The 2024 England West Indies Daily, Lord's Test, Day 3: It's all over, and Jimmy Week became a shortened Jimmy Three Days. Gus Atkinson had a much bigger say than expected, and is now in a bracket with our faves Father Marriott and Nutty Martin. But it was all about the theatre at the end, as Anderson searched for one last moment. Cam Ponsonby join…

The 2024 England West Indies Daily, Lord's Test, Day 2: This game is moving quickly, with Joe Root purring along and Harry Brook promising more before falling in a familiar way. Gudakesh Motie had time for a couple of beauties, before it was time for more Anderson love - first with an anti-climax, then with a climax. Control, paste. Henry Moeran fr…

The 2024 England West Indies Daily, Lord's Test, Day 1: Well how about that! It was Jimmy's Day in the script but Gus Atkinson's in reality, snaring 7/45 on his Test debut as the Windies were skittled for 121. Cam Ponsonby is at Lord's with Adam Collins talking about the success of his club teammate on a day that won't be forgotten by England fans …

The 2024 England West Indies Daily, Lord's Test, Day 0: It is Jimmy Anderson Week at Lord's, with England's most prolific player finishing his run with his 27th match at Headquarters. Plenty going on, including England's throw-forward Ashes focus despite playing an entirely different nation, and West Indies trying to create some strength out of unp…

Season 16, Episode 23: We might be about to see major changes at the ICC, if the man who already has the most power in cricket formally takes over the show. Dan Brettig from The Age brings us up to speed as heavy-duty discussions take place at Lord's. All of that ties into the proposed Champions Trophy schedule, and an amazing homecoming for India'…

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, something so remarkable happened that we had to shake up the very foundations of Story Time and do things completely differently. Join us for the story of what may be the most wonderful, intense, bizarre first-class cricket finish ever seen. Plus three e…

Season 16, Episode 22: With Geoff marooned in Barbados because of Hurricane Beryl, we have Cam Ponsonby jumping into the co-host chair for the first time on a weekly show as attention moves to the various points of interest coming from the announcement of England’s revamped Test squad. There’s also India’s record-smashing women’s team, Rocky Flinto…

2024 T20 World Cup... the day after! At Kennington Oval in London (as opposed to Kensington Oval in Barbados) Adam Collins has Daniel Norcross with him to discuss the reactions, the huge retirements, and the future after India lifted the trophy on Saturday. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Enter the Westfield UK compe…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 29, the final! India v South Africa It was a final worthy of the occasion, one that swung one way and then another, back and forth through the full 40 overs. Virat Kohli took centre stage, Keshav Maharaj had his moment, Shivam Dube came good, Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen showed their best, and Jasprit Bumrah kept bei…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 27, final preview: India v South Africa The big one is here... India v South Africa. It's the right combination too, with these teams the only two in the competition not to lose a game. But there's so much more to it than that. For the Proteas, this is the first time their men have made a World Cup Final. As for Rohit Sharma…

Season 16, Episode 21: What the hell? The record (the real record) for most expensive over in first-class cricket has stood for decades, and then it gets both equalled and broken within three days? Mamma mia. The T20 World Cup is coming to its end, as Adam's wedding anniversary comes around. Also this week, farewell to Frank Duckworth, Kane William…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 27, second semi-final: India v England It wasn't the biggest margin, but it was an outclassing in all departments. India ran the game in Guyana, seeing off every challenge with enough versatility to brush off England. Rohit Sharma led the way again, while Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah continued to be unhittable. Another f…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 26: South Africa v Afghanistan No sense being vague here - it was an absolute thrashing. South Africa's quicks took apart Afghanistan's top order and that was the game. But it was played on a dreadful pitch in Trinidad that made even a tiny chase into a dangerous prospect - in medical as well as in sporting terms. Bharat Sun…

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, the aftermath of September 11 in Pakistan cricket, a revolution at Lancashire, the little-known link between Launceston and Antigua, and the day that Don Bradman showed he was the forefather of AB de Villiers. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 2.14 - D…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 24.2: Afghanistan v Bangladesh Another knockout in the group stage, with three teams having a chance based on the result, and Afghanistan did everything they could to not win it, until the point where they started doing things to win it. In the meantime, Bangladesh seemed equally confused about whether winning was actually a…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 24.1: India v Australia What a performance from India’s captain. With Australia needing to win to realistically keep their hopes alive, he never let them settle with a bombastic display of power play hitting. From there, everything needed to go right for Mitch Marsh’s team and it didn’t. Geoff watched live it in the flesh at…

2024 T20 World Cup, Day 23.2: South Africa v West Indies It was effectively a knockout, so the spectre of a South African choke was always on. They bowled well, restricted the scoring, then saw the rain come down and change the equation. Andre Russell wasn't letting the game go, nor was Alzarri Joseph, but could Marco Jansen flip the script? Suppor…