Episodes

  • This Week in Cricket #184: Foulkes shines on debut, more England v India thoughts & the LA Olympics

    This Week in Cricket #184: Foulkes shines on debut, more England v India thoughts & the LA Olympics
    Aug 10 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at a run of dominant performances by the Black Caps in Zimbabwe, share a few more thoughts about the Test series between England and India, and discuss cricket at the LA Olympics as well as overseas investment in The Hundred. We start the show by talking about the two-Test series between the Black Caps and Zimbabwe, which resulted in heavy defeats for the home side. New Zealand ticked a lot of boxes, with debuts to Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy and Matt Fisher, plus impressive performances from the likes of Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls. We discuss what it all means in the context of Zimbabwe's own struggles, and ponder how Test cricket can grow while still ensuring the games remain competitive. The conversation continues with Raj and Baldy sharing their thoughts on the epic series between England and India. We talk the spirit of cricket, Mohammed Siraj, the England bowling attack and why it is a shame that both sides aren't heading straight into another Test series. To round out the episode, there's talk of the qualifying outlook for the LA Olympics cricket event, which looks set to features only six teams for the men and women. We also discuss overseas investment into The Hundred and how that could potentially change both the tournament and the global cricket calendar. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket. 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 1:05 Black Caps v Zimbabwe - what did we learn about NZ? 3:30 Zak Foulkes's impressive debut & NZ's bowling depth 7:05 Matt Henry continues to be world class 9:00 Did NZ make the right decision to declare? 14:05 Where to now for Zimbabwe? Two-tier WTC? 28:20 England v India: a hard-fought series 32:55 Mohammed Siraj & India's allrounder options 38:50 England's bowling attack for the Ashes 42:00 2028 LA Olympics qualifying 53:50 The Hundred: Overseas investment & another T20 window? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • England v India 5th Test Review: Mohammed Siraj the hero as epic series finishes in dramatic style

    England v India 5th Test Review: Mohammed Siraj the hero as epic series finishes in dramatic style
    Aug 5 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at an incredible finish to the Test series between England and India by reviewing the final Test at The Oval. We start the show by talking about a dramatic final day, which saw Mohammed Siraj emerge as the hero for India as the visitors secured a six-run victory to level the series at 2-2. There's plenty of praise for Siraj's heart and spirit both in this game and across the five Tests, plus a discussion about Harry Brook's dismissal and the key moments of this epic match. The conversation continues with a word on India's other heroes, such as Akash Deep and Yashasvi Jaiswal, plus a look at Ollie Pope's captaincy, the injuries and the viability of a five-Test series in this packed schedule, before we try to put the overall series into context by throwing around phrases like 'Best since the '05 Ashes' like they are going out of fashion. Then, as always, the English boys look ahead to the key questions in the lead up to the Ashes. We'll be back in your feed at the end of the week to discuss the Black Caps v Zimbabwe Tests, plus more stories from the world of cricket (and probably this England v India series). Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations 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 1:20 Absolute scenes as India secure a six-run victory 7:35 Mohammed Siraj was outstanding 11:35 Was Harry Brook's dismissal the key moment? 26:20 India's other heroes in this game and series 29:25 Akash Deep's innings and Ollie Pope's captaincy 35:00 The injury toll and the viability of five-Test series 44:45 Where will this series will rank historically? 54:10 Looking ahead - England's Ashes questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #183: India's fightback, Black Caps unbeaten & more Test match previews

    This Week in Cricket #183: India's fightback, Black Caps unbeaten & more Test match previews
    Jul 28 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at the fourth Test between England and India, plus New Zealand's victory in the T20 Tri-Series final against South Africa. We also look ahead to the 5th Test in the UK and the Black Caps v Zimbabwe series. We start the show by talking about India's fantastic fightback on days 4 and 5 of the Test at Old Trafford, which saw the series remain at 2-1 with one match to play. There were hundreds for Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, but also some controversy surrounding the conclusion of the day's play. Ben Stokes wasn't happy then, but he'd done plenty to earn his player of the match award, taking a 5-wicket bag and scoring 100 across the course of the Test. Joe Root was equally impressive, and Rishabh Pant's bravery stood out for the visitors. We round out the India v England conversation with a discussion about potential and probable changes the 5th and final Test. To finish the show, Stu chimes in to highlight the Black Caps' unbeaten run to some T20 silverware in Zimbabwe, which culminated in a dramatic final against South Africa. With 7 runs needed from 6 balls, Matt Henry stepped up and, with the help of two fantastic catches in the outfield, closed out the victory for New Zealand. In addition, we look ahead to the upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the England v India and NZ v Zimbabwe Tests. 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 4:05 India's 4th innings fightback 7:00 England reaction 11:30 Was the pitch too flat? 21:10 Joe Root's brilliance 30:10 Ben Stokes's bowling and leadership 37:05 Rishabh Pant's bravery 42:30 Controversy corner 50:50 Changes and predictions for 5th Test 1:04:40Black Caps win T20 series against SA & Zim 1:08:40 NZ v Zim first Test starts Wednesday 30 July Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #182: WI all out 27, Black Caps in action & Starc's 400

    This Week in Cricket #182: WI all out 27, Black Caps in action & Starc's 400
    Jul 20 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at Australia's 3-0 Test series victory in the West Indies, which saw them produce a near record-breaking performance in the final match. We also discuss the start of the T20 Tri Series from a Black Caps point of view, with NZ back in action on the world stage. (Note the episode ends abruptly, as we lost the final 2 minutes of the recording, which was mainly Baldy talking about how fun it has been to watch Lhuan-dre Pretorius bat in his short international career.) We start the show by talking about Australia's performance against the West Indies. Three games, three wins, maximum World Test Championship points, but was it a good performance? There's plenty of talk about the batters, with Sam Konstas and Cameron Green mentioned, before we move to the bowling group to discuss Mitchell Starc's milestone match and the best bowler in world cricket who hardly ever plays, Scott Boland. To round out our conversation about this series, we ask where the West Indies can find some batters who can support their bowling group. With the Black Caps taking part in the T20 Tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, we discuss New Zealand's first two matches and the depth they appear to be building in the T20 format. There are mentions for BJ Jacobs, Tim Robinson, Devon Conway and Mark Chapman, before the recording cut off just as Lhuan-dre Pretorius was being discussed. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the 4th Test between England and India and more news from the Black Caps. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Australia v West Indies: Worst 3-0 Test series win ever? 6:35 Cam Green a shining light for Australia's batting? 11:10 Mitchell Starc shines in his 100th Test 17:05 Scott Boland: hattrick hero who barely gets a game 25:10 West Indies 27 all out: where to from here? 29:50 Did Sam Konstas misfield on purpose? 34:00 Black Caps building depth in the T20 format Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • England v India 3rd Test Review: An epic encounter at Lord's

    England v India 3rd Test Review: An epic encounter at Lord's
    Jul 16 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at an epic encounter at Lord's, which saw England go 2-1 up against India. We start the show by talking about the quality of the match and the emotions of a gripping 4th innings, in which Ravindra Jadeja almost played hero with the tail but ultimately saw the legend of Ben Stokes grow even further. The conversation then bounces around from India's missed opportunities to the quality of batting on display from KL Rahul and Joe Root, the return of Jofra Archer and the ongoing discussion around slow over rates and the Dukes cricket ball. To round out the show, we look ahead to the selection questions facing both sides for the 4th Test. Will Jasprit Bumrah play? Should India make more changes? A bump in the road for Shoaib Bashir and whether England will rotate their bowling attack in what shapes to be another fascinating encounter. We'll be back in your feed early next week to recap the Australia v West Indies series along with more England/India news and maybe even a Black Caps update. 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 0:45 What an epic Test match! 3:55 Emotions of Days 4 and 5 9:20 The Ben Stokes legend grows 14:45 Did India play the better cricket for longer? 21:30 Will we ever fix slow over rates and the cricket ball? 29:30 Will Joe Root overtake Tendulkar? 35:20 Jofra Archer's return and England's bowling 42:35 Key selection decisions ahead of the 4th Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #181: Shubman Gill leads India to 1-1, Alex Carey's consistency & 3rd Test questions

