Hit For Six

It certainly wasn't the summer we were expecting but, despite the Coronavirus pandemic, it's been a fine summer of cricket to reflect back on! In this penultimate episode of the season, Rob and Michael pick over England's disappointing series defeat to Australia before discussing their player and moment of the summer, and briefly previewing the Bob Willis Trophy Final between Somerset and Essex.

Following a highly entertaining series victory over Australia in the T20s and with the ODI series in full swing, Michael and Rob spent Saturday morning reviewing England's white ball success. From the outstanding form of David Malan to who should be picked for the T20 World Cup next year, and of course how good Adil Rashid really is, the pair cover the major talking points coming out of the limited-overs Summer!

Earlier this year, Rob and Michael selected their England Test XI of the 21st century. A team full of some of the biggest and best names English cricket has ever produced. But what about some of those lesser known and quickly forgotten players? Those one test wonders and stop-gap selections? 

Joined by Nick Harris and Linus Pardoe, Rob and Michael go about selecting an alternative England XI made up of rogue characters, last-minute fill-ins, and statistical failures. The result is a side so unbalanced, it would be fitting of any England selectors meeting!

Michael and Rob are joined by cricket lover and Pakistan fan, Murtaza, to review a thrilling first test between England and Pakistan. The trio reflect on who played well, who underperformed, and how that leaves the rest of the series. Michael also finds time to make yet another plug for Adil Rashid to return to the test arena, and there is also a brief discussion on Ireland's victory in the final ODI.

It's safe to say that cricket in 2020 is now in full swing! Domestic cricket has returned in the form of the Bob Willis Trophy, recreational cricket is up and running, and England have finished one Test series and are about to start another. In this episode, Rob and Michael review England's 2-1 series win over the West Indies, briefly chat about the first Ireland ODI and discuss which Pakistan players they can't wait to see in action. All of this before Rob shares a little domestic project he's been working on....

Michael and Rob review the first two Test matches of the England-West Indies series and look ahead to the decide at Old Trafford on Friday. They discuss who has impressed, who has disappointed and who should England select going into the winner-takes-all final match of the series!

This time around Rob and Michael are joined by cricket writing, playing and broadcasting legend Vic Marks! After a very successful playing career with Somerset and England, Vic became the cricket correspondent for the Observer, and has remained writing for both them and the Guardian ever since. A much-loved contributor to Test Match Special as well, it's safe to say that Vic is one of Michael and Rob's heroes. He came on the pod to discuss his recent book, Original Spin, and chat about his life in cricket over the past 40 to 50 years.

In just a few days cricket will return as England take on the West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. In this episode, Rob and Michael are joined by a triumvirate of Dom Wood, Freddie Larkins and Henry Bowen to discuss England's chances and select their very own XI for the first Test of the series...

This week, Rob and Michael are joined by former England opener and Worcestershire legend Tim Curtis. Tim scored over 20,000 First Class runs in a hugely successful professional career in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and until recently held the position of Vice President at Worcestershire CCC. Highlights and lowlights of his own career, and the state of domestic cricket in England are the topics up for discussion as the boys welcome their second former Test cricketer as a guest in as many weeks!

Former England Test Captain, Sky Sports Pundit, and Times Cricket Correspondent. Our special guest for this week needs no introduction...

He's watched every player we've selected in our XI on countless occasions and so was perfectly placed to review our dream England side from the past 20 years. In this episode, he gave his thoughts on our selection and threw a few of his own names into the mix as well!