The Final Word Cricket Podcast

Season 18, Episode 6: Richard Gould has always been up for a lively chat over the years, whether that was in his previous gig as the boss at Surrey or since taking over England cricket's top administrative job in 2022 and this is no different. Here, two years after our previous visit to his office, the chief executive at ECB towers talks through what is shaping up as a vital period ahead both at home and on the global stage. A worthwhile conversation - we got through plenty. Tickets for the 18th of August - get them quick and bring your mates: uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025 We have 47 runners in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival.⁠⁠ Donate to get us to our £30k fundraising target⁠⁠ for The Lord's Taverners. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfw Sort out expat finances with Odin Mortgage & Tax: odinmortgage.com/partner/the-final-word Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.au Get 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORD Save more, earn more—up to 4.48% AER (variable). Interest rates are tiered, with the top rate for balances over £1M. Each tiered rate applies to the portion within that range. New Tide members get these rates free for 6 months; after that, your Tide plan’s rates apply. For full offer T&Cs visit ⁠https://tide.co/savings⁠ Claim your £100 cash back (for a £5k deposit) at: ⁠https://tide.co/offers/tfw⁠ Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 18, Episode 5: It’s official: Dan Worrall is one of the five cricketers of the year in the 2025 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, following a third dominant season as Surrey completed a county threepeat. From a lower-grade club spinner in Melbourne to the South Australian Shield team to the Aussie one-day team to going full-time in England, he’s the definition of a modern journeyman. Now the 33-year-old finds himself in the mix for an England Test call-up, having met the eligibility to change countries. There was a fair bit to sink our teeth into when he took us through his unorthodox and intriguing journey in the professional game. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Tickets for our Wormsley match, August 18: uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025 We have 47 runners in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival.⁠⁠ Donate to get us to our £30k fundraising target⁠⁠ for The Lord's Taverners. Get your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfw Sort out expat finances with Odin Mortgage & Tax: odinmortgage.com/partner/the-final-word Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.au Get 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORD Save more, earn more—up to 4.48% AER (variable). Interest rates are tiered, with the top rate for balances over £1M. Each tiered rate applies to the portion within that range. New Tide members get these rates free for 6 months; after that, your Tide plan’s rates apply. For full offer T&Cs visit ⁠https://tide.co/savings⁠ Claim your £100 cash back (for a £5k deposit) at: ⁠https://tide.co/offers/tfw⁠ Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a wild tale from early colonial history about Australia's first political assassination, and how it links to the first Test match in 1877. Also, a heatwave with an Arctic deviation, the masters of so near and yet so far, and a tribute to the influence of Shannon Doherty and Tori Spelling. Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week: Lachlan K - 4.80 Simon Rae-Woods - 4.77 Angus Calder - 4.16 James Ralston - 9.02 Mike Wood (revisit) - 4.63 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Get your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfw We have 47 runners in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival.⁠⁠ Donate to get us to our £30k fundraising target⁠⁠ for The Lord's Taverners. Or 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORD Find help from Odin Mortgage & Tax: odintax.com Contact Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.au Save more, earn more—up to 4.48% AER (variable). Interest rates are tiered, with the top rate for balances over £1M. Each tiered rate applies to the portion within that range. New Tide members get these rates free for 6 months; after that, your Tide plan’s rates apply. For full offer T&Cs visit ⁠https://tide.co/savings⁠ Claim your £100 cash back (for a £5k deposit) at: ⁠https://tide.co/offers/tfw⁠ Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mervyn King, an esteemed economist and former Governor of the Bank of England, now serves as the president of the MCC. In a captivating conversation, he shares insights from his career during the Great Financial Crisis and his vision for cricket’s evolution. King discusses innovative projects like The Hundred and the challenges of promoting women’s membership at the MCC. He highlights the importance of global collaboration in cricket, while reminiscing about how the sport has grown and changed since his childhood, enriching its community.

Season 18, Episode 3: Great news this week that after years of campaigning, the ICC board has agreed to support Afghanistan’s women cricketers in exile. Details aren’t yet clear but the principle is. Also this week, more Olympic news, James Anderson is made a knight, a hefty county round includes some sizzling finishes, and there was an even better one in the unofficial Australia-England Test starring Charli Knott.Tickets for the 18th of August - get them quick and bring your mates: uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalwordGet your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfwSort out expat finances with Odin Mortgage & Tax: odinmortgage.com/partner/the-final-wordMaurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.auGet 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORDFind previous episodes at finalwordcricket.comTitle track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That's right, we've been kindly offered the chance to play on Wormsley, one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world, with The Final Word XI set to take on our mates at Zero Ducks Given on Monday the 18th of August. It's a superb opportunity for us to raise money for The Lord's Taverners, the charity close to both podcasts, so we came together for this chat (a collaboration, if you will) with Toby Tarrant and Daniel Norcross. Tickets are available in the below link: £20 to watch or £90 to have a day out in the marquee. Book the day off work now!Tickets for the 18th of August - get them quick and bring your mates: uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025 Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalwordGet your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfwSort out expat finances with Odin Mortgage & Tax: odinmortgage.com/partner/the-final-wordMaurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.auGet 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORDFind previous episodes at finalwordcricket.comTitle track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Adam and Geoff reunite from The Oval in London, and as luck would have it, this show includes two separate stories featuring a great Oval moment and a great Oval player. It also, rather less expectedly, includes the story of the Australian Shahid Afridi, who did so many miles from Traralgon to Doncaster that he earned the right to tweak a birth certificate or two.Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:2.21 - Kennedy H. Ross4.62 - Jim Carnegie4.53 - Paddy Considine8.18 - Andy NewtonSupport the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalwordGet your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfwMaurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.auGet 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORDIf you're looking for Odin Mortgage & Tax: odintax.comFind previous episodes at finalwordcricket.comTitle track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 18, Episode 2: It can’t be easy putting red-ball cricket first as a modern West Indian cricketer, but that’s exactly what Kemar Roach has done. Throughout a long and winding international career the start in 2008, and is still going strong 17 years later, the quick from Barbados has always given complete commitment across 85 Test Matches. Back in London for his fifth stint with Surrey, after playing a key role in their county threepeat, he joined Adam at The Oval to reflect on his adventures in the game. In doing so, he wasn’t short of an opinion about the importance of financing Caribbean cricket in a way that gives them the best chance to enjoy consistent success once again. And all done with a big smile on his face – a terrific guest.Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalwordGet your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfwMaurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.auGet 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORDSort out expat finances with Odin Mortgage & Tax: odintax.comFind previous episodes at finalwordcricket.comTitle track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 18, Episode 1: The new season begins! It begins with a triple century in the county championship, among a slate of brilliant finishes. It also begins with a sad formal farewell to the sport from Will Pucovski. And as tends to be the way, our episode finds its way through governance changes and scheduling questions into some peak 90s light entertainment. Settle in for Season 18: we can vote, but we still can't drink in America. Your Nerd Pledge revisit for this week:3.43 - Sam AshworthSupport the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalwordGet your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfwMaurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.auGet 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORDSort out expat finances with Odin Mortgage & Tax: odintax.comFind previous episodes at finalwordcricket.comTitle track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Story Time, our walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Daniel Norcross is back with Geoff for a short and sweet Story Time that somehow turned into this. It begins with Jeremy Coney's preferred method of staving off hyenas, and goes on through pondering who is Daddy, why we remember certain names, who was on the verge of weeping through his entire long career, and who may have wept after his very short one. The ticket is free, take the ride.Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:5.08 - Elliott Hoffman16.28 - Rafael Szumer7.14 - Chris Holt4.44 - Martin Smith3.70 - Damo BSupport the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalwordGet your big NordVPN discount: nordvpn.com/tfwMaurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.auGet 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORDIf you're looking for Odin Mortgage & Tax: odintax.comFind previous episodes at finalwordcricket.comTitle track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices