Episodes

  • THE SMITH AND POPE SHOW

    THE SMITH AND POPE SHOW
    Apr 10 2026
    Jamie Smith adds a second authoritative hundred to his season's output in partnership with a rehabilitated Ollie Pope against a modest Leicester attack at the Oval. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report on another Surrey run spree and assess the failures of some of the other batting contenders for Zak Crawley's England opening spot, with one outstanding exception - Ben McKinney's unbeaten 214 for Durham v hapless Gloucester. #countychampionship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • RUN GLUT

    RUN GLUT
    Apr 7 2026
    The first round of County Championship matches featured two totals over 500, five draws and a number of batsmen filling their early-season boots. Jamie Smith was one, promoted to number three by Surrey. What do we read into that and what else did we learn from those first matches? Simon Hughes and Simon Mann consider the entrails ad celebrate the continued excellence of the 43 year old Jimmy Anderson as he passes the 1150 first class wicket mark. Later on we chat to Sam Morshead, the founder of CounterPress, a platform offering daily, dedicated online coverage of individual counties with news, opinion and reports. The individual sites can be found by clicking on these links below - Cider Press (Somerset) http://ciderpress.news Hove & Away (Sussex) http://hoveandaway.news Lanky Lanky (Lancashire) http://lankylanky.news King Pears (Worcestershire) http://kingpears.news Taff & Daff (Glamorgan) http://taffanddaff.news The Bear (Warwickshire) http://the-bear.news The Chester (Durham) http://thechester.news The Fox (Leicestershire) http://the-fox.news The Hawk (Hampshire) http://thehawk.news The Peakite (Derbyshire) http://thepeakite.news The Rey (Surrey) http://therey.news The Spitfire (Kent) http://thespitfire.news The Steeler (Northants) http://thesteeler.news The Trent (Notts) http://thetrent.news Up The Middle (Middlesex) http://upthemiddle.news White Rose Files (Yorkshire) http://whiterosefiles.news The Glorious Gazette (Glos) https://www.thegloriousgazette.news #cricket #countychampionship #englandcricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • THE MOST COVETED PRIZE

    THE MOST COVETED PRIZE
    Apr 2 2026
    A preview of the (Rothesay) County Championship title race, for 136 years the hardest-earned trophy in cricket. The season lasts 178 days at the end of which we will know if anyne can topple Nottinghamshire from their pedestal. Simon Hughes, who won 4 championship titles with Middlesex, is joined by Simon Mann and Surrey all-rounder and columnist CAMERON STEEL, to discuss: - the runners and riders, stinging April catches, the new substitute rule, whether Dom Sibley can oust Zak Crawley's from the England opening spot and some yound (and older) thrusters to follow. #cricket #england #countychampionship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • BOWLERS STRIKE BACK

    BOWLERS STRIKE BACK
    Apr 1 2026
    Some brilliant slower balls from Lungi Ngidi helps lure Lucknow Super Giants to 141 all out in the IPL. Delhi Capitals revive from 26-4 to take an excellent win in our first live watchalong of the tournament. Simon Mann and Simon Hughes commentate on the last five overs and recap the first five matches of the competition, highlighting the early dominance of the batsmen, the remarkable 15 ball 50 of the 15 year old Vaibhav Suryavanchi and the bowlers finding some much needed help more recently. #ipl #cricket # Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • CRICKET'S EXTRAVAGANZA

    CRICKET'S EXTRAVAGANZA
    Mar 27 2026
    The 19th season of the Indian Premier League begins on March 28th with the new holders Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore beginning the defence of their title. Simon Hughes, Simon Mann and Deep Dasgupta air their thoughts on the likely winners and losers, the changes in personel, how the English players like Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer will fare and reveal why everything else in India stops while the IPL is on. It is truly the only show in town. #india #ipl #cricket #circus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • DESPERATELY SEEKING RUTHLESSNESS

    DESPERATELY SEEKING RUTHLESSNESS
    Mar 25 2026
    After the announcement that England head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key will keep their jobs and promise to evolve, we ask will it make any difference? The heirarchy always talk about the 'learnings' but are the players able to put them into practice? Simon Hughes and Simon Mann are joined by former England opener Nick Compton to ask if England can ever properly compete with the best teams abroad, or is county cricket too self-absorbed and the coaches too self-preserving to raise standards to elite levels? The ad-free version of this podcast is here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • HAMEED AT THE READY

    HAMEED AT THE READY
    Mar 19 2026
    Haseeb Hameed led Nottinghamshire to the county championship title last season with astute captaincy and a bucket load of runs. And at 29 he is in perfect shape to step back into the England side he last played for during Covid. While on a pre season tour in South Africa, Hameed talks to Simon Hughes and Simon Mann about how he has improved his game, the key to Notts success, his ambitions going forward and how he dreams of batting like a certain Master Blaster. To listen to this podcast ad-free and to get other cricket content straight to your device subscribe to The Cricverse on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • SPINNERS BONANZA

    SPINNERS BONANZA
    Mar 14 2026
    In the week when some cricketers, notably spinners such as Adil Rashid, were bought for astronomical sums in The Hundred auction, Monty Panesar reflects on his first Test appearance exactly 20 years ago. It was in Nagpur in March 2006 where the man who became known as The Sikh of Tweak took his first test wicket - and it was of course none other than the great Sachin Tendulkar. Monty recounts that day, his emotional celebration which became his signature, how Tendulkar presented him with a signed match ball and the impact of that moment. He, Simon Hughes and Simon Mann consider how far the game - which was paying him barely £20,000 at the time - and its rewards have come since. This podcast is available ad-free on The Cricverse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr