Test Match Special - The 2024 TMS Awards

Episode Date: December 26, 2024

Henry Moeran is alongside commentator Dan Norcross & TMS statistician Andy Zaltzman pick their global cricketing awards for 2024 - the Full Tosscars. Which India bowler has had an incredible year? Which English batter(s) gets nominated for worst shot of the year? And which side goes home with the best win of the year?

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you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and Cs and Cs apply. from BBC Radio 5 Live Well hello and welcome along to a very special TMS podcast As we look back on the year that was 2024 in cricket We've seen England's men play 17 test matches England's women go unbeaten in a summer

And then crash out of a World Cup Plus six patio heaters Two hamstring pings Two Ollie Robinson's And Chris woke's bowling off spin What a year it has been My name is Henry Moran And to go through it all

I'm joined by Daniel Norcross And Andy Zaltzman Some huge awards to give out Have we got a name That we can give these awards Gentlemen, hello to you, Hello, Henry. Hello.

Awards names Well, it's always good to be direct About these things Can we just call them the 2024 test match special End of Year review award? There's no acronym there, Henry. You've got to have an acronym

You've got to have an acronym. Daniel? Well, normally it's a three-letter acronym, isn't it? I believe I was once a project manager of a project and the very first thing we wrote down was we need a TLN. Someone said, what's a TLN? It's a three-letter acronym.

Or TLA, even. Now I think about it. I actually, because some of my selections are probably a little bit left field. I quite like the Ducer's, but then we did a podcast called the Duce for some time ago. So that's already kind of taken. full Oscars

That was a suggestion from our producer Jack We like that Well it combines another award ceremony With a cricket pun So I'm not sure you can really beat that And it also suits what I'm wearing Which would look very at home On the Oscars

Oscars red carpet Obviously this being a podcast You know I'm going to leave that to our listeners' imagination But it is absolutely sensational I didn't expect you to have quite so much leather, Andy, but there we go. Yeah, if you're going to go with leather, you've got to go with a lot of feathers as well. So that's something for everyone.

Right, let's get on with this. We're going to go through various categories, best innings, worse shot, best bowling spell, that sort of thing. So let's get cracking with the best innings of the year. And this is any form of the game, any formats, any team. Daniel, let's go with you first. Well, I can't look beyond one extraordinary effort that was, I mean, it'll open up a whole new avenue to conversation, I guess, because it was played by a man whose year was, broadly speaking, filled with doubt, uncertainty, everybody gazing at him saying, is he the right man for the job? Kea Stama? Not quite, not quite. England's cricket version thereof.

Olli Pope, who made an absolutely astounding 196 in what was possibly, well, it was definitely statistically England's greatest comeback victory in India. I don't think anybody has come close to retrieving a situation like they were in, a first in his deficit of nearly 200. It was the first match of the series. Could Bazball survive the intense pressure of an Indian winter? And for, I'd say a brief moment, for about a day and a half, it looked like they actually could. when Olli Pope compiled, it wasn't really a smashing knock, but he compiled 196 in 278 balls. England had begun with a deficit of 190 in their second innings.

They then put on 420 to set India at awkward target. Then we know what happened. We'll come to it again later, I'm sure, in the show. It was an amazing knock, and it was one of those ones which Olly Pope produces every now and then. And I dare say Andy will be able to back me up in saying that Olly Pope has had one of the most in-out years of any cricketing human in the entire history of test cricket.

He either seems to score a remarkable 190 or 150 at the Oval or absolutely nothing. How do the numbers stuck up on that, Zolt? Well, the numbers are that he scored 994 runs in the year in 30 innings, average 33.1. Three centuries, 432 times. in the history of test cricket in men's test cricket

a player has scored three or more test hundreds in a calendar year and that average by Pope of 33.1 is the lowest average by any player with three test hundreds in a year

later in that series he had a three ball pair in Ranchi also played a couple of really influential endings in New Zealand in the first and second test what made that 196

so extraordinary in the context of Pope's own career was that it was in the second innings and it's the only time he scored a century in the second innings. We'd take that innings out of his career record in well he's played 55 tests

batted 42 times in the second innings and the other 41 of those he's averaging well under 20 with only 250 plus score. So it was a real bolt from the statistical blue for Pope by comparison his first innings average is 44.

So, yeah, he's had a really odd year of success and failure. And a lot of talk about his position at number three, averaging 40 at number three, which is really good in terms of recent England number threes, but he's had this wildly inconsistent year and a couple of really strikingly good innings in New Zealand batting down at six. Zoltz, what about for you, best innings of the year?

Well, for England I mean Pope's is quite hard to look past Ben Duckett played a great innings in that series as well in the third test we have those two huge innings in Pakistan when England made 800

Brooke made a triple 100 route his highest test score 262 in a record England partnership but my sort of innings of the year by any player is also high there 20% full shot percent That was Aidan Markram, right at the start of the year for South Africa against India, a truly extraordinary innings in a really extraordinary match.

South Africa bowled out for 55 in the first innings. India replied with 153. And then Markram got 106 of 103 balls, 2-6s, 174s, out of a total of 176 all-out. He was out with the score, I think, at 162 for 8. And it's a record that cricket stats, badgers love. record. Bannerman in that first test match he faced the first ball in test history made 165

retired hurt out of a 245 all out total 67% of Australia's runs Markram was challenging that if he'd managed to keep it going for another half hour we might have seen the end of one of the oldest sporting records in history and that was up against Jasper Brummer who we'll talk about later and he managed to get 34

or 46 of Burma whilst Bumra was taking 6 for 27 against the rest of the South African batting line up so that that for me is my world test innings of the year. Just a quick note on Harrybrook, of course, that 123 propelled him to number

one in the world, knocking off his teammate Joe Root and in an act of, I suppose, deference, he then proceeded to get absolutely nothing in the next game and drop to number two. I guess that's just the natural order of things had to be restored. Can I chuck in

Aaron Jones, the name we wouldn't necessarily have anticipated at the start of the year, with his remarkable 94 not out of 40 balls to beat Canada for the USA and the T20 World Cup 10-6s got the party started in the USA. Daniel, you were there and across it all. It was amazing. It was absolutely stunning.

Partly because we were joined by Peter De La Pena on commentary who had said Aaron Jones, why do they keep picking this guy? He's no good. He just can't do it at the top level, Dan. He kept screaming at me as I was it eight balls were lost? because Dallas isn't a very big ground and he kept thumping it over deep midwicked

and there'd been a massive deluge and it was basically a swamp, a muddy swamp around the outside of the ground and the ball kept on going over the stands and into the swamp and balls had to keep on being brought back because one of the longest short innings I've ever seen but that was no fault

well I suppose it was the fault of Aaron Jones he kept on losing the ball. Sensational. Right, some very good suggestions there well done everybody. I'm not sure how we're going to determine who wins these but I think they all get an award because we're very generous like that

here on the Test Match Special podcast so let's move swiftly on to the favourite wicket of the year. Any wickets, whatever you like, can be anywhere, can be anything. Zaltz, first of all, what's been your favourite?

My favourite wicket of the year, Henry, I'm going to go for one of the final wickets Jimmy Anderson took in testing. He bowled out Roit Sharma in the second test in Visica Patnam, a game in which he bowled tremendously 3 for 47 in the first innings followed up with 2 for 29

in the second it was a game in which we saw two of the all-time greats of bowling Anderson and at the end of his career at Bumra at the absolute peak of his he took 6 for 45 in the first innings

were really displaying the art of fast bowling at a supreme level but just because we knew Anderson was coming towards the end and he had a couple of similar wickets on England's previous tour of India in

2020, 21. Beautiful, clean, clean bowl past the outside edge of Roe at Sharma's bat. That for me was my personal favourite wicket of the year for an element of nostalgia and I guess gratitude of the

20 plus years of of craft skill and magic that we've enjoyed from Jimmy Anderson. I've got two. I can't separate them, I'm afraid. I'm going to go with the first one. because we haven't mentioned Jayeswal

in the dispatches when talking about best innings and of course he is the second leading run scorer this year in test cricket has produced

some incredible innings scored so many sixes it's unreal we've been talking about Ben Stokes' sixes and this that and the other he's going in over two sixes per match

when he's opening the batting he's been the sensation of 2024 just such a beautiful player to watch and so being a cruel and mean-hearted

man there was nothing I enjoyed more than after he had accused Mitchell Stark in the very first test match of the Border Gavisker Trophy of not bowling quickly enough and I think he did wallop him around the place at Perth and he was in complete control come the second test with Australia 1-0 down the very first ball of the match

of course it's got to be Mitchell Stark of course he's bowling to you Shazby Jaiswell and he absolutely pins him with the perfect full 90 mile per hour York a bang on the ankle. I think he might even have considered a DRS there. He was plumb LBW and that was a cricketing gods.

I'm afraid you don't mess with mother cricket. But if you had to make me choose, it would be another wicket that took place down in Australia this year. It was at Brisbane. It seems like a long time ago because it sort of eased really. It's nearly a year ago. It's in January of 2024.

And it was such a shocking win. West Indies beating Australia in Brisbane at the Gabatois. and a man that we'd heard about vaguely in dispatches but never really seen, Shamar Joseph. He came to the party with a broken foot. He came charging in. He took seven for 68 in that innings to basically blow Australia apart.

But the game was an absolute ripper, won in the end by the West Indies by eight runs because of Shamar Joseph and the last wicket to get rid of Josh Hazerwood castling him. I mean, you might argue that there were more significant wickets before that, you know, Steve Smith and whatnot, but the wicket to finish the game that sent everybody into eclipsions.

There were people crying. Brian Lara was crying in the commentary box because it was the first time that the West Indies had beaten Australia in Australia since Andy Katoe, 94, 95, something like that. The last time they won in Australia was in February 1997 at the whack. And the last time they beat Australia anywhere in a test match was May 2003. So, yeah, just over 20 years. And this lad from absolutely nowhere bowling bullets, but crucially with that broken foot

so that every wicket he got, he then just went down in his haunches in trying to suppress the agony. And he was going about seven and over as well. It was a scintillating spell, an incredible moment and probably my moment, actually, of the year. Amazing, spectacular. And I'm going to chuck in one from a test match as well. A more recent test match, and that was the women's test at Blumfontein between South Africa and England. England bowled brilliantly. That second inning is sensational to remove South Africa's top order, middle order, everything you like. And it was drama everywhere you looked. We saw stumps flying everywhere, South Africa, all out for 64.

