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  • In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Binksy, Raj and Stu review the Group A clash between New Zealand and Bangladesh, and look ahead to Australia v South Africa.

    On paper things looked fairly comfortable for the Black Caps, thanks in part to Michael Bracewell's 4-26, which helped restrict Bangladesh to 236-9. And despite a few nervy moments, a Rachin Ravindra hundred and a fifty from the calming presence of Tom Latham eased New Zealand to the top of the table and into the semi-finals.

    We'll be back in your feed tomorrow to review Australia v South Africa. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Baldy and Stu review the Group A clash between India and Pakistan, and look ahead to the Black Caps' upcoming match against Bangladesh.

    It was a fairly comfortable Indian victory in the end in what shaped as an important fixture for both sides. Babar Azam flashed his quality early on, but Hardik Pandya and the Indian spin trio chipped out wickets whenever they were needed.

    Despite a couple of quality deliveries to dismiss Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, once Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer built a partnership, it became clear the 240 was never going to be enough, with Kohli sealing his hundred, the win and India's spot in the semi-finals with the last shot of the match.

    We'll be back in your feed tomorrow to review the Black Caps v Bangladesh. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.
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  • In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Jamie and Baldy cover rivalry round! England and Australia faced off overnight in the highest scoring game in Champions Trophy history, and preview the face-off between India and Pakistan tonight in the greatest rivalry in cricket.

    There were records galore in Lahore in a benign surface that had both sides looking like nine an over was gettable at any time. Duckett provided fireworks with the bat for 165, Joe Root did Joe Root things and for a few brief hours England held the record for the highest score in the Champions Trophy. For Australia, the not-so-household names shone brightest, and for Binksy and Jamie the solace of England-born Josh Inglis hitting the match-winning hundred will hold little comfort. England now face must-win games against Afghanistan and South Africa.

    For India and Pakistan the question on both Jamie and Baldy's minds was how much Pakistan could lift emotionally against India. India are almost certainly favoured in Dubai conditions, but can Pakistan pull out something special in the UAE in their home tournament? Like England, Pakistan are in win-or-bust mode for the rest of the tournament. With their backs to the wall, will this be when Pakistan's star shines brightest? For both pundits, the Indian spin strength in the middle overs will be where the game could be decided.

    We'll be back in your feed tomorrow and again with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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.

    Thanks for listening.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Jamie and Stu look back at day 3 of the tournament, which featured a strong performance from South Africa against Afghanistan, and look ahead to the big clash between England and Australia on day 4.

    Ryan Rickelton led the charge for the Proteas with an impressive hundred as South Africa's batting strength was on full display despite the absence of Heinrich Klaasen. We talked about the run-rate implications, the ODI cricket template, pace-bowling tactics in this tournament and discussed English optimism ahead of their clash with the Aussies. Jamie Smith at three was the headline, but the battle between Archer, Wood, Carse and co. against Travis Head and Steve Smith should make for fascinating viewing.

    We'll be back in your feed tomorrow and again with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • The Champions Trophy is on and popping! India beat Bangladesh overnight, and Shubman Gill's hundred has Baldy happy. Shami gets a five-for, and Hridoy gets a hundred in a losing cause. India look strong, but are there trends emerging in the pitches that are important going forward?

    Raj and Baldy then preview the upcoming match between South Africa and Afghanistan. In the battle of spin, who will emerge stronger in a crucial group?

    We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with more Champions Trophy news
    and views. 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.

    And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • In this episode of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy daily review, Raj and Stu look back at the first game of the tournament, between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand's Black Caps, which saw the visitors secure a clinical 60-run victory thanks to centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham, a quality all-round display from Glenn Phillips and a disciplined bowling performance..

    We'll be back in your feed with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Jamie, Baldy, Binksy and Stu preview the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy held in Pakistan and Dubai.

    We start the show with one of Baldy's famous explainers, before discussing the favourites, the each-way chances and the outsiders. That means covering India, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in an attempt to predict who will lift the trophy on Sunday 9 March. Questions include:


    Can anyone stop Rohit Sharma's India?

