
Test Match Special
BBC
Insight and analysis from the Test Match Special team, including interviews with top players.
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
Sports & Recreation Podcasts
Networks:
BBC
Description:
Insight and analysis from the Test Match Special team, including interviews with top players.
Language:
English
Episodes
The team of the year with no fixtures
6/4/2025
BBC Cricket reporter Henry Moeran hears how the Scotland Women’s cricket team went from being their nations team of the year and their historic first World Cup appearance, to not having a single fixture in their calendar.
In December 2024, a month after playing in their first ever World Cup, Scotland’s women had just been named their nations sporting team of the year. Six months later, they have no International fixtures and have not played at home since 2022. Henry Moeran is joined by TMS commentator Daniel Norcross to assess what could be done to help Scotland and hears from the Director of Performance at Cricket Scotland, Steve Snell. Snell tells us how the lack of fixtures impacts the team and his message to the governing body.
Plus Scotland players Abtaha Maqsood and Sarah Bryce share their concerns of what could happen to Scottish cricket if the situation is not resolved.
Duration:00:29:43
Brook bags clean sweep as Kohli crowns career with IPL
6/3/2025
Henry Moeran presents reaction to England beating the West Indies at The Oval to win the ODI series 3-0. West Indies World Cup winner Carlos Brathwaite & England World Cup and Ashes winner Ebony Rainford-Brent analyse the result.
Jamie Smith gives his thoughts on the win with the batter starring as England’s opener, Brook reflects on a winning start to life as England white-ball captain, and West Indies captain Shai Hope looks back on a tough series for West Indies.
Nikesh Rughani, Matt Kabir Floyd, and former IPL batter Abhishek Jhunjhunwala give their reaction to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Virat Kohli winning the IPL. Plus, an emotional Kohli gives his thoughts on finally winning the Indian Premier League.
Duration:00:39:34
Root masterclass sees England win thriller
6/1/2025
Simon Mann, England Ashes winner Steven Finn, and former England batter & West Indies Roland Butcher react to Joe Root's vintage 166 in a thrilling victory for England against West Indies which sees them win the ODI series with a game to spare.
Root discusses his best ever ODI knock, whilst captain Harry Brook runs out of superlatives to describe Root. Plus, West Indies captain Shai Hope reflects on a game which got away from his side.
Duration:00:24:58
No Balls: County Cup glory, send-offs & edamame beans
5/30/2025
Alex Hartley & Kate Cross talk about Crossy winning the FIRST EVER Women's County Cup with Lancashire Thunder, her send-off when she bowled Kira Chathli, and they react to England's T20 clean sweep of West Indies. Plus, Alex gives a spin bowling masterclass.
Email us at: noballspodcast@bbc.co.uk
Duration:00:34:54
Brook begins white ball captaincy with emphatic win
5/29/2025
Jonathan Agnew is joined by Steven Finn and Carlos Brathwaite to discuss England’s 238 run win at Edgbaston in Harry Brook’s opening match as full time white ball captain.
We hear from Brook plus player of the match Jacob Bethell and West Indies captain Shai Hope. Also we reflect on Blue for Bob day in memory of Bob Willis hearing from former Prime Minister Sir John Major and Aggers takes a medical test live on air!
Duration:00:33:33
The making of new England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt
5/28/2025
Stephan Shemilt has been speaking to some of the people who have known Nat Sciver-Brunt the longest to determine if they always knew she was captaincy material.
Stephan speaks to former Middlesex captain turned commentator Isabelle Westbury who attended the same school as Nat Sciver-Brunt in the Netherlands and she shares her first thoughts on the all-rounder. Stephan is also joined by national selector Lydia Greenway who played alongside Sciver-Brunt for England and her former coach Mark Robinson who moved her up the batting order.
Plus we go behind the scenes and speak to Nat Sciver-Brunt's wife and England legend Katherine, who shares her memories of playing and living with the new England captain.
Duration:00:33:04
England v Zimbabwe: Bashir bags 6 in England win
5/24/2025
Jonathan Agnew presents reaction to England’s victory by an innings against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
Ashes winning captain Michael Vaughan, and former Zimbabwe bowler Henry Olonga discuss the test for England’s bowlers with Zimbabwe putting up stern resistance with the bat.
England captain Ben Stokes and player of the match Shoaib Bashir give their thoughts on the win, as Zimbabwe captain Craig Irvine looks at the positives his side can take from the defeat.
Former England players Phil Tufnell and Vic Marks look at Bashir’s performance as he picked up nine wickets across the match.
Plus, Henry Olonga sings the podcast out from the middle at Trent Bridge.
Duration:00:29:15
View from the Boundary - Geoff Norcott
5/24/2025
Comedian & writer Geoff Norcott joins Jonathan Agnew is the TMS commentary box at Trent Bridge.
He tells Aggers about his love for cricket starting when revising for exams in 1993, coaching his son's team, and being 6 not-out after batting for two hours.
Duration:00:35:26
England v Zimbabwe: Brilliance from Bennett but England eye victory
5/23/2025
Jonathan Agnew is joined by England Ashes winner Michael Vaughan, former England spinner Phil Tufnell, and former Zimbabwe fast bowler Henry Olonga for reaction to day two of the Test at Trent Bridge between England and Zimbabwe.
Is Test cricket Shoaib Bashir’s happy place? How does it feel to be Zimbabwe’s youngest ever Test Centurion? And how do England’s selectors put together the bowling attack for the rest of the year?
Duration:00:32:09
The cricketers who stood up to Mugabe
5/23/2025
Alison Mitchell speaks to Former Zimbabwe bowler Henry Olonga and former England captain Nasser Hussain about the black armband protest which caused Olonga and team-mate Andy Flower to flee Zimbabwe.
Hussain & Olonga speak for the first time since 2003 when the England captain met with Olonga to understand to situation in Zimbabwe. Plus, Jonathan Agnew recalls covering the story as the BBC's Cricket Correspondent.
Duration:00:35:25
England v Zimbabwe: Duckett, Crawley & Pope centuries see England on top
5/22/2025
Jonathan Agnew is joined by England Ashes winner Michael Vaughan, former England all-rounder Vic Marks, and former Zimbabwe fast bowler Henry Olonga for reaction to day one of the Test at Trent Bridge between England and Zimbabwe.
How does Zak Crawley look back on his innings of 124? What will England’s top order look like against India in June? When could an England declaration come? And how does Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza look back at a tough day in the field for his side?
Plus, England’s Sam & Tom Curran talk about a “special” day watching their younger brother Ben play Test cricket for Zimbabwe.
Duration:00:35:50
England v Zimbabwe: Stokes eyes “dominance” as Test cricket returns
5/21/2025
The BBC’s Chief Cricket Commentator Jonathan Agnew is alongside Chief Cricket Reporter Stephan Shemilt to look ahead to England’s first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
How will captain Ben Stokes approach the game after recovering from hamstring surgery in January? What is bowler Sam Cook thinking ahead of his debut? And Zimbabwe’s 6ft8 bowler Blessing Muzarabani tells Stephan about his journey to professional cricket.
Duration:00:37:53
No Balls: …We’re back!
5/21/2025
Alex Hartley & Kate Cross are back as a new era begins for England’s women with Charlotte Edwards as head coach and Nat Sciver-Brunt as captain.
What was Alex’s experience leaving Pakistan following international tensions with India? What does Kate think of England’s new leadership team? And what’s the weirdest thing they’ve ever talked about during a match?
Email us at: noballspodcast@bbc.co.uk
Duration:00:39:07
Inside Bazball: Brendon McCullum on England’s New Era
5/19/2025
Mark Chapman is joined by England fast bowler Mark Wood and former spinner Phil Tufnell to explore the future of English cricket. Head coach Brendon McCullum reveals his vision for the team’s new era, the evolution of Bazball, and why Harry Brook is key to the summer ahead. Plus, Charlotte Edwards on England Women’s approach and how the ECB is planning for the next generation.
Duration:00:52:36
Sciver-Brunt knows she’ll be judged on wins
5/14/2025
Henry Moeran is alongside Test Match Special’s Daniel Norcross to discuss Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards leading England for the first time as the side host the West Indies.
Henry speaks to the England captain ahead of next week’s T20 match against the West Indies. How have the last few weeks been for Sciver-Brunt? What kind of captain does she hope to be? And who would make the best (and worst) babysitter in the squad after she recently became a mother for the first time?
Test Match Special has full ball-by-ball coverage of the West Indies’ tour of England, with 3 T20 matches and 3 ODIs starting on Wednesday 21st May at 6.15pm.
Duration:00:30:24
Virat Kohli Retires from Test Cricket: End of an Era?
5/12/2025
Virat Kohli has walked away from Test cricket — so what does it mean for India and the future of the red-ball game? Mark Chapman is joined by Steven Finn, Deep Dasgupta, and Lawrence Booth to break down Kohli’s iconic career, his lasting legacy, and who could possibly fill his shoes. They also dive into the political tensions affecting the IPL and PSL — and what this shifting power balance means for global cricket.
Duration:00:52:35
Who next for India after Rohit steps down?
5/8/2025
After Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket just a month away from India’s Test tour of England, Henry Moeran is joined by former IPL player Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and commentator Nikesh Rughani. They look back on Rohit’s Test career, find out a bit more about him, and ask who is likely to lead India in England.
Duration:00:23:09
Buttler bounces back in the IPL
5/6/2025
Henry Moeran is alongside Test Match Special’s Daniel Norcross & Nikesh Rughani to discuss how Jos Buttler has returned to form for Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Is he more confident now the pressure of the England captaincy isn’t there? How can his form help the Titans go for IPL glory? What’s been the response to Jacob Bethell’s 28-ball 50 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Plus, does MS Dhoni need to call it a day?
BBC commentator Scott Read joins Henry & Daniel to discuss Lancashire’s start to the season which has seen them draw all four of their matches. Can the groundsmen and women do something to help the side out? Will Shoaib Bashir’s County Championship struggles bring questions around who will be England’s starting spinner? And will the injury misfortunes of Jordan Cox cost him his England selection?
Duration:00:44:24
Sciver-Brunt named captain as Lord’s hosts 2026 World Cup Final
5/1/2025
Henry Moeran is alongside BBC Sport Cricket writer Ffion Wynne at Lord’s as the ECB & the ICC launch the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, as it’s announced that the venue will host the final of the tournament.
After it was announced that Nat Sciver-Brunt would replace Heather Knight as England captain, what kind of captain would the all-rounder be? Charlotte Edwards looks forward to the partnership with Sciver-Brunt, and Lauren Bell & Sophia Dunkley share their excitement as England enter a new era.
Plus, Red Rose and World Rugby Women’s Player of The Year 2024 Ellie Kildunne discusses the impact a home international tournament can have on boosting a sport’s profile.
Duration:00:37:42
14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi stuns the IPL
4/29/2025
After 14 year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed record after record en route to his 35-ball hundred, Henry Moeran is joined by former IPL batter Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and commentator Matt Floyd to find out more about the teenage superstar. We learn more about his back story, how he’s been managed, and how Rajasthan Royals – and Indian Cricket – can look after and nurture such a precocious talent.
Duration:00:28:43