The ZDG Book Club - Chapter 2

Finny, Dan and Toby manage to find time to get together before Toby heads off to Glastonbury. They look back at the first Test between England and India and ask if Jasprit Bumrah is the greatest complete fast bowler of all time? Asking to change the ball during a game, how many times should it be allowed and Jofra Archer is back in the England squad ahead of the second Test. And Sam Kontsas has a tricky time in the first Test for Australia against West Indies. Tickets for our match against The Final Word taking place at Wormsley on 18th August uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101) & 364 (Rahul 137, Pant 118; Tongue 3-72) England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Bumrah 5-83) & 373-5 (Duckett 149, Crawley 65, Root 53*) England win by five wickets, and lead the five-match series 1-0 Test cricket at its finest on Day 5 of the first Test with one of the all time great run chases as England, in no small part thanks to an incredible 149 by Ben Duckett, who shared a 1st wicket stand of 188 with Zak Crawley, beat India by 5 wickets. Dan and Toby reflect on a day that will live long in the memory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101) & 364 (Rahul 137, Pant 118; Tongue 3-72) England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Bumrah 5-83) & 21-0 England need 350 more runs, India need 10 wickets Centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant and three wickets in four deliveries by Josh Tongue's has put the First Test in a position where all four results are possible on the final day. India were all out for 364 in their second innings, losing their last six wickets for 31 runs. England will need to pull off their second highest successful run chase in Test to take a 1-0 lead in the five match series. Toby and Dan look back on the day in an episode that took a surprising turn... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101; Stokes 4-66, Tongue 4-86) & 90-2 England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Duckett; Bumrah 5-83) India lead by 96 runs The First Test between England and India is beautifully poised at the end of Day 3. Harry Brook was out for 99 as England came within 6 runs of India's first innings total, Jasprit Bumrah again leading the India bowling attack and taking his 14th Test 5-for. Dan looks back on the day's play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India 471: Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101; Stokes 2-66, Tongue 4-86 England 209-3: Pope 100*, Duckett 62; Bumrah 3-48 England are 262 runs behind Wickets by Josh Tongue and an unbeaten century by Ollie Pope have ensured England end day 2 of the First Test against India with a foothold in the match. Dan looks back at a fascinating day of cricket. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Centuries by Shubman Gill, making his debut as captain, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have put India in a strong position at the end of Day 1 of the First Test against England at Headingley.. Toby and Dan look back on the day and whether this is a sign of things to come all summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of the England v India Test series, Dan, Toby and Finny get together to preview five matches full of intrigue. Tickets for our match against The Final Word taking place at Wormsley on 18th August uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh from stints at Lord's, the fashionable Steven Finn and the sage of the podcast Daniel Norcross join Toby Tarrant to look back at the World Test Final as South Africa beat Australia. There's also a review of both England Men and Women's white ball series against West Indies. Tickets for our match against The Final Word taking place at Wormsley on 18th August uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the second of an occasional series, Dan sits down with two more authors as part of The ZDG Book Club. And both are recent winners of prestigious awards - The Cricket Society / MCC Book of the Year and the Wisden Book of the year Worrell, The brief but brilliant life of a Caribbean pioneer, - Simon Lister One Hell of a Life, Brian Close, Daring, defiant and daft - Stephen Chalke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan and Finny are on a road trip so this episode was recorded as they navigated their way from Birmingham to Derby. The pair look back at both England Women and Men's recent fixtures with Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harry Brook in charge for their respective white ball series against West Indies with Ben Stokes in charge for the only Test against Zimbabwe. And of course, this wouldn't be Zero Ducks given if we just stuck to cricket... Finny describes having a supernatural experience and his dislike of single beds whilst Dan tells us about his "unique" way in beating a queue at an airport. We also find out he is a big fan of gravy...with consequences for those around him. Tickets for our match against The Final Word taking place at Wormsley on 18th August uk.emma-live.com/WormsleyFinal2025⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices