This is Calling the Shots, a six-part documentary podcast with Adam Collins and Daniel Norcross telling the story of a century of cricket commentary. In previous episodes we’ve tracked cricket’s journey on TV and radio. They are stories that have been told before, albeit perhaps not quite in the same way. Today, we’re bringing you a story that has never been told about the disruptors; the men and women who wanted to live their lives in cricket and ended up doing exactly that. To help tell that tale, we have with us four guests. Geoff Lemon - poet, author and broadcaster  Jarrod Kimber - writer, talker and filmmaker.  Nigel Henderson - guerilla commentator. Andrew Miller - editor of ESPNcricinfo. Calling the Shots is produced in partnership with The Pinch Hitter, a fabulous new initiative from the same people who bring you The Nightwatchman. The digital mag comes out once a fortnight, chock-full of contributions from some of the best freelance writers in the world. It is being made on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis, with all financial contributions going back into commissioning more brilliant cricket writing. Subscribe at thenightwatchman.net. Thanks to Jay Mueller at Bad Producer Productions for making this show possible. Calling the Shots is another proud member of the Bad Producer family. For more of their shows, jump on badproducerproductions.com. And thank you to our partners. To subscribe to the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, visit www.wisdenalmanack.com/subscribe. The excellent 2020 edition is on sale now (including in audiobook!) at www.wisdenalmanack.com/2020. Why not buy a new bat? Visit our friends Bear Cricket and daydream of the next season, whenever it comes. Our listeners get 10% off with the code CALLINGTHESHOTS at checkout - BearCricket.co.uk To learn more about the Lord’s Taverners vital work in the community, visit www.lordstaverners.org.   Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 8, Ep 14: That happened fast. At the start of the corona crisis, all looked rosy at Cricket Australia with the women winning the World Cup in front of a packed MCG and the men’s Test team getting back to the top of the world. But was this always destined to be the new CEO's fate given the baggage he brought to the role? And how did he misread the room so badly over the last couple of months? Chris Barrett, the senior news hound from the Sydney Morning Herald – who broke the news of the chief executive’s demise – joins The Final Word to work out what happened. On the same day, the great cricket archivist Robelinda2 was saved from an unjust copyright shutdown. Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   11.07 – Gusey K   4.79 – Andrew Wilson   3.61 – Sean Barry & Damien McLean   2.70 – Christopher Weinberg & Matt Gaynor   3.93 – Kerry O’Brien   Guess away. Our answers are in the episode.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword      Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com   Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au  Check out the latest copy of The Pinch Hitter here.   The Final Word is produced by Jay Mueller on the Bad Producer Network  Title track by Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 8, Ep 13:Geoff is back with Adam for a little bit of Nerd Pledge before hopping into the second part of the extensive Calling the Shots interview with Mark Nicholas. The discussion this time focuses on the era where Mark was the front man for Channel Four’s innovative coverage before becoming a permanent member of the Nine team. He also gives his impression of how commentary has evolved since the India’s massive television presence changed the game forever.  Your  Nerd Pledge numbers are:   2.27 – Jon Tucker.  5.13 – Liam Dalton.   2.11 – Simon McInerney & Patrick Rodgers.  2.32 – Ravine Chandrapala, Samuel Therkelsen & Sam Littlejohn.  3.36 – Jessica Currie & Dane Hansted.  Guess away. Our answers are in the episode.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword      Our friends at Future Talent can give you 15% off their brilliant sports cards with the code TheFinalWord at the purchase bar. You can also win $300 worth of cards for your club by visiting futuretalent.com.au/competition   Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com   Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au  Call in from around the world with SatPhoneShop.com   The Final Word is produced by Jay Mueller on the Bad Producer Podcast Network  Title track by Urthboy    Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 8, Ep 12:Daniel Norcross steps in for Geoff this week, reflecting with Adam on the Calling the Shots documentary project they have been working on through the lockdown period. As part of that research, they have recorded a number of long interviews – none more detailed than their conversation with Mark Nicholas; too good not to release in full. The extensive chat, broken over two parts, begins with Mark’s childhood fascination with commentary before moving through his own varied and celebrated career behind the microphone across the cricketing world over the last 25 years.  Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   2.45 - David.  3.24 - Julian Campbell  6.40 - Alex Brown  2.39 - Glenn Shepherd & Byron Cooper-Fogarty  2.83 - Laura Daw  Guess away. Our answers are in the episode.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword      Our friends at Future Talent can give you 15% off their brilliant sports cards with the code TheFinalWord at the purchase bar. You can also win $300 worth of cards for your club by visiting futuretalent.com.au/competition   Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com   Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au  Call in from around the world with SatPhoneShop.com   The Final Word is produced by Jay Mueller on the Bad Producer Podcast Network  Title track by Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This interview with Jason Gillespie, recorded on the Adelaide Oval boundary edge at the day after the Ashes Test in 2017, was a turning point for show. Until then, we would talk to the occasional guest but only ever briefly. Because this conversation coincided with a rain delay, and Dizzy didn’t fancy helping with the covers in the game where he was playing in, we kept the tape running. It was well worth it, touching on topics that normally wouldn’t have otherwise made the show. It was really well received at the time, so we made it the model for The Final Word ever since. Enjoy.   Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   7.08 - Jeremy Brown  11.96 - Elia Andrews  1.68 - Andrew Turner  3.03 - James Scambler.  3.77 - Laksmi Govindasamy  Guess away. Our answers are in the episode.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword      Our friends at Future Talent can give you 15% off their brilliant sports cards with the code TheFinalWord at the purchase bar. You can also win $300 worth of cards for your club by visiting futuretalent.com.au/competition   Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com   Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au  The Final Word is produced by Jay Mueller on the Bad Producer Podcast Network  Title track by Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 8, Ep 11: The BCCI is fuming after some sensitive correspondence found its way to the Times of India newspaper. Things the BCCI don’t want you to Be See(ing) with your See(ing) Eye. What got leaked, and why are they mad? Plans for the T20 World Cup still haven’t been finalised after an ICC meeting got cancelled in the aftermath. The detectives are on the case. Want to know more? Join us in this darkened underground car park.   Also this week we’ll look at the WACA cracking it, the newly released Australian schedule and the likelihood of it going ahead, the odds of seeing South Africa in 2021, back to the 1920s to visit a man who could have been one of the greats, Happy Birthday Sachin, a review of cricketing doctors, and all the Nerd Pledge history you can handle. Ted Dexter freaks get ready.   Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   1.80 – Bernhard Sayer.  3.07 – Nicky Young.  3.82 – Marianne Webb.  3.85 – Joey McGahan & Cameron Allen.  2.05 – Craig McGowen & Tom.  Guess away. Our answers are in the episode.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword   Our friends at Future Talent can give you 15% off their brilliant sports cards with the code TheFinalWord at the purchase bar. You can also win $300 worth of cards for your club by visiting futuretalent.com.au/competition   Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com   Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au  The Final Word is produced by Jay Mueller on the Bad Producer Podcast Network Title track by Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Calling the Shots, a six-part documentary podcast with Adam Collins and Daniel Norcross telling the story of a century of cricket commentary. Over the last two episodes, our attention was squarely on the development of radio commentary. Here, in part four, we shift gears to explore the television revolution in England, Australia and India.  To help tell that story, we have with us four guests. Mark Nicholas, who for the last 25 years has been broadcasting international cricket around the world Dan Waddell, prolific author and historian who wrote ‘And Welcome To The Highlights’ Jim Maxwell, who has called more than 300 Test Matches across 43 years. And Harsha Bhogle, the definitive voice of Indian cricket.   Calling the Shots is produced in partnership with The Pinch Hitter, a fabulous new initiative from the same people who bring you The Nightwatchman. The digital mag comes out once a fortnight, chock-full of contributions from some of the best freelance writers in the world. It is being made on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis, with all financial contributions going back into commissioning more brilliant cricket writing. Subscribe at thenightwatchman.net. Thanks to Jay Mueller at Bad Producer Productions for making this show possible. Calling the Shots is another proud member of the Bad Producer family. For more of their shows, jump on badproducerproductions.com. And thank you to our partners. To subscribe to the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, visit www.wisdenalmanack.com/subscribe. The excellent 2020 edition is on sale now (including in audiobook!) at www.wisdenalmanack.com/2020. Why not buy a new bat? Visit our friends Bear Cricket and daydream of the next season, whenever it comes. Our listeners get 10% off with the code CALLINGTHESHOTS at checkout - BearCricket.co.uk To learn more about the Lord’s Taverners vital work in the community, visit www.lordstaverners.org.   Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon reminisce about the 2019 World Cup and the daily wackiness that started one year ago.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon talk to Isa Guha.

Season 8, Ep 9: We shouldn’t, but we couldn’t help ourselves. Somehow we all keep getting sucked in by Shane Warne being an old man yelling at a cloud shaped like Steve Waugh. There are numbers though, and reality checks. On things that matter, we bring back our old friend Bharat Sundaresan to give us the detail on what the world’s problems will mean for India, the IPL and the BCCI.   Nerd Pledge returns along with Happy Birthday Sachin, then we get the lowdown on how the hell schools have kept teaching kids in Australia, thanks to a chat with devoted teacher and longtime Final Word supporter Matthew Beggs.  Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   4.41 - Nick Beaver & Simon   1.84 - Anthony Bienak  4.07 - Ben White & Archie Hood  4.16 - Dave Brown & Dechlan Brennan  2.58 - Timothy O’Meara Guess away. Our answers are in the episode.  Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword      Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com   Check out CBUS Super at cbussuper.com.au Our friends at Future Talent can give you 15% off their sports cards with the code TheFinalWord at purchase. You can also win $300 worth of cards for your club by visiting futuretalent.com.au/competition   The Final Word is produced by Jay Mueller on the Bad Producer Network  Title track by Urthboy  Support the show: https://patreon.com/thefinalword See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Collins and Daniel Norcross explore the origins of cricket commentary.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon talk to Megan Schutt on this episode of The Final Word.

An encore edition of The Final Word. Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon catch up with the legendary Ian Chappell

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon covering cricket from every angle and all corners of the globe.

An exploration of the history of cricket commentary with Daniel Norcross and Adam Collins

Covering cricket from all angles and all corners of the globe.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon talk cricket with the one and only Glenn Maxwell.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon cover cricket from all angles and all corners of the globe

Adam Collins and Daniel Norcross delve into the history of cricket commentary. This episode features Ali Mitchell and Ian Smith sharing their influences and remembering their own iconic calls.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon cover cricket from all angles and all corners of the globe.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon chat with Harsha Bhogle about cricket, sports commentary and Christmas in Australia.

Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins review the 2020 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack on this episode of The Final Word.

Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon talk with Nasser Hussain about all things global cricket.

Covering cricket from every angle and all corners of the globe.

Covering cricket from all angles and all corners of the globe.