The Top Order Cricket Podcast

The Top Order Podcast

A Pom, an Aussie and two Kiwis walk into a bar ... it’s not a joke, it’s The Top Order, a cricketing podcast where good friends mix their own banter and opinion with extended interviews with some of cricket's most interesting characters from the past and present day.

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512 episodes
Updated July 26

Episodes512

Newest first

July 26 · 50 min
This Week in Cricket #209: When is the right time to rebuild? The Ashes in India?
In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu make the most of a quiet week in the southern hemisphere to debate the best approach to test cricket succession planning, with Australia's crop of outstanding fast bowlers front of mind. There's also talk of an Ashes test in India, plus plenty of other notes on the Aussie squad to face Bangladesh. We start the show with the news that Australia has named a largely predictable test squad to take on Bangladesh in a few weeks' time. Players like Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green have retained their spots despite recent scrutiny, with it looking likely that Green will have the first chance to lock down the middle-order vacancy left by Usman Khawaja's retirement and Travis Head's move to the top of the order. The conversation quickly turns to whether these games in Darwin and Mackay were a good opportunity to inject some younger legs into the Australian fast bowling attack, with Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood and Boland all likely to be closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. When's the right time to 'rebuild'? Will Australia be ready when the time comes? And how have other teams handled similar situations? To round out the show, we chat about Todd Greenberg's comments on being 'open' to playing an Ashes test in India one day - I'm sure most long-time listeners can imagine Baldy's response!. We'll be back again next week with more news and views. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:50 Australia's test squad to face Bangladesh 3:55 Should Australia be thinking about the future? 9:50 Will Starc, Cummins & Hazlewood retire at the same time? 14:40 Is white-ball cricket the breeding ground for tests? 22:55 Australia's batters get another chance 29:55 Jake Weatherald's prospects 36:25 An Ashes test in India? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 19 · 55 min
This Week in Cricket #208: NZ's ODI depth chart, Rohit under threat & remembering Sir Garfield Sobers
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu talk mostly ODI cricket for the first time in ages, as we look back at the first two matches in England's series against India and the first three of New Zealand's tour to the West Indies. We also pay tribute to the late Sir Garfield Sobers - a true legend of the game. We start the show with England v India, and it's Rohit Sharma who has been under the most scrutiny so far. Is it time India pull stumps on his international career? For England, it seems clear the talent is there to build a formidable white-ball side, but have they got the tactics right? And is Harry Brook determined to self-destruct in every innings? We also discuss whether ODI openers should consider a T20 approach, and continue to speculate on the vacant England test coaching job now that Andy Flower has withdrawn from the race. As the show continues, the conversation moves to the West Indies, where at the time of recording New Zealand held a 2-1 lead in the five-match ODI series. After bat dominated the first game, it's been the Black Caps spinners who have delivered the decisive moments. We talk about where Michael Bracewell and Jayden Lennox fit on New Zealand's depth chart, and there's also praise for Tom Latham and his performances in the middle order of this ODI side. To round out the show, we pay tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away this week just short of his 90th birthday. One of the true greats of the game - perhaps the greatest there ever has been - and a player who excelled across so many skills, it's fair to assume he'd have been a superstar in any era. If you haven't already seen it, the video Stu referenced in the podcast can be found at: https://youtu.be/X8T3G40iLh0?si=FgW494339IaNr0LG We'll be back again next week with more news and views. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 England v India 3:00 Rohit Sharma under pressure? 7:30 Why don't we see T20 tactics in ODIs? 13:05 England's white-ball tactics 20:50 England's test coach? Not Andy Flower 25:20 Black Caps v West Indies 28:40 Where does Michael Bracewell fit in? 32:00 Where's Jayden Lennox on the depth chart now? 35:30 Tom Latham's contributions 40:50 Luke Ronchi stepping away 42:45 Remembering Sir Garfield Sobers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 14 · 1 hr 18 min
This Week in Cricket #207: Baz out, Flem gone and the Black Caps in the West Indies
In this episode of the show, Baldy, Jamie and Stu turn a 'short' episode into a long one by reacting to the news that Brendon McCullum has been sacked as England Men's test coach, and then looking back at the Stokes/McCullum tenure. We also discuss England's T20 series victory against India and New Zealand's ongoing ODI series against the West Indies. We start the show with an extended conversation about Brendon McCullum's sacking as England Men's test coach. We talk the timing of the announcement, the reaction so far and the personal side of difficult conversations. We ask whether he'll see out the rest of his white-ball contract, wonder about who might replace him, and look back at the Stokes/McCullum era to consider how that time will be remembered and what, if anything, should be carried forward by their successors. As the show continues, the conversation eventually does turn to recent cricket matches to discuss England's 4-0 T20 series win against India. We saw a return to form for Jos Buttler, some remarkable hitting from Harry Brook and a continuation of Jofra Archer's impressive summer. For India, is it time to panic? Probably not, but the absences of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy certainly left holes that couldn't be filled. And what to do now with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? To round out the show, there's an overview of the first two ODIs between the Black Caps and the West Indies. New Zealand are much changed from the tests against England, but after an initial loss, it was a group of spinners led by Jayden Lennox who helped them level the series. We also share a few quick thoughts on the first round of New Zealand domestic contracts, and highlight some players we'll be keeping our eye on during the home summer. We'll be back again next week with more news and views. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Brendon McCullum sacked as England Men's Test coach 6:10 Will McCullum see out his white-ball contract? 10:35 Has the Bazball era delivered on its initial promise? 23:20 Which parts should endure into the next era? 34:20 Who will replace Brendon McCullum? 39:30 Could it be Stephen Fleming? 44:30 England beat India 4-0 in T20s 51:10 Are we worried about India's T20 slump? 55:35 How do India manage Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from here? 1:01:35 Black Caps v West Indies 1:09:35 NZ domestic contracts of note Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 5 · 1 hr 17 min
This Week in Cricket #206: Black Caps beat England, but what now?
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu look back at the Black Caps v England series in an attempt to figure out where to next for both sides. There's also a quick word on the Women's T20 World Cup final, and a nod to some upcoming white-ball series also featuring India and the West Indies. We start the show with plenty of positivity from the New Zealand side of the ledger again as the Black Caps series victory remains at the forefront of our memories. There's a heap of praise on the bowling group and Nathan Smith in particular, along with questions about whether the batting lineup still contains a few areas of concern. Daryl Mitchell's gritty hundred is singled out as a sign of NZ's situational awareness, and we dare to dream about whether this group can go to Australia and win having now ticked off India and England in recent times. As we turn to England, the questions mount up in the wake of Ben Stokes's retirement, and 'Who's next?' is right up there on the list. We discuss the good and the frustrating about the Stokes/McCullum era, what England could take forward with them into the next one and whether Harry Brook is the right person to lead that group. We also speculate about who might replace Stokes at 7, and who might take over as coach if Brendon McCullum is moved on from the test role. After a long discussion, we round out the show with a conversation about the Women's T20 World Cup. We say thanks and farewell to three White Ferns legends in Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, then look ahead to the final between England and Australia that will play out not long after our recording. There's also a brief mention of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's international debut at the remarkable age of 15 years 99 days, but no doubt there will be longer discussions on his career in the weeks and months ahead. We'll be back again next week with more news and views. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Plenty of positives for the Black Caps 5:35 Depth of NZ's bowling attack 10:00 Black Caps' style 13:45 Daryl Mitchell's throwback hundred 16:20 Could NZ finally beat Australia away? 23:10 How much change is needed for England? 33:05 What should England take forward from Bazball? 38:15 England's leadership 46:00 Who replaces Ben Stokes at 7? 57:05 Women's T20 World Cup 1:06:50 India v England & NZ's ODI squad v West Indies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 30 · 55 min
England v New Zealand 3rd Test Review: All-round Black Caps make history as Ben Stokes bows out
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at the third and final test between England and the Black Caps, this time at Trent Bridge. We talk about New Zealand's impressive victory and their collective effort throughout the series, plus Ben Stokes’ decision to retire from international cricket. We start the show with plenty of positivity from the New Zealand side of the ledger after another impressive team performance. There was a huge partnership between Devon Conway and Tom Latham, runs for Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell scored one of the grittiest centuries you could hope to see. Throw in the performance of Tom Blundell behind the stumps and the effort and execution from a depleted bowling attack and it means there’s a lot to celebrate after a rare series win in England. For England, it’s been a tumultuous few weeks. Right when the ship seemed to be steering in the right direction after the win at Lord’s, the crew went off course and they’ve been outplayed since that moment. And then Ben Stokes retired! We talk tactics, the emotion of it all and how the game ebbed and flowed, especially on the first few days. It’s an episode that could have gone for days given the eventful nature of the game and the series. Fortunately, we'll be back again at the weekend (or Monday NZ time), when we’ll likely have more thoughts about this entertaining series, England will already be playing a white-ball series against India, and the Women's World Cup will be nearing its conclusion. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 Black Caps win! 11:20 A full reset needed for England? 17:45 New Zealand standout performers: Everyone 25:05 A game in the balance at the halfway stage 29:25 Ravindra and Mitchell partnership 33:45 Day 4: Ben Stokes retires! 46:20 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 22 · 58 min
England v New Zealand 2nd Test Review: Matt Henry's masterclass, shambolic England & a series all square
In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at the second of three tests between England and the Black Caps, this time at The Oval. We talk about New Zealand's dominant win and the star performers, plus the tumultuous off-field nature of England Cricket at the moment, all with one eye on the series decider at Trent Bridge in just a few days' time. We start the show with a much happier New Zealand contingent after an all-around team performance contributed to a big Kiwi win to square the series. There's praise for Henry Nicholls and Glenn Phillips - including yet another debate about Phillips' best position in the order - for their impressive hundreds. We also pour one out for Matt Henry's masterclass and highlight the impact of Tom Blundell behind the stumps.. In amongst all of the positives for New Zealand comes the nuggets of frustration for England - dropped catches, tactical errors and the continuation of off-field drama that led to a much-changed side and the broadcasters showing footage of Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson playing in the County Championship rather than at The Oval. We also discuss newer players like Emilio Gay, Sonny Baker, James Rew and Jordan Cox. To round out the show, we examine how curfew-gate has been handled, and what that might mean for the futures of Brendon McCullum, Rob Key and.Ben Stokes - and how much it could impact the England dressing room for the third test at Trent Bridge. And before Jamie and Binksy have to race off to start their workday, we make our predictions for that match. We'll be back again at the conclusion of the third test in the England v New Zealand series, when we should also be nearing the business end of the Women's World Cup. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 All-around dominance from the Black Caps 3:30 A muddled performance from a much-changed England 6:30 Hundreds for Glenn Phillips and Henry Nicholls 20:30 Matt Henry's masterclass 23:00 Tom Blundell's glovework 26:00 England's newer players: Baker, Rew, Gay, Cox, Fisher 37:05 Contrasting tests - what's real for the Black Caps? 41:05 How much did the Stokes/Atkinson curfew impact England? 51:20 Predictions for Trent Bridge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 14 · 1 hr 5 min
This Week in Cricket #205: Kane Williamson retires & England's curfew kerfuffle
In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at an eventful week in the world of cricket - although a lot of the news came off the field, with Kane Williamson calling stumps on his career and England Cricket's curfew kerfuffle involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson. We also discuss the first few games of the Women's T20 World Cup and the Australian's Men's team's recent performances. We start the show by talking about Kane Williamson's decision to retire immediately from international cricket - news that came as a surprise to a few people, particularly with it happening after just one game of the three-match series against England. We discuss the initial announcement, then quickly reflect on what Kane Williamson's career has meant to New Zealand cricket fans and the special place he holds in the record books and in our hearts. There's also talk of his overall legacy in the Test arena and who might step into his shoes for the Black Caps in the years to come. As the conversation continues, the topic moves to the other big off-field news of the England-New Zealand series - the incident involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson that has resulted in them being stood down for the second Test pending the outcome of an investigation by the ECB. Was it an over-reaction? Does it signal a disconnect between the players and the coaching staff and/or England Cricket management? And what might England's XI look like for the second Test following the news that Ollie Robinson may also be in doubt. To round out the show, we hit the opening games of the Women's T20 World Cup, which has started brilliantly for England and Australia, but not so much for New Zealand's White Ferns, who will be ruing missed opportunities that saw them lose their opening encounter against the West Indies. There's also a quick chat about the Australian Men's team and their performances in Pakistan and Bangladesh. We'll be back again with more news and views next week, hopefully with a lot more on-field entertainment to discuss from the England v New Zealand series and the Women's World Cup. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:10 Kane Williamson retires from international cricket 5:00 Retirement mid-series 9:45 Does it leave NZ short for the rest of the series? 13:20 What has Kane meant to Black Caps fans? 17:05 Kane Williamson's place in history 23:10 Who will fill Kane's shoes? 28:10 Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson suspended for 2nd Test 32:10 What might England's team look like at The Oval? 34:45 Do these incidents suggest a breakdown between players and staff? 44:45 Women's World Cup round-up 52:40 Australia's men against Bangladesh & Pakistan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 8 · 56 min
Black Caps v England First Test Review: Bowlers shine, but the Lord's pitch remains in the spotlight
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at the First Test between England and the visiting Black Caps at Lord's.. We start the show by throwing it to the victors as England take a 1-0 lead in this Test series. Jamie is cautious with his optimism, while Binksy takes us through the Lord's experience and we discuss how important victory in any form was to kickstart this next phase of the Stokes/McCullum partnership. As the conversation continues, it inevitably turns to the Lord's pitch, which prompted an apology from the MCC after the surface grabbed most of the headlines. Was this game even watchable from a neutral perspective? And can we really take any lessons from what happened during the course of the game? In a much more enjoyable and positive segment of the show, we return to the cricket on display to discuss the bowling groups from both sides. There were bags for the returning Ollie Robinson and Kyle Jamieson, plus two more for Nathan Smith and Gus Atkinson. Throw in the performances of Will O'Rourke, Josh Tongue and to a lesser extent Matt Henry and Ben Stokes and it's easy to see why the batters had such a tough time navigating the conditions. For the batters, a fifty on debut for Emilio Gay was about the only highlight, so there's a temptation to put the game in the shredder and move on, but did either team get the tactics right? Was there a hint that the Bazball approach may well be changing after all? To round out the show, we briefly discuss what's next for both sides. Will Matt Henry be fit for the second Test? Will Jofra Archer return to England's squad? And is Kane Williamson retiring? We'll be back again with more news and views next week, most likely to look ahead to the second Test and look back at what happened elsewhere around the world. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:15 England take a 1-0 lead at the home of cricket 10:20 The Lord's pitch was a shocker 14:30 NZ frustrations 21:05 Impressive bowling performances: England/Ollie Robinson 26:00 Should the Black Caps' batters have been more positive? 35:00 Did we see a change in England's approach? 42:30 Changes and retirements (?) for the rest of the series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 2 · 58 min
Black Caps v England Test Preview: Selection questions, NZ's last dance and England under pressure
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu look ahead to the upcoming Test series between England and the visiting Black Caps.. We start the show by taking a wider view of where both squads are at leading into this encounter. For New Zealand, it feels like the start of a big year of Test cricket - one that could define how we look back at this current group of players. For England it's all about next steps as this squad tries to put the disappointment of The Ashes quickly in the rear-view mirror. As the conversation continues, we discuss key selection questions ahead of the first Test at Lord's, and the key takeaways from New Zealand's win over Ireland. Has Nathan Smith done enough to earn a spot in the XI? Will spin be enough of a factor to warrant Mitchell Santner and/or Shoaib Bashir in the lineups? How significant is Tom Blundell's recent run of good form? With a debut likely for Emilio Gay and Jacob Bethell set to be fit to play, it's also the bowling lineup that looms as the key question for England to resolve. Ben Stokes has shifted down the order - perhaps to open the bowling - and Ollie Robinson's return to Test cricket will be fascinating, particularly until Jofra Archer rejoins the squad. There's also talk of the pressure facing Brendon McCullum this home summer, and whether we can expect to see any changes to England's style of play. Binksy's excited about the Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook trio, Stu's got nagging doubts about the Black Caps' batting lineup and Raj is simply focusing on one ball at a time. We make predictions (kind of), ponder whether this will be Kane Williamson's final series and generally get enthused about what we hope will be three exciting Tests with plenty of talking points. If you haven't already, check out our IPL final recap, and stay tuned for more England v NZ content as this series progresses. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 New Zealand's last dance? 5:05 Black Caps v Ireland - what did we learn? 12:10 Pressure on Brendon McCullum? 16:55 Selection questions: New Zealand 25:30 Selection questions: England 28:05 Ben Stokes' role 31:00 Will England change their approach? 36:40 Can NZ's batting lineup be trusted? 44:30 Will this be Kane Williamson's final series? 46:10 More England thoughts 47:40 Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 1 · 25 min
IPL 2026 Final Recap: Kohli & bowlers shine as RCB beats GT to go back to back
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu look back at the 2026 IPL final between the Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which saw RCB victorious to claim back to back titles. We start the show by recapping our tournament predictions, which looked a lot worse thanks to Mumbai's failings and Punjab's late collapse, before we discuss a final that may well have been decided within the first few overs of the game. It was an all-round effort from RCB, much like it has been all season, as the bowling attack of Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazelwood, Bhuvi Kumar, Rasikh Salam and Krunal Pandya chipped out the impressive GT top 3 of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, which meant that despite a 50 to Washington Sundar, GT was always going to have to produce something special with the ball to win the game. A cameo from Venkatesh Iyer put RCB on the front foot, and although Rashid Khan struck twice to give GT a glimmer of hope, another Virat Kohli masterclass secured back to back titles for RCB. We discuss the consistency and balance RCB displayed all season, what another IPL title means for Virat Kohli's legacy and briefly mention where the other teams fell short. To round out the show, we take a moment to appreciate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's brilliant season and ponder how much different the IPL could look next year in light of Sachin Tendulkar's suggested tweaks. We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with a Black Caps v England Test series preview, as attention quickly turns to the longest format of the game. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:50 Our IPL predictions revisited 2:55 RCB's balanced squad and bowlers 8:20 Virat Kohli's impact & legacy 16:45 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's season 21:00 Sachin Tendulkar's suggested tweaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 24 · 1 hr 3 min
This Week in Cricket #204: Contenders & Exit Interviews at IPL 2026
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj and Stu take stock of all 10 teams at IPL 2026 as we move to the knockout phase of the competition. We start the show by focusing on the three teams already qualified for the playoffs at the time of recording - Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru & Sunrisers Hyderabad. There are contrasts among the styles - GT's bowling has been a huge strength, SRH look to overpower sides with their batting & RCB favour a more balanced approach - but all three must feel they have a strong chance of lifting the trophy in 2026. There's talk about the upcoming battle between Josh Hazelwood & Bhuvi Kumar and the GT top three of Sai Sudharsan, Shubman GIll & Jos Buttler - plus yet more praise for Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan & Eshan Malinga. As the conversation turns to the sides on the bubble - Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals & Kolkata Knight Riders - we avoid discussing the permutations and instead focus on which of these teams we'd most likely expect to play spoiler when one of them slides into that number 4 slot on the table. For KKR, it's the bowling that has shone in recent matches - the spin of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy in particular capturing most of the headlines. Punjab finally awoke from their slumber thanks to a superb hundred from Shreyas Iyer, but after a losing streak that long, can they really be expected to win 4 matches in a row? Rajasthan's equation was simple - beat Mumbai and they're in - then hope Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's outstanding season can continue for a few more games against the toughest opposition. In the final segment, we say goodbye to Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and the Chennai Super Kings. Are there any bright spots? What skillsets should they target in the 2027 auction? And could that auction feature big names like Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Aiden Markram & Matt Henry? We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including to review the IPL finals and preview the Black Caps v England Test series. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 IPL 2026 - The contenders 2:20 RCB - consistency has been key 9:55 GT - Top 3 and bowers world class 14:00 SRH - can batting firepower win it all? 20:20 The bubble: KKR's spinners 23:10 Punjab Kings' bizarre season 26:10 Rajasthan Royals - Sooryavanshi's star turn 32:30 Exit interviews - are LSG too average? 38:35 MI to face tough offseason questions 43:30 DC - glass half full or half empty? 49:25 CSK - is the rebuild on track? 55:40 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 17 · 1 hr 11 min
This Week in Cricket #203: Finn Allen robbed, Virat Kohli appreciation & Ollie Robinson's return
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the week that was in IPL 2026, discuss England's Test squad to take on the Black Caps and cover off some news from New Zealand, Australia and the World Test Championship. We start the show by trying to make sense of an increasingly murky IPL playoff picture after KKR's big win over the Gujarat Titans in the early hours of Sunday morning New Zealand time. With plenty set to change overnight, we looked at both Kolkata and Gujarat to investigate what's been going well for these two sides recently. There's praise for spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, seamers Kagiso Rabada and Kartik Tyagi, plus the powerful striking of Finn Allen. As the conversation continues, attention turns to the Punjab Kings, who at the time of recording were on an almighty slump. We spotlight the impact (or lack thereof) of their overseas seam-bowling contingent - particularly T20 World Cup standout Marco Jansen. We also take the time to chat about Virat Kohli's masterful hundred for RCB against KKR and the need to appreciate greatness when it's right in front of your eyes. In the second half of the show, we head to the UK to examine the newly announced 15-player England Test squad to take on the Black Caps (at least for the first Test). Zak Crawley has run out of chances and Emilio Gay & James Rew join, but it's the bowling attack which has seen the largest number of changes since The Ashes. There's a return for Ollie Robinson, talk of Ben Stokes opening the bowling and possible opportunities for Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker. To round out the show, we cover off the news that the NZ20 has been officially delayed until December 2027, Devon Conway is keen for a central contract, Australia named a youthful looking white-ball squad featuring the likes of Cooper Connolly & Ollie Peake, and the ICC are set to discuss one-Test series in the World Test Championship. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including the charge to the IPL finals and the Black Caps' tour to England. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 IPL 2026: The playoff picture is murky 3:15 KKR enters the chat 5:45 Was Finn Allen robbed of POTM? 10:15 Punjab Kings losing streak 18:30 Virat Kohli appreciation 25:45 Fielding & scheduling 29:20 England Test squad v NZ 30:05 Changes to the bowling attack 43:15 Pitches and ball conditions 49:00 NZ20 delay, Devon Conway contract 54:35 Australia's youthful white-ball squads 1:01:10 ICC considering 1-Test WTC series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 10 · 53 min
This Week in Cricket #202: Top Order hits 500, Black Caps Test squad announced & GT on the charge
In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu celebrate the Top Order's 500th episode before discussing the week that was in IPL 2026 and evaluate the Black Caps' Test squad for the upcoming tour to Ireland and England, plus a bit of England Cricket chat as well. We start the show by raising the bat to 500 episode for The Top Order Podcast. It's been a fun journey filled with plenty of highlights, so the boys share a few before moving on to the cricket once again. As the conversation turns to IPL 2026, we discuss a week which saw the majority of the higher-ranked sides stumble, while the Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings took advantage and moved up the ladder. For GT, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are easy to praise, but it's Rashid Khan who we put in the spotlight for his impressive contributions and craft. Binksy then asks whether Stu believes in the Sunrisers yet, whereas Stu's trying to figure out why the Punjab Kings are dropping so many catches - and also basking in the glory of Finn Allen's hundred for KKR. In the second half of the show, the guys discuss the newly announced 19-player Black Caps Test squad to tour the UK and Ireland. What did they get right in the draft last week? And are there any surprises? There's praise for the seam bowling attack despite the absence of Jacob Duffy, with Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke, Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith and co. all in line to feature. On the England side of things, a new selector has (sort of) been announced, and Binksy outlines potential changes from The Ashes that could open the door for a return for Ollie Robinson and a fresh face in the batting line up. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including the charge to the IPL finals and the Black Caps' tour to England. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 500 episodes for the Top Order 6:20 IPL 2026: GT's charge into the Top 4 11:25 Is it time to believe in SRH? 15:00 Why can't the Punjab Kings catch? 20:15 Finn Allen stars for KKR, but is it too late? 24:30 CSK holding on 28:35 Black Caps Test squad announced 39:25 Changes for England? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 3 · 1 hr 22 min
This Week in Cricket #201: IPL Update, Black Caps squad draft & a new NZC CEO
In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu discuss the week that was in IPL 2026, Geoff Allott's appointment as New Zealand Cricket CEO and draft their Black Caps Test squad for the upcoming tour to Ireland and England. We start the show by discussing another disappointing week for the Mumbai Indians, before we turn our attention to the three sides just on the outside of the playoff picture - the Gujarat Titans, the Chennai Super Kings and the Delhi Capitals. Are Shubman Gill's GT building momentum? Does Sanju Samson have another 4-5 hundreds in his locker? And how much did DC's Kyle Jamieson enjoy his yorker to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?! As the conversation continues, there's praise for Virat Kohli, Heinrich Klaasen, Josh Hazelwood, Arshdeep Singh and a host of other players, before we move on to discuss New Zealand Cricket's appointment of Geoff Allott as CEO. What are the key decisions waiting for him on day 1? And what does this mean for the NZ20? To round out the show, Baldy challenges Raj and Stu to draft a 15-player Black Caps Test squad to tour the UK and Ireland, which leads to a few disagreements and a much longer show than Baldy was expecting. Does Mitchell Santner's injury complicate the selection process? Jacob Duffy or Kyle Jamieson? Or both? Is there room for a bolter? A back-up wicketkeeper? A spinner? Kane Williamson's legacy, Glenn Phillips's role and the back-up seamer spots in hot demand. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including the charge to the IPL finals and the Black Caps' tour to England. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:00 IPL 2026: Is the Top 4 already decided? 3:40 Mumbai Indians continue to disappoint 7:25 Are the Gujarat Titans building momentum? 9:35 Virat Kohli is majestic 12:35 Are the Chennai Super Kings still in the mix? 15:30 Delhi Capitals up and down form 20:40 RCB, SRH & Punjab Kings looking good 28:45 Geoff Allott named NZ Cricket CEO 37:55 Black Caps Test squad draft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 26 · 1 hr 7 min
This Week in Cricket #200: Does a good bowling attack matter in T20s? And are Will Young & Zak Crawley on the decline?
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss a range of topics from IPL 2026 at the halfway stage. Who has impressed? What predictions did we get wrong? And what did we get right? We also touch on the current overseas tours involving the Black Caps and NZ A, plus check in on the England Test contenders now that the County Championship season is underway. We start the show by discussing the flurry of runs we've seen at the IPL over the past few days. Shreyas Iyer and the Punjab Kings chased down the Delhi Capitals' 264, and Sunrisers Hyderabad made light work of a 220+ run chase against Rajasthan Royals. We saw hundreds for Sanju Samson, Sai Sudharsan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and KL Rahul, but many of those players ended up on the losing side. As the conversation continues, we wonder whether bowlers can ever turn the tables on quality batters, compare Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to Wayne Gretzky, dismay at the struggles of the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans and look back in horror at some of our pre-tournament predictions. There's also praise for RCB and the unbeaten Punjab Kings, who sit atop the table at the halfway point of the season. To round out the show, we move away from the IPL to talk about two Wills from the Black Caps - the return of Will O'Rourke and the form of Will Young. We also shine a spotlight on some of England's leading contenders for Test spots now that the County Championship is underway, such as Zak Crawley, Jamie Smith and James Rew. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including plenty of IPL coverage and the current NZ tours. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:20 IPL 2026: runs galore in PBKS v DC & SRH v RR 5:25 Will bowlers ever top the batters in T20? 16:15 Can anyone catch the current top 4? 21:45 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fantastic form continues 26:50 Prediction mulligans: Gujarat & Mumbai's struggles 33:15 RCB looking very consistent 37:30 Punjab Kings unbeaten 41:30 Black Caps news: Will O'Rourke & Will Young 49:00 County Championship: England contenders form updates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 20 · 48 min
This Week in Cricket #199: Black Caps selection questions for 2026 and IPL Week 3 in review
In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj discuss the current overseas tours involving the Black Caps and NZ A, plus some key emerging questions as the third week of IPL 2026 comes to a close. We start the show by discussing the many Black Caps on tour in various parts of Asia in the month of April - primarily the NZ side in Bangladesh and the NZ A team in Sri Lanka. We highlight names to watch such as Curtis Heaphy and Tim Pringle, as well as the form of familiar faces like Henry Nicholls, but then wonder whether there will be opportunities for any of them in the year ahead as we look forward to key series against England, India and Australia. As we turn our attention to the IPL, the middle orders get their time in the spotlight. The openers dominate the headlines - and the orange cap leaderboard - but can you win the tournament without a reliable middle order? Shreyas Iyer and his Punjab Kings come in for praise, while questions are raised about the Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans despite their impressive performances so far. To round out the show, we debate whether it is time to put a line through the Mumbai Indians' chances and talk through the most recent games on the calendar, which saw costly missed opportunities, the highest IPL team score of the season, more runs for Cooper Connolly & a first win of 2026 for KKR. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including plenty of IPL coverage and the current NZ tours. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:55 Black Caps in Bangladesh & NZ A Sri Lanka 3:10 Black Caps selection questions for the big year ahead 16:15 IPL 2026 Week 3 19:55 Is this the year of the middle order? 27:45 Rajasthan v KKR 32:15 Punjab Kings v LSG 37:10 RCB v DC 39:25 Sunrisers Hyderabad & Gujarat Titans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 13 · 44 min
IPL Week 2 Reactions: Sooryavanshi & Jaiswal, RCB's batting depth & should Mumbai sound the alarm?
In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj discuss the second week of IPL 2026, focusing on RCB v MI, GT v LSG, RR sitting at the top of the ladder and a few other things that have caught their eye so far. We start the show by discussing RCB's most recent victory over the Mumbai Indians. Did Stu make a huge mistake leaving RCB out of his pre-tournament top 4? It's certainly looking that way after Phil Salt joined Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Tim David and friends in finding the middle of his bat. Josh Hazelwood has returned too, but how much will he play? For Mumbai, is it time to sound the alarm? Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult aren't taking wickets, Mitchell Santner's bowling in the powerplay, Rohit Sharma is injured and they find themselves near the bottom of the ladder despite their star-studded lineup. Can they bounce back? Or are these losses a sign of things to come? As we turn our attention to GT v LSG, we also look back at Gujarat's final-ball thriller against the Delhi Capitals, which saw Prasidh Krishna and Jos Buttler combine to thwart David Miller's late flurry. We discuss Rashid Khan's early form, then agree that GT is on the improve and LSG are a good but not great side. Next, it's the table-topping Rajasthan Royals in the spotlight, particularly their openers Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the moustachioed Yashasvi Jaiswal. Is it realistic to think they could they finish the season as the best openers from an impressive collection in IPL 2026? Finally, Raj asks Stu's thoughts on the Sunrisers Hyderabad's start to the season and we bounce around a few quick notes, including Sanju Samson's impressive hundred that saw CSK capture their first win of the season. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including plenty of IPL coverage and the upcoming NZ tours. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:45 RCB v MI: RCB's batting lineup is firing 9:05 Should Mumbai Indians fans be worried? 15:10 GT v LSG: Prasidh Krishna & Jos Buttler saved GT's season 21:50 Are LSG better than 'good'? 24:55 RR: Can Sooryavanshi & Jaiswal be the best opening pair in 2026? 35:20 SRH: Batting good, bowling not so good 38:55 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 2 · 43 min
IPL 2026 Week 1 Reactions: Sunrisers beat KKR, Cooper Connolly stars & Delhi's bowling craft
In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj discuss the first week of IPL 2026, focusing on the things that reinforced their pre-tournament views and the things that have surprised them so far. We start the show with another shout out to Amelia Kerr, after her stunning 179* guided the White Ferns to a record-breaking chase against South Africa, before moving on to the IPL coverage and the most recent match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Kolkata Knight Riders.. For SRH, it was a story of two innings on the batting side of things, with the Travishek combo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head getting them off to a flyer, before a flurry of wickets meant Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy had to rebuild, but they did it in fine style. With the ball, run outs proved to be the most important factor, as we talk about some positive signs from Nitish Kumar Reddy & Angkrish Raghuvanshi and the pressure starting to build on Cameron Green. As we start to look back to the week that was, it's Cooper Connolly who takes centre stage after he starred in Punjab's win against Gujarat. We examine why people are so excited about his potential, and what this means for the PBKS season. Next, attention turns to the Rajasthan v CSK game, which saw Nandre Burger & Jofra Archer blast out the CSK top order before Vaibhav Suryavanshi and a moustachioed Yashasvi Jaiswal made light work of the chase. Are RR better than we expected? Or are the Chennai Super Kings fans in for a tough, tough season? The Delhi Capitals bowlers are the next group to receive praise from the Top Order team, after their performance against LSG. Lungi Ngidi's slower ball, Kuldeep Yadav's trickery and Axar Patel's craft all played a huge role in knocking off the LSG firepower before an impressive partnership from Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs saw them home. To round out the show, we highlight strong starts from RCB and the Mumbai Indians, who look set to challenge for the title yet again in 2026 with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma & Ryan Rickelton all looking in top form. We'll be back in your feed again in another week or so with more cricket news, including plenty of IPL news and the upcoming NZ tours. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:30 Amelia Kerr stars for the White Ferns 2:30 Sunrisers v KRR review 4:40 Nitish Kumar Reddy 6:50 KKR injuries have hit hard 11:35 Cameron Green 14:25 Cooper Connolly stars for PBKS 23:45 Rajasthan look like they could be fun 26:40 CSK look like they will struggle 30:15 Delhi's bowling attack looks excellent 35:30 RCB & MI's strong starts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
March 29 · 1 hr 8 min
This Week in Cricket #198: Jacob Duffy stars for RCB, NZ20 approved & Brendon McCullum to stay
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu discuss an interesting week in the world of cricket, which saw the IPL begin with RCB's win over SRH, New Zealand Cricket approve (in-principle) the formation of a new T20 franchise league & more details emerged about England's post-Ashes review. We start the show with game 1 of IPL 2026 - the Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the defending champion RCB. The match played all the hits - big sixes, quality catches and big names - but it was a big Kiwi who stole the show with Jacob Duffy grabbing three quick wickets in the powerplay for RCB and then earning himself a well-deserved rest after 7 overs of the contest. We discuss the impact player rule, Virat Kohli's shot of the tournament, bowling concerns for SRH, Phil Salt's catching and a scattering of other IPL news including an injury to MS Dhoni and Ben Duckett's withdrawal. As we move to New Zealand, we breeze past South Africa's white-ball tour only really name-checking Ben Sears & Amelia Kerr, and spend the majority of this segment wondering how the proposed NZ20 franchise league would work and whether there's enough time to get things up and running for January 2027. To round out the show, we discuss England Cricket's post-Ashes review, which has seen the Stokes/McCullum combination retained . . . at least for now. We talk about whether anything is likely to change, whether it needed to change and why the Bazball style might not have suited the current England squad in the same way that it seemed to energise the group only a few years ago. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more cricket news, including some IPL game reviews and the upcoming NZ tours. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:30 RCB v SRH 2:45 Impact players 6:30 Story of the powerplays 8:20 SRH bowling concerns & RCB batting highlights 12:15 Jacob Duffy 15:10 Catching 16:10 Other IPL news: Dhoni, Cummins, Duckett 23:15 Black Caps v SA 27:50 NZ20 approved, but what now? 42:00 Ashes review over - McCullum to stay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
March 23 · 1 hr 4 min
IPL Preview Show 2026 - Part 2: SRH, CSK, GT, RCB & MI, plus predictions!
In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu are back in the same room again (almost all of us) to kick off the IPL 2026 coverage with a bumper preview show in two parts. This is part two, in which we previewing the fortunes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru & Mumbai Indians. We're straight into it this time around to discuss an SRH side that was much hyped in 2025, but never really found a run of performances to get themselves in the playoff picture. Once again, though, the team looks built around power, with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen set to lead the way. But can the bowling hold up until Pat Cummins arrives? Next up is CSK, a team that Stu was surprised to see ranked so highly. We talk about the youthful look to their potential lineup, which could include the likes of Ayush Mhatre & Dewalt Brevis to supplement the old heads like offseason recruit Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Shivam Dube. We also wonder whether Matt Henry will get an extended run of games, and how many MS Dhoni moments we might see in 2026. For GT it looks like business as usual. Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan & Jos Buttler at the top, with stars like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna with the ball. There was some debate about who might fill out the overseas roles, with Kagiso Rabada, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder & Tom Banton all in the mix, but all in all they look a team set to be hard to beat again in 2026. RCB return to the IPL as defending champions, but potentially without the services of Josh Hazlewood for a decent chunk of the tournament. We talk about how much his absence could hurt them, the impact of Bhuvi Kumar and Krunal Pandya in 2025, plus whether they'll find room for Jacob Bethell and which overseas player might have to sit out as a result. There's also a bit of Virat Kohli chat, given his excellent form in recent times. The Mumbai Indians are short-priced favourites, and it's hard to find many flaws in their potential lineups. They're stacked with Indian stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, & Tilak Varma, and the overseas players aren't too bad either. We talk about the questions facing their side. Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton? Can they fit both Will Jacks & Mitchell Santner into the lineup? And how fun is it to watch Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah bowl in tandem? To round out the preview, we make our predictions! Overseas MVP, local MVP, purple cap, orange cap, top 4, bold predictions and our picks for who will be calling themselves champions come the end of the season. We'll be back in your feed again at the end of the week to discuss the start of the tournament and a few other things going on in the world of cricket. 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Sunrisers Hyderabad 10:20 Chennai Super Kings 19:30 Gujarat Titans 28:10 Royal Challengers Bengaluru 36:30 Mumbai Indians 44:05 Tournament predictions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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IPL Preview Show 2026 - Part 2: SRH, CSK, GT, RCB & MI, plus predictions!