Episodes

  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep98

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep98
    Aug 31 2025
    A warm welcome back to the Bishop and Bear! It’s been nearly a month since the end of the thrill packed roller coaster ride of a Test series between England and India. Most of us have got over it and moved on, except perhaps Guerilla Hendo. Your episcopal barman has found plenty of distraction in the One Day Cup, while others may have enjoyed The Hundred in all of its sugary snack glory. BUT, our focus is now back on international cricket and most particularly the ODI and T20I series between England and South Africa, which starts on Tuesday. To make sure you don’t miss a ball, click here for our broadcast schedule. To mull over all things South Africa (cricket wise at least) our guest is Guerilla, South African cricket expert and host of The Full Quota Podcast, Tim Dale Lace. We seem to recall that the last time Tim popped into the old B&B, we were castigating South Africa for putting everything behind the SA20 and fielding weak Test teams and yet, here they are, World Test champions. World Cup Semi Finalists, WT20 Finalists and have just beaten Aus on their own patch in ODIs. So the big question for Tim was “What are his Proteas doing right and should we now be discussing them as part of a ‘Big Four’, muscling proudly in with the big money boys India, England and Australia?” Tim’s insight into the impact of coach Shukri Conrad and the positivity he has injected into all parts of the South African game are well worth a listen as you enjoy your drinks in the convivial surroundings of the internet’s favourite cricket boozer. We look at both team’s chances, players to watch out for and of course, give our predictions. There is even a bit of time for some reflections on the One Day Cup too. We’ll be with you for every ball of the England vs South Africa series and England’s trip to Ireland of course. If you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. All the best Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep97

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep97
    Aug 15 2025
    Welcome back to the Bishop and Bear. Let us get you a drink and then feel free to make yourself comfortable, settle back and enjoy what is a very lively discussion indeed. It’s England vs India – The Decider. A kind of Podcast 6th Test. Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman are the all guns blazing BazChatters, against powerhouse Indian opposition in the form of our guests, BB regular and Indian cricket sage Anindya Dutta and Raj (the man David Brook chased round Lord’s) Patel. A bit like the recent England vs India Test itself the conversation is fast, feisty and fun but despite our best efforts, I’m not sure anyone wins. Except our listeners of course. As the drinks are sunk, we plough headlong into some of the BIG questions. Was a draw a fair result? Did the result even matter when the entertainment was so good? (spoiler alert, it did to the Bear and our guests). What were the moments of the series? How did the captains face off against each other? (Ollie Pope had a letter from his mum and wasn’t included). And crucially, where did this series rate amongst the greatest of all time? There plenty of diversions along the way too. That all got us thinking, that if we have just seen five great Tests, all five enthralling days, how on earth could anyone even think that four-day Tests are a good idea? And, how can the ICC improve the World Test Championship to ensure everybody gets to play longer, more, exciting Tests. Raj has an article coming out soon with a number of great ideas and you can rest assured; we will share that first with our Patreons and then publish it onto our website For good measure we have a quick look forward to England’s white ball series with South Africa and we ask our Indian guests just how much does India really care about the Asia Cup? We’ll be with you for every ball of the last two England vs South Africa series and England’s trip to Ireland. If you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. All the best Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep96

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep96
    Jul 20 2025
    A huge welcome once again to The Bishop and Bear. What a week for Test cricket it’s been. As you will know if you have been watching or listening with us, we have been gripped by the 5-day drama of that Lords Test. If you haven’t been with us, where on earth have you been? Meanwhile, in Jamaica a rather shorter but equally dramatic Test Match was taking place where the West Indies had a real tilt at breaking New Zealand’s 1955 ‘lowest score record’ and Mitchell Starc was pink ball swinging his way into the record books with a five-wicket haul in his first 15 balls. To celebrate and marvel over both events, your ursine landlord and episcopal barman have the company of Ajit with his ever present armchair and David Brook, who, as you will hear, is both scathing and insightful on the state of West Indies cricket and certainly does not hold back. In animated conversation we discuss the good, the bad and the ugly from Lords including last day drama, Flintoff and Lee vibes, slow pitch and battered balls, over rates and the seeming injustice of only England being docked points, Zak Crawley’s Oscar nomination, Jofra’s return, Siraj and Maradona, English batting and the forthcoming return of the Prodigal Dawson. With a pause to refill glasses we lean exactly how the replacement balls make it into the magic box. It’s not as scientific a process as you might think by the way. From there it’s a race to the last orders bell to unpick the pink ball ballistics from Kingston and debate exactly why it happened and just where the West Indies go next. Does Brian Lara have a point in saying the team only play Tests to get picked for the global franchises? We’ll be with you for every ball of the last two England vs India Tests. If you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. Allthe best YourUrsine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Brooks World of Cricket ep1

    Brooks World of Cricket ep1
    Jul 9 2025
    In Brooks World Of Cricket , David is joined by the legend who is Roland Butcher to preview the England vs India and West Indies Australia test matches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    16 mins
  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep95

