India Level, Jofra v Bumrah and Protecting Lara’s 400

India have levelled the Test series, thanks in huge part to Jos’ IPL pal Shubman Gill scoring 269 at Edgbaston. The lads discuss the big talking points and look ahead to the next Test at Lord’s with a certain Archer lurking.

Plus Broady’s been photoed with David Beckham at Wimbledon, AB De Villiers has been in touch with the pod and Jos has been back in Blast action.

Buy the ‘For The Love of Cricket’ Wine Case by Laithwaites, handpicked by Stuart & Jos: https://www.laithwaites.co.uk/product/X15614 

FREE Cold Beer glass when you buy 20 cans of Brewdog Cold Beer - use the CODE: FTLOC at checkout to redeem!

Ask Broady and Jos a question: https://qHarKG.short.gy/askFTLOC 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
The Test series so far has won 110 Test match days.
I reckon India have won nine of them.
Pants in, and they say within a few balls he'd ran down the
pitch. He'd lobbed his bat about 30
yards. He'd ended up on one knee slog
sweeping Josh Tongue I think. Joffra Pavilion and nipping it
down the slope. Shubman Gill on the shin.
Yeah, that's why he's been bought.

(00:20):
Back well mate, unlucky shubbers.
I'm Stuart Broad. He's Josh Butler.
Broadie, good to see you. You've been busy.
Edge, Baston, Silverstone, Wimbledon.
Where do you want to start? It was about this time last
week, Wimbledon actually. So yeah, went on the Monday with
Molly and then up to Edge Baston.

(00:42):
Then yeah, the Thursday night, Ithink it was, I got a message
saying could you go to Silverstone tomorrow to
interview Lando Norris and OscarPiastres.
I was like, OK, yeah, can do. Don't really about what type
thing, but which is quite cool. But Wimbledon was was a great
experience actually. You know, I wouldn't say I'm
like the biggest tennis fan in the world, but I think when you
see Alcaraz that close, first day of Wimbledon, yeah, amazing

(01:06):
experience. Yeah, pretty cool.
So you're in the royal box. Tell us all about that.
There must have been a few famous faces in there.
So you sat behind a pretty well known footballer.
I thought about you the moment Sir David Beckham walked in and
came over to our table, started handshaking and he's had an
operation on his hand. I think it was last week.

(01:28):
I was telling the Jamie Redknappstory where I'd sort of grabbed
his his hand and just shook it really awkwardly.
So he's walking around with thiscast on his hand again.
I'm thinking, Oh my goodness me,if Josh could see this, if Josh
could see this. And I ended up I called it
first. He put his hand out, shaped my
hand and I went, I'll do it lightly, I'll do it lightly and
just sort of calmly, like what'sthe weird way of saying it?

(01:51):
Not stroked it, but he just, yeah, calmly shook his hand.
And then we sound it. Doesn't sound it doesn't sound
good to be honest, even like a calm like I.
Think it was awkward just 'causeI was thinking about you the
whole time. Yeah, but then he just sat in
front of us and yeah, we had a we had a really nice day.
Baking, baking, baking hot. You know, I wore a light blue
shirt, you know where you can't take your jacket off just 'cause

(02:14):
it's an absolute disgrace underneath it.
Yeah, that's a shocker, isn't it?
But for the people who obviouslyhave never been in the royal
box, what's it like? Set the scene?
How does it all? How's it all work?
It's the most incredible, like beautiful as you can imagine
Wimbledon to be just perfection,flowers everywhere, just just so

(02:37):
classy everywhere. And you walk past the the the
trophies as you walk in up the stairs and you sit down for A2
course meal or three course mealactually start to Maine and and
strawberries and cream. But you have to be in your seat
by 1:15 for the players to to welcome the players out to to
the to the court. So yeah, it was it was amazing.

(02:57):
It was it's actually I can you know, Lords has got that beauty
to it, that sort of history, butbut still really up to date and
modern and stylish. Wimbledon is perfection at that.
There's so much history around you, but everything is really up
to date and and and stunning. You're normally a a Wimbledon

(03:17):
guy, aren't you? You've not made it.
No, I didn't get the we got the invite this year.
But no, I've been been a couple of times.
And you're right, it's such a special experience.
Let's say nothing is out of place.
Anyone else in the box? You were sort of starstruck by
your cool names. I mean, anytime you in the any
in the same post code of Sir David Beckham is pretty cool,

(03:39):
isn't it? So yeah, I was.
And what I would say when he walked in in a very similar suit
to me, I was absolutely buzzing.I was like, I'm I've got this,
I've got this, right. If he's considered wearing
anything similar to me and well,not that he's considered wearing
anything similar to me. What's the right of saying that
we were wearing something quite similar?
Not that he knew what I was wearing, but yeah, that was, you

(04:02):
know, he, he's iconic, isn't he?He's, I was on the same lunch
table as Sir Gareth Southgate aswell.
So he was, he was in good form. Nice.
Eddie Redmayne and his and his wife.
Lovely, lovely guy. But yeah, it's, it's yeah,
beautiful experience. And them going to Silverstone?
So is that for sky? Is that a sky sort of link?

(04:24):
Yeah. So they they or is that the?
England, Australia. Norris Piastry kind of vibe.
Bit of that, bit of that. But then actually leading into
the interview, they didn't want England, Australia necessarily
talked about because they're teammates, they don't want to be
seen as rivals, etcetera. So I, I knew I had about four, 4
1/2 minutes and I was quite nervous to be honest, as you, as

(04:47):
you would be giving a microphone.
OK, you got 4/4 and half minuteswith two of the top World
Championship drivers in Formula One.
Walk and talk, sort of try and link it to cricket if you can,
because we're going to show it on the cricket channel.
But don't mention England, Australia.
So it's like, oh, OK, they were brilliant.
Honestly they were, they were really cool.
I think when you meet people like sports, people who are

(05:09):
still playing and you get, you enjoy their time, you just want
them to do really well, don't you?
So I was, I was delighted that they both, they both drove well
on on Sunday. Right, enough of that.
Let's get into the cricket. An amazing Test again at
Edgbaston this week. 5 days, India coming out on top.

(05:30):
What was it like? What was it like to be there?
How well did they play? Yeah, tell us a bit about the
week. I think there were 10 out of 10.
India, I think sometimes in Testmatch cricket when you get such
a one sided result, it's easy tobe really critical of the other
team which is England at this atthis time.
But I'd actually lean against that.
I think India would just superb put into bat on.

(05:54):
I think Stokes, he probably would admit that was the wrong
call, misread the pitch because it just looked a sort of a slow
dry surface on day one. And 587, was it first inning,
Should McGill 269 look like honestly look like he could have
got Lara's record. He was just cruising.
It just didn't look like anything could could trouble
him. And there's always a bit of a

(06:16):
nervousness when you put into bat that you could be 30 for
three and really under the pump.But England were OK that first
morning didn't didn't do anything badly.
Maybe a bit unlucky. Chris woke, she saw you get
quite frustrated. Two or three umpires calls that
could have gone England's way but but didn't.
But once Gil got in goodness me,that move to four spent most of

(06:38):
his career so far opening the batting averaging sort of 30 has
moved to #4 since Virat Kohli's retired and and gone, you know,
100 big double, big 150, just just awesome.
And, and how it looks like he's got no weaknesses at all.
You know, when he was young, when I was bowling at him and
bitterly, but I always felt if Icould get the right line to knit

(06:59):
back through the gate that that was a really good option to him.
But he looks like he's really covering that line and doesn't
feel like the LBW is in the gameso much so.
And once you get 580 odd on the board, you know what that's like
you're just controlling everything from there.
And it, you know, England didn'tget going apart from Jamie Smith

(07:20):
and Harry Brooke, which was justagain the, it was the most, I
don't like saying the word baseball, but it was the most
Brendan McConnell and Ben Stokesteam's scorecard you've ever
seen. 6 noughts with a partnership of 303 and kept
England in the game for a for a period of time, you know, so I
think it had a bit of everythingbecause coming day 5, England

(07:42):
couldn't win the game. I don't think any of us thought
that England were going to go and chase 600, particularly with
Rooty in the sheds, but definitely could have drawn it
100% could have drawn it. I had to bat 88 yard overs that
final day because of the rain. So I think they'll be a bit
disappointed they didn't didn't manage to do that actually,
because there was nothing in thesurface that that was a really

(08:04):
sort of worn 5th day pitch. Harry Brooke got a goodie off a
crack. But I think, I think England
will be disappointed they didn'tshow a little bit more graft in
the in the defence. I suppose I.
Think just sort of from watchingit as there's those moments
aren't there in the game where you need those little things to
go your way. You mentioned winning the toss

(08:25):
and bowling. Chris Woakes being lucky or
unlucky with the umpire's 'causeyou know the the batter feels
aggrieved if it goes against them and as you would as a
bowler as well. So at that point, let's say if
if England had won the toss, hadIndia 30 for three, you'd say is
the right call, had I200 for five again, you think there's

(08:45):
another opportunity there. And let's say Gill and Judeasia
played fantastically well and they lengthened the batting a
bit, didn't they? With Washington Sundar as well,
we put on another really good performance, a partnership
alongside Sugarman Gill and to get up to 580 odd, it's like
they where they learnt those lessons a little bit from the
first game, wasn't it? They got into some brilliant
positions, but sort of against this England team, you need to

(09:09):
drive it home even more than than you perhaps would before.
And yeah, the sort of hunger anddetermination from Gil to score
a massive double and then, you know, to come out again in the
second innings to make that and obviously, you know, becoming
captain. You know, there's a lot talked
about his record. He was, he's a better player
than his record was showing, wasn't it?

(09:30):
And he's certainly change that around very quickly.
You mentioned the move to #4 nowcoming in when the ball is a
little bit older, sort of maybe a little bit easier and hides
any technical deficiencies. But it doesn't look like he's
got any to be honest at the moment.
And as as. You bowl at him, Josh.
I mean, you've played where? Where?
Where would you be looking to bowl at him at the minute?

(09:51):
Yeah, I think like you said, that ball that nips back and
you're trying to get him bold. Obviously Joffre Archer will be
coming back into the side at Lords.
I I imagine, not that I'm picking the team, but he got
Shubman bold in the IPL, sort ofnipping it back through the the
gate. But obviously it's a more
aggressive game. Maybe Shubman's taking a a
bigger risk, but that kind of always felt like the area.

(10:14):
But other than that, it's a verycorrect player.
India do produce a lot of technically very correct
players. And when I think on those kind
of wickets that Headingley and and light edge bass and they've
been good batting wickets a little bit slower, haven't they?
And if you you do play softly and you know the Knicks may not
carry. He's been batting out his crease
quite a lot to try and negate maybe that knit backer and LB in

(10:37):
bold trying to cover cover that and and he's incredibly strong
on the short ball. I think that's something that
allows him to, you know, sort ofwalk out his crease a bit and
get down the down the pitch because I haven't seen many
better players of the short ballthan Gill.
And so even when they go to the short ball plan, he just looks
very in control and taps. I know you're out in the end for

(10:58):
260 odd, but yeah, he's got all the answers at the moment.
And I just think it's a really good comeback by India, isn't
it? Because that could have rocked
them that first game, you know, getting in positions where, you
know, they're in control of the game and, and did in this match
what they potentially could havedone at Headingley and sort of

(11:20):
push in and push England out of the game or certainly out of the
chance of winning the game. And so, yeah, for him to have
the hunger to go on and get those big scores, do it again in
the second innings, it's just sort of, you know, it makes
everything else a lot easier as well.
It makes your captaincy easier when you're performing so well
with the bat and also when you've got 580 on the board and

(11:43):
it's someone's been fielding fora day and 1/2 day and 3/4 that
hour or hour and a half just before the close of play on day
2 is really tricky as a batter. I mean, you sort of coming in
miles behind the game against anattack that's been sat there
fresh for, you know, a day and 1/2 with their feet up watching
their guys pile on the runs and and sort of with nothing to

(12:05):
lose. And and you do feel tired as a
player when you've been in the field for that long.
And it's only one mistake that the opposition need as a batter
or it feels like the pitch is doing a little bit more because
they've got that spring in theirstep with a a big score on the
board. But it's sort of India's they
seem to get a bit more out of the wicket at that.
And Akash deep came in, obviously has performed really

(12:26):
well. He got 10 in the match.
I think Siraj in the first innings getting 6 for and, and
in a way it kind of feels a little bit like one against the
head for India without Boomer inthe side.
You know it's a fantastic performance to to to win the
game without their star bowler as well.
It's one of those performances that India put in that the

(12:48):
England camp, you have to work very hard not to start
questioning it a bit, if that makes sense.
So, you know, the batter's going, God, our bowlers didn't
get much out of the surface. Theirs seem to and the bowlers
going God, Shubman Gill got 260 odd.
We didn't manage to sort of do that either.
But it you know, Akash deep justfound something different in the

(13:11):
surface and how I looked at that.
The tall bowlers Josh Tong Kass 6 foot 5-6 foot six.
You're hitting the pitch when the pitch is really slow and
tired energy less when you come from such a height.
It almost zaps the energy out the ball and then the ball just
sort of comes off the pitch really slowly.

(13:33):
If you can kiss the surface on these slower surfaces, so a bit
shorter hit the pitch, but sort of not float it up there, but
just kiss it along the surface. Then it it doesn't have time to
sink into the pitch and it just does everything a little bit
quicker. That's how I saw that.
And Akash TI just came in running wider crease, virtually

(13:54):
nipping every single ball. It was it was awesome, awesome
bowling. You know, as a fan, I love
watching brilliant bowling and Iwas watching that he'd got
really wide on the crease. So he's maneuvering the
shoulders and the feet of the English batters.
So he's drawing them into playing balls that might not
necessarily be there to play because he's because he's wide.
Actually, remember at Loughborough Uni, I mean, you
had a huge chat about me being wide on the crease and you

(14:17):
feeling like you couldn't leave me.
And it just felt a weird angle. And he was relentless in in the
areas he hit. But I think he really suited
that surface. But saying that go to Lords
pavilion end, nipping it down that slope, I think he's going
to suit that as well. And and India are going to be
way stronger in a sense. You'd just imagine Krishna will

(14:37):
miss out for Bumrah. So they're bringing the best
bowler back in in the world backin on the back of a performance
that was borderline perfect. And that's a a pretty strong
place to be. Look at the Test series so far.
It's won one 10 Test match days.I reckon India have won nine of
them. Yeah, which is crazy, really, to
think that. But it's so England won't panic,

(15:00):
will they? They certainly know there's that
dressing room is not a place that will panic.
They'll dust themselves down. They'll, you know, the
atmosphere will not be that different, to be honest.
They'll be disappointed and there'll be a few sort of
conversations about what we could have done better.
How are we going to, you know, counteract someone like Akash
Deep better in the next match? Joffrel come back in, I would

(15:20):
have thought. And that's, you know, exciting
for everyone, isn't it? To as much as an England team
for Joffre, for everyone that will turn up at Lourdes on that
Thursday morning. There's there's a different buzz
about Joffre, isn't there? What?
What is it that, you know, for us as players, we feel it as
well for fans Like what? What is it for you about him
that is just special or different?

(15:43):
His attributes are amazing. Tall, incredibly athletic, gets
bounce and pace, does move the ball.
I think time has made him more exciting as well.
We've just not seen much of him at all.
So any time he does get on the on the field, we're we're
excited to watch him bowl. You know, you feel like you've

(16:05):
watched a lot of Jim Anderson. You see him every week, but he's
still exciting to watch bowl. But Joffre when he's he's not
been around for a huge amount oftime and then he comes in, you
tune in because you want to see what's what's coming.
And I think he he will probably think good one to miss.
Ed Bastner. There was talk about in
playhead, good one to miss, you know, conceding 600 come back in

(16:26):
for Lords. I think they do need to make
changes. I back-to-back Test matches.
So finished Sunday night. They've done both Test matches,
gone all five days. England bowls have bowled a lot
and then you turn it around really quickly for a Thursday
start. I've definitely had loads of
Test matches went the back-to-back where you're
bowling your first spell on the Thursday morning and you're

(16:48):
still feeling a bit jaded in your legs, you're not feeling
100% fresh and I don't think England can afford that to be
honest. So cast looks like he's
struggling with his feet, whether it's blisters or or cut
toes. I don't think you can bring in
Gus Atkinson and Joffra because neither of them have had much
cricket at all in recent times. I think that's a huge risk with

(17:09):
Stokes. He's workload to to go down that
route. So my my team would be Wokesy.
I would play Wokesy again. I know he's ageing but his
record at Lords is outstanding. Be happy with that one.
So you book. Him in there, book him in at 8
and let him swing it around at the Nursery End.
Joffre, I think has to play. I think the the buzz of Lords if

(17:31):
you get that ball in his hand will be outstanding.
I watched him bowl virtually every day up at Edge Bast and he
was he was tramming it through. He looks fit as anything.
He looks ready to go, which is which is great.
And then you have a have a way up between Tongue and and Kass.
And if neither of them are good,then you've got Jamie Overton or
Sam Cooke as a, as another option.

(17:52):
So yeah, there, there are options there.
Joffre coming back into the frame is amazing.
Then you've got Gus for, for OldTrafford, probably Gus Atkinson
for Old Trafford. But remember, I, I, I'm actually
guessing this. I don't know.
I haven't looked at Joffrey's Test record for a long time but
I think, I think probably Kass Tongue and wokes would average

(18:13):
less than him with the ball. So numbers wise, you're not
necessarily bringing in someone who's guaranteeing you wickets
at lower runs, but you're bringing in an X Factor.
You're bringing in a nervousnessto the Indian batting line up of
we know what this guy can do. It might have been 567 years
ago, but we know what he can do and just the excitement from

(18:36):
everyone else to to have him back around.
I think Stokes, he will be really good for him as a captain
as well. Stokes he will.
I know they're great mates. Stokes, he will motivate him in
in bowling in the right times, bowling at the right, the right
players. And you can sort of pitch it
now, can't you? Joffre?
A pavilion and nipping it down the slope.
Shubman Gill on the shin. Yeah, that's why he's been
bought. Back well mate, unlucky shivers,

(18:59):
but you mentioned Akash deep seemed to nip the ball more than
anyone else. What so I always thought as a
batter and that this guy has no idea if he's going to nip it or
if it's he's just wobbling it down there hoping for the best.
But obviously there's a bit moreto it than that.
So what what makes it nip? What wickets do you need?
It doesn't look like there's as much movement.

(19:21):
And like I said, to get good players out, you need that
movement to help you. So hopefully we might see some
more Lords, but a bit of a open question there for you.
Like what what are the what are they missing?
Is it they're just the conditions?
It's been dry, I mean. I could rant all day on the
balls. I think the last sort of four
years of my career they'd they've kept going soft after 45

(19:43):
overs. I'd love to know, I don't know
how anyone would ever find this out, but I'd love to know how
many in Test matches in England,how many balls have been changed
in the last four years? Because the 1st 10 years of my
career, I can't, I can't remember changing one to be
honest. So maybe, maybe a couple.
And then it just felt like everysingle innings were flipping the
ball to the umpire and going. Could you have a look at that?
It's like bowling with a rugby ball and then you go out of

(20:05):
shape because they go soft. So it sounds like, oh, if they
go out of shape, they might, youknow, come down like a spiral
and. Shouldn't it more?
Nip off the edge. But it doesn't work like that.
It's just because they're so soft that then they they lose
all the energy out the surface. I think Akashdi particularly
bowled a lot with the newer ball, bought a lot of his overs
up front. So that's why he was probably

(20:25):
nipping it a little bit more than than the others.
And he does that little. I've talked about that sort of
little wobble before. Chris Woakes does it really well
where it the the seam is just hovering left to right a tiny
bit. And with that you catch either
the leather or the seam. So ideally catch half and half
of the pronounced seam and that's when it can Jag.

(20:45):
And no, you don't know whether it's going to nip in or nip out.
I think certain actions will help it nip a particular way.
But I always thought the best knit backer was the best, way
better than an outswinger because I don't think your best
outswinger you can bowl will probably beat the outside edge
and you go, oh, your best knit backer just knocks off peg out
the ground. So that I just think they're the

(21:06):
the most dangerous balls in Testmatch cricket.
So yeah, I, I think the less movements down to a couple of
things, maybe the drier, drier surfaces and the drier
outfields. But I think the Bulls are
playing a huge role. The Dukes balls are playing a
huge role in, in the problems that we're seeing.
And I don't know, maybe the aggressive style of batting, the
batters are hitting the balls more in the first 40 overs,

(21:27):
harder to the boundary, you know, wouldn't be unseen 10
years ago for the 1st 10 overs of a Test match, you'd see 30
leaves you, you barely see 5 now, you know, So yeah, there's,
there's a few reasons for it, but I, I would hope Lords, the
World Test Championship had a bit of nip in it.
The sun came out, made it quite slow.

(21:48):
But you're always in the game asa seam bowler at Lords when you
just get a little bit of movement towards the stump.
So I I'm really hopeful for actually, I was going to say a
more exciting Test match. I actually found Edgbaston
relatively exciting at times. When Pant comes out into bat, he
threw his bat twice. You see it?
I was going to say, he's quite excited.
You know, he's certainly one of those batters that as soon as he

(22:10):
comes to crease, wherever I am, if I'm commentating or I want to
go to to watch him live, becauseyou just have got no no idea
what's coming your way. And there's a few players in the
history that have done that. But he is someone that is just
outstanding and England have to find a way against him to be
honest because him coming in at 5 doing what he's doing, even 60

(22:32):
off. 50 balls. Here's exactly that and talk
about someone that you want to watch.
So Saturday morning I was like up late for for a breakfast
before our T20 Blast game and just checked the score and pants
in. So it's like I'm straight on
sky, go on my phone to be like, I'm going to watch this guy bat.
And they say within a few balls he'd ran down the pitch.

(22:53):
He'd lobbed his bat about 30 yards.
It ended up on one knee slog sweeping Josh Tongue, I think.
And it's it's absolutely box office, isn't it?
And it'd be one amazing to know sort of what that dressing room
is like while he's batting because I feel like everyone's
watching. But the guy who's batting behind
him is like up and down, sort ofam I in?

(23:13):
Am I not? Am I?
And sort of the coach is sort oflike half tearing his hair out
but loving it at the same time. And he's just one of those those
players. The upside is just so big, isn't
it, that you just have to run with the he might get out to
stupid shot one day or he might do something that he didn't need
to. But these we need these guys and

(23:36):
whoever plays like that. And we've got plenty in the
England team as well that just they just make you want to watch
the game. And I think, like you said,
that's why they these games are so exciting because it's not
just someone just helping themselves to a big score in a
sort of strike rate of 50, is it?
That's pretty. Exciting to watch.
What would you be doing next in pants?

(23:57):
Batting. Would you be able to sit there
calmly, get a cup of tea? Close your eyes like best, They
used to have a little snooze at times.
Oh, no chance. I'm if if I'm batting behind
Rishab, even even like Brookie, I'd be like I I feel like
Brookie. I'd be so calm when I watch.
He plays like the best forward defence the game's ever seen.

(24:18):
And then the next ball like runsdown and lashes one over mid off
for six. And I'd be like go from so calm,
like, you know, probably won't get a bat today to Oh my God, I
mean, like this is ridiculous. Why has he done that?
And I'd be it depends who you'resurrounded with as well.
So like the worst person to be SAT next to you there would be

(24:38):
like Mark would be like, why's he done that?
What's he going to do? Oh, my God, What this is this
crazy shot? Just I always used to think he
was like that when Stokes he wasbatting for me, sort of like
Stokes. He would get in that mode where
he's just going to hit it. And Woody would be I was like,
I'm in next. Like you can you just calm down
because you're making me nervous.
But yeah, Rishab, I think you sort of, you know, when he's

(24:59):
launching the bat and it sort ofpans to the dressing room and a
few guys are laughing, a few guys.
But yeah, the guy who's next in you can.
I wouldn't be able to sit down. I'd be pacing up and down and up
and down just like, when is he going to run down?
When is he going to get on one knee?
But at the same time, I'd be like, cheering so loud when he

(25:19):
smacks it into the stand and then be like, sort of don't do
that. Stay in, stay in.
Like he'll block 1 and I'll be like on the balcony clapping.
Like, yeah, keep doing that. That's good.
Yeah. Walking out there.
Great block, yeah. Keep going.
Keep. It there that's yeah all day
double up all those old school like clubby shouts.
But yeah I don't think that's credit to the two teams actually

(25:40):
for you mentioned sort of the style of play of guys like Pan
and Brooke and Jamie Smith. Obviously someone we haven't
even mentioned yet who's who played so so well.
But even on these surfaces that back in the day 2 good teams who
played a certain style you mightmight not force a result.
You know, the game may have justturned into draws and, and we

(26:03):
big this series up a lot And youknow, we've seen some amazing
cricket so far, some amazing batting, some great bowling,
some great catches, some drama, some drop catches.
And and it's at 11 and and goingto Lords, which is obviously one
of the most special places to play.
So I think we've been we've beentreated to 10 great days of
cricket so far. And, and obviously, hopefully

(26:26):
England can can make it 21 this week coming up.
The you talked about Jamie Smith.
We can't not mention him. I know he's on the losing side,
but I was actually on commentarywhen Rudy got caught down the
Lakeside and Stokes, he got a first ball absolute Jaffa from
Siraj and actually showed my inexperience in the commentary
box, Had the stunt mic turned down, which is really crucial

(26:47):
when you're commentating becauseit's how you hear the Knicks and
how you know that a wicket fallsso you can go up.
So Rudy sort of went down the leg side.
I didn't hear anything because my mic was down, my earpiece was
down and I saw India celebrating.
So oh, he's out, he's out, he's going, you know, roots walking
away. But it proved to me how
important that like earpiece is for the year to be able to react

(27:07):
so live. But he walks in to bat Jamie
Smith on a hat trick. So I think I'm introducing him
saying this has to be one of hismost pressurised innings.
He's played a year, a year of Test match cricket.
This will be the best bowling attack that he's faced 80 for
five back-to-back wickets sort of a bit like come on then let's

(27:28):
see what you've got. First of all, drilled down the
ground four and he carried on that way put on 300 with Harry
Brooke 180 odd. He actually he led to Mike
Atherton driving me absolutely bonkers in the in the commentary
box about half an hour because he was nearing on the record of
what's his name Jessop. So you I don't think you'll know

(27:50):
his. Fastest 100.
Fastest 100, I think it's 76 balls, but it might have been
74. So Athos was going on this rant
that he doesn't know if it's 76,it could be 74 because it was 19
O2 and the scorers might have been scoring it slightly
different and six, he's had to go out the ground and four.
So it was all different and he kept saying he kept going on
about it. Gilbert.

(28:10):
That's it. Gilbert Jessup.
Gilbert, Jessup. Gilbert Jessup And as soon as
you start getting on about it, Jamie Smith started blocking the
ball. So it was like he got one off 10
balls and then the record's gone.
He was on for it. Absolute helpful leather on for
it. Arthur's gone about Gilbert
Jessup and the the record for England's fastest 100
disappeared from Jamie Smith's site.

(28:31):
So anytime Arthur's said anything remotely boring for the
next 5 days, the whole comment box was just going Gilbert
Jessup. But yeah, it was it was an
amazing innings. Just virtually chances as well.
Just incredible ball striking abilities, spin, seam.
Tough one to say. This too was probably our best

(28:54):
got to be. I was going to say best ever
keep a batter for him. That's early.
He could be at some point he could be, couldn't he?
He's such new. Probably.
Yeah, he's he certainly had an amazing start to his career.
I think one of the great things,well, no one's mentions his
wicket keeping. He's just sort of goes under the
raid and a bit of his character to be honest.
He's sort of quite an under the radar unassuming of, you know,

(29:17):
talking about Formula One earlier.
I could imagine Jamie Smith likedriving around Silverstone at
200 miles an hour, but his heartrate not getting up at all.
He just sort of seems to be one of those kind of characters,
pretty unflustered, let's say walked in on a hat trick ball,
smacks it down the ground for four as if like nothing's
happened. And I think he's been one of the

(29:37):
great finds, hasn't he? You know, we've had some
brilliant wicketkeeper batters over time for England.
You mentioned Alex Stewart, MattPryor, Johnny Bairstow, these
guys. Smith looks like he's, he's one
of them for the and one for the future.
He's going to be amazing in thatrole at #7 You know, when you,
when I first got to sort of meethim, I was sort of like won the

(29:57):
sort of unflustered, calm character, sort of not fazed at
all that he's in an England shirt and he's coming in to play
against some of the best bowlers.
He's just sort of, yeah, I just played the same way and I'm just
going to try and smack it and try and not get out.
And then the other, he's quite abig guy actually.
I, she was so surprised. Yeah, like quite tall, but also

(30:18):
strong, like strong, like real. You know, you watch those those
straight drives he hit that are just like so dominating and so
just so powerful hits the ball so hard and so far and and sort
of with a sort of check drive and it's almost like his bowling
machine kind of coming down at him and he's just grooving his
his straight drive. And then I love the way he plays

(30:39):
that pool shot. It's just he takes it on.
You know, they went to the shortplan and he sees that as an
opportunity to score and take it.
And he's there's a bit Peterson like obviously not Brett Lee
2005 bowling at him, but the wayhe's sort of taking those balls
on and and absolutely what England love to champion about

(31:00):
putting the pressure back on theopposition.
How can you flip it? And it was 80 for five when he
walked in with with and made that partnership with Brookie.
And I just love that that top seven that England are putting
together. I know they could have had a
better week just gone edge basting.
But when you look down that lineup now, I think that's a really
exciting straw. I expect with someone like Smith

(31:21):
at 7 and the innings that that he has played, I just, I just
think he's so excited and, and he's it's the way he plays as
well. Even in the second innings, he's
trying to, you know, sort of batting for a draw, but he's
smacking the odd one out the theground and sort of could have
helped himself to another 100 probably in the game, but just
sort of wants to play a certain way and a style that suits him

(31:44):
and he's he's doubled down on. So yeah, I think all credit to
him the way he's he's batting exactly that style that Stokes
and McCullum want him to play. He's getting better and better
each game. I would say obviously the game
before seeing the team home as well, hitting the winning runs.
That's no no mean feat. So he's going to be a a really

(32:05):
vital cog for for England at that #7 role.
And yeah, I think, you know, just sort of looking forward to
Lords. I think we talked about
Wimbledon a bit being a special place.
What makes Lords so special for for the people who don't see
behind the scenes and, you know,haven't experienced Lords.
What you've probably played there as much as anyone in an

(32:26):
England shirt, sort of what is that?
What's it feel like, You know, Tuesday morning arriving at
Lords for for a Test match week.You definitely, you definitely
sense the history you, you when you walk in.
They've got portraits and paintings all around the, the
pavilion, which I quite like having a look at and and they
change the paintings for what whatever touring party's coming.

(32:49):
There's some really famous ones and awesome ones like Brian
Lara, Viv Richards, a really powerful sort of portraits in
there. I always used to do exactly the
same walk. I'd always walk up the stairs to
get to the England change room and go through the long room
because my theory was I, I can walk through it.
So why wouldn't I? Why would I walk just down a

(33:09):
random corridor if I can walk through the long room every day?
So I, I sort of did that. And then the change rooms of
they're small for international standards, to be honest.
They're mirror imaged home and away, which is really unusual.
It's a bit sort of feel like football in a sense that a lot
of the times you have a big homechange room and a small away
changing room. But these are a mirror image and

(33:30):
very classical, aren't they? Sort of leather, leather couch,
couple of pegs. The the famous on his on his
boards cover one wall. The staff are incredible, always
very warm, make you feel like it's such a special week for
you. Certainly you're never a burden
to to them. They they want to make you have

(33:51):
a a brilliant week. The food is pretty famous, just
sort of it's sort of eating in aposh restaurant really isn't it?
Few prawns to start. Lovely warm bread.
Choice of two or three on the menu.
Used to have amazing desserts but they've gone out again.
You're lucky if you get a bit ofice cream now, but.
Have they gone? Desserts?
They're gone. Well, desserts are, yeah,

(34:12):
they've they've sort of been eased out.
Yeah, I imagine Basil bring themback at some stage, surely.
But the the only, I'd say the only negative of the whole thing
is the viewing area is quite small.
The balcony fits about 6:00. And then you're just kneeling on
couches looking out of windows, really, aren't you?
But that's probably the only negative of the whole place.

(34:33):
And that if anyone said to me, what's your favorite thing about
Lords that morning? One walking down the stairs
where you've all got your England shirt on ready to go and
you're crunching down the stairsand your spikes and you walk
into that long room and the members in that long room.
You, you, you know, it's very unusual.
You're half a yard from the fans, basically.

(34:53):
And they give this roar that just bounces around that room.
And it, it's quite emotional, isn't it?
It's, it's, I've certainly seen players sort of cry and running
out onto the field before and where it's over overwhelmed them
completely. And then you run onto the pitch
and it's just a nice hum, like champagne corks and all that
sort of thing. So yeah, it, it's, it's a

(35:16):
beautiful place to play. And actually it's a beautiful
place to commentate now because I don't have the nerves of
playing. So I don't have any of that.
What's what's today going to be what, what length am I going to
bowl? I'm going to find the
conditions. What happens if they do this,
what they do that I can now justgo and enjoy it.
Go and have a look at the pitch in the morning and sort of look

(35:37):
at the players enjoying their warm ups and focusing on the
game and yeah, commentating on now is it's spectacular.
The view from the media centre. Yeah, standard of the lunch for
a commentator. Same or do.
You know what I don't know if I don't know if I'm allowed to say
this, we don't get media passes.We we eat out of a production
truck. So we eat out of like a foil.

(35:59):
I don't know, like just a a packed lunch basically.
It's nice in a packed lunch you might get.
Fish and chips as sky as sky. Is there a media production for?
For the cameras for everyone. So yeah, say Mike Atherton or
Michael had a bad example because he works for sky as
well. But the written Pet Press TMS
will get these bands where they can eat your posh lunches and

(36:19):
get Victoria Sponge. But we get truck food, which is
it's fine. I'll I've been putting a few
minutes to stories and getting slagged off the amount of gravy.
I feel like you should. You deserve better than that,
don't you? Bit bit better, but slagged off
the amount of gravy. But I have no choice.
I can't choose how much gravy I'm getting.
It's it's what it is, you know, that's it comes as it is.

(36:41):
But yeah, I try and it's actually a bit of a mission of
mine. Each Test match I go around
trying to get a wristband for the posh lunches and
inconspicuously go and like tearone off and walk in and try and
blag my way through. So Lourdes, particularly this
week there's a Victoria sponge that is world class.
Sir ASA Cook's been my right hand man at Lourdes.

(37:03):
It will sometimes sort of sneak me abandoned in a what?
In a go. I feel like if there's a few
listeners that are feeling sorryfor you, they could, you know,
knock on the media centre door and drop off some cakes or I'm
sure there's some pretty other good food outlets.
So if you're, if you're sure, I'm sure you could put a few
SOS's and there'll be a few few listeners.
You might bring a bottle of champagne round and something a

(37:25):
bit of caviar and few scallops for you or something.
I'd take a cheeseburger. I'd take a cheeseburger, to be
honest. Nice nice cheeseburger delivered
up to the Media Center. You've got your own collection
with late weights. Beyond the wicket series of
wines by Stuart Broad, even a nice little signature there, but
it's been a real passion projectfor me.
Wines from all over the the cricketing world.

(37:46):
Great memories of of playing cricket in these places and
that's where this collection came from really just the
memories of that putting them into to bottles of wine and you
like little glass of wine day. Yeah, I like a glass of wine.
Keep the Stuart Broad wine. Good food, good company.
It's always nice to yeah, spend time with family and friends and
a good bottle of wine. And beyond the wicket isn't the

(38:07):
only case you can buy. We've put together our own case
for the love of cricket. It's going to be 3 whites for
your love of white ball cricket Jose and three Reds for my love
of Test match cricket. Available exclusively from
lathwaites.co.uk. So pour yourself a glass.
Settle in and join us for the love of cricket and a good
bottle of wine with Lathwaites. Lords is one of the most special

(38:30):
weeks, isn't it? I think something for me about
arriving in London as well. You know, London as a city
seems, you know, just bigger andbolder and better and plussher
and everything. Obviously St.
John's Wood being a very posh area of London, so even just
arriving there feels feels different, you know, the ground
being sort of in and amongst St.John's Wood, you know, coming

(38:53):
in. So everything's in place, isn't
it? Nothing, you know, no flowers
out of place, everything just works.
The history of the place, the the standard of everything
walking, you know, get as you mentioned, everyone looks after
you so well. The way you get greeted as you
come into the pavilion, which isvery different to sort of normal
players entrance that you say. You can walk through the long
room or you can walk through thebar and you'll be in and amongst

(39:15):
MCC members who are having a bacon egg roll and having a chat
with their mate and sort of, youknow, good morning as you sort
of walk past them and up the stairs and into the dressing
room. And yeah, I just think you
mention that's walk down the stairs and it was something I
loved when I batted at Lourdes. You know, you sort of obviously
you don't love a wicket going down, but wicket goes down.

(39:38):
I'd walk to the back of the roomwhere I'd changed, I'd put my
helmet on gloves. And that view for me of there's
only me who can see exactly whatI'm seeing through my helmet.
And that was sort of something Ilove.
And you, the stewards keep everyone off the stairs as you
come down. So there's a few good luck.
So there's, you know, you sort of pretending you're in your
zone, but you're aware of peoplemoving out the way for you to

(40:00):
come onto the field. And then as you walk down and
through the long room and you sort of come around the corner
and you're inside the long room,but you've got the stewards
who've opened the doors, keepingpeople back.
And that view. I can see the peak of my helmet,
the grille. I feel like there's hanging
basket sort of there. And then he steps down on onto

(40:22):
the field. And I just think that is just my
the. Favorite view I can have sort of
looking out there to the Media Center and I'm walking onto the
field as you as you get introduced.
And yeah, such a special place to play cricket.
And for me, just, you know, naturally from 2019 just became
even more of a favorite venue for me because, you know, the

(40:43):
memories of that day, which, youknow, we've all talked about
forever and ever of Joffra bowling there in that World Cup
final and breaking the stumps. And just the buzz of the
players. You mentioned the buzz of the
long room, remember being stood,you know, in a line behind
Morgues and the New Zealand teamlined up to our left and the

(41:03):
noise in that long room as we had to hold and then walk out.
Now I think Morgues is like feels like we're about to play a
rugby match, then then we're going to play a game of cricket.
So it is a very unique place to play very special, absolutely
love going anytime you you go back, even when the cricket's
not on, whether it's for an appearance or any sort of event,

(41:24):
there's there's just a feeling and a an aura about the whole
place, isn't there? So yeah, really fortunate to do
that. The lunches of we've all
mentioned and yeah, just I just think you can't really play at a
more historic venue and and you feel the for the opposition as
well. It was always certain players I

(41:46):
played against and it was he wants to be on the board here.
Steve Smith kind of I know he's scored a lot of runs wherever
he's played. But and then batting at laws
thinking they get, you know, oneor two maximum three chances in
their career probably to get on that board.
And there were certain players he just he wants he wants that
board. And it was like, you're going to

(42:07):
have to work seriously even harder for the wicket than than
you usually would have to. And obviously, you know, for an
England team, we need to keep Shubman Gill's name off that
board. Someone's going on, aren't they?
Someone's going on that board. Well, hopefully it's Root.
Root's been on there a lot of times, hasn't he?
He's been, he's been on that board a lot and obviously we
want someone in the England teamwith a A5 for, A10 for as well.

(42:29):
Wokes and Atkinson probably havethe most ridiculous Lord's
records so far, don't they? So it's a happy hunting ground
for those guys. But yeah, it's set up for great.
And that's why these five match series are amazing, aren't they?
As well? You know, you think about the
playing the same team over and over again.
Five matches set up, 11 still all to play for.

(42:52):
It's that Grand Slam in tennis, isn't it?
You still is still in it whatever happens this week as
well, so it's going to be set upfor a great week at at home
cricket. Jose, I want to pick your
batting brain. Think about Shubman Gill.
He's gone 100 in the first Test,big 1153 days in between going
to Lords. There's a bit of an added

(43:14):
pressure. When you arrive at Lords, you
have that opportunity to get on the honours board.
It's really exciting. What does he do in these three
days? He'll obviously travel Monday,
today. Does he bat?
Does he just dry the gloves, drythe pads?
Does he just think I'm, I'm feeling great, I don't need to
have a net? Does he go to the ground?
Like what would you do in this situation?
Me personally, I'd, I'd sort of be trying to mirror the things

(43:36):
that I'd done leading up to the first game and the second game
of says longer gap, obviously, because so they, he won't be
able to do whatever he did, but they sort of not they're
superstitious, but whatever he'sdoing is working.
So I, I would be like, I want the same guy to give me throw
downs. I want to do the same kind of
routine that I did and whether Iface the bowlers for a bit two

(43:59):
days out or then I did a, a few throw downs for a bit of
confidence the day after. And now having played with him a
little bit in the IPO, he does alot of basic drills.
He actually does a lot of underarm drills just grooving
his his shape and his sort of basic, you know, and you think,
why would a Test cricketer be doing underarm drills that are

(44:20):
so easy? But it's just to sort of muscle
memory moving into the right positions, hitting the ball
late. That's something he talks about
a lot and practices a lot to have hit the ball into the
ground and let the ball come to him, which is a trait of all the
all the best players isn't it? So he'll be doing a lot of those
kind of drills. That's something that I think

(44:41):
he'll do whatever the format. I think he'll go into the Nets
and challenge himself a bit against the bowlers to be.
It's a new week, I'm in a great place with my game.
Everything is obviously going very well, so you almost want to
bat for working out what is the perfect amount of time.
You don't want to bat too long where you start thinking about

(45:01):
it too much or why I'm, you know, This is why it's going so
well. This is great.
I'm going to do a bit more of this.
And, and then you sort of lose that rhythm and you sort of
start questioning yourself and, and, but at the same time, he'll
want to just keep topping it up that I've got this feeling in
this bottle that I just want to keep it there and then unleash
it on a a Thursday morning. But you know, the game is a

(45:22):
great leveller. I think we've all played enough
cricket and he will know that just because he scored 585 runs
in two games, that doesn't guarantee him anything at Lords
come Thursday. But that number in two matches
is just outrageous, isn't it? And I think I remember Kohli
obviously had the a challenging series here in 2014, came back

(45:45):
in 2018 and and played absolutely brilliantly and in
that series scored 593 runs. Now, Sugarman Gill is nearly
there after two games, which is absolutely amazing.
And I mean, obviously hope as England fans that he doesn't go
on and and break any records by Gavis Carr.
Or is it Bradman who's got 900 and something in in a series?

(46:07):
So we need to find answers to toget him out.
But as as a batter, when you're in that space, you do kind of
feel untouchable. You just feel like everything's
going your way and you just wantto keep that momentum and that
energy on your side. You don't want to upset mother
cricket and do anything that, you know, get above your
station, that you know karma will come your way and pull you

(46:28):
down. But stay in that bubble, stay in
that moment. I'm sure he's got, you know,
coaches. He's actually got his dad is
quite influential and has been acoach of his when growing up.
So I'm sure a couple of phone calls from dad saying keep,
keep, keep on his son, you know,keep playing.
And he does travel with some of his best friends.
Actually one of his best mates throws a lot of balls for him,

(46:49):
who I can't imagine is there with him with India.
But he'll be someone that he'll be turning to and leaning on
about his game and about the things that are working for him
and. And what.
Yeah, but Lords is the then the unique challenge, isn't it?
Of, of the slope? There's something different that
you have to adjust to that ground if you've not played
there before. When you're bowling from the

(47:12):
Pavilion End, you feel like everything's going to hit the
stumps and you can get drawn into playing at balls that are
quite wide. And then from the other end, you
feel like the ball can leave youfrom straight.
So that will be a challenge to get used to.
But yeah, anytime you're on thatsort of hot streak, you're just
trying to keep not nothing to upset the apple cart, keep doing

(47:32):
the things that you're doing well, keep that confidence high.
And you know, you're sort of thebowlers bowling at you in the
Nets. So in your own team are sort of
in a in a way will be sort of like let's keep Shubman playing
well, let's give him a few long after all.
Yeah, yeah, make sure he does. You know, don't want to knock
him over or bowl too well at thecaptain in the Nets and upset

(47:54):
his confidence. So I'm sure that's all sort of
things that the Indian side and Shubman will be going through.
We use same cycling shorts, samesocks, same boots, same whites,
all that sort of thing. I was never quite as extreme as
that. I I had lots of pairs of the
same socks, thankfully, so I'd always be wearing a certain
style of sock and the same cycling shorts and stuff.

(48:16):
I'd always pad up in in the sortof the same way.
And there's just times that in my career, I've felt like
there's sort of moments in time where I was doing a certain
thing or practicing a certain way and it, it sort of had a
shelf life. And at some point it finished
and it was like, I need to change something.
And actually for me, when I wasn't batting well, my shoes

(48:37):
were something I changed. So I would, you know, I'd say
I'd gone through a run of low scores and I'd change my boots
and the same pair, style of boot, but a brand new pair.
And sort of so when I always look down and tap my bat three
times and that's sort of the last thing I see as before I
stand up and look at the ball. So I'll be looking at a brand
new pair of shoes and for whatever reason that was sort of

(48:59):
the thing to try and kick start me into another hopeful phase of
of good form. But yeah, I'm sure he's got in a
bit of stick, wasn't he, for theblack socks at Headingley?
So whether? They didn't come out Birmingham,
actually he. Didn't come out 100.
Black socks, then he went white socks, got out with no runs.

(49:19):
Second innings at Headingley andhe went white socks again.
Edgbaston 200 and 69150. So maybe isn't that
superstitious type of guy, No. He's blown that out the water
then, isn't he? He's not too bothered.
But yeah, hopefully we can find out something that is
superstitious about and upset him a little bit for the England
boys. But no, it's, it's an amazing

(49:40):
amount of runs so far. And that hunger and that desire.
And do you know what I was thinking?
Even the pressure of using an MRF bat, you know, that those
stickers have sort of been and that company is sort of being
pigeonholed for the best of the very best.
And you think of Kohli, Tendulkar, Davillia's Steve War,
I think as well a little. There's not many Mrs. So you

(50:03):
know, 25 years old, whatever he is to get the deal with MRF.
I reckon Lara. Lara used it for a bit.
So, you know, you got this expectation and you've got to
score your runs and he's he's lived up to it so far, which you
know, is another credit to him. But yeah, hopefully we can find

(50:24):
something that can make him go alittle bit cold this week for
England fans. Jose took you 40 minutes to get
an AB Davila's mentioning on this podcast, it's probably a
record, isn't it for you? But we mentioned Lara there.
Geez. 400 not out against England back in when 2003 world
record van Molder, South Africa versus Zimbabwe.

(50:46):
Bulawayo on Monday declared himself on 367 first innings Day
2. Talk me through your emotions.
This is really, really split opinions.
What would you have done as a captain in that situation and
how do you feel about it? Yeah, it's unbelievable.

(51:09):
It's especially to be captain ofyourself obviously on that score
as well. No doubt Brian Lara is one of
the best players to ever play the game and, you know, broke
his, broke the record again, didn't he?
Twice 375 then broke Matthew Hayden's 380 to to score 400.
So quite an incredible effort from him.

(51:30):
But I I feel like for Vienne Mulder, he should have carried
on. I think if you know, if you get
the opportunity and it wasn't like it was, you know, the game
was completely, you know, they're taking forever and
they're only on 680 odd or something at the time, aren't
they? So it's not like they're on 900
and they're just batting for thesake of it.
You know, I think anytime you get close to those kind of

(51:53):
records that you should, you know, go for it.
I don't. And I know he's come out and
said, you know, those kind of things are for the legends.
And obviously it's very respectful and very honourable
to to sort of say that kind of thing.
But you know, all credit to him.You've scored that many runs.
You've come that far and you know it's very doubtful that

(52:15):
you'll ever get a chance to walkdown that road again and have
the chance to score 400 on it and Test match and and break the
great Brian Lara's record. So I, I think he should have
gone for it to be honest. What about you do?
You think he could have gone andgot 399, manoeuvred it that way,
got 399 and then walked off and were like what?
No way. No, not 399, I thought.

(52:35):
That's even more disrespectful. Probably, yeah.
I don't know. Really difficult 1.
You know, I played a lot of Brian Lara cricket when I was a
kid. So Brian Lara for me is like
absolute hero legend. I think Brian Lara to have gone
and got A501 in county cricket, a 375 and then go and break it
again and get a 400 makes me feel like for the history of

(53:00):
time he should have the highest score in in Test match cricket.
But it yeah, I suppose a huge amount of respect from bound
Mulder to to declare. But I wonder if in time when he
separates from that game, he could think, oh, I could have

(53:20):
gone gone and got 450 there and like, that's really flare and
you know, but I'm assuming he must be South Africa's highest
Test score with that. You know, we're talking about
Hayden against Zimbabwe 380, Lara 375.
Who was is it Len Hutton or 360 Odd I think.
That's it. Yeah, he goes.
You know, Matt Hayden was against Zimbabwe, wanted to go
past Lara. So yeah, he could have done him

(53:43):
again. Yeah, but yeah, I, I don't know,
quite actually, I'm, I'm fortunate this week.
I'm, I've got dinner with Brian Lara on Wednesday night.
So that might be my first question.
I'll I'll ask him what he would have done in VR, Morda's
position and see and I'll tell you his response this time next
week. It's nice for you just to drop
that in a bit of dinner with thegreat Brian Lara.

(54:06):
It's quite flair, isn't it? And I'm pretty happy with that.
Yeah, it's. It's actually a good week,
haven't you, David Beckham? Brian Lara Yeah, I look forward
to the next episode already. Yeah, what was that?
Wimwood and Silverstone, Edgbaston and dinner with Brian
Laras. If you'd have told me that as a
12 year old. Done all right for yourself?
Jose, what's been going on with the blast?
Yeah, we are two from two since I've been back.

(54:27):
Actually. We played Friday night and a
close game down at Northants. We got home in in the last over
and as is with county cricket, we set off back to Manchester at
10:30 at night, probably got back to Old Trafford due to a
big traffic jam at about half, 3-4 in the morning and then
played again on Saturday at 3:00PM against Derby.

(54:48):
But we managed to get another win in that game.
It's been great to play with Jimmy again actually, you know,
I thought, you know, I'd never get a chance to play with Jimmy
Anderson again, but he's loving T20 life.
He loves bowling 3 overs in the power play, then standing at 45
and watching the world go by anddipping back in for one more.
So that was cool to to play withhim again.

(55:09):
And actually talk of the sort ofdressing room on Saturday was
our favorite youngster from India, Vaibhav Suryavanchi, was
smashing it again. He scored 52 ball 100 and it's
like everyone's just checking the score.
Have you seen what he's done this time?
Have you seen? Because when we played at
Northants, they played two under19 games there.

(55:31):
And I was chatting to the grounds, we were playing on a
used pitch. I said, oh, what game have you
played on here? And they said, oh, we had a
couple of under nineteens games.And in one of them Suryavanchi
from India got 85 or 90 off 30 odd balls.
So that was the game previous. And he's pointing places out on
the ground. He says, you see that window
over there, that broken window? Yeah, that was him.

(55:51):
And I was like, that's miles away.
And they go, you see that cornerover there where that sort of
burger van is? Yeah, hit one over there.
You see that corner over there? Yeah, hit one out the ground
over there. So he's outrageous, obviously
carrying on his his form. Be amazing to think.
And what's Tendulkar, 16, when he played for India and wonder
if he can? Will we see him at The Oval?

(56:13):
Will we see him at The Oval? Test match 5 coming at 3:00.
Him and pant together. I hope it's exciting.
If I'm honest, yeah, I I checkedthe score when he was 140 odd, I
think or I thought he could get 300 here.
He's after 25 overs he could gethe could get 300 and A50 over
game. It just I think we I mean, when

(56:34):
you on one of our first, I thinkof our second podcast, you were
saying little bit nervous for the England under 19 bowlers.
You know, he's whacked Siraj Krishna bolt, you know,
international quality bowlers, young 18 year olds are trying to
fire it down. And it's sort of proven that way
a little bit. But great learning curve, isn't
it? Yeah, absolutely.

(56:55):
But no fair play to him. But he's certainly want one to
watch and 1:00 we will watch with great excitement because it
is very special to see what he'sdoing well.
That's what we've got time for Jose this week, thanks to our
partners Sage and Laithwaites. Hit the follow button on Spotify
and subscribe on YouTube. Next stop Lords and hopefully
some Victoria sponge.