Here we go - The Ashes

It's happening. Week 2 of June on The Final Word is Ashes week, and we're in Birmingham about to go and meet Ali Martin at a Moseley watering hole after a long day preparing, previewing, and setting up. 

He's on the weekly show this week too, talking the inside track on Moeen. 

The first Ashes Daily just went up, too - video above, audio here. Start as you mean to go on, as we say. All the WTC final shows are on the feed too, they were pretty entertaining in our humble opinion.

You'll hear something on the weekly about the planned feed with no advertising, too - more info on that shortly. 

And there are lots of listener meetups being planned for matches - get on our Discord server if you haven't already. Message us. We can help.

At last, it's time for The Ashes

Season 14, Episode 19: It's only been 18 months since the last time the urn was played for but it feels like an eternity. For England, everything really has changed since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over a broken side. Now, for the series this has all been leading up to - The Ashes. And they take this with Moeen Ali back in the team after having not touched a red ball for the better part of two years. Ali Martin, another Birmingham native, knows the England all-rounder well and joins us to piece that together. Also on the show: WTC washup, Bluey does cricket, the Lottie Cup stays put, and Heather Knight's side name their Test squad for Trent Bridge. Of course we had to take the chance to record this before a hit in the nets at Sixes, on location at Westfield London.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:
14.50 - Sam Davies

The episode is here.

Story Time 140 – One September in 1917

Ten eps away from the big one. This week, a lot of different threads lead us back to a certain European autumn over a century ago. There is also a dusty week in Sydney, the 1008 names of Lord Shiva, one of the most forgotten domestic competitions ever, a pioneering slip catcher, and the biggest day in Birmingham. All recorded on a hot summer day in Adam's garden with the bumblebees bumbling about. Wholesome as, tuck in.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
2.52 - Jack S
2.78 - Shounak Sarkar
7.50 - Jonathan Aspin

Revisits
7.00 - Jon Lansdell
6.80 - Owen
3.39 - Pat Rodgers
5.28 - Paul Murphy
4.39 - Vanessa Collins
3.57 - Alan Simpson
4.89 - Edward Greggs

Here's the audio.

Enough from us. Better get into it.