Brilliant bowling from Lauren Bell. But to finish the game, the final moment of it, Nankula Lako Mlaba, who'd built absolutely brilliantly throughout the test match, was running to make her ground, saw the ball. coming, hurling in towards her and did what Alastair Cook did all those years ago, which was try and get out of the way of the ball without having a bat in the ground. And so, stumps shattered, she's not got her bat down, she's not in her ground, run out, farcical way of ending the test match, a test match of immense quality in many, many ways, finishing inglorious farcical nonsense, and I loved it. And what made it even matter was that the ball was nowhere nearer, because the throw was coming in from the other side.

So she was in no danger of being hit. It was terrific, wasn't it? That was one of South Africa's lowest scores, if not lowest score in test history. Was it 64 all out? Yeah, I think it was around, maybe the third or fourth lowest score. Either way, either way, it was an inglorious conclusion to an excellent game of cricket. And speaking of bad moments and incompetence, what about, this might be my favourite award because it celebrates the daft and the city

and I want to go worst shot of 2024. What has been the most appalling shot that we've seen in the last 12 months? Well, we've seen quite a lot, Henry. And you mentioned the South Africa being skittled in the women's test match. One of my stats of the year, in men's test cricket,

we've had three team innings in which the side has been bowled out for under 60. You've had South Africa all out 55 in that game I mentioned earlier on at the start of the year. India, 46 all out in the first endings of the series against New Zealand on reach to a 3-0 home defeat. And Sri Lanka, 42 all out recently against South Africa. That ties the year record for most dismissals for under 60 in test history with 1888 and 1896. So, and to put this in context, three this year, there were only two teams bowled out for under 60 between June 1958.

And March in 1994, when England was skittled for 46 in the West Indies, in 800 tests that only happened twice in that period. And we've had three this year. A lot of bad shots in those innings. In terms of England, again, quite a lot of bad ones that we've seen in the Basball era. Dan, I think you might be, are you going to go for routes, reverse scoop off Bumar? Well, that was one of two, because the great thing about that, It was quite objectively the worst shot ever seen.

But sports teams do like to sort of make black-white. So we were informed at great length. It was actually a genius shot. It was a brilliant idea to attempt to hit the last ball of what would have been the last ball of Bummerer's spell over the slips before the best bowler in the world. Why not try the hardest shot against the best bowler in the world at a crucial moment in a test match?

Because if he had done that, apparently it would have opened the floodgates to victory it obviously didn't do that it opened well it did it opened the floodgates to India's victory and it collapsed thereafter so yes I mean it was objectively abysmal and I really did love the justification for it afterwards and the hand-wringing but actually I want to choose a shot that a lot of people it would have got under their radar and it was by Litton Das

who played one of the great innings of the year in actual fact to play an absolutely brilliant knock for Bangladesh against Pakistan in a series that we will come to shortly. But on this occasion, playing against Sri Lanka, he had been out in the field for so long. He'd been keeping wicked, I think, and he'd been thoroughly exhausted and cheesed off as Sri Lanka had piled on the runs.

And he let his cheesed-offeredness show by, at the end of the day, coming out to bat, off his very first ball, he decided, I've had enough of this cricket lark, and just charged out the wicket pointlessly to Fernando and shanked the ball gently into the hands of mid-on

and he stormed off as quickly as he'd stormed on he stormed on in fury he stormed off in fury he'd done his job as far as he was concerned demonstrating that cricket is a silly sport and that was it he went and sat down in a very dark and drove with a towel over his head I imagine

well I'll pick roots off Brumont a lot of competition from England. Dan Lawrence at the Oval, having been asked to open, to do a job that he'd basically never done before, came out thrashing in the final test

at the Oval and probably 10 or 12. That was an innings of the worst shot. So that was a compilation tape of the worst shot. 10 or 12 on the nominations list from that innings. Harry Brooke against Willow Rourke in the final test in New Zealand, the first or second ball,

had a horrible hack. The kind that had worked in that century we talked about, but it was an ugly shot but I'm going to go for Root because as you mentioned the context of the game also the trajectory of Bumra

aside from his brilliance as a bowler you'd think the scoop from the way Bumra bowls low trajectory skidding on makes it even more difficult but the great thing about it for me was that it did spark one of the, possibly the best run of Root's career after that he went back to sort of his pre-Basball

style and his next nine tests average 90 with five centuries four other 50 plus scores and a strike rate of 60 previously under Bazball he'd been up in the mid-70s strike rate and this was much closer to his prevailing career strike rate

prior to Basbord he put that shot away and batted absolutely magnificently for England for the rest of the year this needs to be called the Shannon Gabriel Award really doesn't it? Why did he do that?

Against all bad shots that one must be judged I'm going to chuck him something very similar actually and that is Ollie Pope at Hamilton, reverse scoop. He's trying to emphasise his value to the side. He's had success batting a little lower down the order. England were going to lose the game, of course. He was on 17, England chasing 6, 5, 8. And he plays a shot that he's occasionally played, but nothing like

near the success level of Joe Root against Matt Henry, who's had a brilliant tour. And you're thinking, well, this is, you know, if you're trying to show grit and determination and you're trying to show your own value to the side, what on earth are you doing? And so that for me, it's recent he biased possibly because as you say it's also there are plenty to to choose from but that's part of the fun of this England test side isn't it well there was there was there was there was Duckett in that very innings actually but you might argue played an even worse shot in the very same innings charging down the wicked off about his fourth ball

having hit one for four and dragging it back on with about ten minutes to go to stumps and it has been quite an unusual year for they played a lot of tests in this calendar year which is really the result of where the international one-day tournaments are for in the World Cup at the end of 2030 at 2020 men that last winter's test were played this year and this winter's test been played before new year because of the champions trophy coming up after after new year in an end of one nine lost eight of their test matches this year only once have they won more tests in a calendar year that was in 2004 when they won 11 out of 13 and only once have they lost more tests in a calendar year when they lost nine out of 15 in 2021 so it's been yeah it's been a really mixed year of uh so some amazing wins, some amazing defeats. And a lot of that, that sort of the brilliance and awfulness

that we get from the high-risk approach that the Stokes-McCullum era has unleashed. And with that, we've talked about batting. What about bowling spells? What has been your favourite bowling spell of the year, Daniel? Well, I would say that my favourite bowling spell of the year has been 2024 by Jasperit Bumra. And look, I mean, there are many other spells.

I've mentioned Shemar Joseph. I want to make a brief mention of Tom Hartley, seven for 62 in his very first test match, because that came off the back, actually, of one of the worst spells you could wish to see his own first spell in test cricket when he went for seven, eight, nine and over, and Stokes kept him on and kept him on.

And then it came good in that incredible victory to win by 20-odd runs. But it all seems. seriousness, a bummer this year has been absurd across every single format. I was just flicking through scorecards and just, oh, boomer, of course he took six in that one and he took three for 40 in that. And then you look at his T20 World Cup record. That was astounding. I know that some of those pitches weren't the easiest. And he was bowling fair bit in America where there was that drop-in pitch in New York. But he was going in under five and he was going

and under four and over at one stage in a tournament as we got to the knockout stages I think his economy rate was under four which is preposterous I mean many England bowlers don't have that economy rate in test cricket and so in all seriousness I do think that this has been a year when we've always

known that Chasperit Bunmer was a very very fine bowler but this year I think he has gone into the pantheon of the greats and of all the bowlers I think I have ever seen the difference between him and his peers this year is bigger than any difference I've seen between Ebola and their peers in any other year.

He just has been remarkable. So it's numbers to back that up, I suppose, are pretty clear and conclusive. Yes, in 2024 so far, and he has one test to go. 62 wickets at 14.5 in 12 tests with four, five wicket halls. And a lot of highly influential match-shaping spells mentioned that one against England early. early in the year. If you want a specific spell as in one single spell rather than innings is three for nine and six

overs in the first test in Perth was absolutely magical and Barney Rone wrote a classically Ronaean lyrical article about it in the in the Guardian Marco Jansen had an extraordinary spell seven for 13 against Sri Lanka

that was a very bowling friendly friendly pitch in terms of yeah I think probably Shamar Joseph for me wins the spell of the year for that, that sort of scintillating

Brisbane must be, particularly as it ended with the celebration of the year, possibly the longest single celebration in terms of distance covered, particularly if you multiply it by all 11 West Indians on the pitch. It was truly spectacular one of the great moments in modern cricket. A little

mention for that Willow Rorke spell in the final test. We've seen a lot of really exciting new bowlers come on to the test scene this year, and we'll talk about England's shortly, but O'Rourke spelled that fiery spell. He then got Brooke out, and that spells on the scorecard, one for 25 in eight overs. But it was absolutely thrilling, really fast, regularly over 90 miles an hour, up against, it really discomforted both Brooke and Joe Root, the top two players in the world. We had him up against Bethel, there's a brilliant young

England player who dealt with it really impressively. But in terms of just a little passage of cricket, For me, that was one of the highlights of the year. I'm going for something a little quieter, but equally brilliant in its own way. Sophie Eccleston bowling in the test match. And bearing in mind that in the women's game, test cricket has played so, so rarely. Just to put into context,

that test match between England and South Africa recently was the 150th in the history of women's test match cricket. Joe Root himself, on his own, has played 152. So they play it very rarely. But Sophie Eccleston, number one bowler in the world in T20, cricket, bowl 25 overs in South Africa's first innings. So that is, yeah, in the entirety of a one-day international from one end, and only got conceded runs at 1.6 and over.

It allowed others to take wickets. I mean, it's ludicrous control. It is ludicrous, longevity and fitness, and it was a heck of an effort. So I'm going to chuck that in there without necessarily the wickets and the drama. It was a model of adapting your game to the game. conditions. The TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. The Dakar Rally is the ultimate off-road challenge.

Perfect for the ultimate defender. The high-performance defender, Octa, 626 horsepower twin turbo V8 engine and intelligent 6D dynamics air suspension. Learn more at landrover.ca. What about team performances? is the worst loss of 24, the worst defeat of the year, Andy Zoltzman.

Well, looking at England, first of all, mentioned they've had a lot of really good wins. In India, though they lost the series 4-1, they were competitive for certainly three and a half tests before falling away at the end. But their record in final tests this year, five final tests. They beat the West Indies by 10 wickets.

But other than that, they've had four absolutely clattering defeats. They lost by an inning in 164 in the final. final test in India, eight wickets against Sri Lanka at the Oval and one of the most careless England performances of all time. They got well beaten by Pakistan by nine wickets in the decider in Rul Pindi at the end of the test and then at the end of that series when it was won all and then 2-0, lost by 423 runs against New Zealand. All really terrible defeats. But I'm going to choose for England the Royal Pindi defeat because it was the deciding test,

the one of those games where the series was still live and I think England had on the second test which had been a very different picture of that flat one in the first test they'd not dealt with it pretty well

and what really disappointed me was that there's a lack of adaptation to the conditions and the different challenges over the course of that series other than I'm going to go for I mean in terms of global defeats India in the first test against New Zealand

all out for 46 conceded 402 then got themselves into a position to challenge New Zealand. They got to 408 for three in their second innings and then collapsed again against O'Rourke and Henry, who both had fantastic matches in that game and ended up losing by eight wickets and then going on to lose the next two tests as well.

But India played so much bad cricket in that game with the bat in having been almost unbeatable at home over the previous 10 years. So for me, worst defeat of the year, to get out first innings, five ducks from number three to eight. That for me is the worst single defeat of the test year. That was an very unusual test, wasn't it? Because India elected to bat on a green top.

And those aren't the words you normally expect to hear when the side is in India. What's going on there? But for me, I want to take another one in the subcontinent. And it's both games really, but I'm going to focus on the first. one, played between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Local Derby, it's played at, I think, at Roll Pindi, and Pakistan scored 440-odd, and then declare. And there's a lot of moaning, there's a lot of griping at the close of play on the second day, there's been a bit of rain around, the pitches,

that's impossible for us to take wickets. We've got all these seamers. It's just, the game is going to filter out into a draw, and then Bangladesh came out to bat, and they batted very, very slowly. They did the opposite of basball. They compiled over 500. And at the end of each day, you heard the Pakistani say, you know, this is the death of test cricket. Bangladesh, this is outrageous. They're just playing for a draw. They've got absolutely no intent to win the game. Again, be very careful what you say, because mother cricket has a habit of biting back. Bangladesh got themselves their lead of 120, 130, albeit slowly and dismally. And then they bundled Pakistan out for next to nothing to win the game comfortably,

Was it 10 wickets, I think, in the end, with a fair bit of time to spare. So in terms of worst defeats, I think, to spend four days meathering about the lack of ambition of your opposition, only to be burgled by 10 wickets at home before the game is over. That's not a great look. Burgled by 10 wickets. Marvelous. That's what we lie to see. What about this, then? I'm going to chuck in South Africa's men in the World Cup final of the T20s.

It's harsh possibly because Jasperik Bumra was brilliant at the end and Archdeep Singh bowled a brilliant final over but they needed 30 from 30 balls. You've got Heinrich Klaassen still there batting superbly well having just scored a record or rocket fast 50 and then suddenly it's all gone wrong and they end up losing by 10 runs and you just think is it ever going to happen for them

and I don't know it just felt for me that was a massive opportunity. opportunity and they and they blew it and so i'm going to chuck that in sorry south africa i know i know don't don't apologize it's one of those things where you know i think we don't want to lose the joke do we if they ever were to win i mean you might also say they're women as well well indeed lost a world t20 final this year running and they were strong favorites to win it against new zealand whom we'll come to i've no doubt before the pod is out but yeah poor old south africa well let's get a little more positive what

been the best selection of 24. If 2024 was a bag of quality street who has got the Toffee Penny and who has got the big purple one? Well, it's a very good question because there have been some really, really good ones this year. I'm going to allow Zoltz to talk

about the England selections, I think, because in there, there's an incredible story. Incredible story we've mentioned already of Tom Hartley, of Sher Bashir, of Gus Atkinson. I mean, a man who's ended up with a century, a tenfer and a hat trick inside 11 test matches. Absolutely ludicrous. Briden cars. What an extraordinary winter he's had. But because I think, in a way, England's selections probably need to be dealt with in the round,

I want to mention Georgia Plimmer. And you may say, what? Why? Well, I'll tell you for why. because Henry and I spent many a happy day in the commentary box alongside Frankie Mackay this year who became increasingly despondent, increasingly despairing as New Zealand were thrashed pitilessly by England time and time again and sort of almost iconically in the midst of all this was young Georgia Plimmer who refused to learn from any of her mistakes

would get out for single figure scores looked utterly desperately out of her depth and then we'd job forward to us watching Georgia Plimmer again and we saw Katie Martin in the boxing before the first game they're playing against India she said we're going to win this I said you haven't got a prayer New Zealand they're absolutely dismal well

what do they do they only went ahead and pulled off one of the shocks of the World Cup on their way to a truly extraordinary success winning that T20 World Cup and at the top of the order and solid as a rock but full of imagination and marvelous stroke play was none other than Georgia Plimmer

it was like somebody else had been inhabiting her body for the first three quarters of the year and then suddenly this whole new Georgia Plimmer so I want to take my hats off to New Zealand selectors because there is no way I would have picked that woman to play another game of cricket any form of cricket ever again after watching her in England and yet somehow she's turned it all around

and become a World Cup winner Yeah, that is a lovely shout Zoltz, go on then, give us the England numbers Well, yeah, so my I mean selection of the year is basically England's bowling selections So this is my stat of the year

as well, Henry. England's debutants, players who made their test debut this year, between them have taken 156 wicked, sorry, hang on I just need to get that the stat Hang on.

Yeah, okay, got it. Between them, England debuts, players who've made their test debut for England this year, have taken 156 out of the 294 test wickets that England's men have taken in this calendar year. So leading the way, Gus Atkinson, with 52 wickets in his 11 test average 22, show of Bashir, 49 at 40, brilliant start, tailed off a little bit, a bit of a difficult winter.

Bryden Carr, you mentioned, 27 wickets at 19 in his five tests this winter. To put this in context, previously in a calendar year, the most wickets taken by players in the year of their debut for a team was 85. Now, England had played a lot of tests this year, but they've almost doubled the previous record, and it's almost unprecedented for a team other than in its first. year or two of test cricket to have more than 50 wickets taken by players who at the start of the calendar year had never played test cricket. And some of these selections have been really extraordinary. So Atkinson had a decent record for Surrey. But even so, I don't think you'd have expected him to come in and take 12 wickets on debut. She had three Fifers for England

and a hat trick for Surrey, taken 59 wickets in 19 first class matches at 27 with only one Fyfer also scored his maiden first class 100 Bashir came in with 10 wickets in six first class matches and then took 24 in his first five tests

one of which he didn't bowl in including three five wicket halls Briden Cars perhaps the most extraordinary came in off the back of a county season which he took four for 4224 in four matches

27 wickets at 19 in his five tests including a 10 for he took two or more wickets in his first nine innings. Atkinson did so in his first ten innings. That puts them third and fourth on the all-time England list of most consecutive tufers at the start of a career. Tom Hartley, you mentioned, 20 wickets, 40 wickets in 21st last matches before coming in and taking 7 for 62 and second innings of his test debut. Truly extraordinary selections by England.

And there have been a lot of concern, discussion about, how England would move into a new era after Anderson and Broaden, obviously it's early days yet, but the selectors have pulled some extraordinary statistical rabbits out of the hat based on almost the opposite of evidence from first-class cricket.

And it's, I think, further testimony to some of the great successes that Stokes and McCullum have had, not in picking those players, but in giving them the confidence and environment to thrive instantly at the highest level. and what for me was sorry go on that

what it's emblematic of is their urge to try and find people who they think suit test cricket Stephen Finn wrote a great piece on the BBC website you can find it about the difference between taking wickets in test conditions

in county conditions but it hasn't always worked Josh Hull was an unusual pick with similar figures to Bride and cast but again selected because of his statue

because of his height really and his angle and just to last mention on that. If we were going to come down to the best selection, I think it would have to be Gus Atkinson, because when we were discussing best innings,

I didn't mention this because you were going to mention Atkinson later, but his hundred at Lords was so good that everyone said they couldn't tell the difference between him and Root and Brooke. It was chancelless. I think it had a very low, false shot percentage and was truly one of the

most remarkable innings, possibly played in test history apart from one that I'm going to come to very shortly there's a teaser for you well that is exciting news 103 balls the sixth fastest for England at lords

Garstackinson's son as you say it was chanceless it was quite remarkable so also it was we talk about the situation of innings it was the first innings of the second test he came in at 216 for six

England weren't in a great position he did have root at the other end but it was an innings that helped set up a fine victory for England. What about the biggest surprise that we've seen in 2024? It feels like it's been a year of surprise. I've seen loads of cricket loads of upsets.

It's been a veritable selection box, Daniel. It has. I'm going to let Zoltz run us through in a minute the true absurdity of this year's test cricket. The number of amazing results abroad apart from everything else.

To run through a couple of them very quickly. In New Zealand, mentioned, winning 3-0 in India, insane. Bangladesh, winning 2-0 in Pakistan. Frankly, England, winning 2-1 in New Zealand and being 2-0 up really quite convincingly. But because I think that deserves a little bit of a statistical dive, I'm going to tee up what I think is the greatest surprise in the history of test cricket, which is that my friend Nahid Rana, who has to be a contender for the very worst batter who has ever set foot in a test match. He's a man don't forget who holds the record for the most

consecutive scoreless innings 19 times. Only 12 times was he out in fairness. Seven nought not outs but 19 consecutive noughts thrashing the previous record set by former England women's coach Mark Robinson of 12. I mean that's big big numbers.

At the time that he walked out to bat for Bangladesh against India the best bowler in the world was having his best season, Jasperit Bumra. In walks now, Nahed Rana. At the time, I think he'd scored 13 first-class runs at an average of below a half. He then proceeds to take 11 runs. Eleven, doesn't sound like a lot, but in the context of Nahid Rana's entire life and in the context of test cricket history, to have scored nearly

50% of your total first-class runs in one innings against the best bowler in the world. I can see the shots now, there was a heave out to midwicket, there was a thick, edge down to deep third, beautifully played. He must presumably have swung the bat before and missed, but there was something about Bumra's bowling. He took a liking to that day. Yeah, it destroyed a really

good average. I think his average is now up above one. It's about 1.2.6 actually, now. 2.6. I'm very disappointing. That's tests, Henry. I mean, it's still 1.3 in first class. 1.3 in first class. Yeah, please. You know, the world's not gone that mad. But it was for me.

I just remember being thrilled watching it and so in disbelief and I also think that these guys don't quite get the props they deserve because whilst I take the Mickey out of his terrible batting, he also bowled superbly in the series against

Bangladesh, against Pakistan regularly reaching 92, 93 miles an hour. He's a proper old school cricketer. He makes Chris Martin look like Don Bradman. He's also just scored four not out playing against West Indies in an ODI so he's finding his group.

Just a little bit of further statistical context on it. His last 17 first class matches, he scored 11 for naught off seven balls from Jasbit Bumra and two for 16 off 110 balls off the other 8 billion people in the world who are not the best bowler on the planet. So truly extraordinary. As you say, I mean, that Bangladesh win in

in Pakistan. We had him and Hassan Mahmoud, another debutant this year. Really nice swing bowler, bowled superbly Nahed at his first five against West Indies in Test cricket in November. Only Mark Wood has bowed consistently faster than him this year. Really exciting development for Bangladesh.

But my biggest surprise, I'm going to go to that India-New Zealand series, and Mitchell Santner, who before he came in in the second test, had played 28 tests in a pretty long career. Much more successful in whiteball cricket in tests. He'd taken 54 wickets, average 42, had never taken a forfer in 47 innings. He'd just come off the back of a poor series

in Sri Lanka, one wicket for 197 in the two tests. And then in the second test in India, he took seven for 53 and six for 104. It's a bowl New Zealand to a series win, comfortably out bowling India's spinners in their home. Then followed it up. He didn't play again until the final test against England, took three for seven and four for 85. So 20 for 249 in his last two tests. His previous 11 tests he'd taken 20 for 1,017 over 5 years. So in terms of

unexpected bolts from the blue, Mitchell Sandler's performance in that second test in India followed up in the third test against England is one of the all-time greats in test history. He only had 1-5 for in his entire first-class career

in 63 matches and average well over 40 in domestic first-class cricket as well but played too bubbly also contributed useful runs down the order so that for me Henry is my big surprise of the year it's actually been one of the features of this year has been the surprises we mentioned already New Zealand women winning the T20 World Cup

the 3-0 win by New Zealand the 2-0 win and it's something Zoltz that it seems peculiar to 2024 is that sides going away are winning games of cricket we mentioned before the West Indies winning in Brisbane Winning at the Gavitow, first time in Yonks. India winning at Perth. What an extraordinary thing that was.

Yeah, well, overall, Dan, the away team has won 21 out of 49 tests and lost 26. That's the most away wins in a test year. It's been quite a lot of matches this year. And also, modern cricket has almost no draws. Just two draws in those 49 tests, both rain affected. By comparison, in 2022 and 2023, away teams collectively won 21. and lost 42, so a 0.5 win loss ratio, that was up to 0.8 this year, which is the second highest in the last 13 years of test cricket. So we've seen a lot more away wins. And in terms of

who can beat whom, between September and the end of October, England lost to Pakistan, who lost to Bangladesh, who lost to India, who lost to New Zealand, who lost to Sri Lanka, who lost to England. So that was in the end of the English summer. So extraordinarily competitive and unpredictable. And I think part of the influence on that has been the World Test Championship, which, no, it hasn't been a big thing for England,

but I think it is really starting to impact on test cricket broadly in terms of the commitment to it from the teams and the players and the general competitiveness of test cricket. What about the return of Geoffrey? for Archer as a viable potential prospect to play test match cricket again. I never saw that happening in a million years. But he's been playing a full and active role in England's T20 and ODI squads since May.

And there are legitimate conversations about him being part of the Ashes in 12 months' time, which is a massive surprise. Daniel, for me, I never saw that coming. No, but you're not supposed to say it. Because that's the deal that we all have to make about. Joffra Archer, which is to assume that we'll never see him play test cricket again. Otherwise, we'll jinx it because it would be quite simply delicious. And trying to stay neutral in these matters, as we do on Test Max special,

I just think it would be great for the game of cricket if England could pitch up in Australia with Archer, Cars, Atkinson and Wood. It could be finally payback for 74, 75 and Lillian Thompson. Who knows? I mean, let's not get too excited, though. Can we scrub this? Can we edit this out? Otherwise, we've jinxed Joffar Archer forever.

Sorry, we will forget I ever said anything. Okay, our final award of the year of 2024 is the best win. Quite simply, the best victory achieved by a side across the 12 months of 2024. There are so many options. There are so many great cases to be made. But Andy Zaltzman, who was top of your list? Well, I just mentioned how many wins we've seen of teams

beating other teams and in the course of that chain then we saw England having lost to Pakistan going to win in New Zealand who'd won 3-0 in India. The team with the best win-loss ratio in test cricket this year is Ireland who won both of their

two test matches Australia next with five wins two defeats so far with one match to go. So all the teams that have played a lot of test cricket have have had wins, you know, wins and losses. So my best win, I mean, I do think England's win in New Zealand is one of their best series victories for a long time in that context of New Zealand with a really good regenerating

side, having come off that spectacular win in India. And they kept Ratchin Ravindra really quite one of the most exciting players in test cricket up against, you know, Henry and O'Rourke, really superb pair of fast bowlers. Bangladesh in Pakistan winning 2-0 but I think I will have to go with New Zealand in India just because of how few matches

India had lost since they last lost a home series to Alistair Cook's team in late 2012 no one had expected it it helped keep the World Test Championship really interesting people thought India would run away with one of the two spots for the final

but to win 3-0 in India whether you know it's the Indian team at the end of a cycle. We've seen Ashwin retire since then. Koli and Sharma, both really struggling long term for productivity with the bat. But even so,

it was one of the most spectacular away wins in test history. I can't really see beyond that. It's, to me, the most remarkable victory since Sri Lanka beat South Africa many years ago, one of the great innings that was up there with Ben Stokes.

Cussel Pereira in tandem with the number 11 got Sri Lanka over the line. And it was up there with Stokes' innings, if not better, given the context and the bowlers and the fact that it's Sri Lanka away in South Africa. So, yeah, I think the 3-0 win by New Zealand bears comparison with that. In terms of individual wins, well, we mentioned Hyderabad, which was stunning because of the 190-run deficit. But this may seem a bit perverse. But actually, for me, India's win in Perth was a heck of a surprise, because they arrived

against a very settled Australia side how they've managed to keep doing this although I don't know for how much longer they will but get Hazelwood Cummins, Stark and Lion to bowl together yet again and this was an Australian side that apart from uncertainty at the very top of the order looked settled, Labashane, Smith, Travis Head

but it did mask some problems, some form problems that we weren't really aware of to go to Perth with a depleted fast bowling line up not having Mohammed Shammy, again having to play players who are inexperienced in Australian conditions and then get bowled out very cheaply in the first innings to hear the Australian commentators

so certain a victory after four hours and then to see them try to process the reality of Jasprit Bumra and how it wasn't going to be that easy after all they bundled out Australia for a hundred and a bit they then dominated the game. Yashvi Jaiswal, one of the players of 2024 coming to the four.

It was a real shock for Australia and for Australians. Now, Australia at the time of recording have bounced back the series' level. It's beautifully poised. But I think for surprise, it should be up there. Yeah, sensational game and a spectacular series. As we expected as well, I'm going to chuck in something that was, for me,

the odds that you would have got at the start of the Women's T20 World Cup on a side that had come into the competition in the format, having lost 10 games in a row, being absolutely hammered by England across the English summer, a team that, to all intents and purposes, stood no chance. And yet New Zealand won the T20 World Cup. It was implausible, it was impossible, and they did it.

And it was remarkable. And I don't think in terms of World Cups, men's all. women's in the history of the competition maybe you go back to 1996 and Sri Lanka and that remarkable run there but they had so many talented players and there was nothing like that run of form but you look at that New Zealand performance it was unbelievable it was a bit like Greece winning the euros wasn't it only done with a lot more flamboyance and flare and it came accompanied with and we haven't got an award for this but the best noise of the year the best the The best noise of the year was undoubtedly made by Eden Carson.

You're a semi-finalist. How does that feel? It should basically accompany every text message I ever received forever. How does that feel? It was an absolute delight, and it was actually very symbolic of the way New Zealand played their cricket. We were sharing the hotel with all the teams, Henry, and they just seemed like the happiest camp, didn't they? And I was just delighted for them. Yeah, amazing game. That noise, as you say, from Eden Carson are sort of, ooh-hoo. You're a semi-finals. How does that feel?

Are you good? The full Toskers, there we go. It's been a marvellous year, hasn't it? We've had an absolute hoot. It's been great fun. Daniel, thank you. Zoltz. You've enjoyed the year? Yes, there's been a lot of cricket in it, Henry.

So that makes it a good year. 17 test matches for England. I think there will be over 50 test matches all around the world. The test cricket continues to fight against its administrators. The player is still clear. really love it and I think I'm more hopeful for the future

at the end of this year than 12 months ago. I just think it's been a wonderfully fun year for us. It was a strange old summer wasn't it? Because you get this in even numbered years.

England playing against the West Indies and Sri Lanka and again we had the same arguments. Oh no, test cricket it's too one-sided. Everyone would say that in summer. It hasn't turned out that way at all.

And next year promises to be just as much fun. England won't play as many test matches but the ones they'll play will have enormous significance there. Women will play a test match early on in January. You'll be out there for the women's ashes. That promises to be thrilling. England play a five-match series at home against India

and then they go to Australia for the ashes and we always get very excited about it. Joffra Archer, as you say, could he be there? This time next year, what will our Toskers look like then? I'm very hopeful for them. As am I. Thank you both. Look out for our programme. previews of 2025.

There will be on the Test Match Special podcast stream soon, either on BBC South, wherever you get your podcast. Jonathan Agnew and I'll be previewing the men's year and then come January. Kate Cross and Alex Hartley will be bringing you the definitive preview for the upcoming 12 months in the women's game on the No Balls Cricket podcast.

Speaking of which, look out for full ball by ball commentary of the women's ashes. That gets underway at 11.30pm on January the 11th. We've got the champions trophy to come. We've got Men's and Women series across the English summer. Then we've got the Ashes as well. So much to look forward to. Daniel, Andy, thank

you so much for joining me. Thank you for listening and we'll speak to you again soon. In the shadows of Glasgow two crime families rose to power. You're either with the Daniel family or you're with the Lions family. There's no in between. A brutal war for control.

of Glasgow's lucrative drug trade that still rages today. Police think it's the work of a criminal gang. Join me, Livy Haydock, as I investigate the battle that shattered the old school rules of crime. They're just terrorising people, whatever they meant. Gangster, the story of the Daniels and the Lions. Listen on BBC Sounds.