Test Match Special - CWC Day 43: Is cricket coming home?

Episode Date: July 11, 2019

Did it really happen? Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook join Jonathan Agnew to relive England’s emphatic win over Australia that puts them into Sunday’s final, where they’ll meet New Zealand. Eoin Morgan exclusively reveals to us that this win is ‘definitely one of the better days’ that he’s had. In another understatement, Jofra Archer tells us that the world cup has gone ‘pretty alright’ for him.

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Welcome to the TMS podcast of the Cricket World Cup. In comes Berendorf then. Two needed to win, and Morgan heaves that away over mid-on. And England are through to the World Cup final. What a famous victory here today. They've hammered Australia by eight wickets with more time to spare than they could ever want. An absolutely chastening experience for Australia who must return here on the 1st of August for the year. ashes.

Hello, this is Jonathan Agnew, and it brings me great delight to say that England are in a World Cup final. After defeat to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia, it may seem the long way off, but thanks to an eight wicket win here at Edgebaston, they'll face New Zealand at Lords, their first World Cup final since 1992. In this podcast, I'll be joined by Michael Vaughn, Sir Aleister Cook, a rather unhappy Jim Maxwell. We'll hear from England's captain Owen Morgan, Joe. Root Joffre Archer. But there's only one place to start here at Edgebaston. The TMS podcast, available

every day during the Cricket World Cup. So where do we start? Let's start at the very start, which was the toss, Michael. When Owen Morgan called incorrectly, a little few long faces in here I'm saying to you, what does that do with the odds that shift? And we all accepted that. So that did probably shift the odds towards Australia. Little did we know. Yeah, I mean, So the first ball, Warner just caressed it through the covers before and I think we all thought, oh, this looks an absolute beauty. That wicket of Aaron Finch, the confidence levels of the Australian camp, when they know that the skippers walking back to the pavilion being out first ball, that was a bitter blow for Australia to take.

England were outstanding with the ball. And I think it ended up being a good toss to lose. It did a little bit. But when you win by such a huge margin, I don't think it swayed the game at all because England have just arrived and played with so much dominance, so much power, so much finesse. In the field, they were electric, had great plans to all the different batsmen that were out there for Australia. The captain was on it. It was making great changes.

And in the last three games, you know, we've seen an England side that we've seen for the last two years in one-day cricket. And we've all been saying, oh, can they do it on that one-off occasion when it really matters? Can they continue to play that brand of cricket? Well, they have done. And I said it a few games ago, this England side is so good. that in this tournament, they haven't really been in that many tight games. The Shrine can chase at Henley. That became tight because of the way that they batted.

But they are so big and strong that they might do this to New Zealand on Sunday. They've got so much power in the team and they've got so many really good combinations. You know, we're talking to Jason Roy and the fact that he brought this swagger and this kind of real egotistical way of playing to the side, which every team needs that style of player. Great presence out in the middle. But Liam Plunkett coming into the side for Mowing Ali, you know, a great change. Having five seamers, you know, I think there was many of us, why do you need

five seamers? Well, it's really worked for England having that fifth seam option. They've played great cricket. The atmosphere here has been electric. I can't wait for Sunday. I mean, to think that we're the fortunate few that are going to be at Lords on Sunday, broadcast in England in a home World Cup final, it's remarkable. And all the players deserve all the credit, the management, everyone that's been involved in English cricket, Andrew Strauss four years ago, sticking with Owen Morgan. You know, he was the visionary of this white ball team. He changed the contracts.

He made them more in part with the test team in terms of the contracts. So there's so many people that deserve the credit, Sunday's going to be amazing. I can't wait for it. I can't wait. I can't wait. Alecester Cook, how do you feel, having seen that today? I feel quite strange. I can't believe I've just kind of watched that two and a half hours there and be always

thinking there's a twist in the tail. And actually, England, there was no twist. They were just so good. they were so confident in the play that first few overs there's always given those nerves chasing a score but as soon as you saw that Jason Roy carve Mitchell start before I was in the second or fourth over I can't remember kind of you just thought England got this and he played so well and you know Michael's kind of said everything about what this you know how it's changed

around and it and it is full credit and I spoke to Joe Root just before the India game I don't know what made me talk wanting to pick up the phone and text him just to make sure they're okay because you know they've gone into that side as in this tournament favourites and they had a couple of bad games and he instantly takes back yeah we're all good we're four games away from winning we need to start playing like we're the number one side in the world and if we win these two games we are carrying all that momentum into the semi-finals would have beaten two out two of you know obviously india and new zealand which one of them they thought they might play in the final let's let's just join uh simon man who's with the man

of the match. Yeah, I've got Chris Wilkes with me. Man of the match on your home ground, World Cup semi-final, some up that day. Yeah, pretty special, really. I can't really tell you anything otherwise. You know, obviously a bit of nerves and a bit of anxious energy

knocking around this morning from the whole team, I think, but it's understandable coming into such a big game, a semi-final of a World Cup. But just really pleased with how the day's gone. I think we couldn't have asked for any more from everyone in the team to bowl the way we did

and then to knock it off in that fashion is pretty special. Can you remember the first ball at your bowl? yeah it wasn't a great one it was a long half folly and to a player of David Warner's quality he's going to put that away every day of the week so yeah it's a bit disappointed with my start

but after that I think I pretty much got every ball right which I'm really pleased with and the key wicket the absolutely crucial wicket of David Warner yeah exactly we know how it's such a big player him and Aaron Finch at the top of the order that he's for the Australians we know if they get going and build a partnership

that's where they kind of make their innings from really and build from there so to get both of them early was really important Was it a good toss to lose, or did you just bowl really well? I certainly think so, actually, in a way, because, I mean, I don't know for certain, but I think milk's might have batted from what I know. I don't know for definite, but it looked a belter. It looked an absolute belter, so there's no reason why they wouldn't have batted,

but I think it probably was a good toss to losing, you know, looking at the result. But I think we bowled well. I don't think the pitch did it a huge amount. It offered a little bit when you found the right length, but if you were off, you could put the ball away. So, you know, thankfully we bowed nicely. They're always tense days, semi-finals. When did you think the game is ours?

Not until probably we needed 20 to win. I think you've won until you get over the line. But I think when we got down to 20 to win off 20 overs, I think we were pretty certain to win it. But I think we were halfway, we knew we were in with a sniff. Obviously, we'd bowl really well. But I think you never judge a pitch deal

until both teams are batted on it. We're all wise enough to know that. And the way the two at the top came out batted I think just settled everyone's nerves and got the team in the right place to go and chase it down and the way we did was pretty special what was it like during that century partnership for the fourth wicket it just shows actually it was a good pitch wasn't it because I think when two players got in it showed that actually it was a decent surface and it was hard to stop people scoring Kerry and Smith were going really well and for them to bring it back and bring it back from

14 for 3 or 10 for 3 or whatever it was there was an incredible effort from them so to get Kerry was a big wicket and then to you know that was rash bowl beautiful in the middle there, picked some important wickets. But that was, you know, at part in the game, we probably thought, you know, late 200s, 300 was probably going to be passed. So obviously delighted to bowl the night for what we did. You're in the World Cup final, Chris, on Sunday. All about that?

Yeah, I mean, we've tried not to probably let our minds wonder over the last few weeks about getting to a World Cup final because there were so many busy games and important games before that. I think where we've come from, from obviously losing those two in the middle of the tournament to where we are now. We're in a great place and probably hasn't quite sunk in. We're in a work at finals, to be honest. Did those previous two games help you?

I certainly think it has. I mean, in hindsight, they have. Obviously, we didn't expect it and want to do it that way. We're losing two in the middle. But I think it certainly did. And I think them winning the game against India here certainly got us in a good place as a team. And we've built momentum since then, which is great.

Many congratulations. I'll let you get out of the rain. Thanks, Simon. Thank you, Simon. Well done, Chris Wokes. Brilliant. So nice for a bowler to get man in the match for once. It's always the batsmen who get those.

But actually, it's a quite interesting tournament crew. looking back, actually. I mean, I remember at Trent Bridge against Pakistan, 71 off 8, he was expensive in the next game as well, and he's sort of like, okay, but then he's really run into form, and that was a absolutely beautifully, beautifully today. Well, in any dress room, you need

different characters, and you need your flamboyant ones, like a Jason Roy, that you just know he'll push his chest out, Johnny Berto, he likes all that energy, and, you know, you're looking at someone like Chris Wokes, Joe Rue, I think, for me, Chris Wokes is like the leader of the bowlers, that he just calms them down. He just goes out there, delivers, Joe Roo, it's very

similar with the batting unit you just feel comfortable when Joe Root's batting you kind of sit and we're in control and when Chris Wokes has got the ball in hand you just look down at we're in control you know he's got that great persona in the field he's been terrific when he gets the batting hand and the opportunity to stroll out there

you feel he make the right decisions terrific cricketer it really is and actually you mentioned the first ball I mean actually a lesser character in a World Cup finally bowed a half folly first balled a half folly he's smashed it for four might have thought

you know, might just have broken at that point. That's experience, isn't it? That's the guy who's played a lot of one-day cricket in this setup for England. He didn't quite get it right, first ball, but the next ball straight on his length. Absolutely fantastic comeback. And, yeah, I think he didn't come into this tournament actually much cricket under his belt.

He was strung a little bit of his knee, missed a little bit of cricket for Warwickshire, didn't play a huge amount of that Pakistan series. And with Joffra Archer coming around, I think it knocked just the little balance of him and the England bowl is just getting used to. other guy can bowl quickly and also other sides might have targeted Chris wokes a little bit more than they used to because Joffers bowling quick actually

I don't mean this disrespect to Chris wokes but when someone's borrowing 90 miles the other end 90 miles now at the other end you think like he won't see at 84 85 it's slightly easier option and it just probably took him a couple of games to get used to that actually and and he responded as as Michael said absolutely magnificently and you're right he feels trusted and at the death as well he hasn't obviously had to do much death bowling in this game because you know we've got the wickets but his skills at the end are really good as well and he's a

brilliant cricketer for England let's hope he stays fit for the ashes as well because I think he if he is fit for the ashes and he's talked about a slight knee-niggle that he can that he I think he'll play a part in that as well Simon Mann's with Aaron Finch thanks very much Jonathan well Virac Coley had to do it yesterday

and it's always tough to take losing semi-finals how did you see it today oh we're just outplayed totally by a very very good England side I think They've been the benchmark in one-day cricket for a fair while now and they proved it today under pressure. To start the way they did with the ball was right on the money and really put us on the back foot from the start.

Did that surprise you? I mean, you won the top, batted first, in decent conditions. No, it didn't surprise me. When guys present the seam as well as Wokesy and Archer do, I think that you expect the ball to seem slightly. Yeah, it was just one of those things. We lost a couple early and then had to rebuild for a while. Just when we looked like we started build and build and build towards that,

35, 40 over mark. We just lost a couple of key wickets at the wrong time. What did you think of 220 on the board? I think we had to have a lot of things go right for us. We had to take all our chances. We had to create a lot of chances. We had to bowl them out pretty much. So I think on a ground like this,

against such an aggressive side, you have to take wickets, and we look to do that. And when you're aggressive with the ball and they're aggressive with the bat, it can go one or two ways pretty quick. What's one of those days when everything went against you, really,

on the field? I mean, you won the toss, but everything went against you? Yeah, I haven't won too many tosses, so maybe that wasn't an omen. No, I think when you look back at it, there's definitely things we could have done better. So you can never say things went against you. I think that that's, Peter Hanscom, got a 50-50 LBW early after I'd used a DRS. So I don't think things went against us.

I think that England just played a more discipline brand of cricket today and outperformed us. How do you reflect on the campaign? Disappointing to obviously end here in the semi-final, but still really proud of the way the guys went about it. Over the last six months or so, we've come a long way from where we were when people were riding us off for a long time. So really proud, but it's also disappointed at the same time. Aaron, thanks very much, your time. Thanks, mate. Cheers.

Yes, thanks to Aaron Finch for fronting up and talking there. Brilliant moments. I was in the fielding, too. Yeah. He went, well, Chris Wokes flinging himself around. It's not just here, but throughout the tournament, actually. I mean, they really have put everything, heart and soul into all of that. Yeah, and when England had that dip, it wasn't just that the bad.

batting wasn't quite right. You know, in the field they weren't aggressive enough. You know, and this England side are so aggressive with the way that they play with the bat in hand, with the ball, they go for wickets, and in the field, they're hunting packs. And, you know, in the last three games, we've seen the England side that we've seen for the last four years, play the cricket and the style of which we expect them to continue to do on Sunday. Owen Morgan is approaching Simon Mann. He's still got his pads on.

England captain Owen Morgan, World Cup final. How does that sound? Yeah, it sounds pretty good, to be honest. It offered me that the day after we got knocked out of 2015 World Cup, I wouldn't have believed you. I think it sums up how far we've come in the last four years. Everybody in the change room, the squad, the backroom staff, all the coaches should take a huge amount of credit for that

and the opportunity to present itself on Sunday. Did you still have that belief after you lost to Australia at Lords, you know, those essentially knockout games ahead of you? Absolutely. I said yesterday that the game we played at Lords was quite a significant hangover from the Sri Lanka game, and nobody seemed to believe me. They don't spend time in the change room

and sense the mood in the camp. When we came here and played against India, we were a completely different team and then in Durham against Newcastle, similar. We're striving to improve game on game since that game against India and today I thought was close to a perfect performance.

I think right from the two bowlers up front, Wokes and Archer really did bowl a hell of a spell between the bold and parenthships, well they put pressure on and took early wickets which allowed us to be on the front foot and then every ball that came on since then really did apply themselves accordingly now be honest when that coin went against you at the toss did you feel just a slight sinking figling um not really um the wicket we played on here against india we scored 340 they fell 10 or 15 short that's that's a sign of a good wicket and then probably after

the first 10 overs today it didn't do a great deal so that was a really good sign for us and then when the guys start from the fashion like that and then having batted on the wicked myself it was a really good wicked to bat on right at the start i mean when you get finch out first ball and then you get warner out soon afterwards i mean you're well on your way then aren't you really um i think the considerable contribution that those two guys have made to australia's campaign getting those two early obviously does does give you an advantage you see they they bat all the way down we certainly don't single any one particular guy out when we play against opposition. Smith's day to day, he went

and got runs and played well along with Alex Carey, who again played well. So you never out of the game, I think, as a side when you lose early wickets. It's about trying to get some character and partnerships going. When did you feel you really had the game firmly in your grasp? I'm quite cynical, so probably when I hit the winning runs at the end. I tend not to take things for granted. I've played in some really poor teams before. Not only international level, club level, county level, where we've lost from unloosable positions. So I tend not to take things for granted, even when guys like Birstow and Roy are making it look very easy.

Yeah, a remarkable opening partnership. How is Johnny Berstow? Because he seemed to have an injury while he was batting. Yeah, I'm not quite sure. It's quite funny, actually. So when he went down with the injury and then jumped back up after being assessed, he looked fine between the wickets, so it doesn't look too serious. Normally if a guy tears something or does something serious,

he's unable to continue batting. You've only got a couple of days now. You probably don't necessarily need them. You play the World Cup Final tomorrow. You're probably on such a high, aren't you? No, there'll be a come down from this game, given the performance that we've produced. The next couple of days,

it'll be about a little bit of hour and hour and then look forward to the game on Sunday. There'll be massive favourites on Sunday, won't you? Home final against New Zealand, who weren't one of the fancied semi-finals? Yeah, here, New Zealand's impressed. absolutely everybody put the last two days.

Beating a strong side like India, in the group stages they were the team of the tournaments. They're a really tough side to beat. But as a team, we'll remain focused on ourselves and give it absolutely everything. And just finally, Owen, just sum up today. It's definitely one of the better days. That's all.

That's all. Thank you. Great, thanks very much. Just one of the better days. Thanks very much to Owen. with a big smile on his face and I'm not surprised. Oh, in there, and, you know, one of the better days. We've had days like this at Edgebaston with Ashage 205, 9, 15, 13. You can name the days, you know, over the last 10 or 15 years

where we've had the kind of crowd and atmosphere that we've experienced today in test match cricket. I've never experienced the atmosphere today in one day cricket. You know, we're very lucky to say this is our job to talk about it, to be here and witness it, to watch an England team playing the fashion that they had done and just blown away. This Australian team are a good team. They're not a team that you should be doing what England have just done to them today.

They have just marmalised Australia with strong, strong cricket, great basics. Yes, flamboyancy, but the real basics of the game, England, over the course of the last three games, have just delivered better than the opposition. And when we watch this England side, then we all assess them, we do think about the ball flying into the stands. If you analyse what they've done in three games,

it's just been the basics done better. for longer periods than the opposing team and if they do that on Sunday and they arrive with this same mentality and don't rule out New Zealand because they know how to play cricket we know that the workmen like and they'll be understated

and Kane Williamson won't say too much and the pitch will be a bit slower so they'll fancy that but if this England side arrive and play to this standard they may do the same to New Zealand on Sunday don't rule out that but Kane Williamson will be certainly talking to his team

and saying we were the underdogs against India at Old Shaford no one gave us a cat in hell chance it'll be the same for the next three days let's try and shock a few people Simon Mann's been kept busy out there who's with you now Simon I've got Jopra Archer with me well what about that day Joffra one of the best

days you're cricketing life or the best it's up there it's one of them I think maybe Sunday could be it so I'll save it for Sunday what was it like this morning coming into the game I think the boys are really determined especially after what happened at law against the same guys

I don't think we've been half to our ability that we did our lawyers and I just think that everyone really wanted to put that behind us and just do it better today. What about your start? Not bad, is it? World Caps having final wicket with your first ball? Yeah, actually I think that's probably the first

time I've got to wicket off the first ball of anything of both. Yeah, just looking back at it now it just makes me feel like today was actually the day to do something special and I'm just glad I got to help to contribute to win today for the world. boys. Did he want to bowl first as a team? I mean, I think Owen Morgan would have batted

first. Did you mind bowling first? I think we would have batted if Morris won the toss. But personally, I love to bowl for us, to get the work done, then you have a chill. Well, that's just my preference. I think Raff can back me up on that as well, especially in the batting like that, it's hard not to want to watch. How has this World Cup gone for you? What's it been like? It's gone pretty all right, you know. I think not just for me, but I think the team is been really well. We didn't have smooth sailing the whole tournament,

but I think we peaked at the right time and we should be able to take this more momentum with us all the way through to Sunday. What about the body? It's been intense. Talk about a little bit of an injury. How are you feeling? I keep tracking.

Keep tracking. It's been like this for a while, but I'll keep going and it'll be all worth it. Hopefully after Sunday. Yeah, well, I suppose what I'm asking is, I mean, ready to go the long haul all summer and play the ashes well, all the Red Bull over as you might have to bowl? Yeah, well, potentially, yeah.

If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. Probably we'll get how much needed rest I've been going all here, so whatever happens, we've got something to look forward to. What are you doing between now and the final on Sunday, do you think? Well, not much. We've got to travel, then train, and players, so I don't think there's much in the

calendar, well, in the agenda for the next to this. Nice to speak to you. Well, Dan. I like to have a bowl and then have a chill. I think Fred Trubin used to say something similar when he was pounding in all those years ago. Maybe not. That's Joffa Archer anyway, who bowed beautifully today. To quick it with his first ball, 2 for 32.

Chris Wokes, man in the match for his 3 for 20. That's an outstanding fielding as well. Mark Wood, 1 to 45. And Adder Rashid, 3-454. Jim Maxwell sitting alongside me here. Edgaston's done you again, mate. Yes. We're talking on 5 live.

about the vagaries of cricket and our bad two-up skills at the toss. Whichever decision we make, if we happen to have won the toss, we seem to get wrong. 2005, insert, lost by two. 2015, one toss bat, lost. Today, it's a belter, it's a belta. You've got a bat first. Three for 14, game over. It was more or less at that stage, isn't it? Yeah, I think so.

There's always a long way back from that. England took their opportunities. They bowled much better than at Lords when they bowled with more luck, perhaps, as well. But I think they did expose a weakness in Australia's middle order batting, which had been there throughout the tournament. And Australia got away with it to a large extent. With Fitzham Warner. With Hanscombe coming in as well, and he was a bit out of the rough coming into the side.

And unfortunately, Stoinus and Maxwell never really came off at the bat. And the task was left too much to carry to try and come up with the newings. In fact, today might have been a good day for Kawajah to play in the circumstances of Australia found themselves in. But full credit to England, they've had a lot of momentum in there one day cricket and a lot of confidence to stem from that. And I think now that they've sort of recaptured their form, and a lot of that has to do with Jason Roy at the top. I mean, he is a very authoritative batsman. I need to tell you that when he came to eastern suburbs some years ago. You taught him all he knew?

Well, maybe, but not on the cricket field. I think he got 1.50 in the whole season. Yeah. Lovely, blood. He followed like a number of other cricketers who come to Australia. Kevin Peterson was one who played at Sydney University in bold offspin and batted a bit. But he wasn't very successful. There had been quite a lot of them.

