Season 8, Ep 19: Exactly a year from that famous day at Lord's we're joined by Nick Hoult to discuss his new book that gives all the detail you didn't know about England’s triumph. We also, thankfully, get to talk about the first Test match of the covid era, as the West Indies rallied gloriously to knock off the hosts late on the final afternoon at Southampton. What a joy to have it back.   Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week are:   3.92 – Cam Tero.  4.05 – Matthew Share.   3.31 – David Varley.  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  Call in from around the world with your ZOLEO at Zoleo.com 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 18. The end of the 2019 World Cup will remain inseparable from Ian Smith's description of it. He explained in depth to the Calling the Shots documentary how he has tried to prepare for and deliver the big moments, and his interview was too good not to share. Here is the full conversation, after some cricket history at the start to get us going. Our Nerd Pledge numbers this week are:
 4.33 – Liz Brant & Jack Regester 
2.06 – Paul Murphy & Sam King 
2.16 – Harry Howard
 3.04 – Adam Jones 
5.44 – Rob (from the) Rich Send us a Nerd Pledge at  patreon.com/thefinalword    Find previous episodes at  finalwordcricket.com   CBUS Super is at  cbussuper.com.au To learn more about the Lord’s Taverners and their work in the community, visit  www.lordstaverners.org.   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 17: Shout it from the rooftops! This week, England host West Indies in the first of three behind-closed-doors Tests and we couldn’t be happier on The Final Word. Vithushan Ehantharajah joins Adam and Geoff to discuss the Southampton Bio-Dome he’s about to enter and the most unusual series he’s about to cover. Back in Australia, the road ahead is a less clear after a troubling week on the Covid front.   Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   5.91 – Michael Ball  2.50 – Elliott Diamond and Scott Tutton  0.68 – Jordan Russo  4.25  (and 1.49) – Paul Batfay  5.17 – Tim Vanderpump  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  To learn more about the Lord’s Taverners vital work in the community, visit www.lordstaverners.org.    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.

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 this, our final episode, we bring you up to date as we explore how the commentary box has become a more inclusive domain over the last decade. We also investigate how advances in data capture are influencing broadcasters like never before then close the series by reflecting on what we’ve learnt from tracking cricket’s progress on the airwaves through the last three months.  To help tell that story, we once again have with us four guests. Andy Zaltzman – comedian and Test Match Special statistician Isa Guha – the newly appointed presenter of BBC cricket on TV Lisa Sthalekar – World Cup winner and television broadcaster Adam Mountford – the producer of Test Match Special since 2007 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 16: Amidst ongoing fighting that predates the virus crisis, South African cricket writer Telford Vice joins the show to explain the conflict in South African cricket. A long investigation into the suspended CEO will soon have a result while a carload of high-ranking staff have been sacked. The divisions are deep but as ever, it's complicated. Meanwhile Covid continues to confuse matters in Australia, and England's men prepare to take on the West Indies in the first Tests since lockdown, in which West Indies players will bring the Black Lives Matter discussion to the centre of the ground.  Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   6.51 – Abhilash Singh  2.68 – Sarah Berman & Glenn Wilcox  2.75 – Mark Stein  2.86 – Alemelu  3.00 – David Jones   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  Call in from around the world with your ZOLEO with SatPhoneShop.com    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.

In February 2018, we spoke to Dave in Durban a couple of days ahead of a Test series that would prove to be fateful in so many ways. This was an interesting and positive time in his cricketing life, before the world changed in the weeks that followed. In this weekend edition, we also take a look at Kim Garth’s decision to leave Ireland for Australia and get stuck into some excellent Nerd Pledges.  Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   6.49 – Max Keleher.  2.65 – Terry.   3.55 – Dan from the Sportress & Dan Gerritsen.   3.62 – Stephen Baxter, Ethan Morgan, Aaron Roberts.  3.80 – Miranda.   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  And why not buy  yourself  a new bat? Pay a visit to our friends at bearcricket.co.uk and start daydreaming of the next season - whenever that day comes. And remember, our listeners receive 10% off by popping in the code FINALWORD at checkout.   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 15: As promised, here it is – our chat with one of Australia’s favourite sons, William McInnes. You know him as an actor and a writer, but before that he was a cricket obsessive and remains one to this day. But our long and winding conversation went to more than simply why he cites Rick McCosker in the acknowledgement section of each book he writes - we also canvassed fatherhood, leadership, youth and grief. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did recording it.   Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:   6.35 – Blake Corbett  3.99 – Harrison Payne  4.34 – Peder Roberts  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  Get your Wisden Cricket Monthly discount here. The July edition of the mag is out this week. Collect the next six editions for six quid, which is about ten bucks.   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.

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