The Top Order Cricket Podcast: Recent Episodes

The Top Order Podcast

A Pom, an Aussie and two Kiwis walk into a bar ... it’s not a joke, it’s The Top Order, a cricketing podcast where good friends mix their own banter and opinion with extended interviews with some of cricket's most interesting characters from the past and present day.

On this episode of the show, we've got one eye on the ICC Men's World Cup as we discuss England v New Zealand, Australia v South Africa and the Pakistan v India Cup.

The Black Caps named their World Cup squad this week, with spots for Will Young, Mark Chapman and Jimmy Neesham, but Finn Allen and Adam Milne miss out. Did they get the balance right?

Through the lens of the current ODI series against England, we also take a deeper dive into the squad and how they might line up at the tournament:

Who are the key players in the batting lineup and why is it Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell?
How will four seamers fit into three spots?
Trent Boult is awesome

On the England side, questions still remain about Harry Brook and whether he's doing enough to force his way into the squad. Liam Livingstone is putting his hand up, though, as is Gus Atkinson, who is shining among a number of England seamers all fighting for game time.

Over in South Africa, the Australians continue to outplay the home side - even ones who weren't initially named in the starting XI. We debate whether Marnus Labuschagne's match-winning performance as a concussion substitute and the hundred that followed will be enough to get himself on the plane to India. We also shine the spotlight on South Africa to ask: Are they serious contenders at this World Cup?

The Asia Cup has moved to the Super 4 phase, India and Pakistan played a one-dayer over two days and Virat Kohli scored his 47th ODI hundred. There was a hundred too for KL Rahul, who returned from injury to strengthen his case for a spot in the starting XI, and high praise from us for Kuldeep Yadav, who has roared back into form over the past 12 months and now looks primed to have a big impact on the World Cup.

We'll be back again next week to start our World Cup previews, but in the meantime, 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 chats with Shane Bond, Finn Allen, Jeetan Patel, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, 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.

On this episode of the show, we travel around the world to discuss England v Black Caps, Australia v South Africa and the first few Asia Cup games.

The first three T20s between England and New Zealand weren't even moderately close, but there were still plenty of talking points:

How aggressive will Finn Allen be at the World Cup? And how consistent does he need to be across the tournament for his overall performance to be treated as a success?
Is Adam Milne in better form than Lockie Ferguson?
Kane Williamson is going to the World Cup - what does that mean for Will Young, Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham and Rachin Ravindra?
Is all the chopping and changing of players an issue for the Black Caps?
How can England make room for Harry Brook in their squad?
And what role will Gus Atkinson play?

Australia have dominated their T20 series with South Africa, and we look at which of the Aussie fringe players are pushing hard for a World Cup role.

Does Marcus Stoinis' success with the ball ease any concerns about Australia's 5th bowling option?
Will Tanveer Sangha play a significant part in the World Cup?
How much pressure is David Warner under?
Are South Africa just tricking everyone?
And have the major white-ball tournaments taken on extra significance for South Africa now that they appear to have relegated the Test game?

The Asia Cup pool stages are underway - Pakistan's bowling attack is still very good, Ishan Kishan has surely locked down India's wicketkeeping spot and we debate whether Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan can provide more threat than banana skins during the upcoming World Cup.

We round out the show with more New Zealand news - a new CEO, Corey Anderson's BBL gig and an impressive win against Australia A.

We'll be back again next week, but in the meantime, 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 chats with Shane Bond, Finn Allen, Jeetan Patel, Sophie Devine, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Matt Henry, Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, George Dobell 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.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we discuss and compare the careers of the two greatest batters, and cricketers (if you agree with the algorithm), that the world has ever seen: India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Sir Donald Bradman.

Sachin Tendulkar captured the hearts of a billion people during a glittering career that spanned more than two decades. From his Test debut at 16 (!) until his record-breaking 200th match, the Little Master's poise, balance and stroke-making earned him comparisons to 'The Don', even from the man himself.

On the other hand, Sir Donald Bradman played only 52 Tests - 37 of them against England - but left such a mark on the game of cricket that he may well be statistically the greatest sportsperson of all-time. Therefore, it'll come as no surprise that he also sits atop the Top Order Podcast Hall of Fame.

Do you agree with our assessment? Or have we got things horribly wrong? Don't be shy to tell us how you feel via social media or at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.

We'll be back next week with more action from around the world, including the white-ball series between England and the Black Caps, plus the early action in the Asia Cup. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - if you prefer a video panel discussion, check out our channel and be sure to subscribe.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Shane Bond, Lesley Murdoch, Jeetan Patel, Barry Richards, Jarrod Kimber 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.

This week on the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss the return of both Trent Boult and Ben Stokes as the New Zealand and England squads for the Men's ODI World Cup start to take shape.

In the first half of the episode, we cover England, and the un-retirement of Ben Stokes, which has made headlines this week. Was Harry Brook unlucky? Will Jofra Archer make a late appearance? And who is Gus Atkinson?

As the conversation moves to the Black Caps, we discuss the squad balance needed for Indian conditions and what questions are yet to be answered over the next few weeks as New Zealand take on the UAE and England in T20 and ODI series. How seriously are the selectors looking at Kyle Jamieson? Is there room for both Will Young and Mark Chapman? Which allrounders will make the cut? Plus another edition of Kane Williamson watch and confirmation that South Africa will send a weakened Test side to New Zealand in February 2024.

If you'd like take a look at the Taniwha Cricket fundraiser we mentioned on the previous episode, you can find the Givealittle page here.

We'll be back again next week, but in the meantime, 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 chats with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Dion Nash, Sophie Devine, the Hussey brothers, 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.

(Note: A few technical difficulties mean the sound levels are a bit lower for the first 16 minutes or so of this episode, and the reason for the delayed release. Aiming to have another episode up by the end of the week.)

Recorded on 8 August 2023, Binksy, Baldy and Stu steer away from the short-form leagues to tidy up a few loose ends from the Ashes and discuss some early Men's ODI World Cup news.

We debate over-rate penalties, ball changes and David Warner, before Baldy whips out his depth chart (an actual chart with Post-it notes and everything) as the conversation moves to potential Australia and England squads for the next Ashes (which we now realise is in November 2025, not 2024 as stated).

In the second half of the episode, Binksy explains why he hasn't enlisted the help of the BCCI to schedule an upcoming barbecue, Stu channels his inner Lloyd Christmas over the latest Kane Williamson injury update, Baldy's depth chart makes another appearance and we outline why India's depth could hurt them as we start to focus our attention on another major ICC event.

If you'd like take a look at the Taniwha Cricket fundraiser we mentioned on the show, you can find the Givealittle page here.

We'll be back again next week, but in the meantime, 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 chats with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Sophie Devine, 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.

Drama, controversy, moral victories, rain, retirement, boring Aussies, Bazball heroes, photos with the urn – even some cricket! The fifth Test of this fascinating Ashes series is in the books, and Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the key moments and storylines from the final Test between England and Australia for 2023.

Stuart Broad flipped the bails, announced his retirement and then delivered the fairytale finish that his career deserved as England squared the series 2-2 with a win at The Oval.

Was that scoreline a fair result?
Why are Australia copping so much criticism?
Was it a missed opportunity for both sides?
And have England saved Test cricket?

There's also praise for Chris Woakes and Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting calls for an investigation and spin even gets a mention as we discuss the performances of Moeen Ali and Todd Murphy as well as the absences of Jack Leach and Nathan Lyon.

We'll be back next week with more news and views from all the cricket currently going on around the world. In the meantime, 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 chats with Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Georgia Wareham, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, 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.

This week on the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the rain-affected 4th men's Ashes Test at Old Trafford, discuss a few talking points from the Black Caps' T20 squad to face the UAE and England, plus give a shout out to Virat Kohli for his 29th Test hundred in his 500th international match.

Were England robbed?

What happened with Australia's team selection?

Should Ben Stokes have declared?

Is Pat Cummins a good captain?

Plus Zak Crawley's dominant display, Mark Wood rockets, Chris Woakes 5-fors, Marnus Labuschange's match-saving hundred, changes and storylines for The Oval and much more from another fascinating instalment of this edition of the men's Ashes.

We round out the show by discussing a potential Black Caps debut for Dean Foxcroft and Adi Ashok, as well as the return of Kyle Jamieson for the upcoming T20 tour of the UAE and England. Then we bemoan the continued creep of T20 league cricket, which looks set to impact South Africa's Test tour of New Zealand in the summer of 2024, and Stu continues his year-long apology to Virat Kohli after the King's 29th Test hundred during the second Test between India and the West Indies.

We'll be back next week to wrap up the final men's Ashes Test, plus whatever else catches our eyes from all the cricket currently going on around the world. In the meantime, 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 chats with Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Georgia Wareham, Rachin Ravindra, Sophie Devine, 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.

This week on the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu recap the week that was and look ahead to the 4th men's Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

We start by discussing India's dominant victory against the West Indies, which saw a big century on Test debut for Yashasvi Jaiswal and a 12-wicket haul for Ravichandran Ashwin. Alick Athanaze offered some glimmers of positivity for the West Indies, but, apart from winning the battle of the uniforms, it was a tough outing for the home side.

In New Zealand news, Gary Stead received a contract extension that will see him remain as head coach through to the end of this World Test Championship cycle in 2025. Did this come as a surprise? Were there other candidates in the mix? Should NZC have given more thought to a split coaching role? Or does Stead's outstanding record as coach speak for itself?

Attention then turned to the Kiwis on display around the world, including Matt Henry, who starred in the Vitality Blast, combining with Ish Sodhi to bowl Somerset to the title. Is the best still yet to come for Henry in international colours?

At Major League Cricket in the USA, Devon Conway scored the first 50 of the tournament, but it was Corey Anderson who had us all wondering what might have been if injuries hadn't disrupted his international career. We give our initial thoughts on the tournament so far, and whether it has the potential to become a significant part of the cricket calendar.

We round out the show by looking ahead to the next men's Ashes Test, fresh off Australia securing the women's Ashes with a narrow victory in the second ODI. Both teams have questions around selection, with David Warner, Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh in the spotlight for Australia and an absent Baldy making a case for Michael Neser to play. But will we actually be looking at largely unchanged sides in a few days' time? And will the rain stay away long enough for a result?

We'll be back next week with more of the same, including the Tests in England and the West Indies. In the meantime, 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 chats with Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Sophie Devine, 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the 3rd Ashes Test at Headingley, which saw England secure a crucial win to keep the series alive.

After yet another close finish, there's plenty to discuss about these two good cricket sides who both still have a lot of questions to answer.

Is Bazball good again?

Why was this Mark Wood's first Test of the series?

How much did Australia miss Nathan Lyon?

Has England wrestled back the momentum?

Is David Warner about to be dropped?

What's happening with Australia's lower order?

Plus struggles for Jonny Bairstow and Scott Boland, Zak Crawley's impact, the Moeen Ali at 3 experience, Chris Broad's Simpsons fandom, Ben Stokes with the tail, some (brief) New Zealand news and more!

If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram and 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.

Dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hussey, Bharat Sundaresan, Finn Allen, Sophie Devine, Wasim Khan, Gary Stead, Shane Bond, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Baldy review the second Ashes Test of 2023.

Australia won the Test, but who is winning the PR battle? There was controversy galore - from Mitchell Starc’s (non) catch, to the Alex Carey/Jonny Bairstow run out and the reaction of the MCC members at Lord’s - but are all the distractions making it hard to step back and consider which team is actually playing the better cricket? And if Australia continue to win, will it be the end of BazBall? The end of Brendon McCullum?

Ben Stokes and Steve Smith provided highlights, Nathan Lyon’s 100th consecutive Test ended with injury and both sides have plenty of questions to consider in the short turnaround before the third match in the series.

We’ll be back again next week to review all the action, but please take the time before then to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at growing this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Jeetan Patel, Colin Munro, Sophie Devine, 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.

In this episode of the show, we cover a lot of ground. From India's Test squad, to the women's and men's Ashes, across to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers and back to New Zealand.

We start by discussing India's Test squad for their upcoming tour to the West Indies, which does not include Cheteshwar Pujara, but instead features the young talents of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Was it the right call?

More Ashes content follows, as the two series continue to deliver maximum entertainment both on and off the field. We recap a closely fought women's Test, which saw individual highlights for Tammy Beaumont, Sophie Ecclestone, Ash Gardner, Annabel Sutherland and many others, and another Australian victory.

On the men's side, it's been non-stop banter. Zak Crawley's predicting a big win for England. Ollie Robinson is claiming a points victory, but Pat Cummins and his Australian side have preferred to let the former players do the majority of the talking.

Over in Zimbabwe, it's been a run-fest so far at the ICC ODI World Cup Qualifiers. The home side has been piling on the runs, and are in pole position to nab one of the two remaining 2023 World Cup spots as the Super Six begins. On the other hand, the West Indies' campaign is in tatters after their second loss of the tournament - Logan van Beek's incredible Super Over, in which he plundered 30 from the bowling of Jason Holder, saw The Netherlands home after the scores were tied at 374 (no that's not a typo) at the end of the first 100 overs.

To round out the show, we discuss Kane Williamson's social media tease, as well as the impact of Michael Bracewell's injury for the Black Caps' World Cup chances and Leigh Kasperek's return to the White Ferns.

We'll be back next week to wrap the second men's Ashes Test between England and Australia, plus the World Cup qualifiers and anything else that grabs our attention across the cricket world. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram and 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 Wasim Khan, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Bharat Sundaresan, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, we review the first Ashes Test of 2023, which saw Australia defeat England by 2 wickets.

Zak Crawley signalled England's intent from the first ball, and from there the game see-sawed back and forth in front of a raucous crowd until Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon combined with the bat to carry Australia across the line.

We talk declarations, tactics, leadership, throwing your bat into the air, Australia's number XIs, Ricky Ponting blanking Kevin Pietersen, whether England care more about entertaining than winning and how over the course of one match Australia went from the World Test Champions to the plucky underdogs against the big bad Bazballers.

We also discuss the individual performances of Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Nathan Lyon, Alex Carey and Jonny Bairstow, as well as looking ahead to the second Test at Lord's.

We'll be back again next week, most likely with our Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes as well as some selected interviews are available on YouTube.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Sophie Devine, Tim Southee, Finn Allen, George Dobell 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.

On this episode of the show, we look ahead to one of the most anticipated Ashes series in a while, as the recently crowned World Test Champions look to become the first team to win a series against England in the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era.

We start by discussing why this particular series feels different - and more exciting - than in recent years, before working our way through the big questions of the series.

Who are the potential game-changers?

Has Scott Boland done enough to be selected ahead of Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc?

Can Travis Head maintain his red-hot form?

After being a shining light of an otherwise disappointing Ashes series for England in 2021, do we expect a repeat performance from Mark Wood?

What role will spin play?

Will Zak Crawley last the series?

Who will win and why?

Plus Jonny Bairstow, Marnus Labuschagne, bold predictions and much more!

We'll have plenty of Ashes coverage throughout the course of this series, with reviews of every Test match and hopefully some special guests along the way. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube for anyone who would like to watch along as you listen.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Luke Wright, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Daniel Brettig 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.

In this episode of the show, we look back at the World Test Championship final, which saw Australia defeat India to claim the title.

We discuss the selections - most notably India leaving Ravichandran Ashwin on the bench - the toss, the pitch, the over rates, the format and even some of the actual cricket in what proved a fascinating contest, despite Australia holding the upper hand by tea on Day 1.

There's praise for the brilliant partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith, questions about India's decision to bowl Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami for the entire first hour on Day 1, and a conversation about Scott Boland to discover what makes his performances at Test level so impressive.

We also touch on the controversy surrounding Cameron Green's catch - and Shubman Gill's reaction - the brilliance of Steve Smith's catch to dismiss Virat Kohli, and completely forget to mention the two fighting knocks by Ajinkya Rahane or the fact that Daniel Vettori made sure at least one New Zealand hand remained on the mace.

To round out the show, Stu discusses the talking points from the Black Caps' contract list - most notably the absence of Ajaz Patel and Jimmy Neesham, and potentially some good news for those hoping to see Trent Boult back in black more regularly over the next 12 months.

Hot on the heels of this episode, we'll be back again with a full preview of the Ashes. You can also check out our most recent Test Cricket Hall of Fame episode, which featured a discussion about Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne to try to answer the question: Who is the greatest Test spinner of all time.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube for anyone who would also like to watch along as you listen.

You can dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Rachin Ravindra, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Dion Nash, 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.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we discuss and compare the careers of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's Shane Warne in order to determine who is the greatest ever spinner (and bowler) in the history of Test cricket.

With more than 1500 Test wickets between them, it's hard to split these two giants of the game, but we do our best as we look at the stats, plus all the intangibles that made these players special.

Do you agree with our assessment? Or have we got things horribly wrong? Don't be shy to tell us how you feel via social media or at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.

We'll be back early next week to preview the Ashes and celebrate the holders of the World Test Championship mace. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - if you preview a video panel discussion, check out our channel and be sure to subscribe.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Shane Bond, Lesley Murdoch, Jeetan Patel, Barry Richards, Jarrod Kimber 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.

In this episode, we look ahead to the World Test Championship final between India and Australia at The Oval.

Is it growing in stature as an ICC event? Or is it losing some lustre second time around?
Do Australia care more about this game or the Ashes?
Is India in desperate need of an ICC event victory?
Can India fit both Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja into their playing XI?
Shami & Siraj v Cummins & Starc
Smith & Labuschagne v Kohli & Pujara
Kishan or Bharat to wear the gloves for India?
And who will win?

Around the 39.30 mark, we discuss England's victory against Ireland.

Is the ease of England's win a red flag for Test cricket?
Will Josh Tongue feature in the Ashes?
Is golf really that fun?
How do you get Ben Duckett to believe in the leave?

Plenty of content coming up over the next few weeks - we'll have a review of the World Test Championship final, a full preview of the Ashes, and we've also got some Test Cricket Hall of Fame content dropping on Friday. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Rachin Ravindra, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Dion Nash, 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.

In this episode of the show, we discuss the IPL final, which saw the Chennai Super Kings defeat the Gujarat Titans, plus the upcoming Test match between England and Ireland.

The IPL 2023 final was a thriller, with Ravindra Jadeja hitting 10 off the final two balls of the match to seal yet another title for CSK - a fitting way to end a fantastic tournament. We discuss the key moments and key players - Mohit Sharma's final over, Devon Conway's greatest win, MS Dhoni's status as a legend of Indian cricket, how to get Stephen Fleming on the Black Caps' coaching staff, Hardik Pandya's leadership and much more.

To round out the show, we look ahead to Ireland's visit to Lord's, where Barnet Green's Josh Tongue will make his England debut and Josh Little is a notable absentee.

We'll be back next week to preview the World Test Championship Final and look ahead to the Ashes. We've also got some Test Cricket Hall of Fame content not far away. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Rachin Ravindra, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Dion Nash, 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.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we look back at the final week of the IPL 2023 round robin - then make our predictions about who will win it all.

We start the show by discussing RCB and the Rajasthan Royals - two teams who most likely view this year's tournament as a big missed opportunity. Virat Kohli hit back-to-back hundreds, Faf du Plessis lead the run charts, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks set for international stardom and the smile came back to Yuzvendra Chahal's face, but still these sides failed to reach the playoffs. What went wrong (other than a no ball)?

We then cast our eye over the four remaining teams: Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and the Mumbai Indians.

Can GT ride Shubman Gill's red-hot form all the way to the title? Will Devon Conway and MS Dhoni be wrapped in a big hug after the final ball is bowled? Can Marcus Stoinis pull off two match-winning innings in a row? Or will Cameron Green's long levers be lifting the trophy when all is said and done?

We'll be back next week to wrap up the IPL playoffs and look ahead to the English international summer, including the build-up to the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Lockie Ferguson, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Rachin Ravindra, 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.

This week on the show we talk about the runfest at the IPL, which saw Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh and Shubman Gill post individual scores of 98+ within a span of five days. Throw in impressive performances from players like Glenn Maxwell and Rinku Singh and the question becomes:

Is bat dominating ball too much?

The Rajasthan Royals would argue otherwise, as their epic collapse against RCB reflected their collapse in this tournament as the playoff picture starts to take shape - with the Gujarat Titans now confirmed as a top 2 side.

In the second half of the show, we're back in New Zealand to discuss David White's decision to step down as CEO. On the field, it's been an incredibly successful decade, particularly for the Black Caps, but is NZ Cricket set up well for future success? Or does the road ahead look challenging?

Speaking of challenging, the reported contract offer from the Mumbai Indians to Jofra Archer suggests that international cricket's future is under threat perhaps even sooner than many predicted. Throw in the ICC revenue model for the next World Test Championship cycle and you start to wonder how long before cricket's employment model is completely flipped on its head.

We round out the show by discussing Rory Burns' hair, and Daryl Mitchell's lack of it. Fortunately, though, what Mitchell lacks in the hair department he makes up for with runs - his hundred for Lancashire a notable performance from the County Championship, where Steve Smith is struggling, Michael Neser is on fire and it looks as though Ben Foakes has not done enough to retain his spot in England's Test side.

We'll be back next week as the IPL playoffs and the English international summer take shape, including the build-up to the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Cam Fletcher, Shane Bond, Georgia Wareham, Barry Richards, Rachin Ravindra, 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.

This week on the show, we look back at a host of topsy-turvy results at the IPL and the Black Caps tour to Pakistan, which finished with a New Zealand victory in the final ODI.

For all our jokes about the IPL, the 2023 edition is delivering incredible finish after incredible finish. The only constant is drama - and the Gujarat Titans winning - with all 10 teams still in the hunt for a top 4 spot. The Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals were terrible, now they are the form teams, while the Lucknow Super Giants and Trent Boult's Rajasthan Royals are on the slide.

We discuss impactful performances from Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Glenn Phillips, Jos Buttler and Wriddiman Saha - plus the arguably less positive impact made by Virat Kohli.

In the second half of the episode, we look at the positives from the Black Caps' ODI series with Pakistan, and ponder the World Cup selection questions that still remain unanswered. Should New Zealand favour specialists like Will Young, Mark Chapman, Tom Blundell and Ish Sodhi? Or lean towards allrounders like Jimmy Neesham, Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra? Has Adam Milne done enough to take Lockie Ferguson's spot as the designated speedster? And does Devon Conway need to pack his wicketkeeping gloves or not?

We'll be back next week with more from the IPL and other news from around the world, including the build-up to the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Dean Foxcroft, Shane Bond, Katey Martin, Dion Nash, Matt Henry, 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.

This week on the show we look back at another busy week at IPL 2023, the white-ball series between the Black Caps and Pakistan, and discuss reports that The Hundred might be coming to an end in the not-so-distant future.

Right when we thought the IPL playoff picture was becoming clearer, Punjab beat CSK in a thriller and the Mumbai Indians came from the clouds to beat Rajasthan thanks to Tim David and his long levers. Then LSG followed up their mammoth 257 with 108, which RCB and particularly Virat Kohli enjoyed quite a lot. KL Rahul got injured, Devon Conway remained awesome, Harry Brook watched a lot of videos of himself, Mitchell Marsh listened to the podcast, Kyle Mayers hit it to the moon and MS Dhoni is still hitting sixes - just another week at the IPL.

Over in Pakistan, Daryl Mitchell has emerged as the front-runner for Kane Williamson's number-three spot in the Black Caps' ODI squad thanks to back-to-back centuries, Mark Chapman's historic T20 series encouraged the selectors to change his return ticket home, but it's been the home side who has had the better week - thanks in large part to the Mumbai Cements Player of the Week: Fakhar Zaman.

We round out the episode with a discussion about The Hundred, which started with a lot of fanfare, but, if you believe recent reports, may not have much longer to run. Has it been a failure? Or has it been the injection of life that English cricket needed? And now that all this talk of franchise contracts is clearly here to stay, do we all need to take a moment to think about what we want our great game to look like in five, ten, twenty years' time?

*Note: apologies for the technical difficulties with Binksy’s microphone - back to normal service next episode.

We'll be back next week with more from the IPL, the Black Caps' tour to Pakistan and other news from around the world. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 our recent episodes (plus a few from the backlist) are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our conversations with special guests - including Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Dean Foxcroft, Shane Bond, Katey Martin, Barry Richards, Matt Henry, 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.

This week on the show, we take a pause from our regular format to answer listener questions framed around the 2023 edition of the IPL.

What's going on with KL Rahul?
Why do the Sunrisers Hyderabad suck?
Will Sam Curran be England's next T20 captain?
Would India A win the World Cup?
Is Arshdeep Singh the best death bowler of all time?
Can CSK continue their excellent run?
Will Ajinkya Rahane Bazball India to the World Test Championship mace?
Are the Rajasthan Royals good?
Who has the best haircut at the IPL?
And much more!

We'll be back next week to discuss the Black Caps' tour to Pakistan, the IPL and anything else that takes our fancy from the world of cricket. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel, including our latest in-studio recordings.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Finn Allen, Shane Bond, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Wasim Khan, Melinda Farrell, Rachin Ravindra, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In this episode of the show, we start by discussing an action-packed week at the IPL, in which the Rajasthan Royals made their way to the top of the ladder while David Warner's Delhi Capitals remain winless after five games.

There's been runs for Devon Conway, Faf du Plessis, Harry Brook and Shimron Hetmeyer, wickets for Rashid Khan, Mark Wood and Yuzvendra Chahal, plus signs of life for the star-studded Mumbai Indians batting line-up as the teams look to separate themselves from a condensed field.

Attention then turns to the Black Caps' tour to Pakistan, where at the time of recording the hosts led the T20 series 2-1. Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra and Adam Milne are putting their hands up, Matt Henry looks a class above, but a full-strength Pakistan side featuring Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Iftikhar Ahmed launching sixes everywhere is putting pressure on a number of Kiwis hoping to stake a claim for a World Cup spot later in 2023.

We also touch on the Brendon McCullum gambling ads and run our eyes over Australia's Ashes squad as the hype begins for what is shaping up to be a fascinating Test series.

We'll be back again next week to discuss more Black Caps v Pakistan and all the goings on at the IPL. In the meantime, please give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are now available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel, including our latest in-studio recordings.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Finn Allen, Dion Nash, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Wasim Khan, Melinda Farrell, Barry Richards, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In a brief departure from our This Week in Cricket episodes, Stu is joined by Abdullah Haider from wicketsandruns.net and the Pakistan Cricket Pod to discuss the Black Caps' upcoming white-ball tour to Pakistan.

We talk about the Pakistan Cricket coaching staff merry-go-round, Babar Azam's captaincy, who has the best chance to break into the Black Caps' ODI World Cup squad following the injury to Kane Williamson, the return of Shaheen Shah Afridi, whether Martin Guptill's performances at the PSL were enough to push for a return to international cricket, an Ihsanullah breakout and much more as we look ahead to the 5 T20s and 5 ODIs.

The Top Order team will be back together again next week to discuss the early part of this tour, plus all the goings on at the IPL. In the meantime, please give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are now available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel, including our latest in-studio recordings.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Shane Bond, Rachin Ravindra, Katey Martin, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, Wasim Khan, Cole McConchie, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

On this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at an action-packed week at the IPL, which saw plenty of runs, some very fast bowling and, unfortunately, too many injuries. We also discuss the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series, the conclusion of the Plunket Shield and New Zealand's upcoming tour to Pakistan.

The IPL has started with a bang - Virat Kohli sixes, Mark Wood rockets, Jos Buttler catches and incredible crowds - but a serious injury to Kane Williamson looks likely to rule him out of the ODI World Cup later in 2023. We discuss the implications for the Black Caps, whether Hardik Pandya should be seriously considered as India's white-ball captain, if Kyle Mayers has springs inside his bat and whether the Punjab Kings can maintain their impressive start to the tournament.

In the second segment of the show we discuss the white-ball series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which has so far been dominated by a largely second-string Black Caps' side. We talk about Rachin Ravindra's composure, tally up the gains from our skyrocketing Will Young stock and discuss the squads for the upcoming T20 and ODI tour to Pakistan.

To round out the show, we touch on the strong finish to the NZ domestic season for Central Districts, a win for NZ A against the Aussies and wonder if Rory Burns running down the wicket is a sign of things to come in the County Championship.

We'll be back again soon to discuss more news from the IPL and the Black Caps' tour to Pakistan. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are now available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel, including adding our latest episodes, like this one!

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher, Luke Wright and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Shane Bond, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, Andre Adams, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

It's that time of year again - the Indian Premier League is set to begin at 3am New Zealand time on 1 April and fill the cricket calendar for the following two months. We cast our eyes over all the squads and make our tournament predictions in this jam-packed episode.