But even Jonathan Agnew, can we talk about him? No, we're going to hear from Joe Root. Yeah, Joe Root is with me, out in the middle when he beat Australia in a World Cup semi-final. That's not bad, is it? No, I'm still pinching myself a little bit. I'm waiting for myself to wake up and for it all to start again. But amazing feeling. I thought from the second ball of the day, we really managed to put Australia under a lot of pressure.

Bowled exceptionally well on that first 10 overs. And then, you know, we were clinical with about that 100 partnership to start things off. It's just irreplaceable really When those two guys play in that manner Makes it very difficult for any side That intensity at the start I mean you have the toss And you're doing all your warm-ups out there

I mean do you get together as a team after the toss I know you wanted a bat first And say something about that intensity Or is that already drilled into you Before the day's play Well you know that you don't get these opportunities very often I think naturally There's obviously a little bit of nerves

A little bit of angst around As it would be with everyone as we know, we're in, would be in their dressing room as well. And you try and strip it back to, if you execute your lengths and make it difficult for them to score, they've got to take risks, and you're going to be brought back into the game. And the way that those two have been, in the last three games in particular, with that new ball, has been outstanding,

to create chances as they have done, consistently as they have done, and to restrict them to under 30, I think, for two out of the last three games, and pretty much they're about to get some of you. New Zealand as well. It's been phenomenal. Did you have that really good feeling today, you know, early on with those early wickets? Yeah, you do. Naturally, you do. It fills you with confidence. You're always applying pressure. You know that then it's very difficult.

You're going to have to, the more you take early, the more perfectly the middle order have to play it. If they're going to go on and get a really substantial score to put you under a lot of pressure. And, you know, I thought they played very well for a period there, you know, Kerry and Smith. So it was intelligent the way they played. And then when we did get that wicket, the way we struck, went bang, bang, again, it stalled them. So, you know, fantastic team performance with the ball. We took our chances as well, which helps run out in there, which you always look into a create a chance if you can. So, you know, coming off at halftime felt very confident.

Yeah, what was said in the dressing room at halftime, you know, 220 to chasing the World Cup semi-final? I mean, you can feel the pressure sometimes, can't you? I mean, South Africa didn't manage it here 20 years ago? Yeah, it'd be busy. That was the message. Be busy. You know, look to continue playing in the same manner that we have done and that we know when we're at our best we can do. And the guys did just that. I thought the way they, the first three or four overs actually, I thought it was very intelligent batting.

The way that they absorbed a little bit of pressure. They saw, you know, swing was obviously going to be a little bit of a threat for them. And the way that they waited until they came into their areas and to hurt them was very intelligent batting. was very intelligent batting. And then once we got off to a bit of a start, managed to put a bit more pressure on him and always felt that we were ahead of the game then. I know you've got a World Cup final coming out,

but the first Ash's test is going to be played here in a few weeks' time. You really got one over Australia today. Does that have any sort of bearing at all? Was it really important to do what you've done to them today after what happened at Lord's saying? Yeah, we wouldn't be in the final if we did it. I know, I know, but in terms of, you know, that's a rising performance. I know, and I thought the support here

and the atmosphere in the ground was electric. You could tell that there was a huge amount of England support. That Hollistan was obviously nice and rowdy towards the end and we're enjoying themselves, along with the rest of the crowd. And it gives you a good feel for what it could be like in a few weeks' time. I think they'll not look too much into this game in terms of the ashes, but it obviously is nice having put in a performance like that, regardless of the format, knowing that this England side has not got any cobwebs

or fears about what Australia can bring. There's a huge amount of respect because they're a great side and they're good across all forms, but there's not that element of fear there that's been spoken about in the past. Joe, well played. Good luck on Sunday. Cheers, thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you, Simon. It's been confirmed. The final will be on free to air TV and we have some details about our coverage of the final two. It'll be on Radio 4 Longwave as normal, online as normal,

and via the BBC Sport and BBC Sounds app. But on Sunday, the World Cup final is also taking over Radio 5 live. So Radio 5 Live for the domestic coverage on Sunday. Eleanor Aldroyd will present 5 Live breakfast from Laws from 6 o'clock. And there's a live tail ender special with Greg James Felix White and James Anderson also. And then from 10 to 10, test match special will be live on 5 Live, uninterrupted all day. So again, hopefully a really good audience, both watching and listening for this final on.

Sunday, which is really good news indeed. Let's touch on that point we've got Alistair Cook and Jim Maxwell here. Jim, first of all, that performance, that last question there that Simon put to Joe Root, it'll bring a few memories back for the Australians who

have been played here before, and for those who haven't played here before, might be turning up and playing in the first day of the ashes, a glimpse into what this place is like for visiting cricketers and Australians in particular. I just wonder how they'll be relishing the prospect of that. I was having a good chat to Michael Vaughan last night about the Australian

pace attack. The one problem in England is you can easily go around the park and we saw that when Alistair Cook was opening with Andrew Strauss at Lords in that test match, 2013 was it? No, 2009. You put on 180 and Australia went around the park. And they've gotten a attack here, if they decide to go gung-ho and, you know, bring in James Pattinson and Cummins and Stark, well, if they don't get it right on these grounds, they can go around the park. So Michael was saying that you need to be looking as Australians at bowlers like Peter Siddell to provide some stiffness and some glue to hold the game up, otherwise it can easily

get away from you. And if Jason Roy comes out in the test series, I'm sure they'll pick him, and gets a start. Look out, folks. It's going to be dynamic to watch England play if he comes off in the way he has here. With a shot playing opening batswin, that'll be interesting. Back to Colin Milburn. What do you think, Cookie, about that first test

and the atmosphere here and just what has happened to Australia here today? I think it'll be in their minds. I think it has to be. It's a little bit like England going to Brisbane and the Gabba and the experience you get there, knowing that you're going to be in for a tough five days. Not just on the cricket, it's a hard place to go and play the Gabba,

but, you know, the atmosphere of those first couple of days is intense. Intimidating. It can be intimidating. And I think players walking into that knowing that they're going to, they're going to be in a bit of a battle. We certainly know that when we go to Brisbane, but it's not just a battle on the cricket. It's a battle with the Gabber.

It's 40,000 Australians in here. It'll be 30,000. I don't know how many, it's it 20,000 here, but it sounds loud. it almost sounds louder and they are relentless and I think it'll be more the Australian bowlers actually you know that they've got they could have a very long day and if they get

if it starts to go wrong there is no hiding place here you know it's a quick scoring ground and they and the English fans are relentless so I can't do them any good it's a totally different format so that's what Australian will be saying you know if you flip it round and you're an Australian player you'll be

going if we can come out of Edgeston with a win you know that just changes the momentum on the series totally You know, in 2010 we escaped from Brisbane with a draw And that kicked off our series In the first side The first time we hadn't lost for such a long time I've been back there, we've lost

So it's, you know, Australia can have to have to use it that way But they all know they'll be in for five days And it'd be different in England player I'll be, yes, they'll be nervous, They'll be anxious, a bit like they were this morning But like we all were this morning But it's such a nice place for an Englishman to come here and play

That they'll be looking forward to it And also, in a kind of one way, looking, knowing that the Australians could swarm a little bit. They could be feeling that and being uncomfortable. And when it's not you uncomfortable, you'll be quite pleased. This is Mark Wood. Make sure you're subscribed to the TMS podcast on BBC Sounds or your usual podcast app.

You'll get a new episode each day throughout the tournament. You can also email the team on TMS at BBC.coor.uk. Woo-hoo! Andy Zaltzwins with me as usual. Andy, we've seen some extraordinary England bowling today, have we not? Stat wise. Well, yes, and really over the whole tournament, England's batting has been pretty much according to form based on the last four years.

They've been the most successful batting side. They're the second highest team average behind India and the top strike rate. That's been exactly replicating this tournament. India's slightly ahead of England in average, England comfortably ahead in strike rate. So they've batted pretty much according to form. The bowling, however, has seen massive improvement over the last four years in matches between the teams in this World Cup. England had only the seventh best team bowling average, 35 runs a wicket, the ninth best economy rate 5.86 in this World Cup. They're second on both

counts behind New Zealand, 5.29 per over economy rate and a wicket every 29 runs. Huge improvement. And we saw Wokes being superb today. His early wickets have been crucial for him over the last few years. They dried up a bit early in the tournament, but he's coming into form in the last few matches superbly. Joffra Arch obviously has come in and been a huge wicket threat, 19 wickets in just 10 games. He barely played list A cricket before this summer. Now, I think he's played as many one-day internationals as he has

County List A games. Ben Stokes, his economy rate since January 2017, Cummings at this World Cup 6.3 in this World Cup 4.7. And Mark Wood, before, he had a bit of a breakthrough in the West Indies with his new run-up. He'd taken 14 wickets in 19 matches, average 62, and again

in this World Cup, 17 wickets average in the low 20s. So the whole seam bowling attack and Plunkets come back in and Bolled pretty much how he's bowled over the last few years, very effectively. So it's been a massive improvement by England's bowlers, which must gladden your bowler's heart, I guess. It does. I just worry that the fact of New Zealand's been slightly better, though.

They have been slightly better, but their batting has been considerably worse. Well, that's all right. Now some emails of people who have been enjoying listening today. Louise, at the moment, England won. I was waiting in traffic on the A-40 in Pembrokeshire. I punched the air, beat the horn, only to find that two other cars in the traffic jam were listening to the cricket and doing the same thing.

Good news. Sarah in Scunthorpe says, as I was walking home from work this afternoon, a car drove past blasting out soul limbo, surely the greatest piece of music in history, the TMSD. It's my ringtone. Is it my wedding disco? Did you? Yes.

And mind boggles. Are we going to see it take over like football's coming home last year? We heard cricket's coming home at this, at the ground, as long as some fairly unsavory songs abusing some of the finest cricketers in the world, but such is the nature of sport. Yeah, is it coming home? If you do hear an impromptu's soul. Limbo, we'll record it, send it to us.

TMS at BBC.com.com. UK or at BBC, TMS on social media. Right, we're carrying on now with our quest to try and find a listener to this podcast of every country in the world. We're closing in Ben Wilkinson. I know she ticked off Equatorial Guinea

by someone called Rob Presler, who works on rotation for the oil and gas industry in a similar vein. I persuaded a friend Rick Bird to tune to the podcast One in Libya. While he's also working in oil and gas. Jeremy Draid, helped us tick off some African countries from our list already. Hi again from Kinshasa, my Djiboutian friend Awozman list in Congo Brazville,

that she was beaten to that country by another listener. She's now persuaded her family to listen to this mysterious program in Djibouti. So if you need Djibouti still, now you have it. So she has no idea what this family... I guess a cricket podcast must be quite strange to listen to you. Very baffling. It'd be like me listen to a Marjong podcast. I think.

Paul, leader, today I listen to Test Match Special from the, oh, demilitarized zone in Korea. Whilst overlooking North Korea, it doesn't quite count, but I'm not sure that anyone will get any better than that. Well, it doesn't count, but yeah, you're right. You're not going to get any closer, I don't think, than that to North Korea.

It's pretty good. Ruth Akers says, I've just listened to your podcast in Moro, Burundi. One of the countries on your list. I've been in Burundi for six years working as a missionary with Iris Global and the vicar at my UK home church. The Reverend Ben Green is a cricket fan.

an email to let me and my husband Claude know about the TMS podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed listening this morning while caring for our four-month-old baby. I'm not usually a fan of cricket. You need to correct that in your life, Ruth. And it is not a sport here in Burundi, but listening made me feel like I was back in the UK, so thank you. That's what cricket does too, our travelling

friends, isn't actually, with expats and so on the way, just listen to the cricket, does remind them of home. Well, it's a... Well, it's like a tight run chase, isn't it? The target's getting ever smaller. But we do have to have them by Sunday. We still need 13, and you did this with such gusto for the day. I don't think you can do it. Chad, Comoros, North Korea, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea, Bissor, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, brackets, Federated States, off, back on the list.

Nowru, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, and Togo. Beautifully done. Keep me coming in, telly friends, email us TMS at BBC.co.com. UK, put podcast in the title. We're back tomorrow with a podcast looking at the team of the tournament so far. I'll be down at Lords on Saturday for the preview podcast, and then we'll have full commentary on the final on Sunday on 5 live. As mentioned earlier, England against New Zealand.

I can't wait, and I'm sure you can't either. You want me to read all of that? Yeah, please. Man, that's too long for me. You sure? Yeah, sorry. This is Trevor Bayless. Thanks for listening to the TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup.

There'll be new episodes each day. That'll be great throughout the tournament. So make sure you subscribe via your usual podcast app or via BBC. sounds where you can also hear commentary of every ball of the tournament you can also email the team on tms at bbc.co.uk put podcast or whatever that is in the title