It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today we'll go from what kept Wally Hammond away from the game in 1926 onto Joe Denly's football career. Remember Jack Russell? Let's talk about the other one, the first Englishman to clock twin tons. Worcestershire's finest day on a rival's ground and Deano's final day for Victoria will come before finally answering a question that's kept us busy for weeks: who really is the best player to drop a catch from your bat? We also make amends for 5.66.  Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 2.01 - Sam Litster 4.15 - Ian Minors, Dave McRobbie & Luke Reynolds 4.25 - Joe Reinhard Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Declan Lawlor, what a guy! In conjunction with Lord's Taveners, he's running the length of the Thames. Get behind him if you can. http://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/dec-and-seb-thames-source-to-sea   If his story inspires you to also raise a few dollars for the Tavs, take a look at their solo-events for 2021.  Also, click here to participate in the Sunshine Coast University survey on The Final Word. For Sam Ashworth's techno-inspired Cap Project, look no further. Save on the Wisden Almanack: in Australia or the USA use code WA30 for 30% off. In the UK subscribe to get the book for £25 instead of £55  For a discount subscription to Wisden Cricket Monthly, the magic key is bit.ly/wcmtfw Get 20% off Woodstock kit with code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Get Geoff’s book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We didn't think it would come to this. By Week 4 of the IPL, Australia's government has barred flights from India until at least the middle of May. With several teammates having headed home just before the deadline, Glenn Maxwell has chosen to stay the course. He gives the view from inside the bubble. Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 10, Ep 1: This week Karunya Keshav wrote fiercely about the deafness of the Indian Premier League to the suffering outside its gates. She joins the show to explain the humanitarian disaster that has overtaken India during the biggest covid wave the world has seen. This starts a new season of The Final Word, with the southern summer belatedly concluded in April, and the northern season already in full but chilly swing. We also cover the new Australian contract list, the removal of England selector Ed Smith, the highlights of the county championship, women's cricket at the Comm Games, Sri Lanka's Test against Bangladesh, and a very special round of Happy Birthday Sachin. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 4.55 – Eranda Jayawickreme & Anna Collins Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Save 20 to 30 quid on the Wisden Almanack in the UK at wisdenalmanack.com/2021   In Australia or the USA use code WA30 for 30% off. Near half-price subscriptions to Wisden Cricket Monthly with the magic link bit.ly/wcmtfw Get 20% off primo Woodstock kit with code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: an alliterative match whose final day was unexpectedly spectacular. The only player with a perfect record, nestled within an imperfect record. The return story of one of the most prolific, and diminutive, of all time. Plus our regular rounds through dusty old bastardry and Bannermania. Also, this is the last episode of The Final Word Season 9! Luckily Season 10 starts next week. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 1.63 – John McPheat 3.04 – Simon Butcher & Osman Bahemia 13.13 – Rob 3.55 – Matt Gaynor Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Save heaps on the Wisden Almanack at wisdenalmanack.com/2021   In Australia or the USA use code WA30 for 30% off. In the UK subscribe to get the book for £25 instead of £55 For a discount subscription to Wisden Cricket Monthly, the magic key is bit.ly/wcmtfw Get 20% off Woodstock kit with code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Week 3 of our series with Glenn Maxwell, India correspondent, as he takes us through the move from Chennai to Mumbai, and the increasing worry for players and teams about everybody facing an increasing virus crisis across India. It does seem strange but the TV-only show goes on. Looking back at the cricket, Glenn also tells us about the orange cap for the leading runscorer: how you get hold of one and what the etiquette is for wearing it. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Get 20% off premium Woodstock kit with the code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: a number that has nothing to do with Stumpy Laird, and a number that has nothing to do with either of the Nawabs. As for the principality of Pataudi, where is it now? We'll find that KISS does not stand for Knights in Satan's Service, and that Jarrod Kimber isn't the only one to remember Ben Dunk. Plus Boonie, Bargearse, Borthwick, and a partnership that we prayed and prayed would end. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 4.49 – Shane Fitzgibbon & Sarah Vaile 4.44 – Shyam Sundaraman & Crispn Crunch 2.76 – Michael Holden 3.06 – Slim Johns & Peta Dowling Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Get 20% off Woodstock kit with code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Check out the Lord's Taverners programs to help kids at lordstaverners.org CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword  Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disregard the parts about St Kilda hoping to win a match – that soon went a different way. But otherwise it was a great day to hear from Glenn Maxwell after two influential innings to help win RCB's first two matches of the season. We also got more updates on the advertising shoot schedule, which obviously takes priority over cricket, as well as the pastoral care focus of those running the team, and what it's like in the middle with the intensity of Virat Kohli. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Get 20% off premium Woodstock kit with the code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 29: It's that time again: the new Wisden Almanack time. In what has now become a tradition – three years makes a tradition, right? – we've sat down with Almanack editor Lawrence Booth to go through the pages of The Good Book and get his explanation of all that lies therein. A fascinating year in retrospect, with all of the uncertainty and improvisation that was so unlovely to live through, but will make absorbing history. Also, click here to participate in the Sunshine Coast University survey on The Final Word. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 7.28 – Hugh Moorhead 2.78 – Sami Dowd Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Check out the satellite legend of Zoleo at zoleo.com Save heaps on the Wisden Almanack at wisdenalmanack.com/2021   In Australia or the USA use code WA30 for 30% off. In the UK subscribe to get the book for £25 instead of £55 CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're busy recruiting for our tours to Brazil and Pakistan when (hopefully) the planet allows for such a thing in 2022: on The Final Word, we Dera to Dream. From there, straight into our work on Story Time for another weekend, looking at an unexpected captain then a peculiar omission following a Test double ton. We finish off with a trio of our favourites: Simon Katich, the Wild Thing and one of Pakistan's finest century-crushers.  Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 2.56 – Harry HHH Howard 5.44 – Joe Reinhard 2.17 – Hamish Stares and Richard Casamento 2.46 – Christopher Byrne 3.84 – Will Day & Kris Swales Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Order the 2021 Wisden Almanack now and save big at wisdenalmanack.com/2021   In Australia or the USA, plug in code WA30 to get 30% off the RRP. In the UK, subscribe to get the book for £25 instead of £55 CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It happened. Since the IPL is a biosecure fortress in 2021, we've got a contact on the inside. Glenn Maxwell, who is bunkered down at the Royal Challengers Bangalore hotel with his fiancee Vini, will be giving us that window in. First up, the escape from quarantine and the chaos of pre-tournament week, where capitalism matters more than cricket. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Get 20% off premium Woodstock kit with the code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 28: Tiger Tim of Ireland has quite the story. From bowling the first ball in Irish Test cricket, to triumphs with Middlesex, to missing out on World Cups by agonising margins. On the eve of his final contracted season, with his 40th birthday approaching fast, he sat down with us to talk through it all. Also this week: the IPL approaches along with our new Glenn Maxwell plan. Australia's women set a world record winning streak. The Sheffield Shield finalists are decided after a busy final round. And there's a dash of Nerd Pledge and Bannerman Watch. Your Nerd Pledge number this week: 5.51 – Andrew Tuttle Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Check out our new friends at Woodstock Cricket with 20% off full-priced kit. Enter the code TFW20 at woodstockcricket.co.uk Check out CBUS Super at   https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by  Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Light and shade, in cricket as it is in life. So, on Story Time this weekend, learn about the batsman who spent three days presumed dead in no-man's-land only to become an unexpected Test cricketer 15 years later. Stick around to hear about WG's highest Test score and one of Jack Hobbs' finest hours. A classic Scottish name comes later, likewise a 1984 thriller. We also mark a place for a double that'll never be forgotten at Tallangatta CC.  Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 5.01 – Mark Henderson 2.58 – Abhilash Singh 3.85 – Ethan Morgan 3.52 – Pat McKeon 1.70 – Cameron Allen 7.27 – Elia Andrews 4.10 - Bernie Prins Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Save heaps on the Wisden Almanack at wisdenalmanack.com/2021   In Australia or the USA use code WA30 for 30% off. In the UK subscribe to get the book for £25 instead of £55 CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 27: Steve Smith wants back in as Australian captain. Over in New Zealand, is it Jeff Jeff or Microwave Jeff? A West Indies classic plays out in Antigua, and there's last-ball luck for the Kiwi women. Final Word fave Suwanji Madanayake needs a groundswell of support. Queensland notch a first in the WNCL. Cricket South Africa manage to screw things up again, with Karen Smithies in the shrapnel zone. Plus there's Nerd Pledge, Bannerman, and our most informative Zoleo adventure yet. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 4.21 – David Crock 6.14 – Peter T. 1.49 – Ash Parajuli Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Message from anywhere on earth with your ZOLEO, at zoleo.com Check out CBUS Super at   https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by  Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Language warning near the end of this show.) From deep inside the spreadsheets of cricket's past comes another edition of Story Time. This weekend, settle in to hear about when the USA fronted up against the might of Ricky Ponting's Australia, the tale of one of Hampshire's greatest sons, and what could be the first century ever made in first-class cricket? You tell us. And there's still time to revisit masterclasses from Imran Khan, Harmanpreet Kaur and the man who goes by the name of Bulbul.  Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 1.66 – Bryan R. Caine 3.00 – Mrs. Sorby 5.34 – Matt 5.52 – Fred Cowen  1.36 – Andrew Turner 6.63 – Nick O’Connell 7.23 – Cam Again 1.71 – John Leather Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Check out the Lord's Taverners programs to help kids at lordstaverners.org CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 26: In the early years of the colony, Irish politics were very much Australian politics. Ned Kelly wrote the Jerilderie Letter, Catholics and Protestants brawled into the Bradman era. Now comes a modern intervention. CA chair Earl Eddings plays William Wallace in this version, calling in the Irish as reinforcements. Are they coming? Also this week, all the happenings in the Shield, in India, and the results that we recently pleaded for in the WNCL. Your Nerd Pledge numbers: 5.54 – Jono Baruch 4.16 – Sebastian Goldsmith 2.02 – Harrison Payne Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Get a discount Wisden Cricket Monthly subscription at bit.ly/wcmtfw Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword  Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today: what happens when Boony's biggest secret is revealed? Who slides into the Old Spinner category late in the piece? And a week after the most ridiculous scorecard we've yet discovered, a Bannerman that gives it a run for its money. We'll uncover the true story of Milo, the link between Steve Waugh and Paulan Umrigar, and the England XI that went on to run the world even though it didn't at the time. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 3.09 – Rob Richardson & Joel Burton 4.84 – President Richard Bond McNally 5.08 – Mel Shawley & Chris Unwin 5.57 – Will Cuckson 6.56 – Chris Unwin again?! 2.43 – One of the Tom Stewarts Your new Julio Pledges: Walter Fagen Shyam Sundaraman Andrew Barker Hannah Edmonds Divyanshu Agrawal Sean Williamson Pankaj Challa Devashish Das The Rev. Dylan Nichols Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Check out the Lord's Taverners programs to help kids at lordstaverners.org CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword  Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 25: You may not associate Brazil with cricket. You may not know that 14 women recently won the country's first central contracts. But the game has been afoot in Brazil for some time, using innovative ways to help cricket take root rather than being transplanted from overseas, and in the process helping young Brazilians from disadvantaged places. It's one hell of a tale, and we're joined by national captain Roberta Moretti and Cricket Brasil head Matt Featherstone to tell it. Also this week: Afghanistan work hard to win a Test against Zimbabwe, while also becoming an unlikely bargaining chip between Channel Seven and Cricket Australia. South Africa's women and England's men put on a stirring display in limited-overs matches in India. And our humble show passes the 2 million mark. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 4.00 – Andrew Gilbertson 2.47 – Jono Haylen 5.71 – Sukrit Munjal The Cricket Brasil fundraising link is gogetfunding.com/cricketbrazil Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Message from anywhere on earth with your ZOLEO, at zoleo.com Check out CBUS Super at   https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book, The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by  Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here is perhaps the greatest tale we have yet told on Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener challenges. Get ready to learn about the disco to end all discos, and a grand plan for next year. We'll feature the hottest vigil, some cryptic clippers, the longest gun in the West, the best in women's Tests, more mathematics clues that we're not qualified to solve, another trip to 1930s India, the sunniest day for Northamptonshire, and a visit with our old friend SE Marsh. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 2.99 – Rob Taylor 2.85 – Debashish Biswas 3.37 – Martin Blackburn & Alex Veljanovski 1.13 – Matthew Jones 3.25 – Bruce Walker 2.36 – Mike Lea 1.48 – Duncan Davies, Sebastian Greers & Sam Ashworth Plus revisits and confirmations. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword  Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 24: At least one England cricketer came back from India with reputation enhanced: Mark Butcher, who was noticed for an excellent couple of Tests behind the microphone. His life before commentary included 71 Test matches, with a series of dramatic highs and drastic falls. Beyond cricket, he's a musician, a considered thinker, and someone who believes in the moral obligation to speak up for others. On The Final Word this week, a long conversation with Mark about life, family, and the wider world. Before that, our usual round-up of the cricket week. Your Nerd Pledge numbers: 6.40 – Anthony Osborn 6.20 – Michael Fitzgerald 46.55 – Fran Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword  Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  Get a discount Wisden Cricket Monthly subscription at bit.ly/wcmtfw Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword  Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Today we'll visit a walk-up start for the Clem Hill Defenestration Club, one Charlie Parker. Go via the president of the Internet Cricket Club, as it was in the beginning. Check the weather conditions on Kunanyi. Do a medical check on the Boer War, while finding another totally different club that Clem was part of. And track down a 140-year-old coincidence. Your new Nerd Pledge numbers: 7.37 – Liam Dalton 2.14 – Paul Reeve & Anny Forsyth 6.96 – Edward Edgecumbe 5.68 – Cameron 2.04 – Chris Dobbins 2.97 – Panos, Paul Davenport & Alex Crampton Plus some revisits and confirmations, while others have been held to next week. Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com CBUS Super is at cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword  Get Geoff’s new book The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 3 of the Fourth Test at Ahmedabad – The Final Word Daily with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon will wrap up each day’s action, decide the Player of the Day, and sort the nominations for the Final Word Hall of Fame, all throughout the four Test matches for the coveted Anthony de Mello Trophy. For a discount on a digital subscription for Wisden Cricket Monthly, the magic key is bit.ly/wcmtfw Check out CBUS Super at https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword   Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network  Title track by  Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 2 of the Fourth Test at Ahmedabad – The Final Word Daily with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon will wrap up each day’s action, decide the Player of the Day, and sort the nominations for the Final Word Hall of Fame, all throughout the four Test matches for the coveted Anthony de Mello Trophy. For a discount on a digital subscription for Wisden Cricket Monthly, the magic key is bit.ly/wcmtfw Check out CBUS Super at https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword   Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network  Title track by  Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 1 of the Fourth Test at Ahmedabad – The Final Word Daily with Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon will wrap up each day’s action, decide the Player of the Day, and sort the nominations for the Final Word Hall of Fame, all throughout the four Test matches for the coveted Anthony de Mello Trophy. For a discount on a digital subscription for Wisden Cricket Monthly, the magic key is bit.ly/wcmtfw Check out CBUS Super at https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword   Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com  The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network  Title track by  Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 9, Ep 23: NSW win the 50-over comp every bloody year, but just for a moment the Breakers are fifth. Enjoy the novelty. This week we go back and forth over the Tasman for a range of formats, with some Shield corkers and some T20 madness, some men's games and some women's, some England and New Zealand and India and Australia, as well a detour to Abu Dhabi for Afghanistan and Zimbabwe and their future on free to air. What else? Javed Miandad’s I ❤️ NY hat, Keith Miller's trip to the opera, and of course our old mate Charles Bannerman and those he inspires. It’s another sprawling weekly episode of The Final Word. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: 2.11 – Rahul V 2.67 – Daniel Dabney 7.60 – Stewart Beamont Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com Message from anywhere on earth with your ZOLEO, at zoleo.com Check out CBUS Super at   https://www.cbussuper.com.au/thefinalword Get Geoff’s new book, The Comeback Summer The Final Word is part of the  Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by  Urthboy Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.