    This Week in Cricket #181: Shubman Gill leads India to 1-1, Alex Carey's consistency & 3rd Test questions
    Jul 8 2025
    In this episode of the show, the entire Top Order Podcast team gather to discuss the recent Test matches between India and England, and the West Indies and Australia — one which saw a complete reversal of the previous encounter and another that was déjà vu all over again. We start at Edgbaston, where a Shubman Gill masterclass and bags of wickets from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj inspired India to a comprehensive 336-run victory over England. We talk about India’s selection, Gill’s brilliance, how India’s seamers stepped up without Jasprit Bumrah, Jamie Smith’s star continuing to rise, what went wrong for England and whether either side needs to make changes for the third Test at Lord’s. In the second half of the show, we move to Grenada where Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy with a Test win in very familiar fashion to the first match of the series. Australia’s top order largely struggled, the middle-order dug them out of a hole, the West Indies threatened at times but ultimately the world-class Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Lyon quartet (backed up by Beau Webster) took the 20 wickets the Aussies needed to secure a comfortable victory in the end. In addition to all of that, we discuss a step forward from Cam Green and potential changes for the final Test. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the third Tests between India v England and Australia v West Indies, plus anything else that grabs our attention. 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 England v India - India make changes and deliver a big win 4:45 Shubman Gill's masterclass 7:10 Is it time for England to panic? 10:55 Did England get their tactics wrong? 14:40 Shubman Gill again 17:00 Mohammed Siraj & Akash Deep step up 20:40 Jamie Smith better than Adam Gilchrist? 28:20 Selection questions for both teams 43:40 West Indies v Australia - deja vu as Australia win the Frank Worrell Trophy 49:00 Sam Konstas and the Australian top order struggles 55:35 Beau Webster and Alex Carey 1:01:00 Changes for the 3rd Test? 1:06:25 Black Caps' Test squad named for Zimbabwe series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #180: Bowlers shine in the West Indies, India's selection questions & Black Caps T20 squad

    This Week in Cricket #180: Bowlers shine in the West Indies, India's selection questions & Black Caps T20 squad
    Jun 29 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Jamie look back at Australia's 'comfortable' win against the West Indies, discuss selection questions facing India and England for the second Test of their series, plus a short conversation about the Black Caps T20 squad for the tri-series also involving South Africa and Zimbabwe. We start the show by talking through Australia's win against the West Indies, which saw the visitors bat first and concede a first innings lead but still come away with a comfortable victory on the scorecard at least. To no one's surprise, there are conversations about Australia's top order once again, with Sam Konstas and Cameron Green in the spotlight, plus dropped catches, praise for the likes of Jayden Seales, Josh Hazlewood and Shamar Joseph across both bowling attacks, and also some DRS controversy that certainly bothered Roston Chase. In the second segment, we look ahead to the second Test between England and India at Edgbaston, mainly with an eye to selection. Jofra Archer has joined the England squad - will he play? And should he? Whereas India have a few questions to answer, particularly in the bowling department. Does England's win in the first Test mean Jasprit Bumrah needs to play the second? Do India need to be braver in their selection? What do they do with the 4th bowling option/number 8 - Shardul Thakur? Nitish Kumar Reddy? Kuldeep Yadav? Arshdeep Singh? To round out the show we briefly discuss the Black Caps T20 squad to face Zimbabwe and South Africa in the upcoming tri-series, which looks to favour an explosive top order of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, and has no room in it for Devon Conway or Mitch Hay. We'll be back in your feed next week to recap the second Tests between India v England and Australia v West Indies, plus anything else that grabs our attention. 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 0:50 A comfortable win for Australia? 1:55 Australia's top order struggles - Konstas, Green 11:40 Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales shine for the West Indies 19:25 DRS controversy 27:10 Dropped catches 30:20 Australia's bowlers - Starc, Hazlewood 34:25 England v India - Jofra Archer added to England squad 42:30 What's India's best way to take 20 wickets? 52:10 Should India change their batting order? 1:00:05 Black Caps T20 squad - Allen & Seifert in, Conway & Hay out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • England Vs India 1st Test Review, Leeds 2025

    England Vs India 1st Test Review, Leeds 2025
    Jun 24 2025
    In this episode of the show Binksy and Jamie discuss a captivating 1st Test at Headingley where a brilliant 4th Innings hundred from Ben Duckett saw England chase down 370. We'll be back in your feed to recap the first Australia v West Indies Test and discuss more India v England news. 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 2:53 England's Historic Chase 6:07 Key Players and Strategies 8:54 India's Batting 11:58 England Bowling Effectiveness? 15:00 Fielding Standards and Catching 18:03 Looking Ahead to the Next Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins