What is Flemball?

This week we’re joined by one of our favourite cricketers Kate Cross, who announced her retirement from the game earlier in the summer. She looks back at her playing highlights, how she got into the game, how women's cricket has changed and what’s next for her. Plus can she survive Mattchin’s latest Quiz ‘ Cross Examination - 24 minutes in Police Custody’ which is based around some of the more ‘unusual’ parts of her career?

In Correspondence of Uncertainty this week… throwing the Babar out with the Bathwater, Mistaken Maccabees, and the big question of Joe Root’s possibly shaven right arm. Listen to the end to hear the England captain’s right of reply. Plus Issy Wong gets a fifer whilst keeping on top of her lawn, and Mattchin’s quiz results in upheaval for both England and Gloucestershire.

For once the emergency isn’t an English one… Aatif Nawaz joins us as Pakistan send home nine of their touring party before the third and final test at Edgbaston. Flights have been booked for seven players and two coaches, including their head coach. Aatif is here to ask the big questions… Where’s the accountability? Who sacks the sackers? What about dinner with the King? Will Ghazi Ghori, gatecrasher of last week’s episode, now be keeping wicket?Plus Richard Thompson, Roy Hodgson, Sir John Major and ITV top brass all have the honour of meeting Mattchin.

A bonus episode featuring the greatest bowling partnership of all time - Stuart Broad and Sir Jimmy Anderson. Ahead of the unveiling of a portrait of the bowling greats, the Tailenders assembled in the Pavilion at Lord's to discuss the art of bowling, life after test match cricket, what next for the current England team and why they worked so well as a bowling partnership. Plus we get the lowdown on what it was like to paint the portrait from artist Jamie Routley.

In 2025 over 400 nightclubs and late night venues in the UK closed down but help is at hand in the form of the England men's cricket team who appear to be on a mission to keep these establishments open.Plus England v Pakistan review/preview, no northern Ashes men's test matches, the Mystery Chord and joy and pain for Bangladesh.

Jimmy’s not impressed with the solar eclipse and Sharky’s stuck 15 billion miles from Earth so let’s move on to cricket - next up for England is unpredictable/mercurial/enigmatic Pakistan. Will Pope, Lawrence and Cox seize on their chance to impress? At time of recording Bangladesh are giving Australia a tough time in Darwin. Roushan Alam explains why the country’s test team is on the up, but its fans will continue to prepare for the worst. And Mattchin’s been exploring the Tailenders vaults for a new words-based quiz.

It’s goodbye Bazball, hello Flemball - but what can we expect from the Stephen Fleming era? Plus the Tailenders find themselves in a social media pile on, Dinosaur cricketers (literally), more cricketing confessions need absolving, perhaps the best ‘Garden Furniture Shoutout’ ever and an open invitation for Jeetan Patel to come on the pod.

‘Clickgate’ rocks the world of Village Cricket,  Greg is in trouble with the law, Mattchin invokes the ‘Spirit of Cricket' for his latest quiz and the pros and cons of Cricketing Songs.

We follow Harry Brook and Liam Plunkett in an attempt to switch codes and do a bit of baseball. We do so with no Greg and Jimmy, so it’s left to Felix and Mattchin to initiate Melanie Newman and Xavier Scruggs into the world of cricket.Mel and X are usually found hosting MLB Bases Covered Live with Felix, but this week they’ve been at Lord's to soak in England's ODI victory over India. They explain why Ben Duckett’s scoop is nasty, how Chris Woakes is an icon, and why the Czech Republic are baseball's ones to watch. Plus a Mattchin quiz featuring baseball legends Randy Sam, Alexis "Sombrero" del Fuente, and Hot Steve.

Tailenders tech chaos this week as Greg sneaks off from holiday to present live from a southern French location whose WiFi only allows 5 minute cameos. When he does freeze, Felix steps in like Dan Burn to cover his teammate. Issy Wong runs us through an emotionally draining weekend at Lord’s, featuring retirements for Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Ecclestone’s name on the Honours Boards, and ultimately a convincing India victory… and some kerfuffle over a Rubik’s Cube. There was also a men’s team announcement in the midst of it; Sir Jimmy Anderson reflects on the cherished early years of the Brendon McCullum era and the impact of the unloved ‘Bazball’ moniker.