• The Ashes First Test Review: Brilliant bowling, brainless batting & what have we just watched?
    Nov 23 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at the first Test between Australia and England, which was action-packed but was finished within two days. There was plenty of drama in the lead-up to The Ashes, but that was nothing compared with the rollercoaster we saw on the field. Mitchell Starc started with a bang, England's pace battery hit back and it seemed like things were about to settle down by lunch on the second day with England one wicket down and leading by 99. But instead the action resumed, with the visitors crumbling and Travis Head's hundred powering Australia to victory within two sessions. We react to the emotion of the two days, then discuss the lineups and the pitch before highlighting key performers like Starc, Head, Ollie Pope, Jofra Archer and Marnus Labuschagne. We ask where it all went wrong for England, debate whether Travis Head's success could bring an unexpected end to Usman Khawaja's Test career, talk through potential changes for the second Test and plenty more as we try to process a game which moved through the gears at a rapid pace. We'll be back in your feed soon with more news and notes from around the world. 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 1:45 Initial reactions to a wild two-day Test 8:35 Toss and lineups 14:00 Pitch conditions - too spicy or poor batting? 17:00 Key performers - Mitchell Starc's 10-wicket haul 21:30 Did England miss a leader in their bowling attack? 29:00 England's superb bowling on day 1 32:20 Travis Head's outrageous hundred 43:20 Was Jamie Smith out? 47:00 Is Usman Khawaja's future in doubt? 56:45 Do England's tactics need a rethink? 1:11:05 TNT coverage in the UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
  • India v South Africa First Test Review: Harmer stars at Eden Gardens as the visitors go 1-0 ahead
    Nov 19 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at the first Test between India and South Africa, which saw the hosts take a 1-0 series lead at Eden Gardens. A quickfire Test but plenty of talking points as seam dominated day 1 and then spin took centre stage on days 2 and 3. Jasprit Bumrah's remarkable skills were on display yet again, Simon Harmer continued his good form and Ravindra Jadeja tore through South Africa's batting lineup in the third innings as the game sped to a conclusion. It all looked to be on track for an Indian win - until it wasn't. We talk about the quality bowling on show, what made batting so tough, the impact of the injuries to Shubman Gill and Kagiso Rabada, and whether India can bounce back at Guwahati. Plus plenty more! We'll be back in your feed later in the week with more news and notes from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 South Africa pull off a stunning victory 5:25 Simon Harmer's impressive performance 9:30 Were India's spinners outbowled? 13:15 Was that style of pitch the optimum surface for India? 20:25 Shubman Gill's injury & the pressure on India 31:00 Can South Africa make it 2-0 or will India bounce back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • The Ashes Preview 2025-26: The hype is over, it's cricket time
    Nov 16 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Jamie, Raj and Stu look ahead to the 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England. As usual, the Ashes hype machine has been in overdrive in recent months, but the cricket is finally (almost) here and the Top Order team are fizzing. We talk squads and potential line ups, key players and matchups, grounds and conditions, storylines to watch for and make our predictions for the series. How much will the Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood injuries hurt Australia? How excited are the English to unleash Jofra Archer and Mark Wood on an under-pressure Australian top order? Will Joe Root and Steve Smith imprint their class on the series? Will Nathan Lyon have an impact? Is it Scott Boland's time to shine? Can Harry Brook Bazball Australia to dust? Or will Marnus Labuschagne bounce back in a big way? And can Ben Stokes' boys etch their name into history on Aussie soil? Or will Steve Smith, Pat Cummins & co. inspire another victory for green-and-gold? There's all that and plenty more as we preview a series that's set to provide entertainment galore over the coming weeks. We'll be back in your feed regularly throughout this series to review/preview games and catch up on what's happening elsewhere in the world, including India v South Africa and Black Caps v West Indies. 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 2:00 Potential lineups for first Test - questions for Australia? 14:55 How will England manage their seamers through the series? 23:55 Has Australia won the preparation battle? 36:25 How will Australia's top order respond to pressure? 48:50 Key matchups: Nathan Lyon v England's middle order 54:20 Jofra Archer, Travis Head, Harry Brook, Joe Root 58:10 Mitchell Starc, Ben Duckett, captaincy 1:02:20 What can we expect from the pitches? 1:09:20 Predictions: Who will win The Ashes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 27 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #194: Black Caps hold on, Ashes news & India v South Africa preview
    Nov 9 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at the cricketing week that was, which saw NZ in T20 action against the West Indies, India win the Women's World Cup and Australia name their squad for the first Ashes Test. We also look ahead to an intriguing Test series between India and South Africa. We start the show by congratulating India on their Women's World Cup win, before moving back to New Zealand where the Black Caps are 2-1 up in their T20 series against the West Indies. There's praise for Matthew Forde, Ish Sodhi and Mark Chapman, plus questions about NZ's death bowling and what the T20 World Cup squad might look like if - and it's looking like a bigger 'if' with each passing day - injured players like Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Will O'Rourke and Lockie Ferguson do return. Next we head to India, where Rishabh Pant returns for the home side as they prepare to take on South Africa in what shapes to be the toughest challenge to date for the current World Test Champions. Can Pant and Dhruv Jurel play in the same XI? Is Keshav Maharaj the best spinner in the world? And will India simply be too strong on home soil? We round out the show with the latest Ashes news, which mainly involves asking Baldy his thoughts on the Australian squad for the first Test. Jake Weatherald's inclusion has generated most of the headlines, but will he actually play? And if so, what might that mean for Marnus Labuschagne, Beau Webster, Cameron Green - and even Sam Konstas? We'll be back in your feed next week with a full preview of The Ashes, plus some more news and notes from around the world. 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 India win the Women's World Cup 3:10 Black Caps v West Indies: Matthew Forde impresses 6:00 Do NZ have a death-bowling problem? 8:00 Ish Sodhi bowling well 11:20 Is NZ's T20 World Cup squad any clearer? 23:15 India v South Africa Tests: Rishabh Pant returns 26:40 Will India be too strong? 37:35 The Ashes: Australia name their squad 39:10 Will Jake Weatherald make his Test debut? 51:45 What next for Sam Konstas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #193: Black Caps sweep England, World Cup upsets & Ashes questions
    Nov 2 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at the past two weeks, which saw NZ sweep England in an ODI series, Rohit & Virat roll back the years, Women's World Cup upsets & South Africa win a Test away in Pakistan. We start the show in New Zealand, where the Black Caps beat England 3-0 in the ODI series after a rain-affected false start to the international summer. There were plenty of positives for New Zealand - Daryl Mitchell, most of the bowlers and Mitchell Santner's bat, to name a few - as they chased down the visitors' modest totals on three separate occasions. We talk about Zak Foulkes's composure, Kane Williamson's retirement from T20 internationals and ask if there's anything to worry about from an England point of view. Next we head to Australia, where the home side has been playing white-ball cricket against India, but inevitably the conversation turns towards The Ashes. Has Marnus done enough? Would they actually leave out Beau Webster? And is Josh Hazlewood the first name on the Australian teamsheet? There's also praise for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's unbeaten partnership in the 3rd ODI, which could well be the last time the two of them stride to the middle on Australian soil. Then it's off to the Women's World Cup, where we saw India end Australia's incredible run and South Africa reverse their opening-match loss to England on their way to the final. Batting was in the spotlight once again in our discussion of this tournament, with the hundred from Jemimah Rodrigues taking top billing. To round out the show, there's a brief shout-out to the South African men's side for defeating Pakistan in the second Test of their series, thanks in no small way to Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer as the latter brought up his 1000th first-class wicket during the match. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket from around the world. 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 Black Caps v England: slow start to the NZ summer 5:05 Plenty of positives for NZ - Daryl Mitchell 7:10 Anything to worry about for England? 12:20 Black Caps bowlers - Foulkes, Duffy, Tickner 20:25 Kane Williamson retires from T20s 24:00 Australia v India white-ball series/Ashes build up 44:25 Women's World Cup: Jemi Rodrigues ends Australia's run 56:20 South Africa v Pakistan Second Test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #192: Santner's presence, Queensland's loose bus change & Test Twenty thoughts
    Oct 19 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at a rainy week on the cricketing calendar, which saw England begin a T20 series against the Black Caps, Australia hosting India, Pakistan defeating South Africa, rain dent the White Ferns' chances at the Women's World Cup and the advent of a new format (that looks somewhat similar to an old format and a current one). We start the show at Hagley Oval, where the Black Caps hosted England in an incomplete T20I to start off the series with a stutter. There was talk about the return of Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham's ability to make things happen, whether Tom Banton can turn domestic form into international success - and more moustache-related praise. Next we head to Australia, where at the time of recording it was also raining in Perth, as the home side welcome India for 3 ODIs and 5 T20s. We talked about what's at stake for the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, there was some Ashes-based discussion and we asked for listener feedback about what Indian fans - and Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli - would like to see in this series. After a quick detour to Pakistan to talk about Noman Ali's pearler to Dewalt Brevis and Shaheen Shah Afridi's yorkers, it's off to the Women's World Cup, where rain has put a dent in the White Ferns' semi-final hopes. Alyssa Healy and Laura Wolvaardt continue to pile on the runs for Australia & South Africa, but are England going under the radar? Or is their potential challenge about to drop away? To round out the show, we debate the merits of a proposed new cricket format - Test Twenty - which will see young players from around the world test its merits in January 2026. Is this format a gimmick? Or could it actually stick? Does it actually blend Test cricket and T20? Or is it just two T20 games in a row? We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket from around the world. 