The Top Order Cricket Podcast

• This Week in Cricket #172: Jos Buttler's role, Australia v Sri Lanka preview, the WAshes & NZ in the BBL?

  In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past week, including the England v India T20 series, Australia's dominance of the WAshes, whether there should be NZ teams in the BBL and a look ahead to Australia's Test tour to Sri Lanka. We open the show by discussing the first two T20s between England and India, mainly from an England point of view aside from a SRH fan club shout out for Abhishek Sharma. We talk about closers, Jos Buttler's role and England's reliance on Adil Rashid. From there we move to the Women's Ashes, which have been one-way traffic so far as Australia continue their dominant run that looks to be extending for yet another year on the international stage. Staying in Australia, we also talk about recent discussions in New Zealand about getting some Kiwi sides into the BBL. Would this be good for the competition? For NZ Cricket? For anyone? To round out the show, we look ahead to Australia's upcoming Test tour to Sri Lanka. With injury concerns on both sides and World Test Championship final spots basically secured, how much does this series actually matter? We talk about whether Australia will shuffle the likes of Travis Head and Usman Khawaja, the role Scott Boland could play in Sri Lankan conditions, what we might see from newcomers like Sam Konstas, Beau Webster and Cooper Connolly and Sri Lanka making the most of the Galle fortress. We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show. Until then 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 conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:35 England v India T20s - early impressions for England 6:55 Abhishek Sharma excitement & India's T20 dominance 8:10 England's finishers 12:15 The WAshes - Australia's dominance against England 24:00 Should there be NZ teams in the BBL? 39:30 Australia v Sri Lanka Test preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:00:33
• This Week in Cricket #171: Two-tier Test proposal, India's 10-point plan & Champions Trophy news

  In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, Raj, Jamie and Stu discuss some of the major talking points from the past couple of weeks, including the apparent proposal to change the Test structure to two tiers, India's 10-point plan towards team harmony, Champions Trophy news, James Vince, Pakistan spinning their way to victory against the West Indies and Jimmy Anderson's love for the game. We open the show by discussing the reports suggesting the boards of England, Australia and India are planning to start a conversation that could lead to a proposal to separate Test cricket into two divisions of seven. With a lot of details still to be determined, we talk about our initial reactions to the idea, how an ideal version of the proposal could work, who might benefit from it and ultimately whether it would be a step forward from the current World Test Championship. From there we move to white-ball cricket and the Champions Trophy, with India naming their squad yesterday. Mohammad Shami returns from injury with Rohit Sharma as captain and the experienced core of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and co. given an opportunity to go one better than the World Cup in 2023. We also discuss the BCCI's 10-point 'Policy Document for Team India', plus England's upcoming white-ball tour. To round out the show, we talk about pitches in Pakistan and batters around the world struggling against spin, the PSL window and how James Vince's decision could lead to more instances of the nomadic cricketer, plus a shout out to Jimmy Anderson as he looks set to return to Lancashire for the county season. We'll be back in your feed again next week with our regular This Week in Cricket show and hopefully the full crew back together. Until then 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 conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:45 The two-tier test proposal 17:45 Champions Trophy squad news - India 20:30 The BCCI's 10-policy 'Policy Plan for Team India' 32:40 England's best XI for the Champions Trophy 42:15 Pakistan v West Indies - pitches and spin 54:00 James Vince & the PSL 1:03:45 Jimmy Anderson playing on with Lancashire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:15:37
• Black Caps 2024 Review: Historic wins, bad losses, the bowling reboot & the next steps forward