We start the show with a shout out to the Mumbai Indians for winning the WPL - Nat Sciver-Brunt starred in the final, alongside Hayley Matthews, New Zealand's own Amelia Kerr and many more in a tournament that felt like a huge success and a fantastic advertisement for our great game.

As our attention turns to the men's edition, we run through each of the 10 teams in alphabetical order to answer questions like:

Will the Chennai Super Kings spin their way to another trophy?

How will the Delhi Capitals overcome the absence of Rishabh Pant?

Can Hardik Pandya lead the Gujarat Titans to back-to-back titles?

Is it a case of no Brendon McCullum, no chance for the Kolkata Knight Riders?

How angry will Lucknow Super Giants fans be about KL Rahul's strike rate this season?

Has Suryakumar Yadav forgotten how to bat, and what does that mean for the chances of the Mumbai Indians?

Can super Sam Curran propel the Punjab Kings to their first playoff appearance since 2014?

Do the Rajasthan Royals have any weaknesses?

Will a happy Virat Kohli be the star of an RCB side that's stacked with stars?

Are the Sunrisers Hyderabad the sleeping (or singing) giants of this competition, even despite the departure of Kane Williamson?

And who will win it all?

If you enjoyed the episode and the work we do on the podcast, we'd love it if you could take the time to visit www.sportspodcastgroup.com and vote for us as the Cricket Podcast of the Year. We're delighted to have made the shortlist, and honestly wouldn't be still recording these episodes if it wasn't for all the support and kind words we've received from listeners over the past few years.

We'll be back again next week to discuss the white-ball series between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka and discuss the early stages of the IPL. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel, including adding our latest episodes, like this one!

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher, Luke Wright and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Shane Bond, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, David Hussey, Ajaz Patel, Sophie Devine, Barry Richards, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

The Top Order team are all back together under the bright studio lights this week as we look back at the Black Caps' convincing win against Sri Lanka, which wrapped up a 2-0 series victory.

Kane Williamson's magnificence was to the fore once again as he delivered his sixth Test double century, passing 8000 Test runs during yet another milestone performance.

Henry Nicholls got in on the act as well, repaying the selectors' faith with a double century of his own on his way to the player of the match award. Then Blair Tickner and Michael Bracewell chipped in, New Zealand won by an innings to make it three Test victories in a row and all the Black Caps' doubters have disappeared, right?

To round out the show, we touch on the topsy-turvy India v Australia series, a stunning performance by Sophie Devine for RCB at the WPL and the Major League Cricket draft, which included some familiar names like Corey Anderson, Wanindu Hasaranga and Aaron Finch.

If you enjoyed the episode and the work we do on the podcast, we'd love it if you could take the time to visit www.sportspodcastgroup.com and vote for us as the Cricket Podcast of the Year. We're delighted to have made the shortlist, and honestly wouldn't be still recording these episodes if it wasn't for all the support and kind words we've received from listeners over the past few years.

We'll be back again next week to discuss the white-ball series between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka and catch up on all the other cricket going on around the world, including the WPL and the IPL. In the meantime, please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher, Luke Wright and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Shane Bond, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, Gary Stead, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

This New Zealand home summer continues to deliver incredible moments, and in this episode of the show Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the Black Caps' final-ball victory against Sri Lanka, plus review the Border-Gavaskar series.

Just when we thought we'd seen one of the best Test finishes of all-time, Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner combined to deliver more late drama as the Black Caps (just) got over the line at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

We talk Daryl Mitchell, Matt Henry, run chases, giant hearts, watching while driving and the positives for Sri Lanka as we unpack the emotions and highlights from another incredibly entertaining Test match.

In the second half of the show, we review what turned out to be quite a dull finish to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the series as a whole had a number of talking points. We discuss Virat Kohli, Australia's young spinners, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, the World Test Championship final and much more.

If you enjoyed the episode and the work we do on the podcast, we'd love it if you could take the time to visit www.sportspodcastgroup.com and vote for us as the Cricket Podcast of the Year. We're delighted to have made the shortlist, and honestly wouldn't be still recording these episodes if it wasn't for all the support and kind words we've received from listeners over the past few years.

We'll be back again next week to review the second Test between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka and catch up on all the other cricket going on around the world. In the meantime, please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher, Luke Wright and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Barry Richards, Dion Nash, Katey Martin, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Tim Southee, Sophie Devine, Finn Allen and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at Australia's win against India in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, look ahead to the Black Caps v Sri Lanka series and reflect on the first few days of the WPL.

Pitches are in the spotlight again in India, but has all the pitch talk overshadowed the excellent performances of Nathan Lyon, Cheteshwar Pujara and Travis Head?

The Black Caps are about to start another series, this time against Sri Lanka, with an unchanged side. But does Gavin Larsen's departure signal that change is on the horizon?

To round out the show we highlight some of the stars from the opening days of the WPL. There's praise for Hayley Matthews, Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, we discuss the decision to allow no balls and wides to be reviewed, and what a platform this tournament could be for the growth of women's cricket, particularly in India.

We'll be back next week to review the tests between India and Australia, the Black Caps and Sri Lanka and plenty more cricket from around the world. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher, Luke Wright and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu reflect on an incredible Test match between England and New Zealand, which saw the Black Caps win by a single run.

We discuss the key moments and players, including Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Ben Foakes, Tom Blundell and, of course, Neil Wagner. The panel also looks ahead to NZ's next assignment, against Sri Lanka, in a week's time.

We finish the show with a shout-out to yet another tournament win for the incredible Australian Women's side at the T20 World Cup, and decide that if it weren't for Ravi Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel then the Border-Gavaskar Trophy would probably be quite a closely fought series.

We'll be back next week to review the third Test between India and Australia, plus preview the Black Caps v Sri Lanka. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher, Luke Wright and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Sophie Devine, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

On this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy and Binksy look back at the Test matches between New Zealand and England, and India and Australia.

Fresh off a trip to the Bay Oval, the panel discusses an England side that continued their winning ways against a Black Caps team struggling to put a complete performance together in the Test arena.

We talk about the viability of pink-ball Tests, there's more praise for Harry Brook and Ben Duckett - plus the Jimmy Anderson/Stuart Broad duo - before looking ahead to potential events at the Basin Reserve.

Attention then turns to India, where Australia put real pressure on the hosts until the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel took charge with bat and ball to propel India to a comfortable victory in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It was great to catch up with a number of listeners at Bay Oval - some new, some who have been with us from Day 1. If you do enjoy the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher and Luke Wright, plus chats with Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Ish Sodhi, Andre Adams, Lesley Murdoch, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the third day of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval.

We talk marmalade, world records, Ben Foakes, short-pitched bowling, England's dominance and more Night Hawkery as the Test looks likely to come to a conclusion on day four.

We'll be back again around the same time tomorrow to review day three, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher and Luke Wright, plus chats with Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Colin Munro, Finn Allen, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the second day of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval.

We talk Tom Blundell's superb hundred, English bowling plans and the Nighthawk as NZ edged their way back into this Test as we approach day 3.

We'll be back again around the same time tomorrow to review day three, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher and Luke Wright, plus chats with Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Colin Munro, Finn Allen, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu recap the first day of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval.

We talk NZ's seam attack, Harry Brook's genius and Jimmy Anderson's class as England ended the day firmly on top.

We'll be back again around the same time tomorrow to review day two, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Cam Fletcher and Luke Wright, plus chats with Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Colin Munro, Finn Allen, Barry Richards 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.

On this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look ahead to the upcoming Test series between the Black Caps and England.

We start with squads and selection:

NZ's spin options
The return of Kyle Jamieson
An important series for Neil Wagner
Henry Nicholls v Will Young
England's many options with bat and ball

Then we discuss tactics to consider how the Black Caps will approach BazBall in home conditions. Will they stick with the measured, patient style that brought them success in recent years? Or do they need to fight fire with fire against this new brand of attacking Test cricket? Will the likes of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Harry Brook change their game at all if the pitch is green and the pink ball starts to move around at the Bay Oval?

And finally we make our predictions for what we all hope will be a fascinating series.

If you're going to be at the Bay Oval, reach out to us on social media or via email if you'd like to say hello. We're planning to be there for days 1-4 and we'd love to say hi.

If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) and leave 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with Cam Fletcher and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Shane Bond, Wasim Khan, Ish Sodhi, Sophie Devine, Barry Richards, 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.

In this episode of the show, we look ahead to preview the upcoming Test series between India and Australia.

We talk home records, legacies and the wider significance of the series for teams, players and world cricket, before diving into more specific questions.

What will Australia's bowling lineup look like?
Are their batters, outside of Steve Smith, equipped to deal with India's quality lineup of spinners?
Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav have been in great form, but will they play in the first Test?
India's recent home record is amazing, but are there areas of concern this time around?
Are Australia as good as their recent home record suggests?
Will Virat Kohli and Steve Smith rise to the occasion?
And who will win the series?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

Dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with the likes of Jeet Raval, Cam Fletcher and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Shane Bond, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Ish Sodhi, Sophie Devine, Bharat Sundaresan, Melinda Farrell 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.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we look back at the Black Caps' white-ball tour to India and the England v South Africa ODIs, plus news in the build up to the Women's T20 World Cup and debate recent comments by Ian Smith about New Zealand's Super Smash. There's also a short chat with Jim Morrison from New Zealand over-40s and 50s cricket, with details about upcoming games and how you can get involved.

New Zealand's tour of India has largely been one way traffic - Black Caps batters have struggled, Shubman Gill has dominated and Kuldeep Yadav has continued his good form - but Raj and Stu attempt to find some positives with the Men's ODI World Cup in mind.

The ODIs between England and South Africa have been entertaining, even if the series feels somewhat squeezed into the schedule. We talk send-offs, moustaches, Temba Bavuma and Moeen Ali, again with an eye to the World Cup.

Speaking of World Cups, the Women's T20 World Cup isn't far away - but is the result a foregone conclusion? Australia look dominant again on paper, Sophie Devine is racing against the clock to recover from a broken foot and Dane van Niekerk has been left out of the South African squad.

Turning our attention to domestic cricket, we discuss recent comments made by Ian Smith about the Super Smash. Is it working in its current iteration? Should it be attempting to compete with the other T20 leagues around the world? And how could New Zealand cricket make that happen?

To round out the show, Stu talks with Jim Morrison from New Zealand over-40s and 50s cricket about the upcoming series against Australia for the over-40s and World Cups for both sides later in 2023. What is over-40s/50s cricket? How do you get involved? Where can we watch the games?

We'll be back in your feed very soon with a preview of the upcoming India v Australia Test series, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with the likes of Cam Fletcher, Dean Foxcroft and Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 7 to 5 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are).

Now that we're at the business end of the list, we couldn't resist throwing a few extra minutes on the clock to discuss these legends of the game. Baldy reveals the algorithm's best allrounder, Binksy and Raj disagree about another allrounder and we all marvel at the coolest cricketer ever.

Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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. A few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our website. You'll find the Preamble, plus the list, which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Barry Richards, Gary Stead, Michael and David Hussey, Lesley Murdoch, Jarrod Kimber and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

SPOILER ALERT

This episode features players from 7-5 in the following order.

7 - Sir Vivian Richards

6 - Jacques Kallis

5 - Sir Garfield Sobers

In this episode of the show, the boys look back at an entertaining ODI series between the Black Caps and Pakistan, as well as some news and notes from the New Zealand domestic circuit.

There are questions about Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell and Finn Allen, as well as discussion around some of the newer members of the white-ball squads for the upcoming series against India.

As we return closer to home, Stu highlights a former East Coast Bays representative who is enjoying an excellent domestic season, the Wellington Blaze break their own record and Baldy gives a shout out to a talented young Australian after an impressive debut.

We'll be back in your feed in the coming days with the next episode of our Hall of Fame series. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 at our website, and a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our most recent conversation with Canterbury Kings keeper/batter Cam Fletcher, plus chats with Ish Sodhi, Dion Nash, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Katey Martin, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for listening.

It's a new year, but regular transmission resumes at Top Order Towers. Raj, Baldy, Binksy and Lippy are together in the same room to review the Test series in Pakistan and Australia, plus highlight a few players from the BBL and Super Smash.

We start the show by discussing the drawn series between the Black Caps and Pakistan.

Is traditional Test cricket still fun to watch?
Did New Zealand get their tactics right?
Which players stood out above the rest?
Do the Black Caps have (or need) a succession plan at Test level?
And is Test cricket shooting itself in the foot as an entertainment product?

In the second half of the show, we recap another dominant series win by Australia and try to identify the qualities needed the challenge the Aussies on home soil. There's praise for Travis Head, Baldy's still not convinced by Marnus Labuschagne and we cast our eyes forward to the upcoming series in India.

To round out the conversation, we look to the BBL and the Super Smash for standout performances. There are swinging arms, Jonny Wilkinson impersonations, power hitters and really long names as we discuss a host of players who might soon get a taste of international cricket.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Cam Fletcher, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen 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.

We’ve only gone and released an impromptu Cricketmas wrap up of England and Pakistan's epic 3-0 series and misquoted Christmas lyrics in an all-time low for TTOP!

(You can tell our usual wordsmith didn't write the show notes for this one...)

Bazball/Stokesball continues apace and we at TTOP can barely keep up. Binksy and Baldy have done their best to keep abreast of all the goings on in Pakistan as England move to 9-1 under Stokes/McCullum. Harry Brook, the Ahmeds (Abrar and Rehan) get a rap in this segment, as well as the underrated England bowling attack, and we pay tribute to the retiring Azhar Ali.

To Australia we go in the second half of the show, for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it first Test between the Australians and the Proteas at the Gabba. Was the wicket dangerously under-par? Was it good bowling or poor batting? Or was it all three? The Goldilocks analogy gets a run early doors as we dissect the shortest of Tests and look forward to Melbourne on Boxing Day. Could Australia really do the unthinkable and drop Scott Boland for the second Test? Spin fans might not like Baldy's tongue-in-cheek solution.

We’ll be back again soon to wrap up the Boxing Day Tests from around the world. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Abdullah Haider previewing the upcoming New Zealand in Pakistan Test series starting on December 26th.

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.

In this episode of the show, Stu is joined by Abdullah Haider from the Pakistan Cricket Podcast to preview the upcoming series between the Black Caps and Pakistan.

The first half of the show focuses on the Pakistan squad, as Abdullah answers questions about injuries to the seamers, shines the spotlight on Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel, before explaining why Pakistan should feel confident despite their series loss to England.

Attention then turns to the Black Caps, starting with Stu highlighting the enormous success New Zealand have had under Kane Williamson's leadership and wondering what impact the captaincy change will have on the Black Caps' style of play. There's talk about Glenn Phillips and Ish Sodhi potentially returning to the Test arena, and Stu outlines why New Zealand have a lot to prove to themselves and to the fans over the course of this series.

Many thanks to Abdullah for joining the show - you can hear more from him by subscribing to the Pakistan Cricket Podcast, or by following them on Twitter (@PakCricPodcast).

And thanks also goes to you, the listener, for joining us throughout 2022. We've been creating content for more than three years now, but we still think it's very cool to have listeners all over the world and we really appreciate you taking the time to hear our thoughts on the great game of cricket.

If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Cam Fletcher, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Mike Hussey, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, Finn Allen, Frankie Mackay, Shane Bond 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.

In this episode of the show, we continue our tour around the New Zealand provinces as Stu catches up with Canterbury Cricket wicketkeeper/batter Cam Fletcher.

The show starts with some BazBall chat, before looking back at an impressive 12 months for Cam, which saw him called into the Black Caps Test squad in addition to a tour to India with NZ A.

Cam talks about his experiences in the international environment, how his game has developed over the past few years and the 'finisher' role in T20 cricket.

Stu also asks for some insight into Chad Bowes and Henry Shipley, tries to understand why everyone wants to beat Canterbury and there's even an East Coast Bays reference in there for good measure.

Plenty more episodes on the way over the holiday season, with a Black Caps v Pakistan Test series preview coming soon, plus the boys are hoping to get together again to review the week that was in other parts of the world.

If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Tim Southee, Sophie Devine, Wasim Khan, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, Shane Bond, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In this episode, the Top Order discuss another English Test victory against Pakistan, speculate about the Black Caps squad (recorded before the official announcement) and try to bring some perspective to Australia's sweep of the West Indies.

How sustainable is England's attacking approach to the traditional game?

What lessons should New Zealand be learning from England's success?

Where have Pakistan been hiding Abrar Ahmed and Saud Shakeel?

Key takeaways from Australia v West Indies

Expectations for the Test series against South Africa

There's even unanimous agreement about David Warner-related content, perhaps for the first time ever on the show.

We'll be back in your feed again soon to share a conversation with Canterbury wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher, as well as more news and reviews of all the cricket going on around the world over this holiday season.

If you enjoy the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including recent conversations with Luke Wright, Jeet Raval and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Sophie Devine, Tim Southee, Wasim Khan, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In this episode of the show we speak with prolific author and journalist Ken Piesse about his life around the game and all the fascinating players he's had the opportunity to meet and work with along the way.

Ken shares stories about cups of tea with Keith Miller, reminiscing with Bill Ponsford, writing a book with Max Walker and Neil Harvey's footwork, as well as Sir Don Bradman as we fire questions Ken's way about some of the greats of yesteryear.

Ken also shares his views on the future of the game, and there's even a chat about Bert Sutcliffe and a special offer for all the New Zealand listeners out there. We could have spent hours listening to Ken tell stories, and we've no doubt this episode will make you want to book a P & O cruise just to hear more of his yarns.

You can find out more about Ken and all his publications, as well as purchase books from his vast collection, at cricketbooks.com.au. Mention that you listened to this episode and Ken will provide free shipping to New Zealand for any of his books.

We'll be back again soon to discuss the goings-on in the world of cricket, along with another interview from our trip around the New Zealand domestic provinces. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with the likes of Dean Foxcroft, Sophie Devine and Luke Wright, as well as interviews with Shane Bond, Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Katey Martin, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the 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.

Holiday season events and work/life admin are making it tricky for us to get a full team together, but in this episode of the show Binksy, Baldy and Lippy take a look back at an entertaining week in the world of cricket.

We start the show by discussing how England and Pakistan produced a Test match filled with drama and excitement on one of the most boring pitches of all time. There's a lot of praise for England, as we come to terms with the realisation that Test cricket is changing - and even Binksy might be converted to England's attacking style. We also cast our eye forward a few weeks to when the Black Caps visit Pakistan and the potential make up of that squad.

The White Ferns have won the first two T20s against Bangladesh in style, with the usual suspects contributing, but Lippy also shines a light on Maddy Green's recent performances to wonder whether her consistency is here to stay.

Finally, we round out the conversation with Australia's win against the West Indies. The 'No run' brigade stole the show, but there's also a word for Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, plus a Baldy conspiracy theory for good measure.

We've got more content coming in the next few days - an interview with journalist and author Ken Piesse, which largely features Ken telling stories about legends of yesteryear. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with Luke Wright, Jeet Raval and Dean Foxcroft. There's another of these provincial interviews on the way soon, plus you'll find chats with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Sophie Devine, Dion Nash, 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.

This week on the show it's just Stu and Binksy as we look back at the white-ball series between New Zealand and India. There was plenty of rain, but some excellent performances from the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson.

We talk about crowds, Eden Park and make the case for not tinkering with ODI cricket, before moving swiftly past Australia's first innings runfest in Perth.

To round out the show we marvel at the first session of the first Test between Pakistan and England to discuss the bigger picture of this English Test revival under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

We'll be back in your feed again next week (hopefully with a full crew) to discuss the week that was, plus we're planning the final few episodes of our Hall of Fame series and have more interviews lined up for the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with Luke Wright, Jeet Raval and Dean Foxcroft, plus chats with Finn Allen, Dion Nash, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 10 to 8 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are).

Now that we're at the business end of the list, we couldn't resist throwing a few extra minutes on the clock to discuss these legends of the game. Baldy reveals the algorithm's best fast bowler of all time, plus we discuss two stylish left-handers who scored stacks of runs all around the world.

Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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. A few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our website. You'll find the Preamble, plus the list, which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Andre Adams, Gary Stead, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Lesley Murdoch, Jarrod Kimber and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

SPOILER ALERT

This episode features players from 10-8 in the following order.

10 - SF Barnes

9 - Brian Lara

8 - Kumar Sangakkara

This week on the show we look back at the T20 World Cup final at the MCG, which saw England add another white-ball trophy to their cabinet. Binksy takes us through the game-day experience, then we break down the key moments of the match, featuring Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

In the second half of the episode, we bring India and New Zealand into the conversation to discuss a number of questions in the aftermath of this tournament:

Are England the best all-format team in the world?
Are they the greatest white-ball team of all-time?
Do India and NZ need to rethink their T20 strategy?
Have India underachieved?
And is it time for the Black Caps to hit the reset button?

We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss matches from all around the world, as well as our Hall of Fame series. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 at our website, and a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversations with Luke Wright, Dean Foxcroft and Jeet Raval, plus chats with Ajaz Patel, Sophie Devine, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu look back at an action-packed finish to the group stages of the T20 World Cup. The Dutch knocked South Africa out of the tournament, Pakistan snuck in the back door and now Stu is having nightmares about Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Binksy's off to the World Cup final, so in the second half of the show we look ahead to discuss how the semi-finals will be won or lost, in an attempt to predict which two teams will face off at the MCG on Sunday night. Raj makes an outrageous claim about Finn Allen, Stu goes into bat for Mitchell Santner and Binksy explains why it is win-win for him as England prepare to take on India.

We talk about Suryakumar Yadav, Jos Buttler, Babar Azam, Devon Conway and many more stars in this wide-ranging conversation about a tournament that has delivered on so many levels.

We'll be back next week to review the semi-finals and the big dance, but if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes, including chats with Ish Sodhi, Luke Wright, Jeet Raval, Wasim Khan, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Melinda Farrell, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu look back at an action-packed finish to the group stages of the T20 World Cup. The Dutch knocked South Africa out of the tournament, Pakistan snuck in the back door and now Stu is having nightmares about Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Binksy's off to the World Cup final, so in the second half of the show we look ahead to discuss how the semi-finals will be won or lost, in an attempt to predict which two teams will face off at the MCG on Sunday night. Raj makes an outrageous claim about Finn Allen, Stu goes into bat for Mitchell Santner and Binksy explains why it is win-win for him as England prepare to take on India.

We talk about Suryakumar Yadav, Jos Buttler, Babar Azam, Devon Conway and many more stars in this wide-ranging conversation about a tournament that has delivered on so many levels.

We'll be back next week to review the semi-finals and the big dance, but if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) 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 a few of our episodes are available on YouTube - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes, including chats with Ish Sodhi, Luke Wright, Jeet Raval, Wasim Khan, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Melinda Farrell, Barry Richards 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.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Ken Rutherford, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup has been on fire this past week, with the amazing finishes from the group stages carrying across to the Super 12 phase. Finn Allen and Devon Conway set up a big win for the Black Caps, before Virat Kohli stole the show and broke Pakistan hearts in a game filled with magical moments and plenty of talking points. We discuss no balls, dead balls, good old-fashioned hidings, Duckworth-Lewis and a whole host more as England and South Africa also start their campaigns, just as the West Indies depart during a very eventful opening week of the tournament. We'll be back in your feed soon with more T20 World Cup content and also our Hall of Fame series. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes, including our most recent conversation with Luke Wright, plus chats with Finn Allen, Colin Miller, Katey Martin, Jarrod Kimber and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. We absolutely love hearing from fellow cricket fans from all around the world. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we speak with Luke Wright, who has joined the Auckland Cricket coaching staff for 2022-23. Luke takes us through the move to Auckland and what he's noticed about the squad so far, before entertaining us with a walk down memory lane to look back at moments from his impressive career. We talk about young talent in the Auckland side, such as Adi Ashok, Simon Keene and Ryan Harrison, then discuss Luke's T20 World Cup win with England in 2010, playing alongside Shane Warne at the BBL and the experiences he's had and lessons learned along the way. Luke has a fascinating perspective on the rise of T20 leagues and the positives and negatives that brings for the international game and players all around the world, and we're sure you'll enjoy this conversation. We'll be back in your feed again next week to discuss the early stages of the T20 World Cup, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. Dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Shane Bond, Barry Richards, Sophie Devine, Andre Adams, Finn Allen, 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.

In the second episode of our 2022 journey around the New Zealand domestic provinces, we speak to Jeet Raval, fresh off leading the Northern Brave to a Super Smash title in 2021/22. Jeet and Stu discuss the ND preseason, look back at Jeet's time with the Black Caps and examine the NZ domestic scene as a platform for developing players for international level. And with the Plunket Shield set to begin next week, Jeet takes us behind the scenes for a closer look at the Northern squad both on and off the field, and outlines the team's goals for the upcoming season. Keep an eye out for plenty more episodes in the coming weeks - we're planning to catch up with a number of cricketers and coaches from around the New Zealand domestic scene. You'll also hear our thoughts on the Men's T20 World Cup throughout the tournament, plus more instalments of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, which has now reached the top 10. We'd really appreciate it if you take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - including this one - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our conversations with the likes of Shane Bond, Ajaz Patel, Sophie Devine, Mike Hussey, Jarrod Kimber, Katey Martin and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions, guest suggestions or your predictions for the T20 World Cup, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or via any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

In the first episode of our 2022 journey around the New Zealand domestic provinces, we speak to Dean Foxcroft, who returns to Otago after Covid left him stranded overseas for 28 months. Dean talks about the challenges of the past couple of years, gives us an update about what he's been up to during that time and details why he was so determined to return and push for higher honours here in Aotearoa. With the Plunket Shield set to begin next week, Dean takes us behind the scenes at the Otago squad both on and off the field, and outlines the team's goals for the upcoming season. Keep an eye out for plenty more episodes in the coming weeks - we're planning to catch up with a number of cricketers and coaches from around the New Zealand domestic scene. The next of these will be a conversation with Jeet Raval from the Northern Brave, dropping on Monday. You'll also hear our thoughts on the Men's T20 World Cup throughout the tournament, plus more instalments of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, which has now reached the top 10. We'd really appreciate you taking the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or telling a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - including this one - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our back catalogue, featuring conversations with the likes of Mike Hussey, Dion Nash, Shane Bond, Ish Sodhi, Sophie Devine, Barry Richards, Wasim Khan, 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, guest suggestions or your predictions for the T20 World Cup, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or via any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

In the first episode of our 2022 journey around the New Zealand domestic provinces, we speak to Dean Foxcroft, who returns to Otago after Covid left him stranded overseas for 28 months. Dean talks about the challenges of the past couple of years, gives us an update about what he's been up to during that time and details why he was so determined to return and push for higher honours here in Aotearoa. With the Plunket Shield set to begin next week, Dean takes us behind the scenes at the Otago squad both on and off the field, and outlines the team's goals for the upcoming season. Keep an eye out for plenty more episodes in the coming weeks - we're planning to catch up with a number of cricketers and coaches from around the New Zealand domestic scene. The next of these will be a conversation with Jeet Raval from the Northern Brave, dropping on Monday. You'll also hear our thoughts on the Men's T20 World Cup throughout the tournament, plus more instalments of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, which has now reached the top 10. We'd really appreciate you taking the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or telling a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - including this one - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our back catalogue, featuring conversations with the likes of Mike Hussey, Dion Nash, Shane Bond, Ish Sodhi, Sophie Devine, Barry Richards, Wasim Khan, 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, guest suggestions or your predictions for the T20 World Cup, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or via any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

Explainers, questions, answers and predictions - it's World Cup time! In this episode of the show we look ahead to the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup, which starts on 16 October. We set the scene, then deep dive into the key questions facing the teams we each find most interesting, before rounding out the show with players to watch and our predictions for the semi-finals, final and tournament winner. Keep an eye out for plenty more episodes in the coming weeks - we're planning to catch up with a number of cricketers and coaches from around the New Zealand domestic scene, plus there will be more instalments of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, which has now reached the top 10. We'd really appreciate it if you take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our conversations with the likes of Colin Miller, Dion Nash, Shane Bond, Ish Sodhi, Wasim Khan, Sophie Devine, Daniel Beswick and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions, guest suggestions or your predictions for the T20 World Cup, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or via any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

Recorded 28 September 2022 (before the Jasprit Bumrah injury news), in this episode of the show we stop at a number of destinations around the world as we look back at a week jam-packed with white-ball cricket. Australia may have found a solution to Aaron Finch's form slump - but will they find a spot for Cameron Green in their final T20 World Cup squad? Harry Brook is another young star on the rise, but has he done enough to force his way into England's top XI? And India have so many options - how will they choose the right one? We also touch on the New Zealand A tour to India, the White Ferns in the West Indies and the dreaded Mankad, which reared its ugly head again to overshadow Jhulan Goswami's final international game. We'll be back in your feed again in a few days with the next instalment of our Hall of Fame series. In the meantime, please give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Sophie Devine, plus chats with Ish Sodhi, Joe Scuderi, Tim Southee, Katey Martin, Niall O'Brien 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.

