The Final Word with Gideon Haigh

Sometimes it's about having a conversation, more than an interview. That was our approach in Week 4 of May, sitting down at the old faithful Mario's cafe on Brunswick Street to speak with Gideon Haigh for Season 14, Episode 15. He'll be there in England for his seventh cricket tour, and he's been collecting his writings on the rivalry for a new book, On The Ashes. We'll start there but go a lot further afield, from 1877 to today, where the game is going, history, memory, creativity.

Here's the episode.

The book is out on June 6: pre-orders through Allen & Unwin here.

The Edinburgh Marathon approaches

Our Final Word crew will be battling around the course on Sunday, whether doing 21 kilometres, the full 42, or some fraction to be decided on the day by dodgy knees and dehydration. We're 92% of the way to our fundraising target for Lord's Taverners if anyone wants to tip us over the line. 

The fundraiser page is here. Or if that's not for you, the Tavs are just as keen to have people on their mailing list to hear about projects in future.

Image: Artist's impression of Adam Collins finishing the half marathon via shopping trolley.

Josh Hazlewood is the next bowler to fall

Season 14, Episode 14: Another week, another Ashes bowler in trouble: sure, they're saying he's fine now, but we know how much we trust Josh Hazlewood having "side soreness", and we know how much we trust CA medical reports. In the meantime, Michael Neser continues to do everything he could to fill that berth. And Ollie Robinson for England is in a moon boot after another bag of wickets. Will anyone be fit come June? Also this week, Dr Tom Brown joins the show to talk about his program to promote British Asian cricketers, Jodie Hicks wins a gong, CA get involved with the Voice to Parliament, Mackay gets a ground upgrade, and there's plenty of ridiculousness in the County Champs.

Your Nerd Pledge this week:
2.10 - Hugh McNaughtan

The episode is here.

Story Time 137 – Wild times in the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry

This week, Geoff and Bharat put their Serious Historian hats on to go trawling through Victorian public records from the 1800s. There's a literal giant of the sport who had a lasting influence on Association football, an Australian spinner at the top level with the oval ball, and a Victorian visit to Gloucestershire. And as ever, a lot of love for Clarence Victor Grimmett.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
3.39 - Pat Rodgers
7.60 - Richard Jansz-Moore
10.00 - Chris Byrne
3.57 - Alan Simpson & Paul Harmer
2.16 - Matt Cuttress & Duncan Davies
2.05 - Simon Trafford

Revisits
1.36 - Alex Brown
2.08 - Sam Ashworth

The episode is here.

Archive ep: The no-ball that changed the world

Season 2, Ep 7: Reloading lost episodes from the early Final Word.

To end the 2015-16 summer, Australia head to New Zealand. With the one-dayers done it's time for the first Test at Wellington. Would it be defined by the bat? By the ball? No, by the umpire's arm, calling Doug Bracewell for a no-ball that wasn't, and reprieving Adam Voges who would go on to a double century. It was the beginning of the eventual move to no-ball automation via the third umpire. Also, another Fake Green Mamba, some Trent Boult fun at No.11, Khawaja purrs with the bat and goes flair in the field, an argument about 'strangling' and the worst dismissals in cricket, the best return catch we've ever seen, Voges went past Bradman, Tim Southee kept hitting sixes, and we were puzzled by the notion of a two-Test series. Innocent times.

Here's the audio.

Only a couple more days before Geoff heads to London, so the next show we record should have us back in the same room. Busy times coming up, glad you're coming along for the ride.

TFW