  In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it’s a Black Caps focused show as Raj and Stu look back at New Zealand's performances in 2024 take stock of where the side is at heading into a relatively quiet 2025. We open the show by reviewing the 2024 results, which paint a picture of a middling side that had a big gap between their best performances and their worst ones, before discussing a bowling attack that saw some big changes over the past 12 months with the retirements of Neil Wagner and Tim Southee, plus the emergence of the likes of Will O'Rourke and Ben Sears. We also discuss the spin stocks and whether this is an area of concern. As we move to the batting department, there's plenty to discuss - primarily the lack of runs by the majority of the core group of players. We talk about Devon Conway, Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson and many others, plus the central contracting system and how New Zealand Cricket are managing the competing pull of franchise leagues. To round out the show, we look ahead to a 2025 fixture list that looks quite bare after the Champions Trophy to consider where we'd like the side to be by the end of the year.. We'll be back in your feed again later in the week or early next with our regular This Week in Cricket show. Until then 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 conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro: Black Caps' 2024 results 2:55 Thoughts on 2024 as a whole 6:20 NZ's pace-bowling refresh 10:50 Are the spin-bowling stocks a concern? 20:30 Batting depth 22:25 Devon Conway - are we still optimistic about his international future? 25:30 Tom Blundell & wicketkeeping position moving forward 29:55 Casual and central contracts 38:20 Will Young - can he cement a spot in 2025? 42:25 Glenn Phillips - what should his role be in this NZ side? 45:40 Rachin Ravindra's development 51:10 Kane Williamson's form and future 55:20 NZ's fixtures in 2025 and hopes for the year 1:07:22 Coaching situation and ideal potential candidates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:22:02
• England Cricket 2024 Review & 2025 Preview: A look back, a look forward & a white-ball revolution?

  In this episode of the Top Order Podcast it’s an England-centric view as Binksy and Jamie review England’s red- and white-ball performances in 2024 and look forward to a mouthwatering 10 tests against old enemies Australia and India in 2025. The boys dissect what they want to see as Bazball disciples and look at the personnel England should and might use in 2025. There is confidence in Joe Root, Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, but question marks surrounding Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and the fitness of talismanic skipper Ben Stokes. With no Baldy to respond, Binksy and Jamie dream of recapturing the urn in Sydney as they forecast the year 2025. The boys also discuss the dramatic decline of the England men’s white-ball side and ponder whether a partnership of Brendon McCullum and Jos Buttler can revive fortunes in an ICC Champions Trophy year. If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again soon with a similar show focused on the Black Caps. Until then 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 conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 4:30 expectations on our red ball team 11:19 Personnel and emerging talent 21:25 Looking ahead and bolter selections? 27:16 is The Ashes McCullum's Everest? 35:38 White-ball cricket: evolution or revolution? 45:23 Lifting the urn in 2025? Dare to dream? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  55:15
• Border-Gavaskar Trophy Recap: Beau Webster's debut, Rohit's decision & Super Scotty Boland

  In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj look back at the 5th Test between Australia and India, which saw the Aussies get their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in almost a decade and also book themselves a ticket to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa. We start by talking about the series as a whole. How impressive was Australia's response to a heavy defeat in the first test? Where did it all go wrong for India? Did the theatrics overstep the line? Why did the batters struggle so much in this series? And what's next for both these sides? There's a chat about Rohit Sharma's decision to step down from the playing XI and questions about the future for both him and the likes of Virat Kohli in the Test arena. There's also praise for debutant Beau Webster, Super Scotty Boland, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal and a whole lot more as we review this fascinating series that always holds a significant place in the cricket conversation. If you enjoy our content, please vote for us as the Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards. We’re delighted to be shortlisted and really appreciate your support: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-cricket-podcast/ We'll be back in your feed again soon with a couple of shows looking back at the year for the Black Caps and England and discuss our hopes for 2025. Until then 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 conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Introduction 1:40 Australia's turnaround from defeat to dominance 5:55 Why did India struggle so much in this series? 9:45 India's batting woes 15:20 Was the cricket fun to watch? 16:50 Did the theatrics overstep the line? 18:55 Sam Konstas 24:10 Rohit Sharma's decision to leave himself out of the playing XI 29:25 Virat Kohli 34:15 Beau Webster's outstanding debut 38:55 Scott Boland takes 10-for 44:45 Jasprit Bumrah - player of the series 48:00 Any other positives for India? 49:30 India's Test lineup in the next WTC cycle 53:20 Australia's consistency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:08:26

More Sports podcastsMore Sports podcasts

Trending Sports podcasts

About The Top Order Cricket Podcast