In this episode of the show we start by discussing an English summer highlighted by the revival of the men's Test side under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. We talk tactics, bowling attacks, preparation and much more as we reflect on the turnaround of England's red-ball side. The remainder of the show has a strong New Zealand focus as we try to understand why the Black Caps simply can't seem to beat Australia. There's a rush for Cameron Green stock, concerns about New Zealand's bowling attack, central contract debate, a Mumbai Indians takeover and even a Joe Carter update as we look back at all that's gone on during the past couple of weeks. We'll be back in your feed next week, most likely with more Top Order Podcast Hall of Fame content. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with White Ferns captain Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Mike Hussey, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, JP Gavan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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.

In this episode of the show, we speak to bat maker and repairer Josh (JP) Gavan about all things bats. Josh's passion for cricket and bat-making shines during the chat as we discuss his introduction to the industry as a 16 year old, current trends, pernickety customers, working with players like Ellyse Perry and Chris Gayle, what to look for when you're buying a bat, and much more. Josh encouraged all of us to seek out local bat makers, but if you'd like to find out more about his work and his products, check out his https://jpgavan.com.au/ (website), https://www.youtube.com/c/JPGavanCricket (You Tube channel), https://www.instagram.com/jpgavancricket/ (Instagram), https://www.facebook.com/JPGavan (Facebook) or simply search JP Gavan in your browser. We'll be back next week to cover the final Test between England and South Africa, the Chappell-Hadlee ODIs and everything else that catches our eye over the next few days. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine, plus chats with Mike and David Hussey, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the world. 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 15 to 11 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). We've got four of the most rhythmical bowlers you could ever hope to see, plus a batter who won more Test matches than anyone in the history of the game. There's two Australians, a West Indian, an Englishman and even a Kiwi (!) so you won't be surprised to hear there was a bit of debate as we discussed these entrants. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Sophie Devine, Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Barry Richards, Dion Nash and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 15-11 in the following order. 15 - James Anderson 14 - Glenn McGrath 13 - Malcolm Marshall 12 - Sir Richard Hadlee 11 - Ricky Ponting

On this episode of the show, we discuss the second England v South Africa Test, the confusing events of the BBL draft and the upcoming tours to India and Australia for NZ A and the Black Caps. England bounced back in a big way after their first Test loss of the home summer, demolishing South Africa in just three days. We talk about Dean Elgar's decision to bat first and play two spinners, the up-and-down nature of the Ben Foakes conversation and whether Ben Stokes is more like Andrew Flintoff or Ian Botham. As the episode continues, we look back at a BBL draft that became a lot more interesting when the Adelaide Strikers selected Colin de Grandhomme. Has CDG retired from international cricket? How did this happen? We're all very confused. Then we look ahead to upcoming tours to India and Australia for New Zealand's men's teams and the return of the A programme, featuring the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Joe Walker, Matt Fisher and Ben Lister. We'll have another episode dropping into your feed later this week - the next edition of our Test Cricket Hall of Fame - but in the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, 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.

On this episode of the show, we discuss the first Test between England and South Africa and the two Black Caps v West Indies white-ball series. Topics include: Are England bad again? Are South Africa favourites to make the World Test Championship final? Is it cruel to keep picking Zak Crawley? Future Tours Programme Changes for the 2nd Test?

In the second half of the show, the focus shifts to the Black Caps and their historic series wins in the Caribbean. We discuss: What we learned from the two series Trent Boult's future availability Competition for spots between Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham and Michael Bracewell Whether the West Indies will ever get their best XI on the field.

We'll be back next week to review the second England v South Africa Test, and with another edition of the Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with White Ferns captain Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Mike Hussey, Tim Southee, Katey Martin, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 20 to 16 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). We've got three seamers with the epic combination of skill and pace, plus two batters who rarely played the flashiest innings on show but so often played the most important one. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Sophie Devine, Ish Sodhi, Mike Hussey, Barry Richards, Jacob Oram, Gary Stead and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 20-16 in the following order. 20 - Waqar Younis 19 - Wasim Akram 18 - Dale Steyn 17 - Alistair Cook 16 - Rahul Dravid

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss the medal matches at the Commonwealth Games,. Lippy soaks up the bronze glow of the White Ferns' efforts, before Baldy navigates the choppy water to highlight Australia's gold, further enhancing their status as one of the all-time great teams in any sport. As we move to the men's game, we talk about what we've learned from the Black Caps' European tour, before Baldy explains why he has prepared remarks and why the ICC needs to act now - before it is too late. Keep an eye on your feed in the coming days for the next instalment of our Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with bronze medalist Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Katey Martin, Niall O'Brien 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.

On this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the UK takes centre stage as we review the week that was. Baldy makes up for Binksy's absence with extra levels of enthusiasm, including an unscheduled chat about the England v South Africa series - mainly to delight in everything Jonny Bairstow. The panel then moves over to Scotland to discuss the recent performances of the Black Caps, which included a first T20 hundred for Finn Allen and Mark Chapman loudly shouting 'Don't forget about me!' To round out the show it's back to England for reaction to the first few days of the cricket at the Commonwealth Games, highlighted by a crucial win for the White Ferns. We'll be back next week with more news and views, but please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Sophie Devine, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Katey Martin, 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.

The Top Order crew are together in the same room again to look back at the week that was. We start by discussing the Black Caps v Ireland T20 series, which featured strong performances by a middle order featuring Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham and Michael Bracewell. But where do they all fit in to plans for the upcoming T20 and ODI World Cups? Ben Stokes has retired from ODI cricket - Does that mean the cricket calendar is broken? Is there any way to fix it? Baldy introduces a new segment as a cunning plan to discuss spin bowling, Binksy tells us why 410* doesn't impress him, there's a shout out for Will Williams and plenty more on a windy night in Auckland. We'll be back in your feed next week, so please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel and moving towards more video content in future. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Sophie Devine looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, plus chats with Finn Allen, Shane Bond, Lesley Murdoch, Gary Stead, Colin Miller, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricket 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.

In this episode, White Ferns captain Sophie Devine joins the show a few days out from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Sophie talks about the excitement in the squad for the Games experience, what new coach Ben Sawyer has brought to the group and her goals and expectations for the tournament. We also discuss NZC's new pay parity deal and how that will impact women's cricket in New Zealand at all levels, plus Sophie's experience at the Fairbreak Invitational and the busy few months she has ahead of her at the Hundred and the WBBL. Look out for another This Week in Cricket show in the coming days, and please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - including this one soon - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Rachin Ravindra, Katey Martin, Lockie Ferguson, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Barry Richards 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.

This week on the show, Stu is joined by former NZ U19 captain Marc Ellison to discuss the Black Caps v Ireland ODI series and the general Irish cricket landscape. We look back at brilliant performances from Michael Bracewell and Harry Tector, missed opportunities for Ireland, the challenges the squad faces when competing with the more established international sides and the role Finn Allen could play in NZ's upcoming World Cup campaigns. The full Top Order crew will hopefully reunite again soon, but if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Wasim Khan, Ken Rutherford, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, 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.

This week on the show we're joined by Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University, Jamie Barker, to discuss England's remarkable fourth-innings chase against India and the dramatic change in attitude that has been on display since Rob Key, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took charge. It's always fascinating to hear Jamie's views on a wide range of topics that have relevance to any high-performance role, and this episode is no different. We talk about the importance of clarity, whether this positive mindset is sustainable, and Binksy finally discards his own pessimism to let his England fan flag fly. Jamie helps us understand the psychology behind a mindset shift, the key factors that enable such a shift to happen so quickly, why we often see a 'new manager bounce' across all sports and much more. We'll be back next week to discuss the Black Caps' tour to Ireland, Australia in Sri Lanka and look ahead to the White Ferns' Commonwealth Games campaign. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel - including this one! You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Wasim Khan, Mike Hussey, Ish Sodhi, Katey Martin, Dion Nash 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 25 to 21 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). We've got a former prime minister, a knight, a game-changer, genuine pace and a star from way back when as we welcome entrants from England, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia and the West Indies. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Jacob Oram, Colin 'Funky' Miller and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 35-31 in the following order. 25 - George Lohmann 24 - Imran Khan 23 - Allan Donald 22 - Adam Gilchrist 21 - Curtly Ambrose

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 30 to 26 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). All five of this episode's inductees are members of the 10,000 run club, we've got grumpy leaders, unique stances and a few Top Order personal heroes as we welcome entrants from Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Ajaz Patel, Frankie Mackay, Dion Nash, Rachin Ravindra and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 30-26 in the following order. 30 - Allan Border 29 - Sunil Gavaskar 28 - Younis Khan 27 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul 26 - Steve Waugh

The Black Caps v England series is over and who could have predicted the past month of action? In this episode, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the key moments and players. We discuss: Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes and the England turnaround NZ's selection decisions The Ajaz Patel dilemma Whether the Black Caps should have a glass half-full or half-empty view of the series Runs from Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Pope, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell NZ cricket depth Listener questions

And much more as we deep-dive back into this fascinating series. June was a disrupted month for us with life and illness getting in the way, but we're expecting to be back on track in July. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Wasim Khan, Dion Nash, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Lesley Murdoch, Lockie Ferguson 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.

Just the two of us this week after a couple of late scratchings, but Michael and Stu talk through the events of another fascinating Test match at Trent Bridge. Records tumbled, catches went down, there were runs galore and the game was perfectly poised until Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes took hold of the match with a five-over barrage of boundaries that the Black Caps couldn't recover from. We discuss Ollie Pope, Daryl Mitchell, Joe Root, Brendon McCullum and much more as we try to make sense of the performances from both sides. Are England good now? What's gone wrong for the Black Caps? Why Neil Wagner? Will Zak Crawley and Will Young keep their spots for the third Test? And isn't Test match cricket fantastic? If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes, including chats with Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Tim Southee, Barry Richards 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.

It's an unexpected bumper episode this week, with plenty of talking points from an action-packed Test match at Lord's between England and the Black Caps. We talkEd through the back-and-forth nature of the game, Joe Root's match-winning hundred, outstanding bowling displays, not-so-outstanding batting displays, whether spin will play a part in this series, Brendon McCullum's fingerprints, changes for the second Test and much more as we reviewed the rollercoaster ride that played out at the home of cricket. After a brief detour to Sri Lanka to discuss Australia's T20 series against the hosts, we examined the comments made by ICC CEO Greg Barclay in an interview during the England v New Zealand Test and what they mean for the future of international cricket. We'll be back again next week to review the second Test at Trent Bridge. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Matt Henry, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Jarrod Kimber, Dion Nash, Wasim Khan 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.

The Top Order Podcast crew is a man down this week, with Raj out of action, but the remaining trio look back at a somewhat puzzling week for New Zealand cricket, plus an IPL final triumph for the Gujarat Titans. We start the show in India, discussing IPL 2022 as a whole and highlighting the impact of two of the tournament's biggest stars - Hardik Pandya and Jos Buttler. It's been a strange week back here in Aotearoa, with the White Ferns' latest contract list missing some big names - most notably Amy Satterthwaite. We try to make sense of this decision. Was it bold, confusing, disrespectful or all of the above? Finally, we look ahead to the Black Caps v England Test series by discussing a New Zealand side that doesn't feel quite as assured as they did a year ago - particularly after a loss to the First-class Counties Select XI. What will the bowling attack look like at Lord's on Thursday? Will the batting line-up fire? Will Brendon McCullum's impact on England be instantly noticeable? Plus bold predictions, mind games and plenty more as we gear up for what promises to be a fascinating series. We'll be back next week to review the first Test, but before then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including the recently retired Katey Martin, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Shane Bond, Finn Allen, Wasim Khan 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.

This week on the show we focus mainly on New Zealand and England, as the excitement builds for the first Test at Lord's starting on 2 June. We talk about what we might have learned from the warm-up fixture against Sussex, which saw two days rained out and a solid hit out for most of the available squad. Is Michael Bracewell in serious contention to play a part in the upcoming series? And who will fill the number five spot if Henry Nicholls isn't fit for the first Test? We stay in England to discuss the first Test squad announced under Brendon McCullum, which included a couple of potential debutants in Matthew Potts and Harry Brook, plus a batting reshuffle that could see Ollie Pope at three. Before we wrap up the show with an overview of the upcoming IPL playoffs, we give a quick shout out to the legend that is Katey Martin, as well as some spin chat prompted by Ish Sodhi's move from ND to Canterbury for the 2022-23 domestic season. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with the recently retired Katey Martin, Black Caps' stars Lockie Ferguson, Ajaz Patel and Tim Southee, plus greats of the game like Mike Hussey, Barry Richards, Shane Bond, and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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.

A busy week for the Top Order crew has meant this episode is a little delayed (recorded evening of Monday 16 May), but on the show we discuss: The sad news about Andrew Symonds Brendon McCullum's appointment as the England men's Test coach Kiwis winning the Fairbreak Invitational Black Caps' central contracts and what that might mean for upcoming tours and the T20 and ODI World Cups. And some news from the IPL

We'll be back early next week with another This Week in Cricket, covering the England Test squad, Katey Martin's retirement, IPL semi finals and plenty more. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Wasim Khan, Barry Richards, Dion Nash, Matt Henry, 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 35 to 31 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). There's a thirst for runs, a dislike for batters and a bit of confusion as we welcome entrants from Australia, England and Sri Lanka. And for those of you looking for the YouTube link we reference in the episode, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-k5-99fFdo&t=4s (here) it is. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Ajaz Patel, Frankie Mackay, Dion Nash, Graham Thorpe and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 35-31 in the following order. 35 - Ken Barrington 34 - Herbert Sutcliffe 33 - Dennis Lillee 32 - Mahela Jayawardene 31 - Fred Trueman

This week on the show we discuss the Black Caps' Test squad for the upcoming UK tour, which landed with very little fanfare and a lot of familiar names. At first glance, the expected lineup for the first Test starting on 2 June picks itself, but should Matt Henry be in the conversation? Can they find room for Ajaz Patel? And will Trent Boult and Daryl Mitchell still be at the IPL? (Since we recorded the episode, Henry Nicholls has had scans on a calf injury suffered in training, so watch out for news on that.) As the conversation turns to England, we examine recent comments made by Ben Stokes - most notably that he plans to bat at 6 and Joe Root will bat at 4 - as he starts to make his mark on the Test side. We finish the show with a quick summary of the IPL as it draws closer to the playoffs. Lippy gets excited about Devon Conway's three 50s on the bounce, but it looks like it will be too late for CSK, with Gujarat, Lucknow, Rajasthan and RCB firming as top 4 favourites. This episode is our 200th release, and as we raise the bat again we want to say another big thank you to everyone who has supported the show in any way, whether it be downloading and listening, joining the podcast as a guest or simply spreading the word to family and friends. We love recording the shows, and connecting with cricket fans and characters from all over the world has made the past few years extra special. We'll be back later in the week with the next instalment of the Top Order Podcast Hall of Fame. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Kristy Havill, Barry Richards, Rachin Ravindra, Jarrod Kimber 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 40 to 36 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). Some very esteemed guests feature in this edition, including our first Lord and some of the more impressive Test batting averages you're likely to find as we welcome entrants from Australia, England, the West Indies and South Africa. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Shane Bond, Joe Scuderi, Ajaz Patel, Frankie Mackay, Daniel Beswick, Graham Thorpe and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 40-36 in the following order. 40 - Keith Miller 39 - Ian Botham 38 - Jack Hobbs 37 - George Headley 36 - Graeme Pollock

This week on the show we look back at form reversals at the IPL, with the Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and RCB on the slide, and CSK and Mumbai picking up wins. We discuss MS Dhoni picking the captaincy again at CSK, Devon Conway's triumphant return and the highlight the consistency shown by the two new franchises, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. In the next part of the show we look at the Australian squads named for the Sri Lanka tour, then move to England to discuss the changes taking place at the ECB and the outlook for the Test match squad in particular. Will Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad return? Is England set to prioritise red-ball cricket? Is rest and rotation over? And how will Ben Stokes handle the captaincy? Finally, we finish the show by highlighting the upcoming Fairbreak Invitational, a global women's T20 tournament that is set to feature players from 40 nations, including New Zealanders Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Katey Martin. There's another Hall of Fame episode on the way later in the week, but in the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Joe Scuderi, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Shane Bond 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 45 to 41 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). With four current players to discuss, including three of the so-called Big Four and a spin scientist, time goes out the window as we debate which of these present stars has had the biggest impact on the Test stage so far, and whether they'll move up - or down - this list in the coming years. Do you agree with our assessments? Or have we got it horribly wrong? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We're playing catch-up a little with the written content, but we'll get back up to date as soon as we can. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Shane Bond, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Tim Southee, Katey Martin, Dion Nash, Graham Thorpe and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 45-41 in the following order. 45 - Wally Hammond 44 - Kane Williamson 43 - Virat Kohli 42 - Ravichandran Ashwin 41 - Steve Smith

This week on the show we take stock of IPL 2022 as the games tick past the halfway mark of the competition. We talk about the biggest surprises so far, try to figure out what's gone wrong for Mumbai and CSK, plus discuss the no-ball drama featuring Rishabh Pant and what that means for his long-term leadership outlook. There's also Dale Steyn's hair; Lippy singing a song; praise for Jos Buttler, KL Rahul and T Natarajan; and plenty of humble pie as we reflect on our preview as well as looking forward to what's still to come as the tournament moves closer to the business end. We'll be back later in the week with another instalment of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Jacob Oram, Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 50 to 46 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). As we move into the top 50 on our list, this group includes one of the all-time leading wicket-takers, a controversial figure (especially in New Zealand), two greats of West Indian batting and then one of England's most famous cricketing names. Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media - or give us some praise if you think we've got things spot on! For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Finn Allen, Shane Bond, Michael Hussey, Tim Southee, Katey Martin, George Dobell and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 50-46 in the following order. 50 - Courtney Walsh 49 - Greg Chappell 48 - Clyde Walcott 47 - Everton Weekes 46 - Len Hutton

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 55 to 51 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). As we near the halfway point of our top 100, every player's list of achievements gets more and more impressive. There's wickets and runs galore in this group, as we visit South Africa, Pakistan, England and Australia to welcome five new members to the Hall. And for those of you who've listened to the episode, here's the link to Merv Hughes telling the story we referenced during our chat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRH4VIasS3Q (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRH4VIasS3Q). Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media - or give us some praise if you think we've got things spot on! For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. A few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Rachin Ravindra, Wasim Khan, Dion Nash, Joe Scuderi, Matt Henry, Katey Martin, Daniel Brettig and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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. SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 55-51 in the following order. 55 - Javed MIandad 54 - Shaun Pollock 53 - Stuart Broad 52 - Kagiso Rabada 51 - Matthew Hayden

The international cricket calendar is thinning out, but there's still plenty to talk about this week. The IPL leaderboard is starting to take shape - with powerhouse franchises CSK and Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom of the ladder. Ravi Ashwin is in the news again for deciding he'd had enough of batting for the night, but his Rajasthan Royals are looking like an impressive outfit - despite not always picking their full complement of overseas players. Later in the show we turn our attention back to the NZ home summer. Now that it is (almost) over, we reflect on the performance of the White Ferns and the Black Caps, and discuss candidates putting their hand up for upcoming international tours, such as Tom Bruce. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. We'll be back later in the week with the next instalment in our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, but in the meantime dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Michael and David Hussey, Finn Allen, Matt Henry, Katey Martin, Ajaz Patel, 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.

We start the show this week raving about Australia's World Cup win - one of the most dominant all-tournament displays that we've ever seen. Both Alyssa Healy and Rachel Haynes broke the record for most runs in a World Cup, and the professionalism of the entire Australian squad shone through in a tournament that has been a great advertisement for the game. As we start travelling the world, we speak briefly about an Australian ODI series loss to Pakistan, with Babar Azam in a starring role and questions about Aaron Finch. Jos Buttler is off to a flying start at the IPL with his Rajasthan Royals winning their first two games, but it's been tough going for both Mumbai and CSK. South Africa's spinners demolished Bangladesh, leading them to another Test victory as they continue their march up the World Test Championship ladder. But is it time to move back to neutral umpires? We finish the show by discussing the final two games of the New Zealand v Netherlands ODI series, which featured hundreds for Tom Latham, Will Young and Martin Guptill in Luteru Ross Taylor's 450th and final game for the Black Caps. Only one episode this week - we'll be back again next week with a couple of shows, including a return to the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame. If you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - you'll find chats with Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Chris Brown, Katey Martin, Barry Richards 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.

After a pair of back-to-back draws, both the Pakistan v Australia and West Indies v England series burst into life in the deciders. We look back at the two series as a whole to discuss the key performers and talking points. Is Nathan Lyon the GOAT again? Have Pakistan found their opening partnership for the next 10 years? How did Pat Cummins find success when every other bowler struggled? Is Kyle Mayers the new Scott Boland? Should Joe Root still be the captain of England? What's next in the ECB red-ball reset?

And plenty more! We'll be back next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show, covering NZ v the Netherlands, South Africa v Bangladesh, the World Cup final and the IPL. In the meantime, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website). We'll be diving back into the Hall of Fame over the next few months while the IPL takes centre stage. A few of our episodes are also available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. Dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Ajaz Patel, Katey Martin, George Dobell and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. 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.

The IPL is about to dominate the world cricket calendar in April and May, but before it does we take a look at the many series and tournaments going on across the globe. We start in New Zealand with the Black Caps taking on the Netherlands, and discuss impressive performances from Will Young and Michael Rippon in the first ODI. At the IPL, it looks like it might be a tough season for Kane Williamson's Sunrisers Hyderabad, but why don't the betting agencies rate the Rajasthan Royals? And are we in for a run-fest over the next few months? Bangladesh beat South Africa in an ODI series and now sit at the top of the Super League table - can they repeat the dose in the Test series with the Proteas missing their entire first-choice seam attack? And back in Aotearoa, the Women's World Cup continues to deliver exciting finishes as we reach the semi-final stage. We talk about the drama of the final pool game between India and South Africa, potential departures from the White Ferns and Australia's ability to keep marching on no matter how tricky the situation gets. We finish with a few highlights from the Plunket Shield action of the past few days. The Auckland train keeps rolling, with Simon Keene continuing the amazing start to his first-class career, and Jeet Raval and Bharat Popli bat through an entire day for Northern Districts. We'll be back later in the week with a red-ball recap, covering the West Indies v England and Pakistan v Australia Test series in detail. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including chats with Wasim Khan, Tim Southee, Jarrod Kimber, Frankie Mackay, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

Three episodes in three days! This time recording remotely, so if you listen carefully you'll hear the added bonus of a cricket in Stu's garage. So much cricket going on right now and in this episode we cover the brilliant fightback from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Pakistan in the second Test against Australia, plus a few talking points from the series as a whole while the third match plays out. For what it's worth, Baldy's tactics to talk up Pakistan worked a treat, as they lost 7-20 after we finished recording. In moving to the West Indies v England series, we discuss the state of Test pitches around the world: Are they an issue? If so, what needs to be done? Closer to home, the Women's World Cup semi-final race is hotting up, but it's all gone wrong for the White Ferns, while Australia continue to look unstoppable. We also talk about things we're watching out for in the Black Caps series against the Netherlands, and look at this week's Plunket Shield highlights (apologies to Troy Johnson for Stu calling him Troy Robinson in the heat of the moment when mentioning his 194* for Wellington). Here's the link to the Zak Foulkes delivery we mentioned on the show - poles everywhere! https://scoring.nzc.nz/#ma4d00ecf-9067-486f-b2ef-ff6b4e9ed0a0$$2_015_02 (https://scoring.nzc.nz/#ma4d00ecf-9067-486f-b2ef-ff6b4e9ed0a0$$2_015_02) If you think you know more about the IPL than we do, we'd love for you to join our season long fantasy league for 2022. Just click the link to join, and then feel free to boast about your success on our social media channels when you hit the front: https://fantasy.iplt20.com/season/league/join/55KVSLIGB80110 (https://fantasy.iplt20.com/season/league/join/55KVSLIGB80110) We'll be back next week to discuss everything going on in the world of cricket. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Wasim Khan, Bharat Sundaresan, Matt Henry, Katey Martin and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

*Note this is Part 2 of our IPL 2022 Preview - we recommend you listen to Part 1 first, but up to you if you're only keen to hear info about your team! It's that time of the year once again - this time with 10 teams and 2 months of IPL action set to dominate our screens. After a tournament explainer from Baldy, we put the timer on the clock for each side - starting with the defending champion Chennai Super Kings all the way through to the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad. Will Devon Conway win the orange cap? Can the Mumbai Indians overcome the loss of so many key players? Did anyone have a better auction than the Rajasthan Royals? Can Lockie Ferguson bowl the Gujarat Titans to a title in their first season? Will the addition of Shreyas Iyer be the final piece to help Brendon McCullum's KKR go one step further in 2022? Which team will win it all?

And so much more! Part 2 includes the following teams: Mumbai Indians Punjab Kings Rajasthan Royals Royal Challengers Bangalore Sunrisers Hyderabad

We'll be back in your feed again later in the week with our This Week in Cricket show, discussing the World Cup, West Indies v England, the Black Caps and plenty more. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Barry Richards, Finn Allen, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Bharat Sundaresan, Tim Southee, Katey Martin and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

It's that time of the year once again - this time with 10 teams and 2 months of IPL action set to dominate our screens. After a tournament explainer from Baldy, we put the timer on the clock for each side - starting with the defending champion Chennai Super Kings all the way through to the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad. Will Devon Conway win the orange cap? Can the Mumbai Indians overcome the loss of so many key players? Did anyone have a better auction than the Rajasthan Royals? Can Lockie Ferguson bowl the Gujarat Titans to a title in their first season? Will the addition of Shreyas Iyer be the final piece to help Brendon McCullum's KKR go one step further in 2022? Which team will win it all?

And so much more! Part 1 includes the following teams: Chennai Super Kings Delhi Capitals Gujarat Titans Kolkata Knight Riders Lucknow Super Giants

Part 2 will be in your podcast feed tomorrow! In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Finn Allen, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

Have the Black Caps and the IPL disrespected Ross Taylor and the Netherlands? Did England disrespect the West Indies? And did Baldy disrespect Nathan Lyon? We cover all this and much more as we look back at another busy week on the cricket calendar. There's reward for Michael Bracewell and Dane Cleaver in the Black Caps squad, but no George Worker despite his stellar season for the Aces. We've got a logjam at the Women's World Cup, with a crucial few days ahead for the White Ferns - but are Australia simply too good? Plus we discuss the first West Indies vs England Test match, in which we realised Joe Root is still very good at batting, and react live to Babar Azam's heroics during the final stages of the Pakistan fightback against Australia to debate whether Pat Cummins should have enforced the follow-on, and whether Nathan Lyon's GOAT status is under threat. We'll be back in your feed later in the week to preview the upcoming IPL - we went team by team during an overview of the tournament that's set to dominate the cricket calendar from the end of March to the end of May. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel, and hope to release the video version of our upcoming IPL preview. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Graham Thorpe, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Finn Allen, Frankie Mackay, George Dobell and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

It's been a very sad week in the cricket world, with the passing of both Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, but on the field it's been very busy. We start the show by discussing the last-over drama and excitement of the Women's World Cup so far. Deandra Dottin said 'give me the ball', Nat Sciver almost carried England to a record chase and the White Ferns overcame the weather and Bangladesh to pick up their first win of the tournament. As we move around the world, news of a drinks break in Pakistan wakes us from a near slumber as we talk through one of the more boring Test matches in recent memory. Then it's off to India to talk about an incredible individual performance from Ravindra Jadeja, which helped India seal a big win in Virat Kohli's 100th match. Will anyone ever again beat India in a Test series at home? There's also chat about Ben Stokes and his role in the upcoming West Indies v England series, a shout out for the Eden Park groundstaff and a few words remembering the impact Rod Marsh had on both Australian and English cricket. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss the many different international series and tournaments going on around the world, and our IPL preview will follow soon after that. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our recent conversation with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Ken Rutherford, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. You can also hear our memories of Shane Warne in our latest Hall of Fame episode. 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.

