The Analyst Inside Cricket

Middlesex, one of England's strongest and oldest counties, has been brought virtually to its knees financially and performance-wise over the last five years. It is the only county that doesn't own its ground. Simon Hughes listens at the club AGM to rescue plans and the proposal to develop a new venue that it can call 'home.' Also in the episode Ben Stokes recent comments on the Ashes reactions back home, and we discuss the fiasco of the new substitutes rule in county cricket. #cricket #middlesex #england #lords Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Hughes spends the day at Hove watching Sussex overcome Warwickshire in a battle of Little and Large to become the only club in the country to have won both their opening championship games. A 140 run partnership between Sussex new boys Jack Leaning and Tom Price see them home. Head coach and former England assistant coach Paul Farbrace explains how passion and focus allied to smart acquisition enable Sussex to perform beyond their financial means. Also discussed: who should open the batting for England, how captaincy has helped Ollie Robinson, and are coaches too soft? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunday's big IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, featiring some of the biggest names in Indian cricket - notably Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah was instead dominated by an Englishman, Phil Salt, who walloped 78 off 36 balls in an opening stand of 120 with Kohli. RCB captain Rajat Patidar continued his outstanding tournament with a blistering fifty, and 240 was too much for Mumbai Indians. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review another run spree at the batting friendly Wankhede Stadum. #cricket #ipl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jamie Smith adds a second authoritative hundred to his season's output in partnership with a rehabilitated Ollie Pope against a modest Leicester attack at the Oval. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report on another Surrey run spree and assess the failures of some of the other batting contenders for Zak Crawley's England opening spot, with one outstanding exception - Ben McKinney's unbeaten 214 for Durham v hapless Gloucester. #countychampionship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first round of County Championship matches featured two totals over 500, five draws and a number of batsmen filling their early-season boots. Jamie Smith was one, promoted to number three by Surrey. What do we read into that and what else did we learn from those first matches? Simon Hughes and Simon Mann consider the entrails ad celebrate the continued excellence of the 43 year old Jimmy Anderson as he passes the 1150 first class wicket mark. #cricket #countychampionship #englandcricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A preview of the (Rothesay) County Championship title race, for 136 years the hardest-earned trophy in cricket. The season lasts 178 days at the end of which we will know if anyne can topple Nottinghamshire from their pedestal. Simon Hughes, who won 4 championship titles with Middlesex, is joined by Simon Mann and Surrey all-rounder and columnist CAMERON STEEL, to discuss: - the runners and riders, stinging April catches, the new substitute rule, whether Dom Sibley can oust Zak Crawley's from the England opening spot and some yound (and older) thrusters to follow. #cricket #england #countychampionship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some brilliant slower balls from Lungi Ngidi lures Lucknow Super Giants to 141 all out in the IPL. Delhi Capitals revive from 26-4 to take an excellent win in our first live watchalong of the tournament. Simon Mann and Simon Hughes comemntate on the last five overs and recap the first five matches of the competition, highlighting the early dominance of the batsmen, the remarkable 15 ball 50 of the 15 year old Vaibhav Suryavanchi and the bowlers finding some much needed help more recenrly. #ipl #cricket # Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 19th season of the Indian Premier League begins on March 28th with the new holders Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore beginning the defence of their title. Simon Hughes, Simon Mann and Deep Dasgupta air their thoughts on the likely winners and losers, the changes in personel, how the English players like Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer will fare and reveal why everything else in India stops while the IPL is on. It is truly the only show in town. #india #ipl #cricket #circus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the announcement that England head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key will keep their jobs and promise to evolve, we ask will it make any difference? The heirarchy always talk about the 'learnings' but are the players able to put them into practice? Simon Hughes and Simon Mann are joined by former England opener Nick Compton to ask if England can ever properly compete with the best teams abroad, or is county cricket too self-absorbed and the coaches too self-preserving to raise standards to elite levels? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Haseeb Hameed led Nottinghamshire to the county championship title last season with astute captaincy and a bucket load of runs. And at 29 he is in perfect shape to step back into the England side he last played for during Covid. While on a pre season tour in South Africa, Hameed talks to Simon Hughes and Simon Mann about how he has improved his game, the key to Notts success, his ambitions going forward and who he dreams of batting like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the week when some cricketers, notably spinners, were bought for astronomical sums in The Hundred auction, Monty Panesar reflects on his first Test appearance exactly 20 years ago. It was in Nagpur in March 2006 where the man who became known as The Sikh of Tweak took his first test wicket - and it was of course none other than the great Sachin Tendulkar. Monty recounts that day, his emotional celebration which became his signature, how Tendulkar presented him with a signed match ball and the impact of that moment. He, Simon Hughes and Simon Mann consider how far the game - which was paying him barely £20,000 at the time - has come since. This podcast is available ad-free on The Cricverse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

India dominated the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand from the fifth ball of the match which Sanju Samson pummelled for six. Seventeen more maximums resulted as the Indian batters sustained a full-scale assault. Sunil Gavaskar called it a massacre. Simon Hughes, Simon Mann and Deep Dasgupta analyse the match, especially Samson's unique style that eraned him the player of the tournament award. They also assess how any teams could have competed with India's batting expertise and ambition. We hear from Samson what it all means to him and from his coach who explains the special talent he always had. For an ad-free version of this podcast and more analysis on the T20 World Cup visit the Cricverse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an extrarordinary sustained display of hitting England finally succumbed to india's superiority with bat and ball in the T20 World Cup semi final. In a match featuring 499 runs and a record 34 sixes india were just too strong for England, despite a brilliant hundred by Jacob Bethell. Simon Hughes, Simon Mann and Deep Dasgupta review the match and also celebrate New Zealand's exceptional performance against South Africa in the other semi. Sunday's final in Ahmedabad could be epic. For more on the T20 World cup visit The Cricverse on substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sanju Samson, a quiet and often forgotten star of Indian cricket, reminds everyone of his exceptional talents with a stunning 97 not out to seal India's place in the T20 World Cup semi final. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review the way India over came West Indies and national expectation to win the match on the back of Samson's stunning innings. They discuss the prospects for the two semi finals, how England could surprise India in Mumbai, whether bowlers should just keep it simple and bowl at the stumps rather than use so many variations, and who will be champions on Sunday. For more on the T20 World Cup and the cricket world follow us at the Cricverse on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A brilliant runchase spearheaded by Will Jacks and supercharged by Rehan Ahmed pulled off an unlikely victory for England over New Zealand in Colombo. It gives England an impressive unbeaten record in the Super Eights and pits them as semi finalists against either India or West Indies. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann assess how England pulled off such an impressive victory on a tricky pitch and despite another failure for the opening pair of Jos Buttler and Phil Salt. The ingenuity of Harry Brook, the power of South Africa and India's huge threat are also discussed plus the sound of the New Zealand national anthem played at the wrong speed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A bowler dominated Sunday as the meaningful part of the T20 World Cup - the Super 8s - gets underway. Simon Hughes and former Indian batsman Deep Dasgupta assess how India allowed South Africa to make 187 after being 20-3 and then collapsed to 111 all out themselves. And in Pallekele, England stumbled to 146-9 with Jos Buttler again looking woefully indecisive, but then bowled Sri Lanka out for a paltry 95. This podcast is also available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheSimonhughes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the eve of the T20 World Cup Super Eights it has been revealed that Hundred franchises part-owned by Indian Premier League teams are being prevented from signing Pakistani players in the forthcoming Hundred auction. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann consider the ramifications of this for the ECB's campaign to improve diversity and inclusivity in the game. They are also joined by writer and commentator Peter della Penna to discuss the associate teams emergence in the T20 World Cup, an encouraging future for USA cricket, the likely semi finalists and when the world's leading T20 batsman, Abishek Sharma, will score his first run in the tournament. For more on the art of T20 batting, subscribe to The Cricverse on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A pivotal moment in the T20 World Cup as India beat Pakistan for the umpteenth time at the halfway point in the tournament. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann ask if anyone can beat India in this format (in their own conditions) and evaluate who else will join them in the Super 8s. They also discuss what makes Ishan Kishan so dynamic, the unusual bowling (and effective) action of Pakistan's Usman Tariq and evaluate England's chances after their scrappy win over Scotland. And, later in the show, the emerging force of USA cricket. Will they make it to the next stage, and why have they been so slow to develop their cricket after a great start in the 19th century? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An incredible T20 World Cup match between South Africa and Afghanistan which goes to a second super-over is followed by England slumping to defeat at the hands of West indies excellent spinners. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann analyse where England lost it, how Afghanistan almost won it and how the commentators Dale Steyn and Kas Nadoo almost lost their voices. For more analysis on the T20 World Cup subscribe to our blog The Cricverse on Substack. (click the link) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the T20 World Cup England almost suffer the ignominy of losing to brave, plucky Nepal. Sam Curran holds his nerve to put out Nepal's fire and defend 10 off the last over. Also in this episode we analyse India's near miss with USA, discuss the dominance of left handers and reveal that the India v Pakistan match, which is now back on, means $250m to the world game. Also the brilliant teenager Viabhav Sooryavanshi is assessed (age and ability). Also read Simon Hughes's assessment on Substack at https://cricverse.substack.com/p/teenage-destroyer?r=lo2wd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices