Glenn Maxwell did not, in fact, get to play

For a beautiful sweet moment on the day before the second Test at Galle, we thought it might happen. It did not happen. We were led through a garden of lies. Who said that Pat Cummins is a nice guy? Fine, he's pretty nice. But all that we can do now is regroup, rebuild, try to carry on. While the dream was alive, we did a brief episode about it. Video above, audio here. 

Welcome to July. 

Sri Lankan cricket tai chi.

How's this for a ground?

We promise we will not say Bazball

Season 12, Ep 13: Jodie Hicks Watch. An beachside chat with Alex Carey. Channel Seven suing Cricket Australia again, with the inside word from the Brettig Box. A mighty good Nerd Pledge. Yes, of course, the happy madness coming over English Test cricket after a dire couple of years. The England women's Test team letting in fresh air via a new generation of players. The Sri Lankan women hosting India. Eoin Morgan's farewell, and inevitable installation on your commentary feeds for decades to come. All of that and more on a bumper episode of The Final Word, coming to you from the power cuts and sea breezes of Galle.

Your Nerd Pledge number this week:
10.11 - Tim Clarsen

Audio is here. 

Definitely not our rental house. But sometimes we can sneak in. 

Story Time 95 – The lunacy of the river horse

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. We gather this time on a breezy balcony in Galle, kicking back in lounge chairs as Adam returns to the show. There will be some divergences through Karachi, the standard-bearers of fast scoring, the bookends of spin, a day out in the Sunday leagues, and a return to Le Velodrome de Vincennes.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
Patrick McKeon: 15.80
Nick Donovan: 9.60
Daniel O'Connell: 5.18
Dannish Babar & Hamish Stares: 2.38
Michael Fitzgerald: 4.19
Tom Screen: 4.07
Ben Gleeson: 5.01

Audio is here.

Bharat and the lighthouse - two refuges in a storm.