The cricket world was rocked this week by the news that Shane Warne had passed away at the age of 52. Since then, there's been an outpouring of tributes from family, friends, teammates, opponents and many others from all around the world. And, to be honest, it's hit us harder than we thought, considering three out of four of us spent most of his career cheering against him. So we thought the best way we could pay tribute was to make him an early entrant into our Test Cricket Hall of Fame and discuss what made him such an icon of the game. We talk about our first memories of the King of Spin, his impact on the art of legspin and the consistency he showed throughout his career. We discuss what made him such an outstanding bowler, ponder some unanswerable questions and generally marvel at the feats of one of the best cricketers we've ever seen. We'll be back in your feed in about 24 hours to discuss the Women's World Cup, India v Sri Lanka, Pakistan v Australia and more in our regular This Week in Cricket show. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - Ken Rutherford and Mike Hussey stand out as a couple of guests who shared stories about Shane Warne. We'd love to hear your own memories of Shane Warne bowl, so don't hesitate to contact us on social media or via email at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com and we'll happily share your stories next week. Thanks for listening.

This week on the show we discuss a bounce back performance by South Africa to draw the Test series with the Black Caps, then try to make sense of the upcoming England Test tour to the West Indies and recap a winning week for Auckland and Otago on the NZ domestic circuit. There are plenty of apologies during the New Zealand v South Africa segment as we examine what changed so drastically from the first Test to the second. Where did it go wrong for the Black Caps? How did Dean Elgar and his side get things so right? Who else thought Colin de Grandhomme's international career was over? Is this a sign of things to come for South Africa? And are NZ's dreams of retaining the World Test Championship mace all but over?

Later in the show, we briefly move away from New Zealand to discuss the upcoming West Indies v England series. We talk about our expectations for both sides, and whether there's a way back for Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson during the English home summer. And then we round things off with shout outs to a few winners on the NZ domestic circuit, with the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Ford Trophy seasons coming to a close, as well as recapping an impressive win for the White Ferns during the World Cup warm up matches. We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss the many different international series and tournaments going on around the world. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our most recent conversation with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus chats with Wasim Khan, Ajaz Patel, Dion Nash, Colin 'Funky' Miller, George Dobell 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.

For the first time since 1998, Australia are in Pakistan for a Test series and it's one that holds a lot of importance in the cricket world, both on and off the field. We talk through the key questions facing both sides, plus our expectations for the series. Will Shaheen Shah Afridi outshine the Australian pace attack? How will Marnus Labuschagne go in foreign conditions? Is Nathan Lyon under pressure? Will the pitches favour spin or seam? Are we about to watch a World Test Championship final preview? Who will win the series? And will any of our bold predictions come true?

*NOTE: Since we recorded the episode last night (Tuesday 1 March, NZ time), Haris Rauf has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the first Test (https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pak-vs-aus-2021-22-haris-rauf-ruled-out-of-first-test-against-australia-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-1303174 (https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pak-vs-aus-2021-22-haris-rauf-ruled-out-of-first-test-against-australia-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-1303174)). Pakistan's bowlers aren't having much luck at the moment! We'll be back in your feed later in the week to review the Black Caps v South Africa Test series, look ahead to England v West Indies and recap a weekend of trophies on the NZ domestic scene. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including our most recent conversations with Kristy Havill previewing the Women's World Cup, plus Wasim Khan, Matt Henry, Mike Hussey, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Dion Nash 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.

We love a World Cup at the Top Order Podcast and after a year’s delay, the 2021 Women’s ODI World Cup is about to begin. So to help us look ahead to the next month of action, we’re joined by contributing writer at Locker Room, Canterbury Magician and World Cup Operations Coordinator (among many other things!) Kristy Havill. How much should we read into the White Ferns' 4-1 ODI series win against India? Is it serious that teams could contest a game with only 9 fit players? Have the White Ferns settled on a starting XI? Is Amelia Kerr's incredible run of form a sign of things to come? Which teams will make the semi-finals? Who are the players to watch? And can anyone beat Australia?

If you want to hear or read more from Kristy Havill, the link below is a great place to start: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/lockerroom/profile/Kristyhavill/posts (https://www.newsroom.co.nz/lockerroom/profile/Kristyhavill/posts). It includes her brave and brilliant story with Amelia Kerr, regular World Cup coverage and interviews with key players involved in the tournament. We'll be back in your feed again next week with a preview of the upcoming Australia v Pakistan Test series, a wrap of the second Black Caps v South Africa Test and plenty more cricket from around the world. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Georgia Wareham, Matt Henry, Mike Hussey, Frankie Mackay, Melinda Farrell, Shane Bond 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.

This week on the show we review a great week for both the Black Caps and the White Ferns, as well as a host of other topics as we look back at the week that was. We start by discussing the amazing performance from Matt Henry, which saw him record the third-best bowling figures in a Test innings for New Zealand, as well as smashing a quick 50 at #11. There's praise for Tim Southee, Tom Blundell and Colin de Grandhomme as well as Gary Stead for his decision to promote Neil Wagner to #5 in the absence of Kane Williamson. But will South Africa bounce back in the second Test? We remain in Aotearoa to chat about the White Ferns, who have looked more and more impressive with every game of their series against India, highlighted by contributions from many different players within the squad. Then it's a quick look at the domestic scene, with the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and the Ford Trophy up for grabs this weekend. As we venture offshore, we discuss a changing of the guard for the Indian Test team, with Pujara, Rahane, Saha and Ishant all left out. There are questions around the Australian white ball team, despite winning their T20 series 4-1 against a Sri Lankan side that showed a lot of promise. Will Aaron Finch make it to the next T20 World Cup? And how much is the IPL going to impact international tours for both Australia and New Zealand? We'll be back in your feed again later this week with a special guest to preview the Women's World Cup. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Tim Southee, Mike Hussey, Frankie Mackay, Firdose Moonda, Barry Richards 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.

In this episode, we take a look back at an IPL auction that saw 11 Kiwis picked up (to join Kane Williamson, who was retained). We talk through our initial reactions, the most croresome buys, the biggest waste of crore and which teams had the best auction. We then discuss the White Ferns' wins against India in the first two ODIs, which included hundreds to Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr, plus a batting order reshuffle involving Sophie Devine. Moving around the globe, we head to Australia to chat about their T20 series against Sri Lanka, another setback for Will Pucovski and the latest rule to combat slow over rates. Finally, there's a word or two on the India v West Indies white-ball fixtures and Kieron Pollard's advice to his side. We'll be back in your feed again soon to discuss the first Test between the Black Caps and the Proteas, the White Ferns, Australia v Sri Lanka and much more in our next This Week in Cricket show. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Matt Henry, Mike Hussey, Frankie Mackay, Firdose Moonda, Barry Richards 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.

With the Black Caps v South Africa Test series starting on Thursday, we decided to break from tradition and release this stand-alone episode before our regular This Week in Cricket show. We discuss potential lineups, key matchups, two batting orders missing important players, bold predictions and series winners as we deep-dive into this eagerly anticipated series, which sadly is only two Tests, both at the home of cricket, Hagley Oval. Ravindra or De Grandhomme for the first Test? Is Tom Blundell under serious pressure for his place in the side? Are South Africa the real deal after beating India? Will Dean Elgar regret his pre-game comments? Have New Zealand lost their aura of invincibility at home? Should Ross Taylor have been recalled? And can the Black Caps, who have never beaten South Africa in a Test series and only won 4 individual Tests against the Proteas, make history at Hagley Oval over the course of the next two weeks?

We'll be back in your feed again later this week to discuss all things IPL auction, the White Ferns, Australia v Sri Lanka and much more in our This Week in Cricket show. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're slowly chipping away at populating this channel. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Finn Allen, Mike Hussey, Frankie Mackay, Firdose Moonda, Lockie Ferguson 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.

Hours after we recorded our This Week in Cricket episode earlier in the week, news came out that England Cricket legends Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad had been dropped from the Test squad to tour the West Indies. Binksy added a short instant reaction into that episode but the frustration was still brewing, so Baldy jumped on a call to help him talk through the latest in a series of changes going on in English Cricket. Why have they done this? Was it the right thing to do? Is there any way back for Jimmy and Stuart? And what about Dawid Malan?

We were planning to pop this segment into our Great Resignation episode, but after the Pat Cummins' press conference, there was quite a bit to digest, so here it is as a stand-alone episode. Enjoy! We'll be back in just a few days with a preview of the Black Caps v South Africa Test series, as well as a recap of the IPL auction and plenty more as the week continues. If you can't wait for that, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Mike Hussey, Rachin Ravindra, Georgia Wareham, Bharat Sundaresan, Jacob Duffy and many more fantastic characters from around the world. You can also find all our written content, featuring our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website). Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We've also made a few of our episodes available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel. 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.

What a week it has been at the English and Australian cricket boards! The fall out from The Ashes has led to a clean out at the ECB and the resignation of Justin Langer. Recorded on Tuesday night, there's plenty of debate as we discuss: Should Langer have been retained? What were Cricket Australia thinking? Will England's clean out change anything? Who will take the reins in the coming weeks? And much more!

We'll be back in your feed tomorrow with a short episode featuring Baldy and Binksy talking through the clean out in the English Test side (Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad!!!) and Pat Cummins' press conference about the coaching situation.

In the meantime please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Finn Allen, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Katey Martin, Graham Thorpe, George Dobell 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.

We start the show this week with Binksy's reaction to the breaking news that England have dropped James Anderson and Stuart Broad from their upcoming Test tour to the West Indies, before we travel the world again to discuss a wide range of news from the cricketing week that was. We go in-depth on the Black Caps' Test squad to face South Africa, which features call-ups for Cam Fletcher and Blair Tickner, as well as recalls for Colin de Grandhomme and Hamish Rutherford. Should anyone feel snubbed? How will the batting order line up at Hagley? And how worried are we about Kane Williamson's elbow? Selection discussions continue with a look at the White Ferns' World Cup squad, including the omission of Leigh Kasperek.

The conversation then turns to youthful exuberance as we look back the the ICC U19 World Cup and a few future stars that caught our eye, before jetsetting off to the conclusion of the Ashes, the West Indies v India ODI series and the upcoming IPL auction.

We'll be back in your feed later this week to discuss the coaching merry-go-round that is Cricket Australia and ECB, with thoughts on Justin Langer, Chris Silverwood, Ashley Giles and what's next. In the meantime please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Tim Southee, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Katey Martin, George Dobell 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.

This week's show was recorded about 20 minutes after the conclusion of the Ashes Test, so naturally we start by discussing the final-day drama. We talk declarations, Heather Knight's big hundred and 4-day Tests as the multi-format series now shifts to ODIs. From long-form cricket we move to T20s, recapping the finals of the BBL and Super Smash, which resulted in wins for the Perth Scorchers, Wellington Blaze and Northern Brave. Should the Sixers have been allowed to retire Jordan Silk? Are the Blaze too good? And have any uncapped Super Smash players made a case for international honours? We finish the episode by discussing the entertaining T20 series between the West Indies and England, which was perfectly poised at 2-2 when we recorded the show. Rovman Powell smashed a hundred, Adil Rashid bowled a googly and Raj and Binksy go head-to-head on a prediction for the final game before Baldy gives us an update on the U19 World Cup. Only the one episode from us this week, but we'll be back again in a week's time to circle the cricketing world once more. In the meantime please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Ajaz Patel, Mike Hussey, Shane Bond, Katey Martin, Jarrod Kimber, Jacob Oram and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 60 to 56 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you can't wait to find out who they are). There's plenty of debate around the table as Baldy and Raj go into bat for an Australian captain, before Binksy threatens to pack up his mic and go home. Lippy sneaks in references to Chris Martin, Mark Richardson and Shane Bond, we talk too much talent, 'that grip' and the most runs in a calendar year, plus share more tales about the joys of watching West Indian fast bowlers from the 1980s. Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media - or give us some praise if you think we've got things spot on! For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Our next This Week in Cricket show will look back at the Super Smash and BBL finals and the women's Ashes, but if you can't wait for that, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fantastic characters from around the world.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We've also made a few of our episodes available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel. 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.

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 60-56 in the following order. 60 - AB de Villiers 59 - Graeme Smith 58 - Joel Garner 57 - Pat Cummins 56 - Mohammad Yousuf

On this week's episode we begin by taking a look at both the BBL and the Super Smash as those competitions head into the playoff rounds. Baldy is upset about a snub for Glenn Maxwell, there's confusion about Steve Smith and Lippy thinks the Wellington Blaze are unbeatable, but that anything could happen on the men's side of the draw. We also speculate about the prospect of a Women's World Cup without fans, and whether the rain will stop in Australia so that the women's Ashes players can take the field. As the show continues, we talk about whether it's time for India to panic after South Africa's 3-0 win in the ODI series, which followed their impressive showing in the Tests, and Raj highlights the impact that players like Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen are having on the Proteas. And then to round out our world tour, there's a stopover in the West Indies, where Binksy gives us the lowdown on the first two T20 matches with England.

We'll be back in your feed later this week with the next instalment of our Hall of Fame series, but in the meantime please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Tim Southee, Joe Scuderi, Jeetan Patel, Katey Martin, Jarrod Kimber, Dion Nash and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And check out the earlier episodes from our Hall of Fame series, in which we countdown the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

It was one-way traffic in the men's Ashes this summer, but there was still plenty to talk about as we looked back at the series in detail. Did England give themselves the best opportunity to succeed? Will any of their 'promising' batters ever become consistent at Test level? Did Mark Wood become Neil Wagner in disguise? How much longer will Chris Silverwood be coach and Joe Root be captain? And can Binksy's Blueprint for success save English cricket?

As we shone the light on Australia, everything became much brighter: Will we one day be talking about Cameron Green as an all-time great? Why are there still question marks about Justin Langer's reappointment? Did the 4-0 scoreline flatter Australia? Will Scott Boland play more than 10 Tests? And how did we go with our bold predictions?

We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss the cricketing week that was, but in the meantime please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes - including our latest with rising star Rachin Ravindra. There are also conversations with history-maker Ajaz Patel, Mike Hussey, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Jacob Oram and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And check out our Hall of Fame series, in which we countdown the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

This week on the show we discuss the Black Caps postponed tour to Australia and what might have been had the tour gone ahead. We debate which players had their flights cancelled, whether Colin de Grandhomme's return to form in the Super Smash and Ford Trophy will be enough to return him to the international stage, and highlight two moments of absolute genius from Amelia Kerr. As the show continues, Baldy takes a look to the future by introducing us to a potential star at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, before we review South Africa's highly entertaining Test series victory over India. There were disputes, disrepute, retirements and, best of all, three quality matches. Who will succeed Virat Kohli as Indian Test captain? How worried should NZ be about this South African side? And how good is Keegan Petersen?

We'll be back in your feed later this week for an in-depth look at The Ashes, but in the meantime please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes - including our latest with rising star Rachin Ravindra. There are also conversations with history-maker Ajaz Patel, Mike Hussey, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And check out our Hall of Fame series, in which we countdown the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

It's our first episode back in 2022 and there's been plenty of action over the holiday season. We start the show by discussing the Black Caps v Bangladesh series, which started with a win for the Tigers but finished with a fitting Test farewell for Ross Taylor and milestones for Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Tom Latham. There's praise for Litton Das as well as discussion about NZ players under pressure over the rest of the home summer and some eye-catching performances in the Super Smash and the BBL. After confirming that Devon Conway is indeed the best batter the world has ever seen, we move to Australia to chat about the greatest bowler of all time, Scott Boland, hundreds for Jonny Bairstow and Usman Khawaja, the evergreen Jimmy Anderson, whether England is actually as terrible as everyone is suggesting and plenty more that's happened in The Ashes since we last recorded. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

We'll be back next week to discuss the cricketing week that was, including the South Africa v India Test decider, but if you can't wait that long then dip back into our guest episodes, including our latest with rising star Rachin Ravindra. There are also conversations with history-maker Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And check out our Hall of Fame series, in which we countdown the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

In our final episode of 2021, we look back at our personal highlights and lowlights from a year that included the Black Caps' World Test Championship victory and a first men's T20 World Cup title for Australia. We also share our Cricketmas wishlist for 2022, but the most important part of the show and this write up is to say thank you to all of our listeners. We absolutely love getting together to record these episodes and the fact people are listening gives us a great excuse to keep doing it week after week. Thanks so much for your support - even after two years, it's still a thrill when we see downloads happening from all over the world. See you in 2022 and please do contact us on any of our channels if you have any comments or requests. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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 https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

We'll be back in 2022 to discuss all the cricket over the holiday season, but if you can't wait that long then dip back into our guest episodes, including our latest with rising star Rachin Ravindra. There are also conversations with history-maker Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, George Dobell, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And check out our Hall of Fame series, in which we countdown the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

This week's episode starts with us trying to makes sense of this Ashes series, which now looks all but over with three Tests still to go. We talk Joe Root's after-match comments, Ollie Robinson bowling spin, England's woes, Australia's joy for Michael Neser, Steve Smith's kitbag and whether there's any chance this series remains interesting as we head to the MCG. As we move back to New Zealand, we discuss the Covid disruptions for the Bangladesh squad, how the Black Caps will line up without Kane Williamson for this series and the rescheduled tour to Pakistan. If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. We'd love to hear from you on any of our platforms. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

We'll be back before the end of the year to look back at our favourite moments of 2021, but if you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, including our latest with rising star Rachin Ravindra. There are also conversations with history-maker Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, George Dobell, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And check out our Hall of Fame series, in which we countdown the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

On this episode of the show we're joined by one of the newest members of the Black Caps - someone who has had quite a 12 months. There’s been injuries, international debuts, plus a lot of learning and special memories during a year Rachin Ravindra told us he'll never forget. Rachin spoke about what it's like when your name starts popping up on Cricinfo and social media at a young age, the injury he thought had derailed his year and the moment Gary Stead told him he'd been selected for his first international tour.

We talked about sharing the field with some of his heroes, batting in all conditions, helping Ajaz Patel make history, growing up while the Black Caps have consistently been one of the best sides in the world and how he'd like to see his role develop at the top level.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. We'd love to hear from you on any of our platforms. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

We'll be back later this week to review the second Ashes Test, plus other news from the cricketing week that was. If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of history-maker Ajaz Patel, both Mike and David Hussey, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. There's also our Hall of Fame series, in which we count down the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

The Ashes takes centre stage this week as we discuss Australia's win in the first Test at the Gabba. Should England have bowled first? Did they pick the right team? Are we really that surprised their batters struggled? Will Travis Head's 150 prove to be a career-defining innings? Plus we had Patrick Cummins' captaincy debut, Nathan Lyon's 400th wicket, a rough time for Jack Leach, fines galore and injury concerns for both sides. During the second half of the show we all try to claim partial credit for our pre-match predictions, then get excited about the upcoming India v South Africa Test series before shout outs to Marty Kain, Colin Munro and Mitchell Hay. Keep an eye out for our next episode - an interview with Black Cap Rachin Ravindra. His positive attitude really made an impression on us and we're sure you'll enjoy the chat.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) 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. We'd love to hear from you on any of our platforms. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of history-maker Ajaz Patel, both Mike and David Hussey, Graham Thorpe, Georgia Wareham, Jarrod Kimber, Shane Bond and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. There's also our Hall of Fame series, in which we count down the 100 greatest Men's Test cricketers of all time.

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.

In this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, we continue our countdown by discussing players 65 to 61 (scroll to the bottom of the description if you like spoilers). It's another fun group, including some of the most recognisable players that the game has ever seen and heard. There are wickets galore, so many happy memories and some of the best nicknames you could ask for as we reminisce while we examine Baldy's rankings. Is legacy more important than stats? Do average and strike rate matter more than total wickets? Have the Black Caps ever played in Cape Town? Who is the greatest commentator of all time? And who is Joe Mennie?

Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media - or give us some praise if you think we've got things spot on! For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. Our next This Week in Cricket show will look back at the first Ashes Test, but if you can't wait for that, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Finn Allen, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fantastic characters from around the world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We've also made a few of our episodes available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel. 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.

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 65-61 in the following order. 65 - WG Grace 64 - Richie Benaud 63 - Vernon Philander 62 - Michael Holding 61 - Anil Kumble

It's an excitement overload this week as we're together to record in the same room for the first time since August! We start the show by celebrating Ajaz Patel's incredible achievement - becoming the third player in history to take 10 wickets in an innings - before we break down a heavy loss for the Black Caps and look ahead to the rest of the summer for NZ and India. Will Ross Taylor hold his spot? Was Virat Kohli out? Was Ajinkya Rahane really injured? Is there a way to level the playing field for all teams on away tours? And much more!

After a much-anticipated swish, Binksy picks himself off the floor and we discuss England selections for The Ashes, plus grounds, tradition and our bold predictions for the series.

For more general Ashes content, check out our previous episode - a preview of the series with Melinda Farrell.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear from you on any of our platforms. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

Next up, we'll have another Hall of Fame episode (introducing entrants 65 to 61). If you can't wait that long, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of history-maker Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Graham Thorpe, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Shane Bond 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.

A little series called The Ashes is on the horizon, there's drama everywhere and Melinda Farrell joins the show to chat through the storylines before the action gets underway. How will Tim Paine's resignation impact Australia? Can Ollie Robinson be a difference-maker for England? Patrick Cummins - Test captain Will Stuart Broad get the better of David Warner once again? Who is the real Marnus Labuschagne? What impact will the return of Ben Stokes have on the rest of the England lineup? And who will lift the urn?

As we mentioned on the show, Melinda Farrell is an all-round cricket personality who produces brilliant content across a number of different platforms. You can find her written work https://www.sportingnews.com/au/author/melinda-farrell (here), view her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgcwlv7uLZvkpP2HbaARKqA (here) (including The Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous with Bharat Sundaresan) or find her on https://twitter.com/melindafarrell (Twitter). If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear from you on any of our platforms. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website), and a few of our episodes are available on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) - we're chipping away at populating this channel.

Next up, we'll have our This Week in Cricket show to discuss the India v Black Caps series, followed by another Hall of Fame episode (introducing entrants 65 to 61). If you can't wait that long, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of history-maker Ajaz Patel, Colin 'Funky' Miller, Tim Southee, Frankie Mackay, Jarrod Kimber, Barry Richards 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.

On this episode, we're joined by Black Caps' leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. As well as re-living the final few moments of the first Test between NZ and India, we talk about matchups, head knocks, glue hands and big wickets as Ish looks back at a T20 World Cup campaign that took the Black Caps all the way to the final.

Naturally, with Baldy and Lippy on the call, the conversation turns to the art of spin bowling and Ish talks about what he learned from playing Test cricket at such an early stage in his career - and why he's keen to get back in the whites for the Black Caps.

We round out the show by discussing Ish's most recent role for the Rajasthan Royals and the magic of the IPL.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear from you on any of our platforms. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

Next up, we've got Melinda Farrell joining us to help preview The Ashes, followed by another Hall of Fame episode (introducing entrants 65 to 61). If you can't wait that long, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Ajaz Patel, Michael and David Hussey, Tim Southee, Katey Martin, Jarrod Kimber, Graham Thorpe 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.

This week's show is dominated by our reaction to the Black Caps' gritty draw against India in the first Test at Kanpur. The Kiwis among us are celebrating a job well done, but do the neutrals think the #1 ranked Test side should be happy with a draw? As the conversation continues, we break down the key performances and talking points from a fascinating match, including: The final few nervy moments Was this a missed opportunity for NZ? Umpiring and the DRS clock Ravichandran Ashwin's follow-through Contrasting spin attacks Brilliant debuts from Shreyas Iyer and Rachin Ravindra Selection headaches for both sides

And plenty more before quickly touching on the Covid situation in South Africa, some highlights from the New Zealand domestic scene and a new role for Baldy as the group's head of talent identification.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website). We managed to speak with a few extra guests this week, so have delayed the release of our next Hall of Fame episode (introducing entrants 65 to 61) - it'll be available in about a week's time.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Ajaz Patel, Michael and David Hussey, Jeetan Patel, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan, Barry Richards and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. Coming soon, you'll see interviews with Ish Sodhi reflecting on the T20 World Cup, and Melinda Farrell to help us preview The Ashes.

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.

What a rollercoaster few months it has been for the Australian men's team! Justin Langer reportedly lost the dressing room, their World Cup build up was awful, David Warner couldn't get a game at the IPL and then they go and win the T20 World Cup but only a week or so later Tim Paine resigns from the Test captaincy because of a sexting scandal. Never a dull moment. We give our thoughts on the way Cricket Australia has handled the situation and look ahead to what might happen on the field with a new captain and potentially a new wicketkeeper for The Ashes. The Black Caps start their World Test Championship title defence in India tomorrow afternoon (check out our full preview on an earlier episode), but first we look back at the three T20s that did pose some interesting questions: Has Martin Guptill done enough over the past 6-12 months to get himself another IPL contract? Should Kyle Jamieson become a Test specialist at international level? And should Black Caps' fans be insulted that the likes of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant elected to play three meaningless T20s but are resting in the Test series?

There are also shout outs to Sophie Devine and her Perth Scorchers in the WBBL, AB de Villiers on his incredible career and some confusing dialogue in Bangladesh involving Mushfiqur Rahim.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website). There'll be another Hall of Fame episode (introducing entrants 65 to 61) dropping in a few days.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Ajaz Patel, Michael and David Hussey, Jeetan Patel, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan, Barry Richards 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.

Test cricket is back (almost)! After a heavy diet of T20 cricket over the past couple of months, the Black Caps are in India to begin their defence of the World Test Championship mace. In unfamiliar conditions, there's a spin-heavy look to the New Zealand squad, but who will make the starting XI? How much will the Black Caps miss Devon Conway? India has rested half their side, including Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli (back for the second Test) - how will they line up on Day 1? Will we be talking about anything other than the pitches over the next few weeks? What would be a good result for New Zealand in this two-Test series? And what do the neutrals (Baldy and Binksy) think will happen?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website). There'll be another Hall of Fame episode (introducing entrants 65 to 61) dropping in a week's time.

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Dion Nash, Finn Allen, Graham Thorpe, Shane Bond, Frankie Mackay, Jarrod Kimber, Barry Richards 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.

Is T20 the most important format in the game today? Recorded just prior to the semi-finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup, this two-part episode charts the evolution of T20 cricket from novelty or experimental format to the present day, when big-money franchise tournaments have become a major part of the cricketing calendar. Was Martin Crowe's Cricket Max ahead of its time? Has there ever been a better T20 innings than Ricky Ponting's 98* in the first T20 international? What impact has T20 had on spinners, batters, pace bowlers and wicketkeepers? How has it impacted Test and ODI cricket? And what does the future hold?

To hear more content from us, keep an eye on your feed on Monday (afternoon NZ time) for our preview of the New Zealand v India Test series.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Gary Stead, Finn Allen, Graham Thorpe, Shane Bond, Frankie Mackay, Jarrod Kimber, Barry Richards 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.

Is T20 the most important format in the game today? Recorded just prior to the semi-finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup, this two-part episode charts the evolution of T20 cricket from novelty or experimental format to the present day, when big-money franchise tournaments have become a major part of the cricketing calendar. Was Martin Crowe's Cricket Max ahead of its time? Has there ever been a better T20 innings than Ricky Ponting's 98* in the first T20 international? What impact has T20 had on spinners, batters, pace bowlers and wicketkeepers? How has it impacted Test and ODI cricket? And what does the future hold?

Remember to listen to Part 2 of this discussion, which is also out now, and keep an eye on your feed on Monday (afternoon NZ time) for our preview of the New Zealand v India Test series.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Matt Henry, Niall O'Brien, Mike Hussey, Frankie Mackay, Daniel Brettig, Barry Richards 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.

The T20 World Cup ended with Australia being crowned the champions of the world as New Zealand were heartbroken again in another white-ball tournament. We re-live the emotions of the final and some incredible batting from Kane Williamson, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. Did the toss decide the game? Could the Black Caps have done anything differently? Did anyone see Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazelwood having such a starring role for Australia at this World Cup?

We also look back at the tournament as a whole to discuss the format, schedule, key players and our favourite moments. It was a tough episode for the Kiwis - but Baldy kept the gloating to a minimum and saved his shoeys for after the recording. We'll be back again later this week (Saturday morning NZ time) with two episodes on the evolution of T20 cricket, before we preview the upcoming New Zealand vs India Test series (Monday afternoon NZ time). Before then, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Ajaz Patel, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Bharat Sundaresan, Jacob Oram, Barry Richards 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.

Keen listeners of the show might be looking for our discussion about the evolution of T20 cricket, but two brilliant semi-finals had us buzzing with excitement so we decided to jump on the mics again for this extra episode to look back at these great games and then look forward to the big dance. Emotions were running high, but Binksy remained gracious in defeat in the face of Lippy's celebrations as we discussed the Black Caps' impressive victory against England, which had a few eerie similarities to that memorable World Cup final in 2019. We talk about the outstanding knocks from Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham, the impact of Devon Conway's injury and whether match-up cricket has gone too far.

Later in the show, Baldy attempts to claim underdog status for all Australians, despite Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis powering them across the line against Pakistan. Raj wants to know why David Warner walked off the field despite being not out and we discover that the secret to winning at cricket is to not play cricket.

Of course, we finish with predictions, but these have now become so meaningless that they've morphed into a strange game of reverse psychology - good luck trying to decipher that nonsense.

In a few days' time, we'll be back again to re-live the glory and heartbreak of the final, but while you are waiting please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Tim Southee, Niall O'Brien, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Daniel Brettig, Barry Richards 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.

The T20 World Cup is the focus again this week with the semi-finalists now confirmed after New Zealand's win against Afghanistan booked them a date against England to compete for a place in the big dance. On the other side of the draw, the only unbeaten side left in the tournament, Pakistan, will face a resurgent David Warner and an Australian team who could well be hitting form at exactly the right time. Did the best four teams make the semi-finals? Can Australia and New Zealand upset the top seeds? Will the Black Caps make any changes? And will it be Babar Azam, Eoin Morgan, Aaron Finch or Kane Williamson holding the trophy aloft in just a few days' time?

We'll be back again next week to re-live the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup and hopefully, with three runners in the race, at least one of us will be celebrating a famous victory. In the meantime, on Friday you'll see two more episodes drop into your podcast feed - our take on the evolution of T20 cricket as a format and what that means for the global game. A big topic and once we started talking we kept talking for a while, so the episode will release in two parts, both dropping on Friday afternoon New Zealand time.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Matt Henry, Niall O'Brien, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin, Daniel Brettig, Jarrod Kimber 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.

Baldy has birds on the mind during this edition of the Test Cricket Hall of Fame, as we count down from 70 to 66. There's pigeons, peacocks, ducks and geese, but best of all, there's a Kiwi. We discuss why Australia hasn't produced more great Test allrounders, as well as the evolution of the flipper and some brilliant batters from South Africa, Pakistan and England - including one who might be a lot higher on this list by the time they retire. Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to share your views via email or on social media - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on!

SPOILER ALERT

This episode features players from 70-66 in the following order. 70 - Alan Davidson 69 - Clarrie Grimmett 68 - Hashim Amla 67 - Inzamam ul-Haq 66 - Joe Root For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Our next This Week in Cricket show will preview the semi-finals and final of the ICC T20 World Cup, but if you can't wait for that, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Jeetan Patel, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin and many more fantastic characters.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

It's another case of World Cup fever this week and there's plenty to talk about, despite Pakistan and England having a jump on the field so far. We start the show by reflecting on an outstanding performance by the Black Caps against India, in a game so crucial that many described it as a World Cup quarter-final. Was Daryl Mitchell's promotion a happy accident? Ish Sodhi was man of the match, but did he bowl the most important spell of the game? Will Virat Kohli's final T20 World Cup as captain end in disappointment? And could Afghanistan still spoil New Zealand's party?

As we continue our jaunt around the World Cup, we move to the two most impressive teams of the tournament so far: England and Pakistan. Should we already pencil these two teams into the final? Is anyone hitting the ball better than Jos Buttler at the moment? How about Asif Ali? Who will finish second in Group 1 behind England? Should Australia drop Steve Smith? And is it just a coincidence that teams batting second are winning the majority of the games?

Plus Ben Stokes is heading to Australia for the Ashes (will Jofra Archer join him?), the IPL is expanding, Lippy's got a name to watch for the India v New Zealand Test series and Sophie Devine eats Super Overs for breakfast.

We'll be back again next week to preview the business end of the T20 World Cup, but also look out for another episode of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame on Friday - there's even a New Zealander in this one! Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Katey Martin, Finn Allen, Daniel Beswick, Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Graham Thorpe, Wasim Khan and many more.

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.

There's some outrageous claims on this episode of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame as we explore the careers of five fantastic batters ranked from 75 to 71. Is it better to occupy the crease or score your runs quickly? Does a great player have to be a great leader? Is it a good idea to meet your heroes? And did Binksy really say that Baldy has ranked the best English batter of all time at #73?

Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to call us out via email or on social media to share your views - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on! SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 75-71 in the following order: 75 - Michael Clarke 74 - Geoffrey Boycott 73 - Kevin Pietersen 72 - Michael Hussey 71 - Virender Sehwag For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, our upcoming This Week in Cricket show will feature a heavy dose of the ICC T20 World Cup, but if you can't wait for that, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Jarrod Kimber, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Katey Martin and many more fantastic characters.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

The T20 World Cup has reached the Super 12 stage and there's been some cracking games already. We start with a shout out to Namibia and Scotland for their superb efforts during the group stage, before reminding ourselves that we've pretty much got every prediction wrong so far in the tournament. That hasn't mattered a lick, though, because the cricket has been fascinating and there's a huge week ahead.

England smashed the West Indies, Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets, Australia sneaked over the line against South Africa and Lippy's nervous about a massive week for the Black Caps that could define their success or otherwise at this World Cup.

We hit on a few key questions for the remainder of the tournament: How will the pitches change the way the games are played? Will this be the World Cup of the likes of Babar Azam, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, rather than the out and out power hitters? Is being in the 'Group of Death' actually a good thing? And will any of our predictions come true?

Plus there's a quick preview of the bidding process for the IPL teams (since recording, we've learned the teams will be based in Lucknow and Ahmedabad and sold for a LOT of money), the Old Trafford Test has become the Edgbaston Test and there's a quick round up of impressive Kiwis at the WBBL and during the first round of the Plunket Shield.

Of course we'll be back again next week with more T20 World Cup coverage, but also look out for another episode of our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame in the coming days - this one got very spicy! Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We'd love to hear if you're enjoying the change to the format of our shows and the more regular releases. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Katey Martin, Finn Allen, Niall O'Brien, Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Graham Thorpe and many more.

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.

The Ashes are still six weeks away, but the boys, particularly Baldy and Binksy, couldn't resist taking a brief detour away from the T20 World Cup to discuss the lay of the land leading into a series that always provides plenty of talking points. Will the English players have to quarantine? What grounds will the games be played at? Which spots are up for grabs in the Australian line up? Are we enjoying the banter? And will Ben Stokes play a part?

Keep an eye out for our T20 World Cup coverage in the coming days, and please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels(@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website). If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Katey Martin, Finn Allen, Niall O'Brien, Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Graham Thorpe and many more.

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.

Katey Martin has represented the White Ferns nearly 200 times across an almost 18-year international career, including a rare Test match in 2003. We’ve heard her dulcet tones as part of the Spark Sport commentary team and through the stump mics, and she joined us last week from MIQ after the UK tour. In this candid chat, Katey took us into the White Ferns camp to discuss events both on and off the field over the past few months - first looking back to evaluate the England series and then looking ahead to the upcoming ODI World Cup in New Zealand in March/April 2022. We talked goals and expectations, the growth of the women's game, riding in a cricket-ball-shaped bus, dial-up internet, what it's like to be sledged by Alyssa Healy and plenty more in this conversation with one of the game's great characters. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels(@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our recent guest episodes, which include the likes of Niall O'Brien, Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Tim Southee, Frankie Mackay and many more. There's also plenty of T20 World Cup content for you, with our preview of the event and a conversation with Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket.

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.

Eighteen months ago it was hard to imagine we'd have the final of the IPL and the opening games of a T20 World Cup within the same week, but in this new-normal world that's exactly what happened. We talk the excellent turnaround from CSK, led by Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni, who powered to victory via the bats of Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Moeen Ali, and an excellent campaign from the full squad. There's also plenty of love for KKR and their Kiwi contingent for the way they stormed into the final.

Speaking of Faf du Plessis, we discuss his omission from the South African T20 World Cup squad, as well as Imran Tahir and Chris Morris, and debate whether the West Indies should have made an exception for Sunil Narine.

As the T20 World Cup conversation continues, our Universe Boss correspondent provides a Chris Gayle update, before we discuss the opening day of the tournament, which saw hosts Oman defeat Papua New Guinea and Scotland upset Bangladesh.

For more T20 World Cup coverage, check out our preview of the tournament, which focuses largely on the Super 12 stage, plus our episodes with Niall O'Brien and Daniel Beswick, which include content about the group stage.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels(@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Tim Southee and many more. In the coming days you'll also hear from Katey Martin of the White Ferns and Otago Sparks as she shares stories from the UK tour and her career.

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.

It's World Cup time, which also means it's preview time! The show starts with an epic Baldwin explainer, before we each select a team to discuss in more detail (no prizes for guessing who we choose). With our biases out of the way, Raj poses four big questions to the group: Which player/s are you most excited to watch? Who is your dark horse team to lift the trophy? Which team will underwhelm? And who will make the semis, final and win it all?

We focused largely on the Super 12 stage of the tournament and beyond, but for a rundown of the early stages, you can dip back into recent episodes with Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket and Niall O'Brien, commentator and former Ireland wicketkeeper/bat.

Have we got it spot on? Or have we got it all wrong? Don't be shy to let us know on all our social media channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and please take the time to give us a like, subscribe and/or a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Tim Southee, Niall O'Brien and many more. Next week you'll also hear from Katey Martin of the White Ferns and Otago Sparks as she shares stories from the UK tour and her career.

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.

Niall O'Brien's international career spanned well past a decade, and included more than 100 ODIs, 30 T20Is and Ireland's first Test match in 2018. He's now a player agent and commentator working all around the world, and joined us from the UAE to discuss the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup and take a stroll down memory lane. We talk Ireland's chances and T20 opportunities on the biggest stage for sides in the first round of the group stage, before Niall takes us into his backyard and schoolground to re-live growing up in a cricket-mad family that's had a huge impact on the game in Ireland.

We bounce around from Sydney grade cricket alongside the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee, to ICC World Cups and famous victories against Pakistan in 2007 and England in 2011 - including Niall's match-winning knock in the West Indies.

Niall recounts phone calls from Mum telling him to be nicer on commentary to his baby brother Kevin, Trent Johnston's epic speech in 2007, keeping to Murali, being sledged by Warne, throwdowns in the carpark, whether it's ever okay to keep in short sleeves and the pride he has to have represented Ireland over such a long career. As you'd expect, it's a fun chat with plenty of laughs along the way.

You can view the Breaking Boundaries documentary we referenced in the podcast via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjFHumOZVU (this link) - it's an absolute cracker!

Keep an eye on your feed over the coming days for our in-depth preview of the Men's T20 World Cup - we focused mainly on the Super 12 stage, but in the meantime scroll further back in our feed and have a listen to our recent conversation with Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, who gave us the lowdown on the first stage of the tournament.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels(@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Tim Southee and many more. Next week you'll also hear from Katey Martin of the White Ferns and Otago Sparks as she shares stories from the UK tour and her career.

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.

It's the same old Top Order, but a new episode structure, with more regular programming heading your way. And it all starts with an old favourite, This Week in Cricket, where we go around the cricketing world to discuss what's caught our eye. The Ashes are on (hopefully), and England have named a nearly full-strength squad, but does Joe Root have enough support to get a positive result? It's business time at the IPL and CSK are already through to the final after another quality knock from Ruturaj Gaikwad and some MS Dhoni magic. But there's no place for the star-studded Mumbai Indians, who were pipped to the post by Lockie Ferguson and his Kolkata Knight Riders. The door to the Women's World Cup title creaked open a little when India broke Australia's ODI streak and then kicked on with strong performances throughout the rest of the tour. Keep your eyes on your feed in about a week's time for more on the Women's World Cup and the White Ferns tour of the UK, as Katey Martin joined the show to take us inside the camp.

And the resignation of both Wasim Khan and Ian Watmore has us trying to join the dots, while there's also talk of New Zealand attempting to reschedule their cancelled tour to Pakistan.

As mentioned earlier, we're changing things up at The Top Order, which hopefully means more content for you, the listener, but also more focused content so you can pick and choose what you are after. In addition to our This Week in Cricket shows, we'll have one more episode each week where we'll dive into a bigger topic - the first of those is an in-depth preview of the Men's T20 World Cup - and in many weeks we'll also have a third episode for you to enjoy, which will include our Hall of Fame series and special guests.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels(@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/ (website).

If you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, Mike Hussey, Tim Southee and many more.

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.

The Hall of Fame is back, and in this episode we discuss two spinners with very different styles, a pair of seamers that made life very uncomfortable for batters and one of the best sweepers the game has ever seen. Raj highlights a clash with The Don, Lippy makes the case for consistent spinners to get more respect, Binksy re-lives Headingley 1981 and Baldy hands out the first award at 'The Toppies'.

Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to call us out via email or on social media to share your views - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on!

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 80-76 in the following order: 80 - Bill O'Reilly 79 - Rangana Herath 78 - Makhaya Ntini 77 - Bob Willis 76 - Andy Flower For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, regular programming will continue. We'll be interspersing episodes revealing players with our This Week in Cricket shows and interviews as the IPL comes to a conclusion and we head towards the ICC T20 World Cup. And if you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Daniel Beswick from Emerging Cricket, Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan and many more.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels(@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

We said in one of our recent podcasts that it was a buzz to discover we’ve got listeners in places as diverse as Spain, Singapore, Nepal and El Salvador, and although the Test playing nations - sometimes a select few - tend to dominate the media, we wanted to shine a light on some of the other cricket going on around the world. To that end, we were joined by Daniel Beswick, one of the founding members of the Emerging Cricket platform, to discuss the the outlook for Associate Cricket sides in the current environment and the T20 World Cup qualifiers. Topics include: Is Associate Cricket on the rise? What are the biggest challenges? The value and importance of major tournaments, such as the upcoming T20 World Cup Opportunities for Associate players in franchise competitions such as the IPL and BBL Cricket at the Olympics What now for Afghanistan Cricket? Are the USA a potential sleeping giant? Players to watch and predictions for the T20 World Cup qualifiers And much more.

If you haven't already, we recommend you check out the incredible coverage provided by Daniel and the rest of the team at Emerging Cricket, at their https://emergingcricket.com/ (website), on https://twitter.com/EmergingCricket (Twitter) or via the Emerging Cricket podcast. You'll also find links on their website to support the work they are doing, or find more information about contributing your own work. Of course, we also recommend you dip back into our back catalogue, you'll find our recent work on our Men's Test Cricket https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (Hall of Fame), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/interviews (interviews) from all around the world, including the likes of Jarrod Kimber, Tim Southee, Bharat Sundaresan, Finn Allen, Shane Deitz, Mike Hussey and many more. For more information about all of our episodes, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). From next week, we'll be changing up the format of our shows slightly - shorter, but more regular, episodes, which will hopefully allow us to provide more focused content - so keep your eyes on our podcast feed for more information Finally, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (Twitter) and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & @thetoporderpodcast on https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (Instagram)) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. We're also slowly adding our interviews to our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA (YouTube) channel. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, or just to say hello, we'd love to hear from you at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

It's another instalment of the Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, and in this episode wicketkeeping and captaincy take centre stage. You'll hear Binksy more animated than ever before, while we discuss his cricketing hero in an attempt to split two great wicketkeepers (it's not even close, he tells us!). Raj is impressed by a whippy Australian, Baldy starts second-guessing himself and suggesting version 2.0 of the list is on the way, while Lippy uses two of the great West Indian leaders to make as many references to New Zealand cricket as possible. There's big bats, the art of wicketkeeping and Baldwin family memories as this labour of love continues.

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 85-81 in the following order: 85 - Mark Boucher 84 - Ian Healy 83 - Ray Lindwall 82 - Frank Worrell 81 - Clive Lloyd Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to call us out via email or on social media to share your views - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on!

For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, regular programming will continue. We'll be interspersing episodes revealing players with our This Week in Cricket shows and interviews as the IPL comes to a conclusion and we head towards the ICC T20 World Cup. And if you haven't already, dip back into our guest episodes, which include the likes of Jarrod Kimber, Tim Southee, Bharat Sundaresan, Finn Allen and many more.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

We were planning to take a pause of our This Week in Cricket episodes to dive into our Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, until the Black Caps tour of Pakistan was abandoned just hours before the first ODI was scheduled to begin. Then, the morning after we'd talked through our initial reactions to that news, more stories broke - the upcoming England Men's and Women's tours to Pakistan have also been cancelled, and reports of a scare related to the England v White Ferns ODI series - so Baldy and Binksy got together again to react to a situation that appears to still be evolving, as politics and sport collide once more. In the remainder of the show, you'll find a quick whip around other news, including: White Ferns v England ODIs so far; Virat Kohli stepping down from the captaincy of India's T20 side and RCB at the end of the ICC T20 World Cup and the IPL; Amazing catches and an evergreen Darren Stevens in the Vitality Blast; and Covid disruption to the New Zealand home summer schedule.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Hall of Fame, both via our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website) and by listening to earlier episodes (we've introduced 100-86 so far, with 85-81 coming later this week). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups and discussions about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with our rankings, and whether you have your own stories and memories to share about these legends.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

This week on the show we start by trying to make sense of the cancellation/forfeiture/postponement (??) of the 5th England v India Test. What was the result of the series? Does that matter? Was this all about the IPL? Is this current fixture list actually sustainable for the players?

We also look back at what was an entertaining series to discuss the impressive contributions from Rohit Sharma and the confusing puzzle that is the English batting lineup. In the second part of the show we race through a number of topics to review the week that was: Australia look set to cancel their Test with Afghanistan Tom Latham and Ajaz Patel shine in Bangladesh White Ferns lose a nail-biter in the final T20 against England The IPL is back again The ins and outs of the T20 World Cup squads

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Hall of Fame, both via our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website) and by listening to earlier episodes (we've introduced 100-86 so far). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups and discussions about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with our rankings, and whether you have your own stories and memories to share about these legends.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

The New Zealand teams are back in action, there's drama in Pakistan and Shardul Thakur has become the world's greatest allrounder - it's been a busy week! We start the show by discussing the news that Pakistan coaches Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis have resigned from their roles only hours after the T20 World Cup squad was announced, before celebrating wins for both the White Ferns and the Black Caps over the past few days. There's Sophie Devine's milestone performance, Ajaz Patel shining in overseas conditions once again and we debate whether we can learn anything from the matches in Bangladesh.

England v India takes centre stage after the swish as we try to make sense of a series that has seen public opinion fluctuate from 'Sack Virat Kohli' to 'India are the greatest team of all time' and 'England have found the answers to their problems' to 'England are terrible at Test cricket'.

We also shine a light on outstanding performances from Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur and Chris Woakes, discuss whether Jimmy Anderson and Ollie Robinson need a rest and make our predictions for the 5th and final Test.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Hall of Fame, both via our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website) and by listening to earlier episodes (we've introduced 100-86 so far). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups and discussions about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with our rankings, and whether you have your own stories and memories to share about these legends.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

The Top Order Podcast Hall of Fame returns! We get the time machine out this week to discuss four of the best from the post-war era, plus an Aussie speedster from the 2000s who fans from other countries loved to hate. Binksy shares stories from English cricket folklore, Baldy brings the stats and talks up a hometown hero, there's a spinner for Lippy to rave about and Raj gets so excited his shirt comes off!

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 90-86 in the following order: 90 - Denis Compton 89 - Neil Harvey 88 - Mitchell Johnson 87 - Alec Bedser 86 - Jim Laker Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? We'd love to continue the conversation, so don't hesitate to call us out via email or on social media to share your views - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on!

For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, regular programming will continue. We'll be interspersing episodes revealing players with our This Week in Cricket shows (England v India, England v White Ferns & Bangladesh v Black Caps and more!). And if you haven't already, dip back into our recent guest episodes, which includes Jarrod Kimber taking us on a deep dive of New Zealand Cricket on and off the field, and evaluating the World Test Championship as a format, and Tim Southee talking about the pride the Black Caps felt after finally getting their hands on another ICC trophy.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

It's another jam-packed lockdown episode with plenty going on as we cast our eyes around the world to discuss the week that was and look ahead with excitement. Are we in a special era of fast bowling? Will Shaheen Shah Afridi become one of Pakistan's greats? Are highlights packages getting worse? What impact has The Hundred had on the women's game? How much fun are the commentators having at the CPL? Will the return of Suzie Bates be enough for the White Ferns to upset England? And how excited is Raj about the upcoming Black Caps v Bangladesh series?

In the second half of the show, we turn our attention to the England v India series in an attempt to figure out why we got our predictions so wrong for the 3rd Test. Did Virat Kohli make the wrong decision to bat first? Has Jarvo got someone on the inside? Is the Indian batting line up just as fragile as the English one? Can Joe Root do it again? Will Ravichandran Ashwin finally get a game? And will any of us get our predictions right?

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Hall of Fame, both via our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website) and by listening to earlier episodes (we've introduced 100-91 so far). There's another episode on the way at the end of this week. You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups and discussions about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with our rankings so far. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

It's back to lockdown here in New Zealand, but Raj returns as we gather on Zoom to review the cricketing week that was and the second Test between England and India. We start the show with another thrilling Test match, as Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales get the West Indies home against Pakistan. There's New Zealand news, with Shane Bond joining the Black Caps coaching staff for the T20 World Cup, and Molly Penfold getting a White Ferns call up. Adam Milne gets a shout out during some Hundred predictions that haven't aged well, and Baldy finally joins the conversation to weigh in on the Justin Langer saga and Australia's T20 World Cup squad.

A downcast Binksy begins the England v India conversation as we look back at what became an impressive win for Virat Kohli's side. We talk bouncers, captaincy, Bumrah and Shami smashing it to all parts, Joe Root, the war of words, Jarvo, Mohammed Siraj, whether England dropping Dom Sibley and Zac Crawley will make any difference at all, and whether Lippy will get to see Ravi Ashwin bowl during the series.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Hall of Fame, both via our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website) and by listening to earlier episodes (we've introduced 100-91 so far). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups and discussions about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with our rankings so far.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

We're a man down on this episode, with Raj unavailable, but we soldier on to review the cricketing week that was. We start with a solo performance by Stu, as the Black Caps squads and New Zealand Cricket's plans for the rest of the year were announced on Tuesday morning - the day after our initial recording. He runs through the team lists and a few initial thoughts, particularly about the T20 World Cup side and the spin-heavy look, which includes the likes of Mark Chapman and Todd Astle (full team lists and info available https://www.nzc.nz/news-items/nzc-outlines-winter-tours-strategy-t20-world-cup-squad-revealed (here)). Plus, of course, there's a shout out to Riccarton Cricket Club and their potential debutant Cole McConchie, and thoughts on the White Ferns tour to England. The podcast restarts proper with Baldy hitting the replay button as we discuss Australia's woes and whether there are any positives they can take from the T20 series loss against Bangladesh - or whether it even matters at all with so much cricket still to be played before the World Cup. We talk about scheduling challenges for The Hundred, and introduce a new segment - Media Watch - which this week highlights George Dobell's live blog of the first England v India Test. After the swish, we break down the Trent Bridge Test, in which a potentially fascinating Day 5 was washed away by the rain. Who came away with the points victory? Why didn't India play Ravi Ashwin and will we see him at all in this series? Will anyone other than Joe Root score runs for England? Will The Ashes be cancelled? Is Virat Kohli still good? And who will win the second Test at Lord's? If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Hall of Fame, both via our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website) and by listening to earlier episodes (we've introduced 100-91 so far). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups and discussions about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. We'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with our rankings so far.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

The doors to the Hall of Fame are open once more and players 95 to 91 enter The Club. It's a group of five that could send you down a YouTube rabbit hole for days - there's two of India's greatest leaders, a scary and skilful West Indian speedster, an English wicketkeeper who reminded Raj of his younger days and brought a smile to Binksy's face, plus another classy batter who always went to another level against Australia. And, remarkably, there's still no sign of Martin Crowe.

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 95-91 in the following order: 95 - Kapil Dev 94 - Alan Knott 93 - Andy Roberts 92 - MS Dhoni 91 - VVS Laxman Are any of this group ranked too low? Or are they lucky to be here? As always, the four of us don't agree about everything, and we'd love to hear what you think. Don't hesitate to continue the conversation by calling us out via email or on social media to share your views - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on! For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, regular programming will continue. We'll be interspersing episodes revealing players with our This Week in Cricket shows (next up, a review of the first England v India Test and everything else going on this week) and guest appearances. And if you haven't already, dip back into our recent episodes, which includes Jarrod Kimber taking us on a deep dive of New Zealand Cricket on and off the field, and evaluating the World Test Championship as a format, and Tim Southee talking about the pride the Black Caps felt after finally getting their hands on another ICC trophy.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

The doors to the Hall of Fame are finally open, and in this episode Baldy walks three Englishmen, a West Indian and an Aussie past Nathan Lyon, Mark Waugh and Shakib al Hasan - our benchmark players who remain stuck in the foyer. We put six minutes on the clock as Baldy makes the case for each inductee, then talk longevity vs peak performance, wicketkeeping, legacies and whether it matters or not if people like you. Lippy finds a way to bring up a famous Black Caps win despite there not being a New Zealander in sight and Binksy apologises profusely to Baldy's family as we put these rankings under the microscope.

As expected, there's plenty of debate and often we don't agree, so don't hesitate to continue the conversation by calling us out via email or on social media to share your views - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on! We'd love to hear what you think.

SPOILER ALERT This episode features players from 100-96 in the following order: 100 - David Warner 99 - Graham Gooch 98 - Ian Bishop 97 - David Gower 96 - Alec Stewart For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, regular programming will continue. We'll be interspersing episodes revealing players (95-91 will be next) with our This Week in Cricket shows and guest appearances. And if you haven't already, dip back into our recent episodes, which includes Jarrod Kimber taking us on a deep dive of New Zealand Cricket on and off the field, and evaluating the World Test Championship as a format, and Tim Southee talking about the pride the Black Caps felt after finally getting their hands on another ICC trophy.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show. 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.

This week on the show we talk about the start of The Hundred, try to figure out what's real and what's not from the West Indies v Australia matches and look ahead to an intriguing Test series between England and India. We start by discussing The Hundred as Lippy attempts to understand why the competition appears to be so divisive, realise that cricket is still cricket and cricket is fun to watch, but what's going on with those graphics?! Then we take another opportunity to quiz Baldy about what's going on with this Australian white-ball side. Are they good? Or not? Have they completely mismanaged their selections and plan for the year? Or not? Or is it way too early to tell? And why can the West Indies score more runs in 20 overs than they can in 50? Raj has the answer, which may have something to do with the Universe Boss Chris Gayle. We round out the episode by looking ahead to what we hope will be a fascinating Test series between England and India. How excited are the spinners among us about watching Ravi Ashwin for five Tests? How many runs will Joe Root need to score for England to have a chance? How will Ollie Robinson fit into England's bowling attack? There's Broad and Anderson v Kohli, Sharma, Pant and co, and optimistic Binksy makes an appearance during prediction time.

If you enjoyed our latest episode - the introduction to our Top Order Podcast Test Cricket Hall of Fame, keep an eye out for the next instalment - where we introduce players 100-96 and debate their inclusion. It's not far away. If you haven't listened yet, there's plenty of time to catch up, but we suggest you do so as these episodes will become a regular feature as we countdown from 100-1. You can also find extensive write ups about the Hall of Fame on our recently revamped https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website).

You can also dip back into our recent interviews - Jarrod Kimber takes us on a deep dive of New Zealand Cricket on and off the field, and evaluates the World Test Championship as a format and Tim Southee talked about the pride the Black Caps felt after finally getting their hands on another ICC trophy.

As always, we love hearing from our listeners, so please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

It's here! We've been teasing this for a while, and Baldy's been putting in hours and hours of work behind the scenes to get us ready to begin. Now here it is: the Top Order Podcast Men's Test Cricket Hall of Fame. In this episode, Baldy sets the parameters for discussion: What makes a great player? What are the criteria for selection? Stats or the eye test? Longevity or peak performance? Does winning matter? Is it possible to compare eras?

Lippy then hijacks the notable omissions conversation to ask Baldy why a Black Caps legend hasn't made the cut, before we chat through players 103-101 (Shakib Al-Hasan, Nathan Lyon and Mark Waugh) who currently sit just outside the Hall and thus provide the benchmarks for selection.