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep95
    Jun 20 2025
    A very warm welcome once again. The sun is shining and the Bishop and Bear bar and garden is humming with excited anticipation of the 5 Test England Vs India series that starts on Friday 20th June. Our guest, as he so often is ahead of an India series, is the fabulous author, raconteur and expert on Indian cricket and particularly its spin bowlers, Anindya Dutta. Armed with an Indian pink gin, Anindya helps us to forensically probe prospects for the series. And a fascinating one it promises to be (the series, not the gin). A new look India, shorn of the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and led by rookie captain Shubman Gill is packed with potential, but some of it unproven. England, for their part, seem to be pretty solid in batting depth, but can’t keep bowlers fit. They will need all the experience in UK conditions that Chris Woakes can bring. Of course, we each make our predictions, so let us know if you agree with them or not! We also have time to celebrate South Africa’s World Test championship win and air some divergent views on the ICC moving ever closely to espousing four-day Tests. We’ll be with you for every ball of the England vs India series. If you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. All the best Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    59 mins
  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep 94

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep 94
    Jun 7 2025
    A huge welcome back to the Bishop and Bear. The English international summer has barely got under way and yet already, it seems, we are as busy as one legged tap dancers. Today our main focus is on the forthcoming World Test Championship Final between Australia and South Africa at Lords on 11th June. To help your landlord and episcopal barman assess the prospects we have two fabulous guests. At the Baggy Green end of the bar is none other than Cricket Bat Cat, whilst bounding in like a turbo charged Springbok for South Africa is Richard Asher, Lords ticket in hand for Day 1 and a map to find our studio for days 2 to five (or 6 if need be). We start by asking Richard just how South Africa got to the final by only playing the minimum 12 Tests and go on to explain just how the format works. Which oddly it seems to, as it has served up a very tasty looking Lords final. It’s not, you may be surprised to know, the first Test between Australia and South Africa at Lords, so we have a brief look back to 1912, when the Daily Telegraph reported that “there is a surfeit of cricket and English supporters have little interest in watching South Africa play Australia”. Fortunately cricket fans’ attitudes have changed. Perhaps not so much those of the Telegraph? We also move on to chat about England getting on their bikes to win a fairly one sided one day series against West Indies and to celebrate Virat Kohli’s IPL win at the 18th attempt. Good for him we say. Keep those Kohli Cam operators in business! We’ll be back in our new studio to bring you every ball of the WTC Final and the West Indies T20Is before that. If you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. All the best Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep93

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep93
    May 22 2025
    The old Bishop and Bear has been closed for refurbishment since late March, but we are delighted to pull up the shutters again and welcome you back. A special occasion demands a special guest and we have one of those in the shape of St. Annie of Exeter - national treasure, Guerilla and now best-selling cricket author too. Whilst liberally knocking back our finest rum, Annie undergoes the usual friendly but forensic examination we reserve for some of cricket’s finest authors. The book in question is “Cricket Changed My Life – Eleven Personal Journeys”. Its, personal, heartwarming and genuinely delightful in the opinion of your barman who had diligently read every word. No doubt our landlord will agree when he gets around to reading it too. But we will forgive him this time. New studios don’t set themselves up after all, so his ursine paws have been rather full. From a Pakistani teenager left for dead by terrorists to England’s first black international cricketer, from journalists and broadcasters who have battled adversity to forge careers in cricket to a pair of Syrian refugees, and from one of England’s greatest all rounders to the inimitable David’ Bumble’ Lloyd, Annie tells the stories of eleven very different people for whom the game of cricket has been transformative. Each and every one of the 11 chapters is unique and delivered in Annie’s own style, always allowing the subject to shine and to clearly enjoy themselves whilst doing it. It’s charmingly understated in places, no more so than when she says “there’s an element of the extrovert about Dan Norcross” (who? Ed). Listen in here and enjoy the chat. In fact, do that and also buy the book. You can do that here. For good measure, we also have a look forward to the Zimbabwe Test and have to say that we are rather looking to seeing all 6 foot 8 inches of Blessing Muzarabani and wonder if the Joel Garner like bowler might just trouble England’ Baz Ballers if they are not on their mettle. We’ll be in our new studio to bring you every ball and for that, so join us if you can. If you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. There are loads of great benefits as well as our undying gratitude of course. All the best Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • The Bishop and The Bear Ep92

    The Bishop and The Bear Ep92
    Mar 25 2025
    A warm welcome back to the Bishop and Bear. The effect of climate change cannot be ignored in sport generally and in cricket particularly. Intense heat, drought, storms and flooding impact all levels of the game. We’ve seen it with international cricket at the top of the game, but think of those challenges faced regularly by your local cricket club and others at the grass roots of the game. Our guest in the Bishop and Bear, Tanya Aldred, is one of the world’s foremost voices on cricket and climate change, contributing the Environment column to the Wisden Almanack since 2017. She is also a founder of The Next Test (a non-profit organisation, providing climate education and resources and collaboratively seeking climate solutions within the world of cricket). Fortified with a Sauvignon Blanc, specially selected from the B and B’s ecofriendly and fully sustainable cellar, Tanya tells us about the very practical steps that can be taken by cricket clubs to address the challenges of climate change and make a tangible difference. In her own words, “grassroots changes are like singles, the small steps from which a significant innings is compiled”. That’s where The Next Test is geared up to provide practical support to clubs in taking those steps. If you want to take that first single for your club and need help, then you can start here. To help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here. There are loads of great benefits as well as our undying gratitude of course. All the best Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    57 mins