The Ashes

The County Championship is back and we’re loving it! Jimmy’s in the wickets and, despite it being absolutely freezing, there was a full #tailendersoftheworlduniteandtakeover at Lords for Day 1 of Middlesex v Gloucestershire. Plus random Chocolate Bars, Playfair annuals, Scoring etiquette, GCSE results and a History Lesson from Mattchin.

So due to a scheduling clash things went a bit awry on this week’s recording - but then Greg had a ‘stupid idea’. Cue: #Tailendersoftheworlduniteandtakeover in ‘live’ action. Plus: Happy A-IPL Fools Day; which cricketers are cats and which are dogs?; a sort of County Cricket preview; and why might Daniel Radcliffe open the batting for Lancs?

A review of a review. This week we’re joined by Vithushan Ehantharajah, associate editor at ESPNcricinfo to try and make sense of the Review into the Mens Ashes Series - which England lost 4-1. Plus how cricket helped Greg on his epic Comic Relief Cycling Challenge, what’s the minimum number of slides needed for a Powerpoint presentation and Mattchin most definitely does not rip off ‘Would I Lie To You?’.

Who are you talking to in the Mystery Guest Match Special? Could it be Virat Kohli or could it be Daryl Mitchell? Please play along at home with Mattchin’s new and original (sort of) quiz. Plus Fe joins Greg for part of his epic Comic Relief Bike Ride, details of ‘County Day 2026’, faith healers and I’ve got 99 problems but Liam Livingstone ain’t one.

Mark Wood, one of our favourite cricketers in the world, is back on Tailenders with an update on his injury and what he’s been up to while recuperating, his plans for the future and what it was like to be on the pitch during THAT Travis Head Innings. Plus Issy Wong joins us with the latest from the Hundred Auction and Mattchin introduces a new force in Cricket...Chas Fireball!

What a match in Mumbai! England nearly pulled off a 'cricketing miracle' in a game that saw almost 500 runs scored. The Tailenders assemble - complete with Issy Wong and her Network Of Spies - to look back at an extraordinary semi final that resulted in India making it to the Mens T20 World Cup Final where they will face New Zealand. Plus Mattchin goes deep into the data (sort of) to find out what makes New Zealand such a cricketing force. AND find out why Fe won’t listen to Jimi Hendrix...

So who makes our England Mens Team of the 21st Century? Is it Stokes or Flintoff as the all-rounder? Who gets the nod as ‘keeper? What about openers? Is there room for Stuart Broad? Plus England keep winning at the Men's T20 World Cup without impressing - can they go all the way? Mattchin has a new ’stats based quiz’ and the art of the sports reporter.

We’ve been loving the performances of the so called ‘Associates’ at the Men’s T20 World Cup, so this week we’re joined by ICC commentator Andrew Leonard to chat all things Associate Cricket. Plus what caused the Tailenders WhatsApp Group to explode on Wednesday night, ‘Correspondence of Uncertainty’ and who has Mattchin stolen his latest quiz format from?

1922: The BBC was formed; 1936: The BBC launches TV service from Alexandra Palace; 1967: Radio 1 hits the airwaves; 1979: The BBC starts 24 hour Radio broadcasts; 1983: BBC Breakfast TV begins; 1994: BBC Radio 5 Live is launched; 2002: CBBC starts broadcasting; 2018: BBC Sounds is unveiled….. ...and now, in 2026 - following on from this prestigious history of public service broadcasting - Mattchin introduces a Brand New Format which has ’never been tried before’ - his words! Plus why we’re loving the Mens T20 World Cup and your reviews.

After Nepal nearly cause one of the biggest shocks ever against England, The Tailenders assemble to review the start of the T20 World Cup, where the ‘minnows’ are causing a few problems for the more established teams. Plus Mattchin is back with an' International Relations Based Quiz’, Felix is on his travels, pronunciations and the hunt for Phon Buntheon continues.

Scotland and Lancashire’s Michael Jones joins us to tell us about how one minute he was doing pre-season training with Jimmy at Lancs, the next he’s in India for the World Cup. Plus Issy Wong is back with all the news from the WBBL and more Italian Cricket History.

It’s time to open the phones lines again for our second innings of ‘Little Yearns’. We cover broken bats, linseed oil, farts, Covid caps, helmet hair, Win Viz, TV graphics, and why did Chris Woakes put Jimmy’s cap down his trousers?

So after the doom and gloom of The Ashes it’s time to banish the January Blues and look to the future. And to help us forget about what happened in Australia we’re joined by one of our favourite players on the planet - Wayne Madsen. Mattchin has a brand new original quiz which is so good it could go on BBC TV at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, plus names for Jimmy’s bar, and a bit more guitar.

No more sleepless nights, no more doom scrolling and no more ‘it’s the hope that kills you’, The Ashes are over and like the England team The Tailenders are limping to the end of the series. Felix is ill and can only join us ‘down the line’ from his Doctors, so the ex England wicketkeeper Matt Prior is our 12th Man. While Mattchin, to the dismay of the footballing world, has done his hamstring and is on crutches, yet despite this he manages one more round of his classic ‘Am I lying or am I Nathan Lyon?’. We review the series, look to the future of English cricket and try to work out what the hell happened in Australia over the winter. Plus we have an 'exclusive'…albeit from 2007 and would Jimmy fancy being the England coach?

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.