Tailenders

After 5468 days England’s men have won a Test Match in Australia!Felix jumps into the hot seat and England and Lancs bowler Kate Cross is our special guest as we try and work out what the hell happened at the MCG over two ridiculous days of Test Cricket. Plus Wicketkeepers as drummers,Mattchin predicts the future of Test cricket, names for Jimmy’s bar, why 2026 will be ’The Year of the Big Nose’ and will Felix never watch cricket ever again?

The good news is that England battled hard and took the 3rd Ashes Test into a fifth and final day in Adelaide. The bad news is they lost and Australia have retained The Ashes. The Tailenders assemble to try and work out what’s gone wrong Down Under.Plus a brand new Xmas Quiz from Mattchin, cooking tips from Jimmy and find out why Felix might never watch cricket ever again.

Come in, sit down, let’s talk about it together.We know it’s bad, we know England need a ‘cricketing miracle’, we know we’re all tired after staying up all night. We’re angry, frustrated and disappointed - but the Tailenders are here for you.Plus Mattchin has had three weeks to overprepare for a quiz which features a very special guest - Nathan Lyon (sort of) and we preview the 3rd Test in Adelaide... or is it Melbourne?

On the eve of the second men's Ashes Test at The Gabba - a venue England have not win at since 1986 - we assess the tourists' chances, the potential impact of Will Jacks of all trades and why Mitchell Starc is so potent with the pink ball.Plus remembering the great Robin Smith.

OK, so the 1st Mens Ashes Test did not go well. However it’s not over, there are still four Test matches to go, so time for some optimism.The Tailenders assemble to review the events in Perth and look ahead to the 2nd Test in Brisbane.Plus we meet Alex, an Aussie who flew from Germany to Perth to watch Day 3 of The Test, what is an ‘acceptable’ way to get out, Mattchin has some facts about The Gabba, and who are Jimmy’s favourite Aussies?

Tailenders News Alert: This podcast is available in audio AND vision - head to the BBC iPlayer to watch.The Ashes are nearly here and it’s time to officially get excited. Jimmy gives us the lowdown on the challenge England’s men will face in Australia and looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the Aussies.Plus need some ‘Ashes conversation starters’? Don’t panic, Mattchin is here with some Perth related facts - some of which might actually be true- to make sure all Tailenders are fully prepped for the biggest show in cricket.

After several weeks of delay Mattchin at last gets to debut his much hyped new quiz ’Send it up for Review’, complete with original music.Plus G Force gets to experience G Force, more Underrated Ashes Players and can someone call the I.T department please. From emails to Printers the Tailenders are having tech troubles.

Former England fast bowler Steve Finn is our special guest as he shares the high and lows of his Ashes career, including being part of the last England team to win in Australia and why his best spell was overlooked due to Stuart Broad. Plus Arise Sir Jimmy! It’s the first episode of Tailenders presented by a knight of the realm and we get the inside story of Jimmy’s trip to Windsor Castle - including which random footballer was at the afterparty?

Ashes fever is gripping the Nation (sort of) and everyone is doing their Ashes XIs, so we thought we’d jump on that bandwagon with our own.Plus Jimmy is getting ready to get knighted - but is King Charles a leg spinner or a seamer?Mattchin has another history lesson, more on the mysterious Phon Buntheon and can anyone stop Australia winning the Women’s World Cup?

Mattchin organises a surprise delivery that causes chaos - and injury - amongst the Tailenders.Plus 1990s adverts, more on Phon Buntheon, The Women’s World Cup, Contracts, Listener Feedback, ‘Little Yearns’ and what links Bob Dylan to scoring?

Our very special guest this week is Saracens, England and Lions legend Jamie George who talks about sharing a room at school with Sam Billings, how Cricket helps his line out throws, watching Kent and Essex, Rugby ‘Little Yearns’ and The Ashes.Plus Jimmy looks back at the International career of Chris Woakes and the mystery of Phon Bunthean.

The squad for the men’s Ashes has been announced and we’re getting very excited as Jimmy gives his reaction to the players who will head to Australia in November and battle for the urn. Plus memories of Dickie Bird, and Mattchin invites everyone ‘listening at home’ to come and network at his ‘Connection Convention’.

Mattchin has a new history-based feature that is most definitely not ‘something he just Googled and told us’.Plus another innings of ’The Anderson/Tendulkar Interview’, what’s better ’The Blast’ or ’The Hundred’ and did you witness a unique piece of cricketing history?

Our very special guest is a World Cup and Ashes winner, former England captain and a legend of the game: Heather Knight (plus her alter ego Shelley).We discuss the upcoming World Cup, injuries, learning to play the guitar, Padel with Mattchin and what happened when Felix met her at a recent Oasis concert.Plus a ’new’ quiz from Mattchin, who bizarrely is in Norway. And find out what Heather related story has Issy Wong in stitches.Go Well.

The phone lines are open for our first ‘Little Yearns Special’ - those small, inconsequential things we’d love to do if we were International Cricketers. Topics covered include Ceefax, media duties, fines, sweaty kit, small waves and warm up routines. Plus Mattchin makes an unexpected and unmissable appearance on National Radio.

World Cup and IPL Winner Liam Livingstone, someone Greg has rated for many years, is our special guest. Some amazing insights about playing with Virat Kohli, England, The Hundred, winning The IPL, captaincy and ‘alignment sticks’. Plus a brand new quiz ’Set in Stone. Livingstone’.

Jimmy’s back with more rounds of ‘Mark Wood I Lie to You?’, Mattchin’s beach cricket match, turning it up to a Hundred, loads of listeners ‘Little Yearns’, a cricket history lesson and your ‘Correspondence of Uncertainty’. Go Well.

Former England and Surrey batter Mark Butcher joins us to talk about the extraordinary story he has been investigating in his new BBC Sounds series ‘Hansie Cronje:Fall from Grace’. Plus, what’s it like to face Allan Donald and Courtney Walsh, Oasis, Falling Over and we have a name for our new (ish) feature.

Live(ish) from The Richie Benaud commentary box at The Foster's Oval, an emergency podcast after one of the greatest Test matches ever which nearly cost Greg his marriage, left Felix explaining cricket to Baseball players and ruined a game of ‘Call of Duty’ for Jimmy.

Breaking News: The tables have been turned as Jimmy has a quiz for Mattchin and the rest of the Tailenders featuring England fast bowler Mark Wood. Plus a full review of the Men's 4th Test between England and India, Issy has been having a Blast in The Blast, what makes Ben Stokes so good, Joe Root and whale music and more listener suggestions for the ‘Professional Cricketing Bucket List’.