For an even deeper dive on the theory and process behind the Hall, head to our https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/welcome (website). You'll find the https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-preamble (Preamble), plus https://www.thetoporderpodcast.com/hall-of-fame/the-list (the list), which will eventually feature detailed write-ups about every player from 103 to 1 as we make our way through the Hall in the coming weeks and months. Our hope is this list will generate plenty of debate, both on the podcast and on our social channels, so don't hesitate to continue the conversation by calling us out if you disagree - or give us some praise if we've got things spot on!

Of course, regular programming will continue. We'll be interspersing episodes revealing players (100-96 will be next) with our This Week in Cricket shows and guest appearances. And if you haven't already, dip back into our recent episodes - Jarrod Kimber takes us on a deep dive of New Zealand Cricket on and off the field, and evaluates the World Test Championship as a format; Tim Southee talked about the pride the Black Caps felt after finally getting their hands on another ICC trophy; and Iain O'Brien was incredibly candid sharing stories from his career and his philosophy on life and cricket as he moves into a coaching gig with Cricket Wellington.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

After a hat-trick of quality guests, normal service resumes as we discuss recent events across the cricketing world. We talk about the raft of Black Caps performing on the English county circuit, including Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne, and the prospect of huge competition for spots as New Zealand builds towards the T20 World Cup. Baldy really enjoys it as he's questioned about Australia's performances against the West Indies: Are they any closer to knowing their best XI in T20 cricket? Should Mitchell Marsh be in that lineup? Are there problems behind the scenes?

And we heap praise on the West Indies who, even after their recent series losses to South Africa, look an incredibly united cricket side that are so fun to watch and so dangerous in the white-ball formats, with a batting lineup featuring the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard, plus the emergence of bowlers like Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh. After a swish, it's England's turn to receive our praise, with their incredible limited-overs depth demonstrated by series wins against Sri Lanka, followed by Pakistan with a complete team swap in between. Binksy explains why it's easier to make the step up to international cricket in ODIs and T20s than it is in Test match cricket, and why we should all have posters of Joe Root on our wall. Raj takes us through Sri Lanka's off-field struggles and Lippy asks: Will they even qualify for the 2023 World Cup?

If you haven't already, dip back into our recent episodes - Jarrod Kimber takes us on a deep dive of New Zealand Cricket on and off the field, and evaluates the World Test Championship as a format; Tim Southee talked about the pride the Black Caps felt after finally getting their hands on another ICC trophy; and Iain O'Brien was incredibly candid sharing stories from his career and his philosophy on life and cricket as he moves into a coaching gig with Cricket Wellington. Coming up, you'll be introduced to Baldy's Test Cricket Hall of Fame, in a series of podcasts and written material that's bound to ruffle a few feathers and generate plenty of debate.

As always, we love hearing from our listeners, so please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

In this episode we speak with one of the best in the business. Jarrod Kimber has written for Wisden, Cricinfo and many many more cricket sites and publications around the world. He’s authored books, worked as a commentator, an analyst and made an award-winning film (Death of a Gentleman). We've been admirers of his work for a while and were particularly taken with all the New Zealand content he's produced lately, so we invited him on the show to talk about the Black Caps journey from mediocrity to World Test Champions. After some P Diddy chat and a bit about Jarrod's own cricket fandom, we talk about the many factors behind New Zealand's growth as a cricket side in recent times, which sees them hold top spot in both Tests and ODIs after beating Virat Kohli's India in the WTC final. We discuss what makes Kyle Jamieson so special, why Neil Wagner takes wickets even though everyone knows exactly what he's trying to do, the role of analysts at the international level and where New Zealand sits compared with the Big Three of India, England and Australia.

To finish the show, we pan out to take a wider look at the World Test Championship, ICC tournaments, associate nations and franchise cricket to examine how they can all co-exist and what the best version of a cricket calendar might look like. There's even a lawn-mowing metaphor!

For more great content from Jarrod, we highly recommend you check out his https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxAV5Px6mAlbjh0-AU9xIA (YouTube channel), or his podcasts Red Inker and Double Century. There's plenty in there for cricket lovers from all around the world.

If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of banter, plus timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, including recent chats with Tim Southee and a wonderfully candid Iain O'Brien.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show.

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.

Tim Southee, Blackcaps seamer and recent member of New Zealand's elite 300 Test wicket club, joins the show to re-live the glory of the World Test Championship Final and the tour to England. We talk celebrations, the mace's journey home, what it means to win an ICC tournament after coming so close in 2015 and 2019, and the growth of this Blackcaps side during Tim's impressive career.

Tim insightfully leads us through the key moments of the win against India. From searching 'Southampton weather' countless times, to the Test's first hour, Kyle Jamieson winning the battle with Virat Kohli, the drop and dismissal of Rishabh Pant and nerves in the dressing room as Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor steered New Zealand to victory.

To finish the show, we look ahead to the next 6 months for the Blackcaps and give Tim a huge shout out for https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/sports/cricket/apparel/listing/3156520138?bof=9Ff7xOYg (auctioning a match-worn shirt) to raise funds for Holly Beattie. Outstanding work, Tim.

Keep your eyes on our feed and our social channels in the coming days. We've got another great interview on the way early next week as we continue to bask in the glory of New Zealand's World Test Championship win. In that episode, we're joined by cricket writer and content producer extraordinaire Jarrod Kimber.

If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of banter, plus timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show.

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.

Iain O'Brien's career is one that has taken many turns along the way. From forcing his way into the New Zealand side, to being dropped after two games, and then battling back to become a fixture in the lineup before retiring for family reasons when he was arguably at the top of his game. In this candid chat, Iain shares his excitement about the return to Cricket Wellington in a coaching role and his passion for passing on knowledge to help others achieve their potential both as people and as cricketers.

We hear about his early international experiences for the Black Caps against an outstanding Australian side (including being Alpha-d by Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne), representing NZ at indoor cricket, bowling into the wind at the Basin Reserve, wicket celebrations, opening up about mental health, the loneliness of touring life, testing yourself against the best, being Neil Wagner 0.5 and plenty more in this wide-ranging chat about Iain's playing days and life in general.

If you enjoyed listening to Iain, you can check out his own YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/108withIOB (channel), where you'll find fascinating chats with a wide range of people from all around the world. And of course keep an eye on our feed in the coming weeks. We've got more great interviews on the way as we bask in the glory of New Zealand's World Test Championship win.

If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of banter, plus timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world.

Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show.

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.

You beauty! Absolute scenes at Top Order HQ as New Zealand defeats India to become the inaugural winners of the World Test Championship. Is this New Zealand Cricket's greatest moment? Is this the best Black Caps team ever? Is Kyle Jamieson the best bowler of all-time? Or is that actually Neil Wagner? What were India doing in their second innings? And how nervous were we as NZ edged towards the finish line?

Plus there's chat about Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, BJ Watling and Devon Conway, as we run through the key figures and moments of a fascinating final that spanned six days and went right down to the wire. Dropped catches, absolute stunners, lower-order runs, great shots, reckless shots and crucial spells, it's all there for you to re-live and enjoy. World Champs! In case you missed it on our social media feeds, we're now taking orders for Top Order Podcast merch. Take a look, and let us know if you'd like to get in on our first shipment. And don't worry, this first WTC cycle is complete, but there's plenty more content on the way - our chat with former Black Cap and new Wellington Cricket bowling coach Iain O'Brien will drop next week. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, such as Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry and Graham Thorpe, just to name a few.Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show.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.

With the World Test Championship Final on the horizon this week, it's a feature-length episode as we break down New Zealand's historic Test series win against England and look forward to the big dance. We start the show with South Africa's crushing victory over the West Indies and Shakib al Hasan's tantrum, but it isn't long before Raj and Lippy are praising the Black Caps and celebrating NZ's first Test series win in England since 1999. There's a detour from the Black Caps squad to discuss England's batting woes, wonder who decided it was a good idea to give James Bracey the keeping gloves and ask if the ECB are disrespecting Test cricket. Spoiler alert: Binksy comes off the long run - shorter Ashes series, anyone? After we wrap up the England series, our attention turns to the World Test Championship Final. Who will New Zealand pick? Who would we pick? And can they beat this formidable Indian line up, featuring the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Ravi Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah? We're also delighted to be joined by DJ from the https://twitter.com/1tip1hand?s=20 (Edges and Sledges )podcast to help us look at the game from an Indian perspective. Is this the best ever Indian Test side? How much would a World Test Championship victory mean to Indian fans? Which spots in the XI are up for grabs? And who will win?

We also featured on Edges and Sledges this week - they do some great work so we thoroughly recommend you check out their feed if you haven't already. The YouTube link to our appearance is available here. Keep an eye out on our social media feeds as we get excited about and react to the World Test Championship final. We also previewed the final with the team at https://twitter.com/gcbwpodcast?s=20 (Gully Cricket to Bouncy Wicket), so give them a follow, too. And if interviews are your thing, a chat with former Black Cap and new Wellington Cricket bowling coach Iain O'Brien will drop after we wrap up the WTC final. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, such as Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry and Graham Thorpe, just to name a few.Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show.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.

Test match cricket is back and we break down all the highlights and lowlights from the Black Caps v England Test at Lord's. Devon Conway's incredible debut Tim Southee's 6-for Ross Taylor's form A hundred from Rory Burns Ollie Robinson's debut - on and off the field Should England have tried to chase down NZ's target on the final day? Changes for the second Test?

And before that, we quickly cover the ICC's tournament schedule, which sees the continuation of the World Test Championship, the return of the Champions Trophy and expansion of the men's Cricket World Cup (14 teams) and T20 World Cup (20 teams), plus Raj takes us through the contract disputes in Sri Lanka - something that seems to be an ongoing theme in many nations around the world. Keep an eye out on our social media feeds in the coming weeks as we build towards the World Test Championship final and cover New Zealand's tour to England. We previewed that final with the team at Gully Cricket to Bouncy Wicket (@gcbwpodcast) and have another crossover episode coming soon with more podcast friends from around the world. And if interviews are your thing, a chat with former Black Cap and new Wellington Cricket bowling coach Iain O'Brien will be the next to drop. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

In this episode of the show, Lippy and Baldy chat with former Black Caps captain Ken Rutherford. From struggling in his international debut against one of the all-time great West Indian Test sides, through to captaining New Zealand, Ken Rutherford had a fascinating international career. We talk about that tough debut in 1984-85, scoring 300 in two sessions on a tour to England and the highs and lows of the 1992 World Cup. Lippy gets his full cricket nerd on with some 1993-94 World Series questions, Ken tells us about his acting skills and we hear about his experiences in South Africa, Ireland and the racing industry after his time with the Black Caps. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we build towards the World Test Championship final and cover New Zealand's tour to England. We'll have crossover episodes with podcasts from around the world, and there's more interviews on the way - a chat with former Black Cap and new Wellington Cricket bowling coach Iain O'Brien will be the next to drop. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

We've been busy recording interviews over the past couple of weeks, but we couldn't resist some banter about the week that was. A reserve day has been added to the World Test Championship Final, the BCCI has set dates and locations for the completion of IPL 2021 and the Black Caps inter-squad match is in the books. We also chat through the unfortunate injury to Ben Foakes and what that's likely to mean for the England side to face New Zealand, plus take a look at the upcoming fixtures between South Africa and the West Indies. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we build towards the World Test Championship final. We'll have crossover episodes with podcasts from around the world, and there's more interviews on the way as well, with chats with former Black Caps Ken Rutherford and Iain O'Brien to drop soon. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

The boys are back together again to round up the cricketing week that was. There's high praise for BJ Watling after he announces he'll retire after the World Test Championship Final, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips get Black Caps contracts and we debate where that leaves Ajaz Patel's prospects on the international stage. Baldy takes us through an Australian summer schedule dominated by the men's and women's Ashes, the evergreen Darren Stevens and Sandpaper Gate get shout-outs, and should we start making bats from bamboo? We finish the show with an extended chat about the upcoming England v New Zealand Tests. Can the Black Caps find a spot for a spinner? Who will slot in at 7? Can England's batters secure themselves an Ashes spot? Will anyone make their Test debut? And, of course, who will win the series? Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we build towards the World Test Championship final. We'll have crossover episodes with podcasts from around the world, and there's more interviews on the way as well, with Ken Rutherford the next in line. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

On this bonus episode of the show we're joined by Black Caps and Canterbury seamer Matt Henry. We talk ICC rankings, the Black Caps environment and what it's like to bowl with the Dukes ball, before Matt talks about the excitement of another final and the chance to make history in this first edition of the World Test Championship. Matt runs us through the logistics of the upcoming tour, the recent training camps, the planning that goes on behind the scenes and his personal ambitions for the next few months. And we couldn't resist the opportunity to re-live two of our favourite ODIs in recent memory - the 2015 and 2019 World Cup semi-finals against South Africa and India. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we build towards the World Test Championship final. We'll have crossover episodes with podcasts from around the world, and there's more interviews on the way as well. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

We ended our previous episode predicting the IPL would continue on - how wrong we were. Less than 24 hours after the episode was recorded, more positive cases emerged and the tournament was officially postponed. Despite the lack of cricket on the field, there's still plenty to talk about. India has named their 20-strong squad for the upcoming tour to the UK, which includes the World Test Championship Final and 5 Tests against England. The West Indies have announced their contract list for the upcoming season, which saw players like Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner rewarded for their impressive debuts, and we finish the show by announcing an exciting project that Baldy has been working on that will soon see the light of day. It's going to provoke plenty of debate, and a conversation that we're really excited to start. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we build towards the World Test Championship final. You'll soon see an interview with Black Caps seamer Matt Henry pop into the feed, plus there's more interviews on the way and some crossover episodes with podcasts from around the world. If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

Just before our recording started, the news broke that Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier from the Kolkata Knight Riders have tested positive for Covid-19. We speculate on the implications for the rest of the tournament and what might happen over the next few days. It's back to cricket after that, with the Black Caps in camp, Heinrich Malan added to the coaching staff and bowlers bowling with the Dukes ball. We start to get excited about the upcoming England and World Test Championship tour: Ross Taylor's picked up an injury but Will Young's scored 100 opening the batting for Durham. Before we move to the on-field events at the IPL, we quickly touch on cricket at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and the new board to govern Cricket South Africa. In the second part of the show, we chat through Kane Williamson replacing David Warner as captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad, Virat Kohli's RCB hitting a speed bump, the Mumbai Indians and Kieron Pollard rolling into form and whether the top 4 of CSK, Delhi, Mumbai and RCB should already be pencilled in as we pass the halfway point of the season. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we continue our coverage of the IPL, plus all the NZ news as we build towards the World Test Championship final. If you're a new listener to the podcast, also check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, including recent chats with Peter Fulton and Georgia Wareham. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

We're one third of the way through the IPL, and unfortunately the cricketing headlines are being overshadowed by the tragic Covid-19 situation in India. We do our best to provide some distraction, touching on all 8 teams as we discuss what's caught our eye in the first 20 games of the tournament. Before the IPL chat, Baldy runs us through more turmoil in South African cricket and an 8-year ban for Heath Streak, while Binksy joins spin corner to update us on the early rounds of the County Championship and the form of Dom Bess and Matt Parkinson's 'Ball of This Century'. As the IPL chat begins, we work our way from the bottom of the table Kolkata Knight Riders through to a CSK side flying high and fresh off a win and a 37-run over from Ravindra Jadeja. We ask whether Andre Russell needs a promotion, wonder when Mumbai's finishers will find form and hit the panic button for a couple of teams, even after Lippy said it was too early to hit the panic button. There's praise for Moeen Ali and Glenn Maxwell in their new sides, we make the case for 'the craftsmen', Lippy tries to reference as many Black Caps as possible and the mulligans come out as we take another crack at predicting the playoff sides. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as we continue our coverage of the IPL, plus all the NZ news as we build towards the World Test Championship final. If you're a new listener to the podcast, also check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, including recent chats with Peter Fulton and Georgia Wareham. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we're joined by Canterbury coach and legend of the province, Peter Fulton. We start the show by looking back at what's been an incredible season for both the men and the women in red and black - securing a remarkable 4 out of the 5 domestic titles. We discuss Will Williams' confidence levels, Cam Fletcher's touch rugby struggles, Ken McClure's match-winning innings in the Ford Trophy final and why Peter stepped away from the Black Caps environment to take on his current role with Canterbury. As the chat continues, we take a trip down memory lane to remember the 2007 Chappell-Hadlee series, Peter's back-to-back Test hundreds against England at Eden Park, the ups and downs of his international career, his 11 first-class wickets and much more. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for our coverage of the IPL, plus all the NZ news as we build towards the World Test Championship final. If you're a new listener to the podcast, also check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

During the record-breaking Australian women's side's tour to New Zealand to take on the White Ferns, Baldy was lucky enough to catch up with star leg-spinner and World Cup winner Georgia Wareham. They talked world records, the art of leg-spin bowling, the strength of the domestic competition at home, Georgia's pathway to the Australian national side at such a young age and winning the World Cup in front of 80,000 fans. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast we take a look back at the New Zealand summer of cricket. It's been almost all red and black on the domestic circuit, with Canterbury winning 4 out of the 5 trophies on offer across the men's and women's competitions. We highlight key performers across the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy, Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and the Super Smash and discuss whether this could translate to the international stage for the likes of Will Williams, Cam Fletcher, Will O'Donnell, Brooke Halliday, Frankie Mackay and Lauren Down. We then turn our attention to the White Ferns, who've had a particularly tough summer against the world's best in England and Australia. We discuss whether wins and losses are the best way to evaluate the performances of this side, a challenging season for Sophie Devine and some bright lights among the gloom. The positive vibes are flowing when it comes to the Black Caps, though, who've won all 7 series this summer and seem to have strength and depth across the entire squad. We try to keep the Devon Conway chat to only 5 minutes, remember that Kane Williamson is fairly good at batting and predict what it all means for the upcoming World Test Championship Final and the T20 World Cup. We even have a crack at picking our 20-man squad for the England Test tour (we swear we recorded this before the team was announced!) - not a bad effort if we do say so ourselves. Look out for plenty more shows in the coming days. We've got interviews with Australian star leg-spinner Georgia Wareham and Canterbury coach Peter Fulton, plus IPL review shows as the tournament continues.If you enjoy what we're doing here at The Top Order, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram), plus a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us.And if you're a new listener, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world.If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels - it's always great to hear from cricket fans from all over the world. Thanks for listening.

There's podcasts a plenty this week at the Top Order and in this episode we round up everything that caught our eye around the cricketing world. We start the show by discussing whether Quinton de Kock's antics constitute fake fielding, before Baldy outlines just how astonishing this record-breaking Australian women's team actually are. Kraigg Brathwaite's sunglasses are still doing a good job, Washington Sundar's has a new dog, Covid concerns hover over the start of the IPL and we talk about a tweak to the DRS that has bowlers smiling. Look out for plenty more shows in the coming days, including a full review of the New Zealand home summer. And If you enjoy what we're doing here at The Top Order, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram), plus a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us.If you're a new listener, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world.If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels - it's always great to hear from cricket fans from all over the world. Thanks for listening.

IPL 14 is almost here and the boys are back to preview the tournament. In Part 2 of our preview, we run through the ins and outs, key players and predictions for the Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Are Mumbai the best T20 side in the world, franchise or international? Can the Royals win without Jofra Archer? Will Virat Kohli lead RCB to a title? Do the Sunrisers have enough firepower to challenge for the top spot? Tune in to find the answers, plus plenty more banter and bold calls as we look ahead to one of the biggest events on the cricketing calendar. Think you can take down the boys? Join our our IPL fantasy listener league at https://fantasy.iplt20.com/season/league/join/41ISPUJYKQ0107 (https://fantasy.iplt20.com/season/league/join/41ISPUJYKQ0107) Look out for plenty more shows in the coming days, including a round up of the cricketing week and a review of the New Zealand home summer. And If you enjoyed the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram), plus a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. If you're new to the Top Order, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world.If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels - it's always great to hear from listeners all over the world. Thanks for listening.

IPL 14 is almost here and the boys are back to preview the tournament. In this episode we set the scene for the latest edition of the Indian Premier League, then run through the ins and outs, key players and predictions for the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. Do CSK have too many all-rounders? Can Rishabh Pant's mastery lead Delhi to a title? KKR has an impressive list of overseas players, the likes of Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, but which four should be in their best XI? Will a new name lead to new fortunes for the Punjab Kings? Tune in to find the answers, plus plenty more banter and bold calls as we look ahead to one of the biggest events on the cricketing calendar. Look out for Part 2 of the preview show, which will be dropping into your feed in the coming days. And If you enjoyed the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram), plus a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. If you're new to the Top Order, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world.If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels - it's always great to hear from listeners all over the world. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we span the globe to chat through the cricketing week that was. We start in India to discuss their excellent white-ball series against England. Did India keep a few tricks up their sleeve? Are the days of the big-daddy hundred over? Will Virat Kohli's move to open become permanent? And can we expect similar run-fests in the 2021 T20 and 2023 ODI World Cups? With all the talk of run-fests, we return to New Zealand shores to discuss how equipped this current Black Caps side is to chase down huge totals. We ask whether Devon Conway is a cybernetic organism with living tissue over metal endoskeleton, heap praise on Daryl Mitchell and ponder potential candidates for an extended T20 World Cup squad. We finish the show with the continued success of Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, which has the West Indies on the improve, as well as the most important question of the evening: If you're not Chris Gayle, is it ever acceptable to wear sunglasses when you're batting? If you enjoyed the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the Top Order, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels - it's always great to hear from listeners all over the world. Thanks for listening.

Finn Allen has been the breakout star of the New Zealand summer, topping the Super Smash run charts and putting himself in the minds of selectors around the world. We spoke to Finn about the move from Auckland to Wellington, the Firebirds' culture, Super Smash finals day, being the best you can be and what it's like to bat with the likes of Devon Conway, Tom Blundell and Rachin Ravindra. From there, Finn's amazing summer continued with a call up to the Black Caps, a WhatsApp message from Mike Hesson asking him to join Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year's IPL and a Lancashire contract for the Vitality Blast. We talked through those incredible moments and how he's feeling about lining up alongside players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook), & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

After a busy week commentating for Auckland Cricket, the boys are back to round up all the news from around the cricketing world. We talk Rashid Khan's marathon spell, World Test Championship conspiracy theories and Finn Allen's IPL deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Raj starts a passionate debate about Jason Holder being replaced as West Indies Test captain, punctuated by a Dad joke of the highest order from Binksy. We look ahead to the Black Caps v Bangladesh ODI series and ask if India's embarrassment of riches in the white ball formats is presenting more challenges than benefits. If you enjoyed the show, one way you can support us is to check out http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/). As a listener of the show, you'll get 20% off + free shipping with the code: TOPORDER. Please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

There's plenty to talk about this week and we start the show with a bang, reliving Kieron Pollard's six sixes off an Akila Dananjaya over. South Africa named new captains, Cameron Green scored some runs and Canterbury added another trophy to their cabinet thanks to a hundred from Henry Nicholls and some big bombs from Ken McClure. After New Zealand sealed the T20 series against Australia with an impressive turnaround in Game 5 (17.45), we discuss Devon Conway's elevation to open, Aaron Finch's return to form, what both teams have learned and how they might line up at the T20 World Cup later this year. Binksy gets a chance to highlight more impressive English performances against the White Ferns (39.50), but when it comes to the men, Joe Root might be the only one to come out unscathed as we look back on the 4th Test between India and England (42.50). There's stats galore, Axar Patel is the greatest bowler to have played the game, Ravi Ashwin took 400 wickets in the series, Rishabh Pant gets a rap for his work behind the stumps and we look ahead to the World Test Championship Final at Lord's. If you enjoyed the show, one way you can support us is to check out http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/). As a listener of the show, you'll get 20% off + free shipping with the code: TOPORDER. Please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

In the second of our bonus episodes this week, we discuss reports of the MCC proposing potential rule changes to the ICC. Should 'Umpire's Call' be removed from the cricketing lexicon? What's the best use of technology in decision making? And what role should the on-field umpire play in all of this?

We had our say, and would love to hear what you think via any of our social channels or via thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed the show, one way you can support us is to check out http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/). As a listener of the show, you'll get 20% off + free shipping on all of their products with the code: TOPORDER. Please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. Or tell a friend about the show! It really helps others find us. And you're a new listener, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Thanks for listening.

In the first of two short bonus episodes this week, we discuss reports of the MCC proposing potential rule changes to the ICC. Should the bouncer be banned? Will we ever use spit to shine the ball again?

We had our say, and would love to hear what you think via any of our social channels or via thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Keep an eye on your feed for one more of these debates, in which we discuss the proposed changes to the umpire's call ruling on DRS. If you enjoyed the show, one way you can support us is to check out http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/). As a listener of the show, you'll get 20% off + free shipping on all of their products with the code: TOPORDER. Please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. Or tell a friend about the show! It really helps others find us. And you're a new listener, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Thanks for listening.

It's been another busy week in the world of cricket and we start the show in Aotearoa to discuss the series of Conway and two impressive performances from the Black Caps. We praise Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham, discuss Kyle Jamieson's struggles for the first time in his international career and Baldy is left with more questions than answers when looking at this Australian T20 squad. As we move to the White Ferns v England ODI series, we ponder what changed from games 1-2 to game 3 and Lippy highlights the impressive debut of Brooke Halliday and a match-winning partnership as reason for optimism heading into the T20 fixtures despite a 2-1 series loss. We finish the New Zealand segment of the show with the Ford Trophy, where hundreds galore find Canterbury and Wellington in finals contention once again. After Raj's favourite noise, we head to Ahmedabad to debate the pitch and the ball, Binksy talks about bikinis and eventually we even talk about the cricket that was played during a Test that didn't last much longer than the podcast. Keep an eye on your feed over the coming days, as we'll have a few extra episodes this week, in which we discuss potential rule changes to our great game. If you enjoyed the show, one way you can support us is to check out http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/). As a listener of the show, you'll get 20% off + free shipping with the code: TOPORDER. Please also take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

In Part B of our bumper 100th episode, the discussions get heated as we look back at the second Test between India and England. Binksy questions the value of the ICC pitch guidelines, while Raj questions the English tactics and praises Lippy for messages he sent to Virat Kohli and the India squad in our previous podcast. There's spin chat from Baldy, Binksy gets very very excited about Ben Foakes, we talk the Moeen Ali situation, there's praise for Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma, and much more as we deep dive into this fascinating series before looking ahead to the pink-ball Test. Later in the show, we weigh in on the IPL vs country debate and run through the notable points of the IPL auction, including a life-changing moment for Kyle Jamieson and a few curious absentees. Long-time listeners of the show will remember our podcast partnerships with prestigious products such as Sticky Hands and Rain Card. In this episode, you'll also hear Baldy back on the ad reads, discussing more quality products from the team at Manscaped. As a listener of The Top Order, go to http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/) and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: TOPORDER If you enjoyed the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Finally, a massive thanks to you as a listener - it's been a real treat for us to put these 100 episodes together and it certainly means a lot to raise the bat with all your support.

It's our 100th episode and it's so packed full of content we've split it into two parts for your listening pleasure. Plus there's a new sponsor (see discount code below)! In the first part of the show, we touch on West Indies v Bangladesh, Faf Du Plessis' retirement, Super Smash finals day and the upcoming series for the Black Caps and White Ferns against Australia and England. To round out Part A of episode 100, we indulge in a segment for ourselves, discussing our favourite hundreds of all time. In Part B, which you'll find in your feed shortly, we discuss the India v England series and the IPL auction. Long-time listeners of the show will remember our podcast partnerships with prestigious products such as Sticky Hands and Rain Card. In this episode, you'll hear Baldy back on the ad reads, with more quality products from the team at Manscaped. As a listener of The Top Order, go to http://manscaped.com/ (http://manscaped.com/) and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: TOPORDER If you enjoyed the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Finally, a massive thanks to you as a listener - it's been a real treat for us to put these 100 episodes together and it certainly means a lot to raise the bat with all your support.

It's a Test cricket bonanza! Test cricket is on fire at the moment and this episode was especially fun to record as we looked back at three quality games in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as a match-winning partnership by muscle man Cam Fletcher and Black Cap Daryl Mitchell in the Super Smash eliminator. We talk incredible double hundreds from Kyle Mayers and Joe Root, feel vindicated about our optimism towards the Pakistan Test side, analyse the spin bowling tactics from India and England, and Binksy can't stop smiling after a famous English win. We weigh in on why Joe Root didn't receive a signed India shirt for his 100th Test, talk about the role of Joshua Da Silva in one of the West Indies' best away wins in recent memory, Raj gives us an update on the ongoing Virat Kohli leadership debate, Lippy steals the Shaheen Shah Afridi chat away from Baldy and we all make predictions for the rest of the India v England series. If you enjoyed the show, please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find us. And you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

No Raj this week but Binksy and Baldy are together in the studio as Lippy dials in from the boot of his car (it's a long story, but the resulting audio quality is great!) to review another eventful week. We start in New Zealand, where Finn Allen and Devon Conway have been on fire to propel Wellington into the Super Smash final. On the women's side of the draw, it's the Canterbury Magicians who are one win away from glory. Lippy squeezes in a shout out to the Nelson Griffins after they lift Hawke Cup, then we move across the Tasman to discuss the Sydney Sixers' BBL win, James Vince, player name pronunciation and the Aussie T20 squad. Things take on a serious tone as we chat through the Covid postponement of the South Africa v Australia series and the implications for the World Test Championship. No permutations this week, but all eyes are on India v England as we wait to see who will face the Black Caps in the final. Binksy gives us a live update from Chennai and reminds us all that Joe Root is quite good at batting, before we finish the show by discussing Justin Langer in light of recent comments from Steve Smith. We'll be back in your feed again shortly to talk Test cricket - India v England, Pakistan v South Africa and West Indies v Bangladesh. If you're new to the show and can't wait that long, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

On this episode of the show, we take a look back at the epic Australia v India Test series. India won 2-1 on the scoreboard, but which individuals saw their stock rise throughout the series? We start the show with captaincy and leadership by contrasting the actions and fortunes of Ajinkya Rahane and Tim Paine, before discussing a host more key figures including: Rishabh Pant Shubman Gill Pat Cummins Nathan Lyon The Australian Selectors The World Test Championship

And plenty more as we re-live a fantastic advertisement for Test cricket. Finally, we give our verdicts on whether it was, as some people have called it, the greatest Test series of our lifetime. If you're new to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

After a few special guests lately, the crew are back to the debating table but not quite as a minor Covid scare in NZ had us recording remotely to review the cricketing week that was. There's plenty of action going on around the world, but we start the show at Lippy's old stomping ground, Hagley Oval, where he hopes the Black Caps selectors were watching Dan Vettori's clutch display in the Black Clash. It's to the T20 leagues we head to next, updating the Super Smash, BBL10 and a host of Aussies being cast aside in the IPL, before we touch on Ireland v Afghanistan and West Indies v Bangladesh, where two 3-0 ODI series wins could have big implications for 2023 World Cup qualification. During the second part of the show we turn our attention to England's recent series in Sri Lanka and their upcoming tour to India. Binksy is delighted with Joe Root's return to form, Raj is angry with Mickey Arthur, and Lippy enjoyed Lasith Embuldeniya's magic balls. It was a comprehensive victory for England, but do the boys give them any hope against India? Baldy wraps the show by running through the World Test Championship permutations, which became so confusing that Raj accidentally forgot he was a Black Caps' fan. Keep your eye on the podcast feed in the next 24 hours for another episode recorded on the same night as this one, in which we discuss the winners and losers from the epic Australia v India series. If you can't wait that long, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty of great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

There’s been a lot going on in South African cricket circles lately, both on and off the field, and who better to help us make sense of it all than ESPN Cricinfo’s Southern Africa correspondent Firdose Moonda, who’s been leading the cricket coverage in the region during this challenging time. In this fascinating deep dive into all things cricket in South Africa, we start by discussing the men's side's most recent series, and how difficult it was to assess the team's performance against a Sri Lankan squad decimated by injuries. We talk promising debutants, Quinton de Kock's leadership, the search for a Test captain, changes under Mark Boucher and why Faf du Plessis can't keep his shirt on. As we transition to the boardroom, Firdose takes us through the fallout from the Fundudzi report and we learn how close South Africa was to losing official international status. She frankly discusses communication breakdowns and a lack of cohesion as we explore transformation targets, the Black Lives Matter response, next steps, and the impact of the boardroom on the players and fans. Firdose's in-depth insight into the challenges South African cricket governance have to face, and how well they are currently navigating that path, is absolutely fascinating. We finish the show by taking a look at what's next on the field, starting with the women's team hosting Pakistan as the men head in the opposite direction for two Tests and three T20s - their first tour to Pakistan in 14 years and one that's shaping as a very interesting series as we assess where both sides fit in the Test hierarchy. You can find Firdose's work at Cricinfo at https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/author.html?author=315 (https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/author.html?author=315) - her back catalogue includes further details about many of the topics we discussed on the show. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, email us at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

Former Blackcaps' all-rounder and current White Ferns bowling coach Jacob Oram joins the show to chat about New Zealand's home summer, his playing days, the move to coaching and the Black Clash. In the first part of the show, Jacob talks about being back in the commentary box with Magic Talk, the Blackcaps' #1 Test ranking, what he finds most impressive about Kane Williamson and the rapid rise of fellow tall timber Kyle Jamieson. As we take a walk down memory lane, we bounce around some of the up and downs of Jacob's career, which included six international hundreds, two five-wicket bags, a hat-trick, three World Cups, the IPL and plenty more highlights in between, and how his cricketing education has prepared him for his current role with the White Ferns. We wrap up by discussing Jacob's upcoming challenge - taking on Team Rugby under lights at Hagley Oval on 22 January in the Black Clash. In case there was any doubt, he's predicting a win for Team Cricket, and is already throwing a few jabs at the likes of Israel Dagg and Jordie Barrett. If you'd like to find out more information on the Black Clash, check out https://www.blackclash.co.nz/ (https://www.blackclash.co.nz/). The first ball will be bowled at 6:30pm NZ time, broadcast live and full on TV1 here in New Zealand. And if you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

Binksy joins via Zoom but the Top Order are back again to review a fascinating week of cricket and look ahead to the final Australia v India Test in Brisbane. We start the show (0.40) with South Africa's 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka, before discussing the England squad and whether we expect them to follow suit in Galle. Baldy and Lippy then take us through the BBL and Super Smash action so far and what it could mean for international selection. With the Blackcaps' Test summer now concluded, we review another win against Pakistan (17.35). Lippy claims to have run out of superlatives before heaping praise on Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and the entire New Zealand side, while Raj is concerned about Naseem Shah and Binksy calls for calm heads as Pakistan conduct an internal review. As we move to the Australia v India series, Baldy outlines his frustration while watching a battered and bruised India side hold on for a dramatic draw at the SCG (31.15). We credit India's fighting spirit, wonder why wicketkeepers (and fielders in general) can't catch any more and discuss many of the key individuals of this engaging Test match, including Nathan Lyon, Ravichandran Ashwin, Tim Paine, Rishabh Pant, Steve Smith, Shubman Gill and Will Pucovski. Baldy makes a big call as we wrap the show with our predictions for the final Test in Brisbane and the World Test Championship implications, and we all cross our fingers that India can find eleven players to pull on the whites before the end of the week. Keep your eye on the podcast feed over the coming days. We've got an episode dropping with former Blackcaps all-rounder and current White Ferns bowling coach Jacob Oram in which he gives us his thoughts on the NZ summer and takes us on a walk down memory lane. If you can't wait that long, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod/ (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or on any of our social channels. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we welcome current international umpire and former Auckland, Cook Islands and East Coast Bays seamer, Chris Brown. Recorded before the start of the New Zealand's home summer, we talk umpiring logistics, the pathway to the top, what it feels like to get your decisions proved right - and wrong! - home vs neutral umpires, not giving Lippy any LBWs and how Chris wishes he'd donned the white coat as soon as his playing days were over. Since the interview, Chris has made his Test debut (Blackcaps v West Indies, followed by another Test - Blackcaps/Pakistan) and has shone brightly under the spotlight, making some outstanding decisions at that level. We hope you enjoy the chat, and if you have any interest in becoming an umpire yourself, contact your local cricket club or association and, as Chris suggests, 'give it a go'. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/Toporderpod (@toporderpod) on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/Toporderpod (Facebook) & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.

It’s a new year but same Top Order Podcast, as we recap the final week of 2020. Baldy starts the show (0:45) with a deep dive into the BBL table and a few players who’ve caught the eye so far in that tournament, including Ollie Davies and Tanveer Sangha, before a quick review of the first South Africa/Sri Lanka Test, where injuries played a big part and Faf du Plessis’s 199 set up a big win for the Proteas. We ask whether NZ needs to push for longer Test series, and ask whether David Warner, Steve Smith and Shakib al Hasan deserved to be honoured in ICC Teams of the Decade. As we move to the Australia v India series (24:00), we discuss a stunning response from India at the MCG to level the series. Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane all receive praise, Binksy signals a momentum shift, Baldy comes off the long run about Australian team selection and Raj talks about himself in the third person. We wrap up the show with the thrilling Boxing Day Test at Bay Oval (47:20), where the Blackcaps beat Pakistan just before time expired on Day 5. Kane Williamson moves to #1 in the Test rankings, Neil Wagner has all of us glowing and Mitchell Santner has us discussing a spinner taking the final wicket for NZ in home conditions. Pakistan, with the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Fawad Alam, Faheem Ashraf and ‘Charlie’ Shaheen Shah Afridi, played their part in an excellent Test, but do we give them any chance to level the series? A massive thanks to everyone who has listened to us so far - it really means a lot. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and Facebook & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode of the show finds us still struggling to get our heads around the Australia v India Test in Adelaide, so we call in one of the best cricket writers in the business to help us make sense of it all. Formerly with the Indian Express and now with CricBuzz, Bharat Sundaresan is also a Penguin Random House author, publishing The Dhoni Touch in 2018. Bharat describes the mad scramble for pads on Day 3 as we process India's shocking collapse and discuss how they can move forward and still compete for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With the departure of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami, plus journalists and fans alike calling for wholesale changes, we shine the spotlight on Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant and other contenders, before an extended chat about 'Spin Scientist' Ravi Ashwin and the fascinating Cheteshwar Pujara v Nathan Lyon battle. There's breaking news about Rohit Sharma and Bharat reluctantly offers up his prediction for the remainder of the series. Before we finish the show, we dip into Bharat's back catalogue to ask what it was like to write a book about MS Dhoni, and what makes MS one of the most fascinating characters of the modern era. We also discuss Bharat's search for West Indian fast bowler Patrick Patterson, and how that mission became so much more than just another piece of copy. If you'd like to check out more of Bharat's work, you can find his archive at CricBuzz: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/author/bharat-sundaresan/235 (https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/author/bharat-sundaresan/235) His brilliant article about Patrick Patterson can be found here: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/patrick-patterson-an-unquiet-mind-4762590/ (https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/patrick-patterson-an-unquiet-mind-4762590/) And more info on The Dhoni Touch: Unravelling the Enigma That Is Mahendra Singh Dhoni is available at:https://penguin.co.in/book/the-dhoni-touch/ (https://penguin.co.in/book/the-dhoni-touch/) If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out our back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (https://twitter.com/toporderpod?lang=en (@toporderpod) on Twitter and Facebook & https://www.instagram.com/thetoporderpodcast/ (@thetoporderpodcast) on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. 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.

In this jam-packed episode of the Top Order Podcast, we take a look at the past week, updating the goings on in the Ford Trophy, BBL10, the England squad to Sri Lanka and the burgeoning international schedule. As we move to the Black Caps v West Indies series, we discuss Henry Nicholls’ big score and what that means for Will Young and Devon Conway — how long will they have to wait for an extended opportunity? We gush over the incredible talents of Kyle Jamieson — will New Zealand ever play another spinner in home conditions? Neil Wagner receives praise for both bat and ball in his 50th Test, and in light of the West Indies’ disappointing performance, we ask whether they can take anything positive from the tour and debate the idea of tiers at Test level. After their demolition of the West Indies, the Black Caps move swiftly to the challenge of Pakistan. We discuss the omission of Ross Taylor from the T20 side, the return of Todd Astle and a potential debut for Jacob Duffy, before Raj gets excited about the prospect of New Zealand’s top 4 and Baldy gets excited about saying the name Shaheen Shah Afridi for the new few weeks. Injuries look set to play a big part in the series, however, as worrying news about Lockie Ferguson and a fractured thumb for Babar Azam wipe out two key players. We wrap up the show with our predictions for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as concussion further disrupts the build up. The lads weigh in on the key selection debates — Pant v Saha, Shaw v Gill and the Australian top order — Lippy gives a shout out to Jasprit Bumrah’s skills with the willow, before asking whether India can truly challenge an Australian side that has been a juggernaut at home in recent times. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more timeless interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels. With so much cricket going on right now, we'd love to hear what you'd most like us to focus on. Thanks for listening.

There's a lot going on in the world of cricket right now, and the Top Order Podcast have a bumper episode to celebrate getting past the tricky 87. In our 88th episode of the show, the team cover: The cancellation of England's tour to South Africa, what that means for the Proteas, the impact for the BBL and whether the ICC needs to take charge. We then turn our attention to the Black Caps/West Indies series, where Kane Williamson is playing a different game than everyone else right now. The NZ attack of Southee, Boult, Wagner and Jamieson gets plenty of credit for a great all-round performance, and what can the West Indies do to bounce back? The India/Australia series is saved for last, but there's plenty to discuss. Concussions on both sides have caused shake-ups in team lineups, and we break down "like-for-like". Justin Langer and Virat Kohli are pumped up, Ajinkya Rahane is his usual self and Cameron Green has stood tall in the warm-ups, while Baldy has an unusual take on the Australian top order for the first Test. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more timeless interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels. With so much cricket going on right now, we'd love to hear what you'd most like us to focus on. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we give a shout out to the Sydney Thunder for winning the WBBL, ponder the impact of Greg Barclay’s appointment as the ICC Chair, and encourage you all to check out NZC live streams of the Ford Trophy. We then dive into the international fixtures going on around the world, starting with the West Indies’ tour of New Zealand, including the coverage provided by Spark Sport. Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Lockie Ferguson get us excited about the Black Caps depth, but does a rain-interrupted T20 series against an under-strength West Indian side mean anything for the upcoming Tests? Speaking of the Test series, we talk the impact of Darren Bravo, debate the Black Caps’ XI without BJ Watling and whether the best line up includes a spinner or not. Moving across the Tasman, Baldy is all smiles after a strong start by Australia, as consecutive 62-ball hundreds from Steve Smith, excellent tactics and contributions everywhere have put India firmly on the back foot. But what impact will David Warner’s injury have? Will India adjust to the conditions and find a way to put the Australian batting line up under pressure? And will Raj’s dream about Virat Kohli come true? In the final segment of the show, we head to South Africa to try to make sense of this England batting order, discuss whether there’s a way back for the Proteas, wonder about Quinton de Kock’s skills in the kitchen and Lippy challenges Binksy about an outrageous Sam Curran claim. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more timeless interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels. Thanks for listening.

We start our This Week in Cricket by outlining the WBBL semi-finalists before Lippy wraps the first four rounds of the Plunket Shield, which sees Canterbury well on top at the halfway stage. Baldy and Raj explain the new BBL innovations - are they fun, or just confusing? - and Binksy runs the rule over Sam Billings' comment that the England limited-overs side is one of the hardest teams in the world to get into right now. In the second part of the show, we look ahead to the upcoming Black Caps/West Indies tour. How much rotation will we see during the T20 series? Which NZ fringe players will improve their stock? Why is the Test series so important? Has the emergence of Devon Conway made Will Young underrated? Can Kyle Jamieson unseat the incumbent pace trio? Plus Tom Blundell's role, pressure on Henry Nicholls, predictions, banter and more in this wide-ranging chat as we get excited about the start of the international summer. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more timeless interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels.Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we're joined by award-winning author and ESPN Cricinfo Assistant Editor Daniel Brettig to discuss the Australian summer of cricket and the upcoming India tour. Are India favourites for the white-ball fixtures? Will Cameron Green and Will Pucovski get their chance? How excited should we be about their futures? Who holds the key for India once Virat Kohli heads home? And who will win the battle between David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Jasprit Bumrah?

All that plus predictions, BBL innovation chat and much more in this deep dive into one of the most anticipated series of the summer. You can find more of Daniel's work at https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/author.html?author=367 And if you're a new listener to the podcast, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels.Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we speak with current Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey about his recent experiences with KKR in the IPL, his outstanding career as a player and look ahead to BBL 10. Reflecting on his time as the Chief Mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, we talk T20 tactics, momentum, confidence, learning from the likes of Brendon McCullum and working with a diverse group that included Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan and Varun Chakravarthy, just to name a few. As we move to David's playing days, we're introduced to 'Good David' and 'Bad David' as he speaks humbly about his impressive career both in Australia for the Victorian Bushrangers and the national side, and overseas, particularly for Nottinghamshire. We hear how, despite all this success, it took David many years before feeling like he truly belonged at that level. In the final part of the show, we take a close look at a Melbourne Stars squad stacked with high-profile international signings like Jonny Bairstow and Nicholas Pooran, rising star Will Pucovski and explosive all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell. We hear about a few names to watch and explore the coffee habits of Adam Zampa as we look ahead to the upcoming BBL season. If you're a new listener to the podcast, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world, including David's brother Mike, in which we first learned about the epic backyard battles at the Hussey household. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels.Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show we speak with Mumbai Indians bowling coach and Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond. We take a look back at yet another championship season for Mumbai and the outstanding performances of the fast bowling unit, headlined by Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. Reflecting on what was surely the strangest IPL season to date, Shane takes us behind the scenes and into the One Family that is the Mumbai Indians, from Jimmy Pamment, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav's cake antics to the absolute care the owners and franchise has for its players and staff. Before we wrap up the show, we look forward to the BBL (24:00), with Shane outlining the challenging build up, the growth of players like Daniel Sams and Chris Green, the signings of Adam Milne and Sam Billings, plus a few players to watch in the Sydney Thunder squad - including a young legspinner, much to Baldy's delight. Quick note that the audio quality wasn't at it's best during this episode, but it's always great to chat with Shane, so hopefully it won't impact your listening experience too much. If you're a new listener to the show, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world, including our first interview with Shane (Episode #17), in which we talked about his playing days from his start in the game right through to his impressive career with the Black Caps. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels.Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we welcome back Dr. Jamie Barker, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University, to talk about the impact of bubbles and lockdown from a sporting perspective. Recorded at the beginning of the IPL, Jamie helps us deep-dive into the impacts of isolation and life in a bubble. How do players cope? What are the potential physical and mental impacts of life in a bubble? And how does that affect our performance? Dr. Barker has some keen insights into how we can all manage our life in modern times, and how we can cope with lockdowns and still maximise our own performance and happiness. This is a great episode for everyone navigating our own lives and managing feelings of anxiety and stress. If you're a new listener, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with current players, legends and characters from all over the cricketing world, including our first interview with Jamie. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels.Thanks for listening.

It's finals time in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League. Michael and Adam wrap up the last matches of the round-robin [0:55] as Delhi, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore book themselves a ticket to the playoffs. Then we turn our attention to the finals, as [4:31] Mumbai and Delhi square off for the right to go straight into the final, and [8:10] David Warner and the Sunrisers look to keep their momentum going against Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Then it's prediction time [11:18] as the boys go separate ways in predicting the winners of finals games one and two. Who will be right, and who's prediction will end up as wrapping for Friday night's cod and chips?

A huuuuuuuuge episode of the Top Order Cricket Podcast this week with plenty to talk about as the action ramps up all around the world. We begin by hitting as many topics as we can in This Week in Cricket. The board of Cricket South Africa steps down en masse just weeks before their summer international schedule kicks off - what does this mean for the game in the rainbow nation? A lot has been happening in the bubbles this week, we recap the latest from the players and tease our upcoming interview with Dr. Jamie Barker on mental health and life in the bubble. Stay tuned for that one. We talk about why the current Pakistan/Zimbabwe ODI series has implications for the 2023 World Cup, and debate whether cricket should be an Olympic sport. After the swish we launch into the shields, both Plunket (NZ) and Sheffield (Aus) as several fringe cricketers are putting their hands up for national selection early in the season. Is Kyle Jamieson a lock in the first NZ test side of the summer? When will Devon Conway get his chance? Should Will Pucovski open the battting for Australia? We get a little excited about the breakouts, but how many spots are actually up for debate in the Black Caps and Australian sides at the moment? Finally, in act three, it's climax of the round-robin matches in the IPL. Recorded Sunday night we run through (almost) all the permutations, and put our predictions on the line for how we think the playoffs will shape up. Will we be wrong? Almost certainly - in fact, some of us already will be by the time this podcast goes to air, but it's an enjoyable chat nonetheless. One thing we do know - Mumbai will take some beating this year.

In the fifth episode of our preview series shining a light on the NZ domestic circuit, we're joined by Wellington Firebirds fast bowler Hamish Bennett. Despite a challenging start to the Plunket Shield, good things are happening in the capital, and Hamish wasn't shy about giving us some of the best insights into his squad. From Frank the Tank's body hair, to Fraser Colson's banter, the incredible wrap on Tom Blundell's net skills and Hamish's career with the Black Caps, this one has it all! If you're a new listener, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with players from the NZ cricket scene, plus legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com or @toporderpod on our social channels. Thanks for listening.

Lippy joins Baldy and Binksy on the IPL wrap show in episode 08 to cover matches 34 - 43 of IPL 2020. We covered some old ground from wrap show 7 in the first few minutes, but those super over games were too exciting not to talk about when we got together. In this episode, check out our quick fire summaries of each match, who the boys have missing the playoffs, who is peaking at the right time, and who is a shining light in an otherwise bleak season for the Super Kings. Can the Kings XI keep their winning streak going to keep their playoff hopes alive? Check it out here on episode 08 of the IPL wrap show for season 2020. Thanks for listening!

What an absolute pleasure it was to be joined by Canterbury Magician and commentator Frankie Mackay for a wide-ranging chat about the women's game. We talk the White Ferns v Australia series to discuss what makes this Australian outfit so impressive, and the boys look for positives in defeat for the NZ side. This leads to a conversation about the wider game, both in NZ and around the world - the challenges and the way forward as women's cricket continues to gain in popularity and stature (14.00). We then get an update on the Canterbury Magicians squad to ask if anyone can take down the Wellington Blaze in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Super Smash in 2020/21 (25.10), before talking to Frankie about a few ups and downs from her own career (38.50), both on the field and in the commentary box as part of the Sky Sports team (45.00). Keep an eye on our podcast feed in the coming weeks - we've got a packed schedule with interviews from all around the New Zealand domestic circuit, as well as our IPL coverage and This Week in Cricket shows. Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you're a new listener, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

As we continue our trip around the New Zealand domestic provinces, we speak with Auckland Aces captain Robert O'Donnell. Plenty to talk about with Rob, including who's the boss between the O'Donnell brothers, the ins and outs for the Aces this summer, and who to watch out for as key players push for Black Caps honours. There's also lots of laughs in a great rundown of the characters within the squad as we look towards the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy and Super Smash seasons. Keep an eye on our podcast feed in the coming weeks - we've got a packed month with interviews from all around the New Zealand domestic circuit, as well as our IPL wraps and This Week in Cricket shows. Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you're a new listener, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Episode 7 of the IPL wrap show and the games just keep getting better and better. Baldy back in the diary hot seat to review another 5 games over the weekend, climaxing on Sunday night with a triple super over double-header. [01:46] Lockie Ferguson announces himself with a bang as KKR beat the Sunrisers in super over number one. [5:09] and if one super over wasn't enough, Mumbai and Kings XI battle it out in a double super over thriller, and Kings came up trumps [09:56] Then we rewind to Friday night as Eoin Morgan's captaincy debut for KKR ended in a defeat to the Indians [11:58] The Royal Rumble in Dubai as AB de Villiers shows why he should bat in the top 4 as the Challengers beat the Royals [14:45] CSK and Delhi meet in Sharjah as Dhawan tons up for the Caps. Loving the show? Let us know by tweeting us @toporderpod, and please consider subscribing to help others find the show.

As we continue our trip around the New Zealand domestic provinces, we travel south to speak with Otago Cricket white-ball captain and NZ A seamer, Jacob Duffy. We talk about seeing the sights during preseason, get an update on the status of Dean Foxcroft and discuss Otago's desire to build on an encouraging 2019/20 season. A common theme emerges as we take a closer look at the playing group and we do our best to throw fire on a domestic feud, before Jacob opens up about his international ambitions as we look ahead to the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy and Super Smash seasons. Keep an eye on our podcast feed in the coming weeks - we've got a packed month with interviews from all around the New Zealand domestic circuit, as well as our IPL wraps and This Week in Cricket shows. Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you're a new listener, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Adam predicted an upset in the IPl this week, it just wasn't the one that we thought it would be! Baldy takes us through four games in this IPL wrap, quickfire style with 90 seconds on the clock to wrap up each match, and a bit of extra time to talk who's trending up and down in DreamXI fantasy cricket. [1:35] - RCB and AB flex big time in a huge win over KKR [4:35] - CSK change up the order and get their season back on track against Sunrisers [8:16] - Injury concerns for Delhi's batting, and more scrutiny for the Royals [11:21] - The return of the Universe Boss as KingsXI do it the hard way in the last over to deliver a banana skin for RCB as consistency concerns persist for the Challengers. Let us know what you think of the shorter format on twitter @toporderpod!

In this episode, we're back around the table as a group to discuss the White Ferns tour of Australia, South African cricket and the T20 Blast in a quickfire This Week in Cricket. We then take a look at the IPL as a whole as we approach the halfway line of that competition: Are finishers coming in too late? Should we lock in a Mumbai/Delhi final already? Is Sharjah too small? Can we put a line through CSK's chances? Will anyone change their original predictions?

Answers to all that and much more in this free-flowing chat about the game we love. Keep your eyes on the podcast feed this month - we've got content galore with interviews from all six NZ major associations to preview the home summer, starting with the Plunket Shield on 19 October. You'll find regular IPL wrap shows, as well as more banter-based episodes right throughout October and into November. Please remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really is the best way to help the show, support what we're doing and to help others find our episodes. If you're a new listener, make sure you check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, we're always keen to hear your suggestions, requests, guest ideas, corrections or anything else at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In the second instalment of our journey around the New Zealand domestic provinces we're joined by Canterbury Cricket captain and NZ A all-rounder, Cole McConchie. With Cole we look ahead to the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy and Super Smash seasons. We discuss the return of Peter Fulton as a coach at Canterbury, the arrival of Daryl Mitchell, and a young player to watch. Then we deep-dive to the important questions: Which bowler bowls off 18-yards in the nets? Does anyone spend more time in the weights room than Cam Fletcher? What's the best sledge you've heard at the domestic level? Our attention then turns to Hagley Oval, Lippy gets in his standard mention of Riccarton Cricket Club and we talk individual and team goals and ambitions for the upcoming season. Keep an eye on our podcast feed in the coming weeks - we've got a packed month with interviews from all around the New Zealand domestic circuit, as well as our IPL wraps and This Week in Cricket shows. Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you're a new listener, check out the back catalogue. There's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

We've maxxed our overseas contingent today on the Top Order Podcast with both Binksy and Baldy teaming up to cover a huge week in the IPL. It was a week of teams starting to assert themselves on the competition: [01:40] - Mumbai topple Delhi in a top of the table clash [05:06] - RR bounce back against Sunrisers to keep the Royals in touch with the top four. Then we go back in time to cover the last week of IPL clashes [10:46] - Delhi dominate the Royal Challengers Bangalore [12:58] - The Mumbai juggernaut rolls on as problems emerge for Rajasthan [15:17] - KKR take care of teams below them on the table as trouble emerges for CSK. [16:50] - Kings XI final themselves staring at the crest of a slump as Sunrisers rack up a massive score batting first in Abu Dhabi [19:05] - Fast bowlers keep it tight in Sharjah as Delhi take care of the Royals [22:51] - Kings XI come within a gnat's whisker of knocking off KKR, and where to from here for Kings. [29:00] - Leaks start to appear in the ship for CSK as their batters come under fire from MS Dhoni himself. [33:09] Finally, we preview the four upcoming games in the IPL Monday through Thursday as some telling encounters loom for the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the ramekin in Sharjah.

New Zealand's domestic and international schedules have been announced, and the Top Order is deep-diving into a player-driven preview of our home summer. First cab off the rank is Northern Districts batsman Dean Brownlie. We cover preseason, the challenges of being spread out over multiple districts, players to watch, expectations for the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy & Super Smash season ahead and find out which bowler bowls off 18 yards in the nets (there's always one - or two in this case). Then we take a quick dive into Dean's Black Caps career, including green wickets in Hobart and what it was like representing NZ after growing up in Australia. Keep an eye out on our podcast feed in the coming weeks - we've got a packed month with interviews from around the domestic circuit, as well as our IPL wraps and This Week in Cricket shows. Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Also check out the back catalogue, there's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

We're back with another episode of the IPL wrap show. And what an incredible four days of IPL action we've seen: [1:30] Mumbai Indians and Rohit start to get the juggernaut rolling over the KingsXI. [4:27] Priyam Garg has a night out to as catching woes consign CSK to the bottom of the table. [7:34] We lean into the first of the double-headers as King Kohli and Devdutt Pandikkal defeat the Rajasthan Royals [10:13] Another day, another run-fest in Sharjah - Shreyas Iyer, take a bow! [12:33] Mumbai restrict the Sunrisers in Sharjah as Krunal Pandya helps himself to a strike-rate of 500! [15:19] Watson winds back the clock and he and Faf du Plessis chase down KXIP [17:35] Baldy breaks down trends from the first third of the tournament, and the importance of balance in your fantasy team, and some high quality encounters coming up in the next few days.

In another attempt to strengthen our batting on the Top Order Podcast, we’re joined by recent CPL winner with the Trinbago Knight Riders, Colin Munro. We discuss that unbeaten campaign and the dynasty TKR are building with the likes of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo and coach Brendon McCullum. We also take a wider look at T20 leagues around the world and the mindset and approach needed to succeed at the top in a format that moves at such a fast pace. It should also come as no surprise from someone with a 14-ball 50 for the Black Caps, but the quickfire round is a treat, including one of the funniest sledge stories we've heard to date.

Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Also check out the back catalogue, there's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Well what a difference a couple of days can make to the IPL! Baldy back in the Top Order IPL diary room to wrap up another couple of days of IPL action as both undefeated teams experience their first loss: [01:14] Sunrisers upset the Delhi Capitals and fantasy strategy hints [08:08] Another upset! KKR take down Rajasthan Royals

In this IPL Wrap Show, Binksy chats through the KXIP v Rajasthan Royals clash, which saw 29 maximums! We also cover the Super Over showdown with RCB taking on the mighty Mumbai Indians. We give props to Zooter McGavin and remind you to change your skipper!

Today, a special episode as we kick off our first IPL show for 2020. We wrap up the first 2020 edition of the IPL as: [01:20] CSK break their drought against the Mumbai Indians [06:04] Delhi Capitals and the Kings XI Punjab thrill us with a controversial super over [10:04 ] Sunrisers Hyderabad suffer an epic collapse in going down to Kings XI [13:10] Samson the hero as records tumble in Sharjah as the Royals surprise CSK [16:24] Mumbai break their UAE drought over KKR [18:47] Kings XI bully the Royal Challengers and steal their lunch [22:10] Delhi assert their dominance over a disappointing CSK, and [26:39] KKR eclipse the Sunrisers to leave them at the bottom of the table.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we start by discussing the England/Australia T20 and ODI series, before an overview of the women's game at the international level (8.40), crowds but not as we know them to watch the White Ferns tour of Australia (14.30), bat handles and bubble chat (17.40) in This Week in Cricket. In the second half of the show, we unpack the key themes from the first few days of the Indian Premier League (23.00), including umpiring controversy, pitches, super overs, pairs, huge sixes, overseas players and our fantasy league failures.

Keep an eye on the feed for some bonus IPL content during the tournament, featuring game wraps and fantasy tips (use at your own risk!). We'll be dropping extra episodes every week, in addition to our regular weekly shows.

There's still time to join our IPL Fantasy League - use the link below to sign up: https://fantasy.iplt20.com/season/league/join/801JP3WTLS0105.

And, as always, remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@Toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us, correct a mistake or give us some praise, we'd love to hear from you at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com, and we're now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA Thanks for listening.

This episode starts as it often does, with This Week In Cricket, where we congratulate the Trinbago Knight Riders on their unbeaten season, talk more turmoil in the ranks at Cricket South Africa, the value of a TV deal in Australia and the England/Australia limited-overs series. In the second half of the podcast (22.40), we turn our attention to another Cricketing Mt Rushmore, as we debate the best four Pakistan bowlers of all time.

There's still time to join our IPL Fantasy League - use the link below to sign up: https://fantasy.iplt20.com/season/league/join/801JP3WTLS0105.

And, as always, remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@Toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us, correct a mistake or give us some praise, we'd love to hear from you at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com, and we're now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA Thanks for listening.

In the second part of our IPL 2020 preview, we put the remaining four teams under the microscope. After discussing the Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad, we get off the fence and each select a tournament winner. Did we get it right? You be the judge! If you missed Part 1, you can find it in our back catalogue. There's also plenty more IPL content, including interviews with CSK batting coach Mike Hussey, KKR's Lockie Ferguson and Mumbai's Shane Bond and James Pamment, plus plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world.

As always, remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. If you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com, and we're now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA Thanks for listening.

This week on the show, we touch quickly on Gary Stead's contract extension, the unbeaten run of Raj's Trinbago Knight Riders, the first Australia v England T20 and Ian Bell's retirement. Then we talk all things IPL with Baldy running us through the logistics before we take a close look at the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab and the Kolkata Knight Riders in part one of our extended preview of the tournament. Keep an eye out on your podcast feed - part two will be available in a couple of days!

As always, remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Check out the back catalogue: there's plenty more IPL content, including interviews with CSK batting coach Mike Hussey, KKR's Lockie Ferguson and Mumbai's Shane Bond and James Pamment, plus plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. If you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com, and we're now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3GSknJELxxH4IDec2AjUA Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, we speak with Australian Cricket legend and current CSK batting coach Mike Hussey. Mike takes us from his early days battling against David in the backyard, right through his outstanding career as a player and now coach and commentator. He takes us on an amazing journey: from being dropped by WA to winning the Ashes, the World Cup and the IPL, and finishing his playing days with a record that puts him right up there with the greats of the modern era. A brilliant storyteller, Mike talks about wearing the baggy green for the first time, rooming with Brad Hogg, his huge partnership with Jason Gillespie, the aura of MS Dhoni, the calmness of Stephen Fleming, Ricky Ponting's captaincy, singing the team song all around the world and many more great yarns, as well as sharing his insightful views about the state of the game today, including his recent work for SACA. Share this one widely - it's a cracker.

Remember to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Also check out the back catalogue, there's plenty more great interviews with legends and characters from all over the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we talk Test Championship, Caribbean Premier League, NZ's home summer and Binksy compares Raj to MS Dhoni in This Week in Cricket (15.00). We then deep dive into the recently concluded England v Pakistan Test series, including tributes to Jimmy Anderson's 600th Test wicket, Jos Buttler's plus/minus, Mohammad Rizwan, Dom Bess, Yasir Shah's field placement, bad light, the English top 6 and more!

If you enjoyed this episode, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. And if you'd like to reach out to us, get in touch with questions, comments, corrections or guest suggestions at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we speak with Black Caps speedster, Lockie Ferguson. We talk about Machineroad, the app he's developing with his brother that's designed to help aspiring cricketers as well as 'weekend wounders' measure their speeds and generate pitch maps. Then we move to Lockie's own career to discuss fast bowling, taking it easy on tailenders, injuries, the Black Caps fast bowling group, what Pat Cummins eats for breakfast and the amazing learning opportunity that the IPL provides.

As always, if you enjoy the episode, remember to like, share and subscribe, as it really helps others discover the show. And check out Machineroad on your app store - it sounds superb!

This week on the show we get some clarity on the scheduling of the Men's ICC T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, as well as the Women's 50-over World Cup. We discuss Ireland's win against England in the 3rd ODI, before unpacking the first England v Pakistan Test (12.10), which saw England sneak home courtesy of an outstanding partnership between Jos Buttler and the best beard-and-hair combo in the business, Chris Woakes. Finally, we each choose a team to support in the Caribbean Premier League (36.40) and Otago's Nick Kelly joins us from a Trinidad hotel room to take us through his whirlwind call up to the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (43.20).

If you enjoyed this episode, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Thanks for listening.

Quick note here to say that since we recorded this, Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the England v Pakistan series for family reasons. And apologies for Lippy's audio in the chat with Nick Kelly - he says microphone malfunction, the rest of us think user error!

The cricket calendar is filling up again and in this episode the panel discuss potential T20 league clashes for both the women and the men, the impact of Covid on the CPL and IPL, plus the first two England/Ireland ODIs in This Week in Cricket. We then wrap up the England/West Indies Test series (16.20) before looking forward to the Pakistan tour (33.50) and our predictions for the three Tests.

If you enjoyed this episode, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Thanks for listening.

With no guest this week, it's back to the banter, and finally there's plenty to talk about. We discuss the BBL, the IPL and the prospect of T20 cricket leagues all summer long. We ask what cricket has been like without fans, address reports about 'healthy conflict' between Gary Stead and Kane Williamson, Jofra Archer's bubble mistake and touch on a few highlights from the first two England v West Indies Tests and the 3T experience in South Africa.

If you enjoyed this episode, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we welcome another international spinner to the show, Canterbury Cricket’s leading wicket-taker and Black Cap in all formats of the game, Todd Astle. Todd speaks openly about his early days as an opening batsman, the U-19 World Cup, his emergence as a spinner, the challenges and highlights of his international career to date, breaking records, World Cup heartbreak, red-ball retirement, his new venture Innerspin, icecreams, sweaty hands, celebrations, bunnies, Aussie crowds and much more in this extended conversation about his life in cricket.

If you enjoyed this episode, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show we speak with incumbent Black Caps Test spinner Ajaz Patel. You'll hear about his journey from Auckland age-group seamer to international spinner in a relatively short amount of time, the hard work he put in with Dipak Patel and others to make that happen, his move to Central Districts, his dream debut against Pakistan and how he navigates the variety of roles a spinner can play in different locations and even within a game. We knew Ajaz was a hard worker, but came away from this chat with an enormous amount of respect for what he's achieved and the way he goes about his business - it really is a must listen for fans of the Black Caps and spin bowling in general.

If you like what you hear, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Thanks for listening.

With the return of international cricket on the horizon, we discuss This Week in Cricket (24.00) before we're joined by ESPN Cricinfo's George Dobell to discuss the upcoming England v West Indies series. We talk the bubble, England's conservative selections, the West Indies pace attack and series predictions, plus we turn our attention to worrying times for county cricket despite the imminent return, managing sources as a journalist and take a speculative look at the upcoming international calendar, including the World T20 and IPL.

If you like what you hear, give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show. Thanks for listening.

We celebrate a half-century of episodes with a real treat. Jeetan Patel played almost 80 matches for New Zealand across all formats during a 20-year first-class career for Wellington and Warwickshire. If that’s not impressive enough for you, he was the leading wicket-taker across the domestic and international game in the 2010s - spinning his way to a mammoth 1075 wickets at an average of 29 with 35 five-wicket bags. Has he played his final first-class game? We don’t yet know, but he’s already transitioned into the next phase of his career, taking up a role as a spin bowling consultant for England during their recent tours to NZ, South Africa and the aborted trip to Sri Lanka. This is a lively, open chat filled with the ups and downs of Jeetan's career, mixed in with plenty of laughs and a masterclass inside the mind of a quality spinner.

Remember to like, share and subscribe to the podcast, and follow us @toporderpod on your social media of choice.

Dipak Patel had a first-class career spanning more than 20 years, including over a decade for Worcestershire before moving to NZ and playing 37 Tests and 75 ODIs for his adopted country. Perhaps best known for opening the bowling in the 1992 World Cup, Dipak repeated the dose in 1993 to help spin NZ to a rare Test victory against Australia. Since his playing days, Dipak stayed in the game as a coach, including stints with Central Districts, NZ U-19 and Papua New Guinea. We talk about coming through the grades predominantly as a batsman, England ambitions, the move to NZ, a tough introduction to international cricket against an incredible West Indies side, the NZ tour to Pakistan in 1990, cutting off Dean Jones and opening the bowling at the 1992 World Cup, plus plenty more.

Note: We recorded this interview in two sessions, and unfortunately the audio quality drops for the final 15-20 minutes.

In this episode of the show, we speak with one of England's greatest batsmen of the modern era and current England assistant coach, Graham Thorpe. Graham talks about scoring 100 on debut, learning to be a better player of pace bowling by studying others, his double-hundred in Christchurch that also featured Nathan Astle's memorable innings, the challenges of performing on the field when things aren't going well off it, and where he was on Oval Monday in 2005. Recorded as the West Indies were about to board a plane to the UK for a biosecure tour, Graham also discusses his transition to coaching, the successful four-year campaign to win the 2019 World Cup, building relationships and earning trust as a coach at the international level, and the mindset of the England squad in the post-Covid environment. It's a fascinating discussion with one of the greats - enjoy.

Please remember to subscribe, rate, review and share the podcast, and also check out our back catalogue of interviews with many others from around the cricketing world. If you've got any comments, guest suggestions, banter or you'd like to sponsor the show, reach out to us at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

In a short aside from the interviews, we discuss the upcoming biosecure West Indies tour to England and how it might be a test run for getting international cricket up and running again. Then we respond to a listener question about the potential for Australia to host the IPL.

Neil Maxwell has had a life in cricket like no other. As a player, he represented Victoria, New South Wales, Canterbury, Australia A and his country of birth, Fiji. If that's not enough variety for you, off the field Neil has worked for New South Wales and New Zealand Cricket, he's a player agent for the likes of Brett Lee, Michael Hussey, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood to name a few, and was the CEO of the Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural season of the IPL. This chat is an absolute ripper, and we could have talked to Neil for days. He's a forward-thinker and an excellent storyteller and it was an absolute pleasure to have him on the show. Enjoy.

Please remember to subscribe, rate, review and share the podcast, and also check out our back catalogue of interviews with many others from around the cricketing world. If you've got any comments, guest suggestions, banter or you'd like to sponsor the show, reach out to us at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

This week on the podcast, we're all reunited in the same room once again and we celebrate with a wide-ranging chat about what international cricket might look like when it returns. We cover saliva, sweat, ball maintenance, Covid substitutes, the IPL, T20 World Cup and what it could mean for domestic cricket around the world.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the show, please remember to subscribe, rate, review and share the podcast, and get in touch with us through Facebook and Twitter (@toporderpod) or via email:: thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Remember to check out our back catalogue of interviews - there's plenty more great guests on the way.

Rob Moody (aka robelinda2) is a hero to cricket fans all around the world. His archive entertains us at the best of times, but during the Covid-19 shutdowns, it has been an absolute lifesaver. We talk about Rob's favourite clips from his staggering collection, the recent Shane Warne/Steve Waugh controversy, recreating The 12th Man and dealing with trolls, before Rob makes Lippy's day by remembering some classic Richie Benaud commentary from the 93-94 World Series.

Remember to give us a like, share and subscribe, and also find us @toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook.

If you somehow haven't seen Rob's YouTube channel before, immediately visit https://www.youtube.com/user/robelinda2 Or find him on Twitter: @robelinda2

Shane Deitz joins the show to discuss his journey from the Sheffield Shield to Vanuatu Cricket, and what's next for one of the only live cricket destinations in the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. We chat about becoming an online sensation, the unique challenges faced by Vanuatu Cricket, cricket tourism, World Cup ambitions, seeing off the new ball for Darren Lehmann, keeping to Shaun Tait, his two first-class wickets and plenty more.

For more information about Vanuatu Cricket or live-stream information for the T10 BetBarter Vanuatu Blast, head to: www.facebook.com/vanuatucricketassociation/

In this episode, the panel speaks with current Black Caps' head coach Gary Stead. We chat about his impressive playing career, which included over 200 games for Canterbury and five Tests for New Zealand, plus Gary's love for Riccarton Cricket Club. We discuss the move into coaching from an early age, progressing to the highest level, first with the White Ferns and now in his current role with the Black Caps. To say that his first 18-months in the role have been eventful is something of an understatement. Starting with the first away Test series win against Pakistan in 49 years, to the most recent ODI game in Sydney without fans, with a few Super Overs in between, there’s been no shortage of talking points.

This week on the show, the panel take a break from the interviews to discuss This Lockdown in Cricket, covering the NZ Cricket Awards, what international cricket might look like when it returns, the cancellation of The Hundred, Australia's contract list and Baldy's Sheffield Shield team of the year. (27.00)Then we return to a favourite segment: Cricketing Mt Rushmore, this time debating (heartily at times!) the four greatest Sri Lankan batsmen of all time. Did we get it right? Let us know at thetoporder@gmail.com

Wasim Khan’s cricketing career has taken a pathway of transitions. From being one of the first British-born Pakistanis to play professional county cricket in the UK (for Warwickshire), where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Dermot Reeve, Brian Lara and Allan Donald, to name but a few, he then became CEO of the cricketing charity Chance to Shine. After taking up the reins as CEO of Leicestershire, then being linked with the ECB Director of Cricket role vacated by Andrew Strauss, Wasim moved his family from Leicester to Lahore, where he is now CEO of the Pakistan Cricket Board. In this wide-ranging and open interview, Wasim discusses the ups and downs of his playing career, phone calls with the Governor of the Bank of England, meetings with the Queen, the political nature of Pakistan Cricket and the potential impact of Covid-19 on the cricketing world.

In a golden era for Australian test cricket, Colin Miller was a standout in more ways than one. A stellar Shield career spanning more than a decade finally earned him an international breakthrough at the tender age of 34. But don’t worry, he more than made up for lost time, amassing 69 wickets in just 18 tests at a superb average of 26. Whether you’re a seamer or a spinner, that’s an impressive average right there. This guy was both - at test level no less. That’s quite an achievement in itself. We talk nicknames, blue hair, becoming test player of the year, smashing Curtly Ambrose all around the park and much more in this candid interview with Colin 'Funky' Miller.

On this episode of The Top Order Podcast, we speak with Joe Scuderi. Formerly from Ingham, North Queensland, Joe was a member of the inaugural intake at the Australian cricket academy, making an immediate impact on Shield cricket. At one point on the verge of international selection in the green and gold, he went on to have a successful career at first class level both in Australia and England, before making his international debut for Italy, where he later became captain and coach. We spoke with Joe just prior to lockdown in the UK, where he now lives.

In this bonus episode we speak with Andre Adams, Andre had a playing career that spanned almost 20 years. He took over 1000 wickets, represented the Black Caps in all three formats, played in the 2003 World Cup, joined the ICL and was a star of the English county cricket circuit. Once his playing days were over, Andre moved to coaching, where he spent time with Auckland before accepting his current role as bowling coach of New South Wales.

In this bonus episode, if you listen very carefully you can hear the Top Order boys pinching themselves throughout this awesome trip down memory lane with Barry Richards, one of the finest batsmen to ever play the game. In an era when South Africa were unable to play test cricket, Barry Richards dominated first-class attacks for over 10 years in both his native South Africa and the UK, scoring nearly 29,000 first class runs at an average close to 55. After playing only 4 tests for South Africa (in which he averaged 70) prior to the apartheid international ban, Barry was once again able to test his skills against the best in Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. Despite being 34, he averaged nearly 80 with a top score of 207 in his 5 “Super Tests”.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we speak with former Black Cap Dion Nash. Across a 10-year international career, Dion took 150 international wickets for NZ in addition to a number of handy knocks with the bat. He captained his country in both Tests and ODIs, was involved in two World Cups and plenty of other memorable moments along the way. After his playing days ended, he served as a selector, before starting his own business Triumph and Disaster, who’s products a few of us around the table would benefit greatly from using more often.

In this bonus episode of the Top Order Podcast, the Panel talk to James Pamment. Currently the fielding coach of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, James gives us great insights into the inner workings of an IPL team and how he can be most effective in the short amount of time he has with the squad assembled. We look at what success looks like for a fielding coach and touch upon his time as head coach of Team USA Cricket.

This week on this shortened episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss the Australia vs New Zealand ODI, the role of an opener in one day cricket, retro cricket and what should we do with sports seasons that are in mid-flight.

Ever wondered what goes through the minds of elite cricketers in key moments that can decide games? How do players cope with stress on the field? Why did Jonathan Trott dig the Mariana Trench while at the crease? We wondered these things too!

In this special episode we sit down with highly regarded sports psychologist and mental skills coach Dr. Jamie Barker.

While we might not be able to hypnotise you into becoming the next Virat Kohli, Babar Azam or Trent Boult, we can entertain you with an insightful chat around developing mental skills, owning your space and managing stress(and sledging!)on and off the field.

This week on the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss reserve days at the ICC Women's World Cup, the Sri Lanka vs England test series and Australia's missing 5th bowling option. They then turn their attention to a review of New Zealand's Test summer in response to an email from The Busted Horse.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, The panel talk to former White Fern & current Sky Sports commentator Lesley Murdoch. We take an in-depth look at her playing days, captaining the White Ferns in both tests and ODIs and also how she balanced an equally impressive hockey career that saw her attend the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. We also discuss her transition into the media across a range of sports and what life is like in the commentary box today.

This week on the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss The Colonel, ICC scheduling, radio commentary rights & the Women's T20 World Cup. Then we're joined by Jono Boult (23:15), who talks about BYC battles, pillow fights, the Champions League T20 and his mad dash to the 2019 World Cup final, before the panel discuss the first test between NZ and India (46:00).

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss the Allan Border Medal, No-Balls & the Mankad. They also look at the England T20 series in South Africa and a short preview of the New Zealand vs India Test Series coming up shortly. Special Guests, Glen Memery & Lesley Murdoch join the panel to discuss the upcoming Womens T20 World Cup

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel are joined by former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu. Tatenda discusses growing up in Zimbabwe 2:45, the turmoil and death of democracy 34:44, and the dire outlook for the state of cricket in his home country 1:00:00. Tatenda Also discusses his relationships with Andy & Bill Flower, Heath Streak, kidnappings, exile from international cricket and his life being threatened.

This week on The Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss the rain soaked Big Bash Final, the Aussie ODI & T20 squads recently announced and the T20 series & first two ODIs played between New Zealand & India. We finish this week’s episode by discussing an interview Vernon Philander recently gave to a South African newspaper.

This week on the Top Order Podcast, The Panel talk about the BBL playoff structure, wrap up the South Africa vs England Test series, an Australian Under-19 star being sent home after a monkey attack & the New Zealand vs India T20 series. Then, special guest Glenn Memery joins the panel to give us an insight into running match days at an elite level as well as great insights into the Australian dressing room.

In this bonus episode, the panel discuss the best English bowlers of all time, debating which faces should be etched into England's cricketing Mt Rushmore.

This week on the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss Ben Stokes’ tirade on the South African public, Concussion in the BBL, The Goldfield Ashes & the South Africa vs England series. The panel also wrap up the first New Zealand vs India T20.

This week on the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss the Super Smash Final, AB de Villiers' potential return to the international game and the Black Clash. Carl Frauenstein, the Cricket Operations Co-Ordinator and the Team Services and Tour Logistics Manager at New Zealand Cricket, joins the panel to discuss his role at NZC and some stories from his cricketing career. Then the panel wrap things up by discussing the Blackcaps T20 squad named last week and the third test between South Africa & England currently in progress at Port Elizabeth.

In today's episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss their favourite celebrations, Shane Warne's baggy green, Matt Renshaw's catch, umpire Davidson changing his mind, as well as Stephanie Baldwin’s Australian Country Selection. The panel also discuss the main issues coming out of the New Zealand tour of Australia & England's tour of South Africa.

In today's episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss James Anderson's 150th Test, retirees Vernon Philander & Peter Siddle, Anti-Corruption and the prospect of 4-day Test matches from 2023. The attention then turns to extended reviews of the Boxing Day tests at the MCG & Centurion Park.

On this episode, the panel are joined by Worcestershire's Daryl Mitchell for a full-length interview about his long county cricket career, his role as Chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association, the work of the PCA, The Hundred, mental health, life after cricket and Binksy's ability with both bat and gloves.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss slow over rates, Neil Wagner vs Matthew Wade, Glenn Phillips' return to form and discuss whether New Zealand have figured out Steve Smith. The panel then pick apart the match at Perth and preview the Boxing Day Test, before Daryl Mitchell, chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association in England, stops by to help preview the South Africa vs England series.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel are joined by one of New Zealand's best-ever fast bowlers, Shane Bond. We discuss Shane's early years in the game, how he idolised Sir Richard Hadlee and how his confidence grew and his speed increased after joining the police. We hear about the influence of the Cricket Academy, how Steve Waugh sledged him during his Test debut, World Cups and what it was like to break the 150 kph barrier. As we work our way through his career, Shane candidly discusses battling injuries, his experience in the now defunct Indian Cricket League, his subsequent ban from the international game, and how that compares with the Indian Premier League today. We also talk retirement and the move to coaching, discussing stints with the Blackcaps, his current roles with Mumbai Indians and Sydney Thunder and an upcoming gig in The Hundred.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss commentators, balls, South African Cricket and Rahkeem Cornwall during the segment This Week in Cricket. The team then wrap-up the Australia vs Pakistan & New Zealand vs England tests, before turning their attention to the upcoming Australia vs New Zealand series.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel bring you This Week In Cricket, which looks at George Bailey, Emily Smith & the pink ball. We also explore the first test between Australia and Pakistan and preview the pink ball test in Adelaide starting this week. The team also heap praise on the Blackcaps after their dominant display in Mt Maunganui and look forward to the second test against England.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the focus is on the New Zealand vs England test series. James 'The Badger' Buttler shines a light on some new faces in the England squad, as well as the omission of Jonny Bairstow. Then we discuss New Zealand's 15-man squad for the upcoming five tests, with question marks around the make up of the seam attack and the role that spin will play. To close off the show, This Week in Cricket takes us to Afghanistan vs West Indies and India vs Bangladesh, before a live weather report and preview from Baldy over in Brisbane.

In this episode of The Top Order Podcast the panel talk to Paul Watson, a Level 4 Umpire in Auckland, about why he became an umpire, his pathway to the top and all the processes umpires go through to make a decision. Then the panel rip into each other discussing the Mt Rushmore of New Zealand batting.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast the panel relive the final moments of the NZ vs England T20 series, bring you their thoughts on this week in cricket, including IPL no-ball umpires and mental health, and talk to their first guest, 'The Cricket Badger' James Buttler.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast the panel discuss a busy week in cricket, covering the ICC ban for Shakib Al Hasan, the Drew Ginn/Mitchell Starc spat, the Australia/Sri Lanka T20 series, another Devon Conway update and much more.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast the panel discuss the upcoming Australian summer of cricket, wrap up the first round of the Plunket Shield, look at who missed out in the Hundred draft and discuss whether legends should have the chance to call time on their own careers.

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast the panel discuss Women's cricket, the Mankad makes an appearance, the Australian Men's T20 side is discussed for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka and the team preview the upcoming New Zealand domestic season

In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, the panel discuss Spark Sport's successful broadcasting rights bid in New Zealand, Binksy takes us through the England Test and limited-overs squads, and the team pick apart the second Test between South Africa and India.

In this episode of The Top Order Podcast, the panel explore the new short cricket format 'The Hundred', discuss who England's new coach may be, look at the possibility of multiple coaches in today's game and break down the first test between India and South Africa.

In this episode of The Top Order Podcast, the panel look at the Blackcaps performance so far under Gary Stead, commission the first TTOP Mt Rushmore and keep you up to date with the World Test Championship

In this episode of The Top Order Podcast the panel wrap up the 2019 Ashes, relive the key moments of the series and look at the 'where to' for each side during their respective Summer and Winter

In this episode of The Top Order Podcast the panel discuss the Aussies' massive Ashes win, Steve Smith by the numbers, Malinga's crushing performance vs New Zealand and preview the 5th Test at the Oval.

In this episode of The Top Order podcast, Binksy & Baldy relive 'The Miracle at Headingley' while Lippy & Raj give the Blackcaps a glowing report from the 2nd test in Sri Lanka. The team also preview the 4th Ashes test and give their predictions on what's going to go down at Old Trafford.

This episode of The Top Order podcast features a summary of the Ashes so far, as well as the Blackcaps tour of Sri Lanka. Binksy walks us through soft signals, Lippy and Baldy touch on bowling-action testing and Raj picks apart the concussion rule.

In the first innings of The Top Order podcast, the lads chat through the heartbreak and ecstasy of the Cricket World Cup, discuss neutral umpires and preview the upcoming Blackcaps tour to Sri Lanka and The Ashes.