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 2:10 Black Caps v England T20 series - key questions 17:45 Australia v India ODIs - what's at stake? 35:40 Pakistan v South Africa - home side takes 20 wickets again 39:05 Women's World Cup - England about to be tested 51:00 Test Twenty - what do we think? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #191: West Indies show some fight, White Ferns under pressure & NZ v England
    Oct 14 2025
    In this episode of the show, the Raj, Baldy and Stu look back at a busy week on the cricketing calendar, which saw India wrap up a 2-0 Test series victory against the West Indies, Australia's women continue to roll on in the World Cup and Sean Solia keep Samoa's T20 WC chances alive. We also look ahead to the upcoming series between the Black Caps and England, and provide a live update as South Africa take on Pakistan in the first Test of that series. We start the show in India, where the home side made the West Indies follow-on and looked set for another innings victory, before John Campbell and Shai Hope, with help from Roston Chase, Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales, dug in to make it much more of a contest this time around. We give credit where it's due to both Campbell and Hope, talk about Kuldeep Yadav's performance with ball in hand, take stock market updates on Dhruv Jurel and Sai Sudharsan, dish yet more praise on Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and look ahead to what's next for both sides. Next up we talk about the Women's World Cup, where the White Ferns have stumbled, Team India have lost two nail-biters and South Africa are charging again after their first-up loss to England. And yet again, Australia, thanks to contributions from almost everyone - including a fantastic hundred from Alyssa Healy - keep marching on. Back on NZ shores, we look forward to the Black Caps taking on England in three T20s and three ODIs - although injuries continue to linger. How will the bowling attack take shape? Can Jimmy Neesham take another step towards World Cup selection? Will Devon Conway find form? And how will Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra slot back into the side? To round out the show, we give a shout out to Sean Solia and Ross Taylor for their efforts for Samoa in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, as well as discussing the in-progress Test between South Africa and Pakistan - another home Test for Pakistan that looks to be dominated by spin. Will this prove to be their best path to the World Test Championship Final? Or is it actually doing more harm than good? We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket from around the world. 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 1:30 India v WI: West Indies show some fight as Hope & Campbell make 100s 13:50 Stock market check on Dhruv Jurel & Sai Sudharsan 20:50 Siraj, Gill & Jaiswal 28:45 Women's World Cup playoff race heating up 41:15 Black Caps v England 48:30 Samoa make the Super Sixes 52:00 Pakistan v South Africa update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #190: Marsh & Gardner star for Australia, India's big win & farewell Chris Woakes
    Oct 5 2025
    In this episode of the show, the team look back at a busy week on the cricketing calendar, which saw Australia's men and women get the better of their New Zealand counterparts, India secure an innings victory in their first Test against the West Indies and Chris Woakes call stumps on his Test career. We start the show in India, where the home side demolished the West Indies by an innings in the first Test. An all-round bowling performance was backed up by hundreds from KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel & Ravindra Jadeja and some nice catches in the field as India proved they are currently a class above the West Indies. There's talk of the visitors' batting woes, Jurel's future and some spin chat. Next up we talk about the Black Caps v Australia T20 series, which was disrupted by rain but saw Mitch Marsh steal the limelight as the visitors secured a 2-0 series win to retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. There's praise for Tim Robinson's batting, Matt Henry's moustache and plenty of discussion around what we learned from this short series. At the Women's World Cup, Australia inflicted another defeat on New Zealand, but not without a few wobbles along the way. The White Ferns made inroads into the Aussie batting lineup, but it was Ash Gardner's quickfire century that proved to be the difference despite Sophie Devine's impressive response. We also talk about England's big win against South Africa and how that positions them for the remainder of the tournament. To round out the show, there's a quick word of farewell to Chris Woakes, who announced his retirement from Test cricket. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more cricket from around the world. 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 1:25 India v WI: West Indies' batting woes 15:20 Plenty of positives for India 25:00 Black Caps v Australia: Mitch Marsh stars & Kiwi questions 43:40 Women's World Cup: Big wins for Aus & England 58:00 Chris Woakes announces international retirement & Baldy's black book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins