... and then you'll never believe (you will believe) what happened next. Two thrilling opening stands, a bunch of weird umpiring, injuries, retirements, and bowling problems, it's all going on between the two Cup favourites.
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Duration: 00:39:14TFW Daily - The Sciver-Brunt show - Women’s World Cup Day 12, Sri Lanka England
Oct 11, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 12, Sri Lanka v England: Nat Sciver-Brunt led from the front again, with Sri Lanka on the receiving end this time. There was fight from the Sri Lankan batters in response, warding off heat, cramp, and Sophie Ecclestone’s guile. Daniel Norcorss, avid lover of Sri Lanka, joins Andrew Fidel Fernando.
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Duration: 00:27:59Story Time 243 - The Inexpressibles
Oct 10, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, what is are "inexpressibles", and what do they tell us about a booze-soaked day at the MCG in 1862? We also have the biggest summer of them all, a trio linked by fate, and the one run that said more about MEK Hussey than any other.
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Duration: 01:24:31TFW Daily - Devine melts in the heat - Women's World Cup Day 11, NZ Bangladesh
Oct 10, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 11, New Zealand v Bangladesh: It's getting hot in Guwahati, hotter by the game, as Sophie Devine found out when her diabetes needed blood-sugar management during a taxing innings. Bangladesh were bubbling around again, though a down day for pace star Marufa Akter cost them an edge. Another tough slog for NZ.
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Duration: 00:33:29TFW Daily - Battle of the power hitters - Women’s World Cup Day 10, India South Africa
Oct 10, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 10, India v South Africa: What a battle, and from unexpected sources. Today saw the two biggest scores ever made from No8 in women's ODIs... on the same day. But it wasn't just about the batting, these were two power-hitting masterclasses built on parlous foundations, after bowlers and sharp fielding dominated the early exchanges. A thriller of a contest that showed the best of the one-day game.
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Duration: 00:30:47TFW Daily - Pakistan frighten Aussies - Women’s World Cup Day 9, Australia Pakistan
Oct 08, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 9, Australia v Pakistan: For a second consecutive day, there was a very real chance of the biggest cricketing upset of all time. Australia eased their own nerves through an unlikely batting partnership and a disciplined bowling performance. Whisper it, but Australia now appear very vulnerable and it’s anybody’s World Cup. Geoff Lemon joins Firdose Moonda.
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Duration: 00:29:26Marnus Labuschagne on the comeback trail
Oct 07, 2025Season 19, Episode 1: It is officially the start of the southern season, because we say so, and what more fitting way to start than with a huge Sheffield Shield round. Stories aplenty, not just about who is trying to make a certain squad, but perhaps a recasting of umpiring as we know it. Plenty more this week: Geelong might get its own Big Bash team, USA cricket goes broke, Jadeja dominates West Indies, so does Nepal, Kohli is heading back to Australia, Ashwin is coming earlier than planned, and that's just some of it. Let's get started.
<...
TFW Daily - Knight lances upset – Women’s World Cup Day 8, England Bangladesh
Oct 07, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 8, England v Bangladesh. Whilst it looks like a routine victory on the scorecard, this was anything but comfortable for England, who had to call upon all the nous and experience of Heather Knight to hold off a spirited and fighting Bangladesh that refused to give up. Cameron Ponsonby joins Adam Collins to discuss the game of the tournament so far.
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Duration: 00:30:04TFW Daily - Brits streak continues - Women’s World Cup Day 7, South Africa NZ
Oct 06, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 7, South Africa New Zealand: Tazmin Brits belatedly kicked off South Africa’s tournament, and in some style. Have
they done enough to wipe out the damage from the first game? New Zealand wilted under the Proteas fire and need to find some answers outside of the dependable Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:29:07TFW Daily - Termites stop play - Women’s World Cup Day 6, India Pakistan
Oct 05, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 6, India v Pakistan. It’s the biggest event of any ICC tournament, and the action off the pitch was yet again as much of a focus as that on it. It was flying termites that stole the show from the ongoing handshake farrago, with the fumigator playing a key role. On the pitch, Pakistan had their moments, but India’s power and experience shone through. Daniel Norcross is joined by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo.
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Duration: 00:39:56TFW Daily - Washout costs Aus a point - Women’s World Cup Day 5, Sri Lanka Australia
Oct 04, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 5, Sri Lanka v Australia: Sri Lanka will be the happier of the two teams as they come away with an unexpected point against Australia. Will this kickstart Sri Lanka’s tournament and drive interest locally? We also look towards tomorrow and the next instalment in the increasingly heated India-Pakistan rivalry. Will tensions rise even further, or will the early Northeast Monsoon provide a much-needed soothing balm? Andrew Fidel Fernando joins Daniel Norcross.
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Duration: 00:30:42Story Time 242 – When Sachin took down India
Oct 03, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, dare we suggest a very slight case of pledger error, or will this hubris ultimately destroy us all? There's a story detour back to Scotland, there's a fate that still has its effect on so many in the game, and there's the time when the biggest of big guns had to face down an unexpected opponent in what became India's biggest heavyweight bout.
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Duration: 01:28:36TFW Daily - England create carnage - Women’s World Cup Day 4, England South Africa
Oct 03, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 4, England v South Africa: England have arrived at the World Cup with a resounding victory over a South Africa team that many thought could be a potential banana skin. It was the unsung bowling of Linsey Smith that set the ball rolling for England, with South Africa seemingly powerless to prevent a disaster. Firdose Moonda joins Cameron Ponsonby.
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Duration: 00:23:58TFW Daily - They’re from Tigerland - Women’s World Cup Day 3, Bangladesh Pakistan
Oct 02, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 3, Pakistan v Bangladesh: The first upset of the tournament comes in only its third game, and the first of 11 matches in Colombo. We already know that Marufa Akter is a star, and she flexed her muscles literally and figuratively to send the Tigers to second on the table. Firdose Moonda joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 00:24:41TFW Daily - Gardner v Devine - Women's World Cup Day 2, Australia NZ
Oct 01, 2025Women’s World Cup Day 2, Australia v New Zealand: It was a battle of class v experience and century versus century, thanks to Ash Gardner and Sophie Devine. Contributions with the ball came from Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux for Australia, and New Zealand’s Jess Kerr and Lea Tahuhu, but it was a batter's game in Indore
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Duration: 00:25:57TFW Daily - India stutter to start - Women's World Cup Day 1, India Sri Lanka
Sep 30, 20252025 Women's World Cup, Day 1, India v Sri Lanka: It wasn't always easy, but India's muscle and skill showed through when it mattered most, overcoming their co-host on the opening day of the World Cup. Join Geoff and Adam as they consider whether Harmanpreet's side can win it all.
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Duration: 00:24:32England abandon spin for Ashes plans
Sep 29, 2025Season 18, Episode 35: It's the end of our season (with another to start tomorrow). We'll be covering the Women's World Cup on every match day. But first, England's Ashes squad is out, and it's all about pace. India and Pakistan have a bad-tempered finale to what was actually a good game in the Asia Cup final. Nepal beat West Indies, the county season wraps up, India A seal a chase against the Aussies, and TFW fave R. Ashwin is coming to Sydney for the Big Bash.
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Duration: 01:19:24Story Time 241 – The Bradman song, hot or not?
Sep 27, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, let's go to the work of Jack O'Hagan, who loved writing doggerel hit songs to turn a buck. Also this week, some more largely forgotten Test contributors, a stunning turnaround, and we surprise ourselves by pondering the best with the ball in ODIs.
Our music discussion this week was about Nick Craft's song "It's a Draw", by the Barrackville Singers. Find it at Nick's Bandcamp.
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Duration: 01:07:49The future of Lord’s, with Rob Lynch
Sep 25, 2025Season 18, Episode 34: The Home of Cricket will forever be a special and revered place, but how does it ensure its future? Rob Lynch, MCC’s director of cricket and operations, is an influential and experienced administrator who is determined to make sure HQ can evolve to meet the needs of the game and its membership in the short and long term. An excellent guest, talking with us as the Tavern Stand is being replaced and before the grass is re-laid.
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Duration: 00:54:26It turns out Pakistan-India can go lower
Sep 23, 2025Season 18 Episode 33: We said that last week’s Asia Cup nonsense was a new low, but we spoke too soon. And as the IPL and BBL flirting gets heavier, are we on track for Mumbai Melbourne and Rising Sydney Super Giants? Also this week, the best county match that Adam can remember, Glenn Maxwell scores his first ever 50-over ton for the Vics, runs flow between Australia and India in the women’s ODIs and the men’s A tour, and Pat Cummins picks up a cool 50 million bucks for climate action.
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Duration: 01:42:55Story Time 240 – Free Fred Tate
Sep 19, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, it's time to right another cricketing wrong. You may not have heard of Fred Tate, or you may, but for over 120 years now he has been the subject of grave injustice in how his story is told. Let's make a change, and set Fred free. Also this week, we once more tackle the wily Rob O'Neill, and take on a pledge correlating to Andrew Wallis listening to 231 episodes of The Final Word in a matter of weeks. Heroism all round.
India-Pakistan cricket relations reach a new low
Sep 17, 2025Season 18, Episode 32: Despite all the political posturing, India and Pakistan are still playing each other in tournaments, currently the Asia Cup. But never before have the cricketers been used as an arm of government as extensively and explicitly as now. Also this week, domestic cricket starts in Australia weirdly early with the Dean Jones Cup, and the Aus A tour is underway, meaning the Sam Konstas will make the Ashes, Kurtis Patterson will make the Ashes, Brad Hope will make the Ashes, everybody is in! While Brendon McCullum ponders a possible new Test captain for England.
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Duration: 01:10:01Story Time 239 – The Percy Fender Stratocaster
Sep 13, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we start with a heavy-hitting pledge looking at one of cricket's heaviest stories, and whether it's worth at least recasting some naming conventions. Also this week, the day that Percy Fender went nuts, the rivals that still don't count, the Swiss Army Knife Man takes his couple of years in the sun, and a notion of early promise that stayed that way. Come for a stroll with us.
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Duration: 01:30:03TFW Book Club - Gilbert Jessop’s mysterious ton, with Simon Wilde
Sep 11, 2025Shrouded in myth and mystery, Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball century is an English cricket record that has stood since 1902. Renowned cricket journalist and historian Simon Wilde has attempted to capture the celebratory mood of the nation that was the backdrop to Jessop’s stunning knock. With the brutal Boer War having ended and a new Monarch in place, it was an exciting time of change and advancement in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, the cricket team hadn’t got the memo and having already relinquished The Ashes, England turned to their ultimate impact player to restore some pride. What transpired has go...
Duration: 00:45:41Australia launches a World Cup spin juggernaut
Sep 09, 2025Season 18, Episode 32: As they ready for their warm-up series ahead of the Women's World Cup, Australia's squad is out and it is a formidable collection of cricketers. Can anybody go with them? Meanwhile, Dane van Niekerk reverses her retirement for South Africa aged 32, while N Srinivasan mounts a comeback to run Chennai Super Kings at 80, and he'll keep MS Dhoni playing until the same age. Ravi Bopara is doing so without issue in the T20 Blast. There's also Ross Taylor coming back to play for Samoa, and the Big Bash scouting R Ashwin, while Jofra Archer looks prime for...
Duration: 00:58:19Story Time 238 – David Bowie meets Matthew Wade
Sep 05, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Adam and Geoff start off with a tale full of incident but plenty of heaviness, before moving on to one of the least expected rises to prominence in one of the most memorable matches of all. Also this week, the cultural place of the humble avocado, the brief burst of one of the fastest of his time, an incident-filled fourth Test linked to some eye-watering stats, and what did bring Ziggy and Wadey together at last?
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Duration: 01:31:43Captain Cummins a chance to miss the Ashes
Sep 02, 2025Season 18, Episode 31: Last week we asked whether Australia had a depth problem with fast bowling. A week later, it's suddenly more likely that they might, with Pat Cummins under observation after back soreness that could presage a stress fracture. If the Australian skipper and strike bowler is not fit for a home Ashes, suddenly everything changes. Also this week, Mitchell Starc's first retirement from an international format, Jamie Overton quits red-ball cricket shortly after his Test outing at The Oval, Australia's T20 team heads to NZ, England readies for some South Africa ODIs, the Hundred is over with Davina...
Duration: 01:25:08Story Time 237 – Father Marriott II: The Quickening
Aug 30, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Adam and Geoff are back to normal with a few great tales and a major statistical quirk. We go back to both World Wars to look at the mentor of a frequent ST subject, and revisit our inaugural Dusty Old Bastard. Then there's a true pioneer, and a mathematical oddity: how can the most frequent one-day score also be so unlikely, and how did one Australian number become an Indian nemesis?
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<... Duration: 01:21:09Are Australia's fast-bowling reserves really an Ashes problem?
Aug 28, 2025Season 18, Episode 30: Another couple of next-gen fast bowlers have gone down injured in the last week, with Spencer Johnson again withdrawn from duty and Lance Morris out for a least a year with major surgery. Is there an emerging problem for Australian quicks behind Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Boland, or does their presence mean there is no problem? Also this week, Mitch Marsh's team rack up 400 after losing an ODI series to South Africa, Cheteshwar Pujara retires from all Indian cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin leaves the IPL, and India's board yet again makes a mess of organising a World Cup.<...
Duration: 01:31:20Story Time 236 – A Scottish cry for justice, with Sean McGivern
Aug 24, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we complete the set, having now had each current member of our Sleuth Group join the show, as we catch up with Sean McGivern in his home town of Edinburgh. There is plenty to chat about at the Carlton Cricket Club - not that one - which explains why we only got through two numbers this week, thanks to Geoff and Adam's inadvertent pledge collision, Sean's fine detective work to right and rewrite a historical wrong, and a visit from fellow sleuth Glenn Finkelde...
Duration: 01:11:34The faces of England’s 2005 Ashes heroes, with Philip Brown
Aug 22, 2025Season 18, Episode 28: Philip Brown is one of the game’s great photographers, having covered more than 300 Tests since 1988. Two decades ago, he had one of the best vantage points possible for the greatest Ashes series of modern memory. To mark the milestone, he found each of the 12 players England used that glorious summer to ask them a simple question: could he take their picture again? The result is a special piece of work. Once he and Adam have finished talking about that, they review Browny’s favourite five photos of the excellent 2025 Test summer in England.
Our most wholesome day of cricket (and a one-wicket win!)
Aug 20, 2025Season 18, Episode 28: Our inaugural podcast all-star fundraiser at Wormsley was a hit, with The Final Word team getting over the line with one wicket to spare, a big crowd turning out, and money raised to help kids in need. Especially, find out about the magic day had by Kate Mason and Alex Horne.
Join Geoff and Adam in Edinburgh as they continue on this week's TFW XI tour into Scotland, also farewelling Australian legend Bob Simpson, enjoying some Glenn Maxwell magic madness, latest possible developments within the Australian and English teams, Pakistan administrators playing silly buggers again...
Duration: 01:18:23Story Time 235 – The chase for Skase remains
Aug 16, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Adam and Geoff are back together and heading back to Italy in the 1940s, via a detour to Spain in the 2020s. A couple of long-running clues are finally broken down, piece by piece, as we discover some Mary Poppins history, dual-sport families, and place a great of the game in a different space and time. It's a fun one.
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3.92...
Duration: 01:33:09TFW's 10th Anniversary Special! The lost pilot episode
Aug 14, 2025Season 18, Episode 26: It is true: The Final Word has turned 10. Technically our first episode was released on July 23, 2015, but July 23 this year was in the middle of a rather busy Test match and Test series, so we thought we'd wait for a quieter moment. It's a good chance to sit and take stock of what has happened, as a quiet side project done for the fun of it has become such a big part of our lives. Adam and Geoff catch up for a look back, before we dust off our rarest archival find: the pilot episode that we...
Duration: 01:10:05Umpire Bharat is better than your umpire
Aug 12, 2025Season 18, Episode 25: Top End cricket is happening with Australia and South Africa in Darwin, but our attention is on Leicestershire league cricket where the umpiring controversy of the millennium has blown up. That also leads to the story of how Bharat got banned from a local tournament. In other news, the idea of separate divisions in Test cricket is gathering steam, as is the possible sale of the Big Bash, while a disastrous 10-over league crashes out in the Cayman Islands, and some weird stuff goes on in county cricket. Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 01:38:30Story Time 234 – Brazil's Smoking Cobras beat the Axis Powers
Aug 10, 2025It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, an unexpected detour into the World War II battle for the Gothic Line in Italy, via a search for a captaincy Bannerman. Also, the Hindu bridge between India and Indonesia, an underappreciated bridging of an era, and a battle of the slowest slow men. Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon.
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Duration: 01:29:25The Final Word with Benny Howell: ADHD and pro cricket
Aug 07, 2025Season 18, Episode 24: The Hundred is here – a competition that divides opinion and likely always will. But what do the players think? Especially those who’ve made careers in the shorter forms? Benny Howell is one of them. At the start of his journey he was an opening bat, but over the last decade or more he’s been the man with a million slower balls. The pioneering 36-year-old begins another season this week with the Birmingham Phoenix and remains as passionate as ever. A big part of Benny’s creativity as a cricketer, as he explains in this in-depth discussi...
Duration: 00:50:29TFW Daily - Looking back at the Anderson-Tendulkar jamboree
Aug 05, 2025England India Daily, 5th Test, The Oval, Day 6: It's all over bar the podcast reviews. A intense few weeks with 25 days of Test cricket, much of high quality, some of it less so, but all of it entertaining. Daniel Norcross has been your steadfast guide through those weeks, and joins Geoff Lemon for an outside view of what has been a truly memorable contest.
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We’re giving away a brand new Virat Kohli Genius King cricket bat, gloves, and case, plus ONE YEAR'S supply of Noobru Pro - worth over £1600!
For entry, T&Cs, and 15% off any purchase go to: noobru.com/f...
Duration: 00:48:41TFW Daily - Siraj and Woakes in thrilling finish - England India 5th Test, The Oval Day 5
Aug 04, 2025England India Daily, 5th Test, The Oval, Day 5: A series as good as this deserved a finish as good as this. It should have been a stroll for England on the final day, needing 35 runs with four wickets in hand - even if one of those wickets was Chris Woakes with his arm in a sling. The fact that Woakes had to walk out to bat will tell you that things didn't go that smoothly. India's tour hero Mohammed Siraj had the ball in hand. So began one of the famous last chapters of a match, and a series...<...
Duration: 00:34:41TFW Daily - One final stanza remains - England India 5th Test, The Oval Day 4
Aug 03, 2025England India Daily, 5th Test, The Oval, Day 4: So we go to Day 25 of the series, with 35 runs or 3 wickets to decide the fate of the series. Unless Chris Woakes can bat? For most of Day 4 it looked like another England miracle was panning out, thanks largely to Harry Brook and Joe Root, as Mohammed Siraj and company toiled. But with wickets falling near the end, India’s bowlers will get one last chance on morning five. Cameron Ponsonby joins Daniel Norcross from The Oval.
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We’re givi...
Duration: 00:27:44TFW Daily - Can the Bazballers do it? - England India 5th Test, The Oval Day 3
Aug 02, 2025England India Daily, 5th Test, The Oval, Day 3: It was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s day at The Oval, as India pressed home the advantage of a weakened and inexperienced England attack. What a knock from the opener. 50s from Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja, and late fireworks from Washington Sundar kept the foot on the throat of the weary hosts. And to top it off, a Mohammed Siraj yorker to castle Zak Crawley completed the visitor’s superb day. How will England approach the chase with so much time? We all know the answer to that. But if any team can...
Duration: 00:27:46TFW Daily - Bonkers/brilliant Test Cricket - England India 5th Test, The Oval Day 2
Aug 01, 2025England India Daily, 5th Test, The Oval, Day 2: An emotional day at The Oval, honouring recently departed legend Graham Thorpe, saw some of the most riveting passages of a gripping series. Momentum swung back and forth as runs came quickly and wickets fell in clusters. But which team has the upper hand? And will the tension boil over on what should be the decisive day of the series on Saturday? Cameron Ponsonby is with Daniel Norcross.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
We’re giving away a brand new Virat Kohli Genius King cricket bat, gloves, and case, plus ONE YEAR'S supply of Noobru Pro - worth over £1600!
For entry, T&C...
Duration: 00:27:48TFW Daily - Spicy deck fun - England India 5th Test, The Oval Day 1
Jul 31, 2025England India Daily, 5th Test, The Oval, Day 1: Rain threatened to spoil the party, then an extended final session saw plenty happen for both teams before the close, but what is a good score on a pitch offering plenty? A wild but rewarding return for Josh Tongue, but a concerning end for Chris Woakes, who was in significant pain from a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, our man Karun Nair earned the chance to raise his bat in Tests once again.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
We’re giving away a brand new Virat Kohli Genius King cricket bat, gloves, and case, plus ONE YEAR'S supply of Noobru Pro - worth over £1600!
For...
Duration: 00:27:08TFW Daily - Stokes out, Bumrah maybe - England India 5th Test, The Oval preview
Jul 30, 2025England India Daily, 4th Test, Old Trafford Review: They're dropping like flies after 20 days of Test cricket in this series. Ben Stokes had his arm fall off, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse won't bowl for England, Rishabh Pant will miss for India, and Jasprit Bumrah will be a morning-one decision. Adam and Daniel Norcross look at all the permutations, and give you the inside track on The Oval's uncompromising groundsman.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
We’re giving away a brand new Virat Kohli Genius King cricket bat, gloves, and case, plus ONE YEAR'S supply of Noobru Pro - worth over £1600!
For entry, T&Cs, and 15% off...
Duration: 00:33:37Olympic pathway is set, as Tests are pushed further back
Jul 29, 2025Season 18, Episode 23: With each meeting of the ICC board, the direction of travel becomes clearer. Two tiers of Test cricket, with less time to play it, thanks to the return of the Champions League, the likely sale of the Big Bash, and the upcoming focus on Olympic qualifiers - all of that is now more likely, as the reports come in and the working groups keep meeting. The canaries in the coalmine are already dead. Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff Lemon.
Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword
Tickets for our Wormsley match, August 18: uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025...
Duration: 01:22:44TFW Daily - Sparks set to fly at The Oval - England India 4th Test, Old Trafford, Review
Jul 28, 2025England India Daily, 4th Test, Old Trafford Review: The reactions to the final hour of play at Old Trafford have been plentiful and wild. We take a deep dive into what this means for the upcoming fifth Test on Thursday. Firstly, who shook whose hand and when? What could have been done differently to end yesterday’s game? And who will England choose in their bowling lineup? Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, and now Jamie Overton wait in the wings. For India, Rishabh Pant is out, and Dhruv Jurel comes in; that much we know. Will Jasprit Bumrah and Mohamed Si...
Duration: 00:36:23