Test Match Special - 1st T20I vs SA: Brutal Bairstow blasts England to victory

Episode Date: November 27, 2020

Jonathan Agnew is joined by Tymal Mills and Andy Zaltzman to look at England’s five-wicket win over South Africa in the first T20 at Cape Town, helped by Jonny Bairstow’s brutal career-best 86 not out. But is number four where Bairstow should be batting? Tymal Mills explains why he should always be one of the first names on the teamsheet, but it’s a mixed day for the Curran family as Sam shines, but Tom has trouble. And Tymal praises the bowling action of a fellow left-arm quick… former England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

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from BBC Radio 5 Live. Hello, this is Jonathan Agnew. Welcome to the Test Match Special podcast. We're a brutal 86 not out from Johnny Beirstow off just 48 balls, helped England to victory against South Africa in the first T20 in Cape Town. We'll hear for Johnny Beirstow in a moment,

but with me are the former England bowler, Timmel Mills, and our regular statistician Andy Zaltzman. Greetings to you both. Let's get a thought on that best air winnings. Shall we start with you, Tammal. It looked lost that game, if we're honest. Yeah, it was. you're right in the powerplay

South Africa bowled really well there was some early turn there for the debutant Linda but yeah England found themselves three down at the end of the power play which is never usually a good place to be in but with this England batting line up you're never out the game and Ben Stokes

and Johnny Berstow in particular prove that tonight it's interesting isn't it because we all know that Bairstow wants to open it's what he wants to do and he's got out there his chest puffed out batting at number four and he's batted like this and no doubt he'll be thinking there you go that'll show you but actually it's rather

It's rather proved the selector's point, isn't it? Yeah, exactly. As you say, the only thing it's proved that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet for me. Whether he's batting one, two, three, four, five, wherever it is. He's proving that he can deliver, you know, time and time again. But yeah, you're right. It looks like he might have just kind of rubber stamped himself in at number four for the foreseeable future. Yeah, he does play spin well and talk about T20 World Cups and so on in India.

Maybe that's a good thing. Andy Zaltzman, greetings to you. Hello, I guess. Now then, have you been excited by what you've seen today, statistically? You usually are. Well, even the dullest of games has some fascinating stats, agers, if you're someone like me. And this was far from a dull game. It's an excellent game of T20.

And, well, a best O's innings, to put it in some statistical context, 86 not out, in a winning chase. The third best by an England batsman in a successful chase in T20 internationals. The other two by Alex Hales, who was opening. and the fourth best by a player from any country in T20 internationals in a winning chase when batting at four or lower behind an innings by a Kemp of South Africa in 2007 and two more recent innings from Glenn Maxwell. So it was a rare innings to score 86 in a successful chase batting at four. And you mentioned how Bairstow's been shuffled around the order for England.

He's now got 50s in T20s at 2, 3, 4 and 5. And he's batted 3, 4, 5 and 6 for England in tests T-20s and one-day international. So in all three formats, he's batted in those positions as well as others in each of them. But in all three formats, four different positions in the batting order. And before today, he'd scored just 29 runs in four innings batting at four in T-20s, although that was quite a long time ago

early in his career. So it was a terrific innings and had some nice stats attached to it. Yeah, excellent. I'll just run through the flow of the game, for people who weren't following it. England won the toss, puts South Africa in, And, well, you could see who've been playing IPL, basically. De Placie played really fluently, 58 from 40 balls to cock 30.

There's a nice inning to fund the Dusen, though, 37 from 28 balls. A bit of a mix of a night for the Curran's. Sam Curran, three for 28, his best bowling figures for England. Tom Curran, one for 55 from his four. He went for 16 off his last. Adir Rashid, very tidy as usual, four over's 27. So, 180 to win. It looked about par, actually, from our perspective, at least.

in no time at all, Ingram, 27 for 2. Roy was out for naught. Linda, the debutant, getting a wicket with just his second ball. He actually bowled the first over at Roy. We'll talk about that in a second as well. Milan, he also claimed, well caught by Rabada for 19. 34 for 3, then, in the 6th, and it seemed to be slipping away. Stand of 85, between Berto and Stokes, who made 37.

He was out at 119 for 4, so 61 needed from 5 overs. It looked very much to be South Africa's game. Upstepped Boyron Hendricks, who delivered an over. the 17th, which will haunt him, I suspect, for a very long time. 28 came from it. It was just, I mean, bowlers all everywhere will just have felt for him. It was our horrible over. It just looked as the pressure had got to him.

There's a horrendous five-wide delivery that didn't land on the cut part of the pitch. It just looked to me as if the pressure had got to him. It was a match changing over. It really was. From that point on, it was it. Although England lost Morgan for 12, Johnny Beirstow hit a six to finish it with four balls. to spare. So England winning by five wickets. That's the long and the short of it. Let's deal with that over Tamal, shall we? Because, you know, we've all been there. It just looked. When that five wides went,

I think a lot of bowlers that have thought, oh, I'm not sure that he's, I'm not sure that he's fancying this very much. No, and it was definitely the case of the England batsmen. They sniffed a bit of blood as well, didn't they? They got themselves there. It was a big over, wasn't it? I think, what did I write down? There was 51 needed off four. So the game was definitely in the balance going into that over. If anything, you're fancying South Africa to close it out with Ngedi and Rabada, still with a couple of overs to bowl.

So they obviously were probably going to eye up that over whatever happened, and Buren Hendricks definitely gave the English batsman more than a helping hand, especially when you bowl five wides in the manner that he did. Doesn't look good. No, it doesn't, and it kind of just sets up what's to come after that.

It was interesting because there's no doubt that the pitch was just sticking a little, and I mean that the spinners found a bit of turn the bowlers that just took the pace off the ball with slower balls and so on were harder harder to hit but hendricks seemed to go for the old-fashioned ploy of just trying to bowl full pace and get it full so in fact tactically i think it's fair to say that he made a mistake yeah and i think it was a good good cricket for t20 cricket obviously 180 runs was chased down so it wasn't a low-scoring affair but there was a little bit of turn as you say

slower balls were gripping a little bit so there was plenty there for the bowlers but yeah you're right hendricks didn't he didn't get it right all All in all today, and that happens sometimes. And again, that might be another factor to consider when these guys, Hendricks included, haven't played a lot of cricket. Obviously, he wasn't one of the South Africans that has been off of the IPL. He's only been playing domestic cricket. I'm not sure how much T20 domestic cricket they've been playing.

I know they've been playing four-day cricket. So there's a little bit of rustiness definitely creeping around, and that's something that England definitely don't have the excuse of coming back of a pretty much full international summer. And then quite a lot of the guys being at the IPL also. Yeah, I think that's a fair point to make. As far as that overgoes, Andy, statistically, 28. That's a lot of runs.

How does it stand? It is a lot of runs, I guess that's more than you ever conceded in a whole county season, isn't it? What possible. It was the second most expensive over by a South African bowler in T20 behind Wayne Parnell's epic 32 runover against England in 2012 at Edgebaston. And the joint third most expensive by any. bowler against England. His overall analysis, Nort for 56, also the third most expensive by a South African bowler in T20s.

So it was very bad. And in terms of bad overs when defending, as you said, the 17th over, as Tamar said, the game was probably slightly in South Africa's favour at that point, went going for 28. It's the joint fifth most expensive over in the second innings of a T20 international out of over 17,000 overs bowled.

Poor chap. Everybody doesn't dent his confidence too much. Timal, let's talk selection because it was an interesting call by England today. And I'd like to get your thoughts on this because they don't play a lot of T20 cricket and we know that the T20 World Cups been played in India in October next year.

And with so few games, and the fact that they are actually going on tour to India and they'll play a handful of games there in the spring. How do you juggle the selection when you're in somewhere like South Africa, which is about as far removed from playing cricket in India as it comes? How do you juggle selecting a team that you think is the right team for South African conditions as opposed to picking a team and saying, look, this is the balance that we're going to play predominantly

and including the World Cup that's coming up? So therefore we're going to play Mowin Ali, I would say, because I'm pretty sure that he'd be looking to play in the, the T20 World Cup? It's a difficult one. I think going from the way Owen Morgan has spoken over the last couple of years

and how teams have been constructed, he often just tries to win the series that's put in front. They pick a squad for a series and then they try and win the series. They don't try and mess around too much looking too far ahead. As you say, I think I read

apologies if I got it wrong. I think the tour to India has been changed slightly. I think they've gotten rid of a test match and added a couple of extra T20s. That's the plan, yes. I think there might be five T20s now. So that's a proper dress rehearsal as such, isn't it?

Because you're in the backyard of where you're going to be for the World Cup. You'll take a squad accordingly. And then you can maybe have a bit more of a look at players because obviously it's a five-match series plus the ODIs as well. So I think England will just be trying to win this series, get the guys back together again. So it's the first time that they've ever played Ben Stokes and Joffar Archer in the same international T20 side,

which is, you know, you'd be surprised. I was definitely surprised at that. Ben Stokes didn't even know himself I saw in pre-match when he was saying. So they're using the opportunity just to get what they feel is the best 11 from the 15 that they've got with them right now

and then get those out in the park. And if they go and win again the next game on Sunday, then maybe Monday they'll experiment a little bit more. I just wonder, because I felt that's possible the wrong side anyway here. I don't know about you, but it just seemed as soon as the spinners started bowling, as if there was that little bit of grip there, they were hard to hit. And I wonder if, actually, in hindsight, they might have played Mowen anyway. Yeah, potentially, but, you know, Moen hasn't been in the greatest of form, has he didn't play an awful lot for England in one day cricket in the summer.

And he wasn't maybe as convincing as what he would like. He then went to the IPL. I think he only played one or two games for RCB and the whole of the IPL. So he hasn't come into this series in South Africa, you know, in the form of his life. life in red-hot form. So that will have to come into it. We obviously, we're not there in South Africa. We don't know what's going on at training. We don't know who's looking good. We don't know who's looking bad. You know, Tom Curran could have had the best, you know, weeks training anybody's ever seen. And it would have been a no-brainer from a, from a selection point of view. That's,

obviously, with all the COVID rules and everything, you know, I'm sure you'd have loved to being in Cape Town right now and not sat in your living room in Leicestershire. But unfortunately, that's not the case. But, yeah, as I said, England are very fortunate with the squad. that they've got in front of them and as I say there's still five matches left in this tour across the two formats and I'm pretty confident you'll see

most guys that have been selected in the squad play at some point. Well I hope we've seen Wood versus Nokia for a start because I mean they're both obviously I mean Nokia both serious pace and obviously we know that Mark Wood does too but unfortunately they're neither of them played today. Yeah definitely

Nokia was a real standout in the IPL he was signed as a replacement player. He wasn't him supposed to be in the IPL at all in the first place. It doesn't really have a, you know, a reputation as a T20 player. He plays test cricket for South Africa. Pretty sure the IPL was his first ever, you know, franchise tournament. And then, yeah, he burst, really burst onto the scene bowling some of the, you know, the fastest balls ever in IPL. So he, um, hopefully we get to see him because as you say,

everybody likes watching fast bowling. Mark Wood included from an England point of view, Joffre Archer. So yeah, hopefully that will add another dimension to the, to the series. obviously the next match goes to Pahl so it'll be a different wicket, a different pitch, different ground, different atmosphere

and yeah, hopefully we get a little shake-up in the sides for an entertainment point of view as well. Yeah, Andy Zaltzman. Well, I think there should be a new law in cricket

that if you've got bowlers who can bowl mid-90s you're legally obliged to play them because that's why everyone wants to watch. I'm sure Tamal would be hugely in favour of that as well. 100% from a personal point of view. One thing, England,

concerned about it, but the batting power play, just 34 for three. It was the third time in their last seven T20 internationals. They scored it less than a run-a-ball in the power play, having not done so in 30 matches dating back to the 2016 World T20 final. So there's been just a few, though, a couple in the summer, and then today, where they didn't get the aggressive, rapid start they've been used to. And a lot of that was due to the debutant Linda, who had two for two from two overs at the end of the power.

play. He was the earliest, on debut, the earliest South African bowler has taken a T20 international wicket in his career since Rory Kleinfeldt got a first ball wicket way back in 2008. So a promising debut for South Africa.

Yeah, and interesting that he came on to bowl that first over at Jason Roy, who of course we know loves the pace of the ball coming on and so on. So the deliberately bowler spinner action, which again is we look way ahead to the World T-D You can definitely see that being a tactic, can you? Too well? Yeah, definitely. There's so much data. There's so many, so much analytics that goes on in cricket.

Every team will be looking at what matchups might favour us, what the opposition do well, what they don't do well. Field placings. I'm sure you'll see some quirky field placings. The way the game is going, it's obviously a lot more that way inclined, as I said, with analysts. And every game you play in professional cricket, if you're playing on TV and there's somebody there, you know, coding the game, you're trying to friends and your patterns, they come up. So if you do have a weakness, it will be tested. Not saying it will be successful all the time, but if a team feels it can get an advantage,

as South Africa fought today, by opening up with a bit of spin, they're going to certainly give it a good crack. It's not something that's been a problem for Roy, certainly recently. It's the first time he's been out against spin in the power play since January 2017, in T20s. And in the innings since then,

11 times he's face spinners in power plays and until today he scored 98 runs and not been out from 54 balls. So actually he's been quite productive against spin early on but just played a loose shot today. It's his fifth duck in T20s putting him clear of Alex Hales

with most ducks by an England opener in T20 international cricket. A word about Sam Karan then he's, I don't know you watch him bustling in and bowling it is, well I think he's a bit more than what he used to be. I think when he first came in

and played international cricket I think he has put a yard of pace on whatever that means since then but those are his best figures for England three for 28 lots of variety now isn't they quite quite cunning over the wicket round the wicket and that sort of variety of slower balls as well

and length he got a wicket with a bouncer today he did he bowled got a couple of buckets sorry with bounces I see he doesn't bowl express pace by any means he's not a tall man either but he uses his bumper well so you get one you're allowed to bowl one and over and it's important that if you're not

the quickest bowler. You don't want to be predictable if you're putting the ball in and around a length. You've got to use your shortball as a surprise ball. And he's coming to this series on the back of a really impressive IPL. I think the way Chennai Super Kings and M. Sona used him, you know, he opened the bowling. He often was batting up in the top order as well. He was given a lot of responsibility and he stood up to that well during the IPL. So I'm sure that's giving him a lot of confidence coming into the international side where he probably previously has been on the outside looking in in terms of white ball cricket and now as I say on the back of a really impressive IPL with the bat and ball he's taking his game up to another level for me yeah

let's just give Andy a little bit of a moment to look up Ben Stokes's record in international T20s bowling wise are talking here because it didn't bowl again today and and it's interesting I mean he often doesn't bowl and then he often doesn't bowl very much and then suddenly he comes on and bowls a huge long spell in a test match that can change a game of course like heading a couple of years ago do you've got sort of the knowledge of what's happening with Ben Stokes

and how fit he is for bowling because it is odd it hasn't played that many international T20s in fact but not to bowl Ben Stokes at all yeah it's rare that he doesn't bowl in a T20 game it's only the second time since

2014 that he's not played that many. He's only his 27th T20 international today and only his fourth in the last two years. But we've seen England, well in all formats really using him in a sort of targeted fashion. There'll be times where he doesn't bowl, generally in one-day international crickets. In fact, it's only once in the last almost four years, a lot since January 2017 that he's bowled a full 10 over spell in one-day internationals. And in tests there'll be long periods when they don't use him, but as you say, they do bring him on often when nothing is happening for the

other bowlers. We saw it in the first test, I think it was in Sri Lanka a couple of winters ago, we saw it at Old Trafford a fierce spell of bumpers that turn the second test in the series England's way up there. So he, in terms of his overall

workload, it's not that much, but then he has these occasional marathon spell. So when you look at his statistics, in terms of wickets per match, he doesn't rate that highly. but the impact of his bowling I think is significantly higher than just looking at his

bald average or regularity of wickets. Yeah, fair point. Well, no doubt about the man of the match today, 86 and 48 balls, he finished it with his fourth six. Johnny Berto's been talking to Stefan Schemelt. Johnny, well batted. What is it about you playing special innings in Cape Town?

I don't really know, to be honest with you. It seems to be one of my favourite grounds like you say and I quite like it being my favourite ground it's an amazing place to come and play cricket like the sun going down to there of the mountain and it was just unfortunate we didn't have a special crowd in to witness a game like that because they would have thoroughly enjoyed it 34 for three then needing 51 from four overs at those moments did you feel like you're a second favourite? I think that with the strength and depth that we know we've got in the batting

line up, you're always in with a chance. It needs a partnership, doesn't it? And we build that partnership, Ben and I, and then, yeah, it went on from there. So, look, what was the stat that you mentioned with four overs to go, sorry? 51 needed from four. Yeah, see, I didn't even really register that. we were pretty happy with where we were at, obviously we needed one big over and we know that the guys that we've got coming in can clear the ropes.

Was that you saying that you should be opening the batting or does it prove that the middle order is actually the best place for you? Look, I want to be playing cricket for England. That's first and foremost. look as I don't mind, it's a case of as long as I'm contributing and putting in match-win performances, whether I'll be opening the batting, whether that'd be batting at four, batting at six previously like I have done, than soviet. So Johnny Beirsto facing a few bouncers from Stefan Schemilt.

He seemed, he's played quite a straight bat there, Steph. He was in a very good mood, actually, Agers. And it's good to see, isn't it, for Johnny Birsto, because he's had a reasonably difficult year in international cricket, particularly in test cricket, but also when you think that he went to the IPL, he didn't do a great deal wrong, and he lost his place in the Sunrises Hyderabad team.

So if you wanted to pick someone from the England team to get a score, it is Johnny Bester, especially think as well, he is sort of shunted up and down. He sort of fills the holes wherever England find a gap. He's the man who they asked to do that job. And yeah, he was in very, very good form tonight. And like you say, he was playing a straight bat on that question over where he should bat in the bat in order, as he probably will do when he's just got a score.

Yeah, because as he said, all he actually wants to do is play. I know that's a straightforward answer, but it's the truth, really, isn't it? It is, especially when he's lost his place in the test side. And he must also know as well that there's always pressure on a batsman's place in this England white ball set up. when you look at the players that they've left out, Sam Billings tonight, Joe Root not even in the squad. And so, yes, all those batsmen do know that they just want to play. They'll take the spot however it comes, but particularly from Baxter when he has had experience in different teams, the England test team and at the IPL, of sitting on the sidelines over the past 12 months.

Yeah. And Owen Morgan, has he had much to say after that? Very honest, actually, Owen Morgan. He said that despite the win, England were pretty average. that there was only two or three players that actually put their hand up and really put in a performance. He highlighted their effort with the ball. He said he thought that at times they bowled too full.

And he said that being 30 odd for three just wasn't good enough. He said that top order, they didn't put partnerships together, which is what you have to do when you're chasing a score like that. Now, of course, he admitted that he's still happy to come away with a victory, saying that Ben Stokes and Johnny Berstow really dragged them back. into it. So from that point of view, he's happy. But what he's saying is, look, I want to see some improvements over the next couple of games, even if we don't get the results. Because he's, in the back of his mind, he's thinking we're trying to put a team together to win that World T20.

And really, you'd have to say, tonight, this is England saying, this is our formation, this is our top six. These are the bowlers. Yes, we might swap someone in or out, maybe Moeen, depending on the conditions. But these are the 11 that have been given the chance. and it sounds like Owen Morgan isn't best pleased with some of them. Fair enough. Well, Honest is the best way if they're going to really lift that World T20, isn't it? Thanks, Stephen. And Andy, any more thoughts from you

regarding that run chase? Well, it was, as we've talked about England, started poorly. They scored 149 runs after the fall of the third wicket to win. That's the most England have scored after being three down to then win a T20 and the joint third most by any team in the international history of this format. They've got 54 runs in the last four overs. That's the second most England have hit in the last four overs to win a T20 game.

They've now won six of their last eight completed T20 internationals and four of their last five chasing, three of which have been in their highest five chases today, 180 to win. It's their fifth highest chasing this format. And they'll be raising a glass, I suspect, Boer and Hendricks. for the contributions in that run chase. Thank you, Andy.

The anti-man of the match. Thank you very much indeed for that. Now, you may have seen on social media. Footage of Tottenham playing indoor cricket at their training ground. Deli Alley taking a brilliant catch off his foot. Plus, a lot of people mentioned how well Joe Hart bowled, including bowling a few bouncers to Harry Kame. We know that Joe Hart is a cricket fan has been on Testam Special.

Timal, have you seen it? I have. You couldn't miss it. It went viral, didn't it, on social media? They were rather good. yeah they're very good it's surprising it's not often it's often the other way around

isn't it you see how's cricketers well used to see how's cricketers playing football before every day's training and play it no longer

but yeah you very rarely see other other teams playing cricket before no actually soniel gavisker

always said to me when he watched the Indian cricket team playing football I said what do you think of this son he said when I see

the German football team warming up before a World Cup match playing cricket I'll think it's a good idea but actually you know it's also pretty good stuff

there I think Joe Hart's got a decent action isn't he yeah as I think he played cricket growing up didn't he played for Shropshire age groups I think so he knows Jack Shantry a little bit who played for Worcestershire slightly different action to Jack Shantry he was a frog in a blender wasn't he but no it was impressive he got it through

there definitely did whoever was backing for was it Harry Kane I think he cleaned up definitely did Harry Kane for pace but yeah look it was good to see isn't it obviously they got their quick cricket set in the dressing room and the changing rooms at the nice new stadium at Spurs or the training ground, wherever they were

and it was good to see cricket being played by some footballers Yeah, certainly was. Elsewhere, the Australian summer got underway last night. There's sentries from Steve Smith. The captain Aaron Finch helped Australia to a 66 run win over India at the SCG in front of a crowd

as well. Adam Zamper took four for 54 from his 10 overs. I guess the most pleasing thing after that is that we definitely didn't play our best cricket I think both sides were probably a little bit underdone out there you can see there was a lot of misfields, a lot of drop catches and there was some average cricket among a lot of good cricket too so from our point of view we got the win but wasn't our best cricket.

Aaron Finch who has led this team so strongly so well a word on him and his innings. Yeah he set it up great for us. You know he's done that for a very long time. He lays a platform for guys like Smitty to come in and do what he does and Maxie as well to come in do what he does too so yeah he's done it for a long time. Steve Smith and Led Maxwell were equally as good as you said.

The way it started, the run chase, Mitchell Stark and that first over, what was going through your mind at that point of the game? I guess, you know, Stark is a really attacking guy, so a lot of the times he gets us one or two wickets in the first over as well, so you've got to kind of take the bad with the good, but we always say as a bowling attack, we've just got to try and take wickets. That's what builds the pressure and that's what we did tonight. And yourself and Josh both did that.

What do you put tonight's success down to? particularly for yourself? Just that attacking mindset. We're always trying to get wicked, even when we're under the pump. They were going at 10, 12 and over at the start. Rather than going defensive, we go attack. The lead up to this game and the isolation and the staggered preparation you had with guys in different parts of the squad.

How would you describe that experience? Bizarre. Rocking up today at the hotel, or last night at the hotel and then seeing some guys you haven't seen for a while today on game day. It was a little bit weird, but yeah. Yeah, weird, bizarre. Do you think there was a bit of that rawness, I suppose, lacking in the field? Yeah, I guess so. Like, we haven't done many fielding sessions together, especially under lights and under that pressure.

You can't really imitate that game-like pressure. So, yeah, as I said, too, it was a bit of a bizarre feeling to that. Yeah, see, Michael Vaughn, Tim Mell has been saying that you thinks Australia should comprehensively win all formats in that tour. What do you think about that? Oh, unlike Bawney to make a big opinion, isn't it? to stay on the fence. But yeah, look, it's interesting. Obviously, the IPL boys, obviously all the Indian players coming straight from the IPL,

not getting any time in between, you know, those guys that play in the final. I think they literally flew the, flew the next day. So it's been constant cricket for a lot of guys involved in this series from both sides. Obviously, Australia playing in home conditions. And they've made a really good start with 374 in the first innings. It's a great way to start your international some Aaron Finch, 100. Steve Smith scored a brilliant 100 in the 105 from 66. Glenn Maxwell.

I already didn't hit a six for the whole of the IPL, and then he hit three today against India. But yeah, I think India will have to maybe look to shake up their side a little bit because Hardik Pandy is playing purely as a batter, so he's not bowling. So they've only got five bowling options. And today, unfortunately, when you come up against Finch and Steve Smith and the like in the form, they do,

you do need that sick bowler sometimes. So, yeah, Australia, obviously, made a really good start. And it's obviously a heavyweight series. Viracoli is going to be leaving after the first test. He's just had for paternity leave. So after the first test, he'll go back to India. So it takes a little bit of the edge and the glamour off the series, not having Varat play the whole series.

But it's good to have international cricket back, isn't it? Obviously, West Indies played New Zealand as well in a T20, which was a brilliant game at Eden Park. And Pakistan are also in New Zealand as well. So it's good to see international cricket finally kind of getting off the ground all around the world, obviously, after we kind of started it off again in the summer, in our English summer. Yeah, good to see a crowd at the,

The SCG as well. Just one other thing to look out for. I've been doing a series of interviews with famous TMS voices from around the world about their lives in cricket, how they got into commentary and their thoughts on the game. Here's a sample of me speaking to Jim Maxwell, who told me how a stroke that he had in 2016 changed his approach to life. I don't know. It's rejuvenated me in some way, having had that experience, even though, you know, I still have the legacy of a lack of movement on my right side. And I mean, trying to play golf, but it's a little bit of a struggle. But, you know, like so many things that can happen to you, you think, well, it could have been worse. Here I am. I can do what I'm able to do and carry on. So I'm very fortunate in that regard when I think about the alternative to it at the time because it was a pretty rough moment.

And it was actually while I was broadcasting that I had the stroke, which makes it even more memorable as something that happens in your life that is a sort of trigger point or whatever. So look out for voices of the world on the TMS podcast feed. I've also spoken to Fasia Mohammed in Trinidad and look out soon for one with India's Prakash Warkanka. Well, that's it for today. Mills and his Zaltzman, Stefan Schemelt, keep an eye out on the BBC Sport website

and the app for more features and analysis and we'll come back with the TMS podcast at the end of the T20 series. The TMS podcast

from BBC Radio 5 live. BBC sounds. As things slowed down for everyone this year, I've decided to reach out to Virgil Van Dyke amongst loads of other A-list guests. That buzz of going out there

playing for 60,000, at Enfield, you're going to miss that at one point. I talked to them about what gets them up in the morning and how they dealt with the world grinding to a hole. I really don't have those days when I think I don't want to because I know I have to.

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