The Final Word Christmas, with Jim Maxwell

Season 9, Ep 13: At Christmas time, we like to sit down for a long chat with someone well loved by The Final Word. The first time was Harsha, last year was Mel Jones, and this time it had to be Jim Maxwell, who will be a rare absence from the Boxing Day Test. We also hope we can sit down with you, as you drive to distant places or take a break from family or settle in for the day on your own. This show is all about Jim's extraordinary life in cricket, as he shares those tales over a glass of crisp white wine. His gift to all of us – and the best of festive cheer or peace to you.

If you haven't got Geoff’s book for Christmas then it's here for Australia & the UK, or Book Depository for those in further-flung locales.

We'll be back on the India Daily starting with Boxing Day, then we'll record our traditional New Year's Best and Worst episode. Might be a touch of Nerd Pledge on there, then it will be back in earnest when we resume Story Time in January. Speaking of, last weekend was...

Story Time 29, plus Lisa Sthalekar on commentary

Jim Swanton had a hymn that he liked to sing, but you’ll never guess why. What about identifying the Godfather of Durham? John didn’t spell his the same as Evelyn. Who hit the pads but ate the pies? A little more Stan McCabe, a strange double from Steve Harmison, and the time that Mushtaq Mohammed did it all himself. After that we speak to the excellent Lisa Sthalekar, interviewed recently on the future of commentary for the documentary series Calling The Shots.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers are:
2.53 – Dave McRobbie
8.97 – Richard Johnson.
1.87 – Simon Trafford.
7.97 – Will Cuckson.
4.93 – Tom Stewart.
2.81 – Vivek Nayak and Dom Philp.  
5.15 – Chris Arkle.

Very merry days to all of you: this year you've not only kept the show going, but helped it turn into something bigger and sillier and more rewarding than we had ever thought possible. Thanks as always.

Adam & Geoff.

(Port Elizabeth)

(Johannesburg)