    Do Australia deserve to be among the favourites after the loss of Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood & Co.?

    Have the Black Caps timed their run to perfection?

    Is this one tournament too early for an England white-ball side still under construction?

    Will the likes of Klaasen and Rabada power South Africa into the final?

    Can Babar Azam whip the home crowd into a frenzy?

    Are Ibrahim & Gurbaz going to repeat their T20 WC heroics?

    Do Bangladesh have any chance at all?

    And so much more!


    We'll be back in your feed with regular updates throughout the tournament. If you've enjoyed listening and/or watching, 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:15 Tournament explainer
    3:55 India
    14:05 Australia
    25:10 New Zealand
    34:50 England
    44:40 South Africa
    51:40 Pakistan
    59:30 Afghanistan
    1:04:55 Bangladesh
    1:06:45 Tournament predictions
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  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Jamie, Baldy and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including Australia's 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka, the England v India ODI series, a tri-series for the Black Caps, Champions Trophy injuries and some New Zealand domestic players we're keeping an eye on.

    We start the show by discussing Australia's 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka. Despite Baldy's worries about selection, it was another dominant performance from the Aussies at Galle - led by Steve Smith with the bat and in the field. We also talk about Dimuth Karunaratne's legacy in what was his 100th and final Test.

    Next we move to white-ball cricket, with England taking on India in ODIs. Results keep going India's way, thanks to an excellent return to form for Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja's craft & the all-round contributions of Axar Patel. There's also chat about England's batters, dot balls in the middle overs and what clues selections are giving us for the Champions Trophy.

    We then turn our attention to the tri-series between the Black Caps, Pakistan and South Africa, which has seen a stunning hundred from Glenn Phillips, a record-breaking debut from Matthew Breetzke and a mammoth partnership between Kane Williamson and Devon Conway. We discuss the importance of these fixtures and what we might be learning with one eye on the ICC tournament to follow.

    To round out the show, Stu gives a shout out to the Kerr sisters and the Boyle brothers, before sharing a few names he'll be watching for the remainder of the NZ domestic summer.

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with a full preview of the Champions Trophy. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:35 Australia's dominant win against Sri Lanka
    2:35 Steve Smith at the top of his game again
    4:30 Australia's spin bowlers did the business
    8:10 Was Cooper Connolly's selection a mistake?
    18:10 Alex Carey's hundred
    19:05 Dimuth Karunaratne's retirement and legacy
    23:30 India v England - any positives for England?
    30:45 England remain a work in progress in white-ball cricket
    37:25 Rohit Sharma's delightful return to form
    42:40 NZ v SA and Pakistan - runs galore for Matthew Breetzke, Glenn Phillips, Kane Williamson & Devon Conway
    48:00 Who will open the batting for the Black Caps in the Champions Trophy?
    52:00 What have we learned from the tri-series so far?
    56:20 Champions Trophy injury news
    1:01:30 Super Smash winners and NZ domestic players to watch
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  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Raj discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including the England v India T20 series, Australia's innings victories in the tests against Sri Lanka & India, plus a Sachin Tendulkar/Steve Smith stat-off to finish.

    We start the show by discussing Australia's WAshes victory and the fallout for an England side that has performed well below their own expectations. Will there be changes at the top? There's also praise for Alana King, Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner and more.

    Next up we move to India's T20 series with England. The show was recorded before India's crushing win in the 5th match, but the discussion around England's mixed performances shone through. There are question marks around the finishing and concussion substitutes, but plenty of positives for Varun Chakravarthy and also Hardik Pandya's leadership.

    After that we move to another big Australian victory - the innings win against Sri Lanka at Galle. We talk about the manner of the victory and the dominant performance, but of course Baldy is always looking for improvements from this Australian team. Usman Khawaja and Josh Inglis went big, but should Sam Konstas have played? How well did the Aussie spinners bowl? And what was Dhananjaya De Silva doing?

    To round out the show, it was a good old fashioned head-to-head battle as the boys discuss the records of Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Smith after the latter passed 10,000 runs.

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:15 Australia's clean sweep of the WAshes
    12:45 India's T20 series win against England
    21:30 Concussion substitutes
    36:15 Australia's dominant win against Sri Lanka
    46:45 Should Sam Konstas have played?
    56:45 The Sachin Tendulkar v Steve Smith stat-off!
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  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including the England v India T20 series, Australia's dominance of the WAshes, whether there should be NZ teams in the BBL and a look ahead to Australia's Test tour to Sri Lanka.

    We open the show by discussing the first two T20s between England and India, mainly from an England point of view aside from a SRH fan club shout out for Abhishek Sharma. We talk about closers, Jos Buttler's role and England's reliance on Adil Rashid.

    From there we move to the Women's Ashes, which have been one-way traffic so far as Australia continue their dominant run that looks to be extending for yet another year on the international stage. Staying in Australia, we also talk about recent discussions in New Zealand about getting some Kiwi sides into the BBL. Would this be good for the competition? For NZ Cricket? For anyone?

    To round out the show, we look ahead to Australia's upcoming Test tour to Sri Lanka. With injury concerns on both sides and World Test Championship final spots basically secured, how much does this series actually matter? We talk about whether Australia will shuffle the likes of Travis Head and Usman Khawaja, the role Scott Boland could play in Sri Lankan conditions, what we might see from newcomers like Sam Konstas, Beau Webster and Cooper Connolly and Sri Lanka making the most of the Galle fortress.

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:35 England v India T20s - early impressions for England
    6:55 Abhishek Sharma excitement & India's T20 dominance
    8:10 England's finishers
    12:15 The WAshes - Australia's dominance against England
    24:00 Should there be NZ teams in the BBL?
    39:30 Australia v Sri Lanka Test preview

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  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Raj, Jamie and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past couple of weeks, including the apparent proposal to change the Test structure to two tiers, India's 10-point plan towards team harmony, Champions Trophy news, James Vince, Pakistan spinning their way to victory against the West Indies and Jimmy Anderson's love for the game.

    We open the show by discussing the reports suggesting the boards of England, Australia and India are planning to start a conversation that could lead to a proposal to separate Test cricket into two divisions of seven. With a lot of details still to be determined, we talk about our initial reactions to the idea, how an ideal version of the proposal could work, who might benefit from it and ultimately whether it would be a step forward from the current World Test Championship.

    From there we move to white-ball cricket and the Champions Trophy, with India naming their squad yesterday. Mohammad Shami returns from injury with Rohit Sharma as captain and the experienced core of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and co. given an opportunity to go one better than the World Cup in 2023. We also discuss the BCCI's 10-point 'Policy Document for Team India', plus England's upcoming white-ball tour.

    To round out the show, we talk about pitches in Pakistan and batters around the world struggling against spin, the PSL window and how James Vince's decision could lead to more instances of the nomadic cricketer, plus a shout out to Jimmy Anderson as he looks set to return to Lancashire for the county season.

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show and hopefully the full crew back together. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    0:45 The two-tier test proposal
    17:45 Champions Trophy squad news - India
    20:30 The BCCI's 10-policy 'Policy Plan for Team India'
    32:40 England's best XI for the Champions Trophy
    42:15 Pakistan v West Indies - pitches and spin
    54:00 James Vince & the PSL
    1:03:45 Jimmy Anderson playing on with Lancashire
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  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it’s a Black Caps focused show as Raj and Stu look back at New Zealand's performances in 2024 take stock of where the side is at heading into a relatively quiet 2025.

    We open the show by reviewing the 2024 results, which paint a picture of a middling side that had a big gap between their best performances and their worst ones, before discussing a bowling attack that saw some big changes over the past 12 months with the retirements of Neil Wagner and Tim Southee, plus the emergence of the likes of Will O'Rourke and Ben Sears. We also discuss the spin stocks and whether this is an area of concern.

    As we move to the batting department, there's plenty to discuss - primarily the lack of runs by the majority of the core group of players. We talk about Devon Conway, Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson and many others, plus the central contracting system and how New Zealand Cricket are managing the competing pull of franchise leagues.

    To round out the show, we look ahead to a 2025 fixture list that looks quite bare after the Champions Trophy to consider where we'd like the side to be by the end of the year..

    We'll be back in your feed again later in the week or early next with our regular This Week in Cricket show. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro: Black Caps' 2024 results
    2:55 Thoughts on 2024 as a whole
    6:20 NZ's pace-bowling refresh
    10:50 Are the spin-bowling stocks a concern?
    20:30 Batting depth
    22:25 Devon Conway - are we still optimistic about his international future?
    25:30 Tom Blundell & wicketkeeping position moving forward
    29:55 Casual and central contracts
    38:20 Will Young - can he cement a spot in 2025?
    42:25 Glenn Phillips - what should his role be in this NZ side?
    45:40 Rachin Ravindra's development
    51:10 Kane Williamson's form and future
    55:20 NZ's fixtures in 2025 and hopes for the year
    1:07:22 Coaching situation and ideal potential candidates
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  • In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it’s an England-centric view as Binksy and Jamie review England’s red- and white-ball performances in 2024 and look forward to a mouthwatering 10 tests against old enemies Australia and India in 2025.

    The boys dissect what they want to see as Bazball disciples and look at the personnel England should and might use in 2025. There is confidence in Joe Root, Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, but question marks surrounding Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and the fitness of talismanic skipper Ben Stokes.

    With no Baldy to respond, Binksy and Jamie dream of recapturing the urn in Sydney as they forecast the year 2025. The boys also discuss the dramatic decline of the England men’s white-ball side and ponder whether a partnership of Brendon McCullum and Jos Buttler can revive fortunes in an ICC Champions Trophy year.

    If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:
    https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

    We'll be back in your feed again soon with a similar show focused on 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    4:30 expectations on our red ball team
    11:19 Personnel and emerging talent
    21:25 Looking ahead and bolter selections?
    27:16 is The Ashes McCullum's Everest?
    35:38 White-ball cricket: evolution or revolution?
    45:23 Lifting the urn in 2025? Dare to dream?
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  • In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj look back at the 5th Test between Australia and India, which saw the Aussies get their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in almost a decade and also book themselves a ticket to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa.

    We start by talking about the series as a whole. How impressive was Australia's response to a heavy defeat in the first test? Where did it all go wrong for India? Did the theatrics overstep the line? Why did the batters struggle so much in this series? And what's next for both these sides?

    There's a chat about Rohit Sharma's decision to step down from the playing XI and questions about the future for both him and the likes of Virat Kohli in the Test arena. There's also praise for debutant Beau Webster, Super Scotty Boland, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal and a whole lot more as we review this fascinating series that always holds a significant place in the cricket conversation.

    If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:
    https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

    We'll be back in your feed again soon with a couple of shows looking back at the year for the Black Caps and England and discuss our hopes for 2025. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Introduction
    1:40 Australia's turnaround from defeat to dominance
    5:55 Why did India struggle so much in this series?
    9:45 India's batting woes
    15:20 Was the cricket fun to watch?
    16:50 Did the theatrics overstep the line?
    18:55 Sam Konstas
    24:10 Rohit Sharma's decision to leave himself out of the playing XI
    29:25 Virat Kohli
    34:15 Beau Webster's outstanding debut
    38:55 Scott Boland takes 10-for
    44:45 Jasprit Bumrah - player of the series
    48:00 Any other positives for India?
    49:30 India's Test lineup in the next WTC cycle
    53:20 Australia's consistency
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  • In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Raj react to Australia's win in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, as well as South Africa's win against Pakistan that makes them the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

    We start with some initial reaction to the Day 5 action in Melbourne as Australia secured victory against India. Was the decision to bowl Travis Head after tea a masterstroke? Did India get their tactics wrong? And what's going on with Rohit Sharma?

    Next there's praise for the young stars who shone brightly - Sam Konstas, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Yashasvi Jaiswal - as well as the old heads like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith & Marnus Labuschagne who provided the backbone for Australia's win. We also discuss Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance, whether he's getting enough support from the other bowlers, what India need to do to turn this around, and whether the Aussies need to consider changing a winning side for the Sydney test.

    We finish up with a discussion about South Africa's win against Pakistan, which books them a spot in the World Test Championship final. Is it great for the game? Does their path to the final justify their inclusion? Are they massively under-rated? And how do we process the fact that they played a second-string side against NZ and still qualified with a test in hand?!

    If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:
    https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

    We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series and more. 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Introduction
    1:20 Australia v India Day 5 instant reaction - Travis Head turns the game
    6:30 India's tactics
    10:20 Rohit Sharma's frustration
    15:35 Young stars shine - Sam Konstas
    24:20 Is Mitchell Marsh under pressure?
    27:15 Nitish Kumar Reddy's breakout hundred
    31:30 Yashasvi Jaiswal continues to impress
    36:45 Australia's experienced players stand up
    45:00 Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance
    50:15 How can India turn things around in Sydney?
    57:00 South Africa make the World Test Championship Final
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  • It's Cricketmas time again on the Top Order Podcast! This week we have a very special episode* wrapping up recent Tests in Brisbane and Hamilton.

    Firstly to the Brisbane Test between Australia and India [0:00]. With both top orders struggling, we try to decipher which team has more rocks or diamonds. In amongst all the analysis and breakdown is the shock retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin that broke just minutes before we recorded on Wednesday 18 December. We pay tribute to a true great of the game and lament his non-availability for what promises to be two exciting Tests in Melbourne and Sydney with the series on a knife-edge at 1-1.

    Then it's time to wrap up both the England v New Zealand series from Hamilton [33:56] and the retirement of the great Tim Southee. Raj wants to maximise the remainder of Kane Williamson's career (don't we all) and we contemplate if Will Young has done enough to hold his spot going forward. On the England side, our northern hemisphere analysts discuss whether Ollie Pope has done enough to keep his spot, and how good Jacob Bethell could be going forward.

    From all of us at the Top Order Podcast, have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

    If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:
    https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from the cricket 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    * We're not sure how it's special. It's special like all Christmas episodes are special we suppose. Except we don't sing. We truly value our listeners too much to do that...

    0:00 Introduction
    1:20 India v Australia - questions for the Aussies after rain disrupts play
    21:55 Questions for India
    27:40 Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement
    34:00 Black Caps v England - NZ win the third Test
    46:20 England's tactics and approach
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  • In this episode of the show, Binksy and Jamie jump online for an English Cricket check-in, in which they to try and keep their feet in the here and now but inevitably turn their thoughts to the Ashes.

    They start the show by discussing Darren Lehmann's comments regarding Joe Root, then move to the brilliance of both Root and his Yorkshire teammate Harry Brook. There's a conversation about team permutations for both the Black Caps and England heading into the third and final test of the series in New Zealand, which will serve as Tim Southee’s farewell to Test cricket.

    To round out the show, there’s also a brief but fruitless chat on how to improve over rates, plus breaking news at the time of recording concerning Jason Gillespie resigning from his role as Pakistan coach.

    If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support:
    https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from the cricket 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 [email protected].

    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:40 Darren Lehmann's comments about Joe Root
    6:45 Harry Brook moves to #1 in the ICC rankings
    14:25 Changes for the third Black Caps v England Test in Hamilton?
    23:20 The over-rate debate
    32:20 Predictions for NZ v England final Test
    34:15 Jason Gillespie resigns as Pakistan coach
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  • In this episode of the show, Baldy & Stu look back with contrasting emotions at the week (or three days) that was after Australia's convincing win against India and New Zealand once again collapsing against England.

    We start the show on a happy note for Baldy by discussing a turnaround in fortunes for Australia during the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Scott Boland picked up where Josh Hazlewood left off, Mitchell Starc's radar was on from ball one and Pat Cummins also played his part in a dominant performance from the Aussie quicks. We also saw valuable contributions from Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney, a hundred from Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy continue to look very comfortable at Test level. There's also discussion about why batters are struggling so much at the moment when the ball moves around, and the topsy-turvy nature of Test cricket results all over the world.

    In the second half of the show, it was rinse and repeat for England as Harry Brook and then Brydon Carse took centre stage again and the Black Caps crumbled under the pressure. In fact, England were so dominant we didn't even mention that Gus Atkinson took a hat-trick! There's praise for Joe Root, Jacob Bethell & Nathan Smith, Tom Blundell's return to form, a conversation about England winning the tactical battle, and unfortunately more selection questions for New Zealand with Tim Southee and Devon Conway in particular under the spotlight.

    We'll be back in your feed again next week with more news and views from both these exciting 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 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 [email protected].
     
    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:30 Australia's bowlers set the tone for a big win against India
    5:00 Scott Boland steps in and doesn't miss a beat
    6:45 Why are batters struggling so much in the longer format?
    9:35 Key partnership from Marnus Labuschagne & Nathan McSweeney
    16:10 Travis Head breaks loose
    19:10 Pat Cummins' contribution
    20:45 Nitish Kumar Reddy looks ready for Test cricket
    24:00 Is India's batting lineup dangerous or fragile?
    30:10 Rohit Sharma the middle-order batter
    34:35 Test cricket results are all over the place
    36:55 Looking ahead to Brisbane
    40:15 Black Caps v England reaction
    42:25 Harry Brook's performance, along with Ollie Pope
    48:00 England winning the tactical battle against NZ
    51:05 England targeting Tim Southee
    57:20 New Zealand's batting woes, particularly Devon Conway
    1:06:25 Tom Blundell's hundred
    1:10:10 Changes for the Black Caps?
    1:14:45 Jacob Bethell and Joe Root
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  • In this episode of the show, we review England's big win against the Black Caps at Hagley Oval, plus discuss some squad/injury news in the Border-Gavaskar series.

    England had some excellent performances from the likes of Harry Brook and Brydon Carse, but is it simply a case of catches win matches (or in New Zealand's case, dropped catches lose matches)? We discuss the first Test in plenty of detail, with comments on Brook, Carse, Ollie Pope, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith and others, plus look ahead to the selection questions facing both sides. Is there a spot for Will Young? Has Jacob Bethell done enough with his chance for England to hold his place? And much more . . .

    We also chat about potential changes to both Australia and India for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series, with Josh Hazlewood injured and doubts about Mitchell Marsh, while for India it looks likely that both Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will return. Who will India leave out? And will the injuries provide a lifeline for Marnus Labuschagne?

    We'll be back in your feed again soon with more news and views from both these exciting 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 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 [email protected].
     
    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:40 Initial reaction to England's big win against New Zealand
    3:50 Did the Black Caps drop the game?
    5:55 Harry Brook takes advantage
    9:45 Ollie Pope's contribution, as well as Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes
    16:45 Did New Zealand pick the right bowling attack?
    21:00 Black Caps struggling for consistency
    22:30 Brydon Carse takes 10 wickets in the match
    30:00 NZ selection questions
    48:15 Any questions for England?
    53:00 Hazlewood injury & Marsh doubts for Australia
    58:05 Shubman Gill & Rohit Sharma set to return for India
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  • In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu react to both days of the IPL mega auction, which saw Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer attract record bids, 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi picked up by Rajasthan Royals & the Mumbai Indians add a few Kiwis to their squad.

    We discuss the big winners (local players), Bevan-John Jacobs' surprise selection, powerful top orders, the Right to Match cards, where the New Zealanders and Australians landed (or didn't land), and how the huge player movement impacts the fan experience for overseas viewers.

    We'll be back in your feed again at the conclusion of the first Test in the Black Caps v England series with more news and views from the cricketing week that was. 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 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 [email protected].
     
    Thanks for listening.

    0:00 Intro
    1:15 Local players on the move at high prices
    9:30 Where did the Black Caps end up?
    12:15 Bevan-John Jacobs selected by Mumbai Indians
    14:45 Australians everywhere
    16:45 David Warner among the snubs, but 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi goes to RR
    22:10 Daryl Mitchell goes unsold, along with Shardul Thakur and other notable names
    26:20 How does the player movement impact the fan experience?
    35:05 Final thoughts
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