The Final Word with Stephen Fry

First of all, exciting that almost a hundred people have newly joined or rejoined the silliness of Patreon over the course of the Ashes. Welcome, and thanks. If we can help you feel at home, let us know. We're working on getting through the message inbox, bear with us. If you can figure out how to join our TFW Discord page, you'll find other listeners hanging out there too.

Secondly, we told you there was a big interview coming. Wonderful response to the conversation with Stephen Fry so far, which isn't surprising considering how good he is as a guest. Certainly a highlight of Week 2 of August for TFW - as we ease down from the intensity of the preceding months, you'll see we're working hard to make sure the quality of the show stays high.

Here's the audio episode if you missed it. There will be video too, once we get time to assemble it. We're supposedly on holiday...

Beergate, Ballgate, Gabriel Gaté

That takes us to the latest weekly show: Season 14, Episode 31. Bharat is home to meet his chickens, Geoff is in Italy, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some cold Ashes ashes to rake over. Usman Khawaja has a curious interpretation of what efficiency means, and Mitchell Marsh has a new temp job. Australia have a preliminary World Cup squad, India still have NFI when the World Cup matches will be, and Alex Hales has no more time for England. West Indies spring a couple of surprises on India in the shortest format, and James Rew keeps surprising everyone.

Your Nerd Pledge number this week is:
7.43 - David Peacock

Here's the audio episode.

Should've invited the Australians to Maccas at 3am.

Story Time 144 – Right in the Gooch

Back in the saddle after the Ashes, although technically this episode was not recorded after the Ashes. We bring in Wisden Cricket Monthly Phil Walker for his Mastermind subject, hear from the subject of one of the pledges himself, and take a long tour of northern Queensland trying to figure out just how far everywhere is from everywhere else.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
1.77 - Louis Jackson
3.33 - Phil Jeffs
30.98 - Ciaran O'Kane
5.30 - Steve Dodd

Here's the audio.

How England took over the white-ball world

Season 14, Episode 30: In their new book, White Hot, journalists and Final Word regulars Tim Wigmore and Matt Roller document the dominance of the England men's white-ball team, looking at how they went from easybeats at the 2015 World Cup to dual world champions seven years later. It's a great tale told in print and in this interview, with England's 50-over defence the next major assignment starting two months from now.

Get copies of White Hot: The Inside Story of England Cricket’s Double World Champions from Bloomsbury here. 

Here is the episode. 

The week isn't over - there'll be Story Time on the weekend, after a pivotal archive episode in TFW lore as we get ever closer to the beginning. Then next week, Adam has the co-parenting responsibility. Stay tuned. Ciao.