Stevo for England!

Season 10, Ep 5: Is he the first live-streaming superstar? The cricket world turned to a dodgy video feed from a gale-struck Canterbury as Darren Stevens produced one of the more audacious innings in the first-class game. Fifteen sixes later, he nearly reached a double ton while his batting partner made 1 run. It was just the latest in a series of scarcely believable episodes in an unusual cricketing life, having turned into a bowler at 35 years of age and still playing at 45. He joins the Final Word to talk through all of it.

Also! Friend of the show and sometime co-host Isabelle Westbury joins us to discuss a week of major stories about the treatment of women players by the Indian board, and we're back with some vintage Winnie News and a brand new Milk Round.

Video is above, audio is here. 

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:
1.22 – Peter Brown
12.22 – Ollie Chauhan

Chasing Jimmy? Catching Jimmy

Speaking of English bowlers who get better each year, we set ourselves a patron goal of going past the 614 of James Anderson's Test wickets. And got there! Thanks so much to every one of you getting this email, you've helped us transform this show. 

We will probably drop back under 614 on June 1, because we lose a few friends at the end of each month if they forget to update expired cards. But we're in the lead for a moment, before Mr Anderson starts hunting more wickets for his tally on June 2. The game is afoot.

Story Time 48 – The hardest shot of all

Today: the innings that even Robelinda agrees could have been the best of all. A player with the same number in a whole lot of categories. The genius behind the Doug Ring Cycle, another of the great comebacks, catching a few at the beach in Bellingen, and the Final Word's most shameful miss in the history of this show.

Audio is here. 

Your Nerd Pledge numbers:
1.46 - Al Saunders
4.29 - Daniel O'Connell & Brook Quinn
2.28 - Harry Wojciechowski
5.40 - Jim Carnegie & Chris Prout

Plus revisits and confirmations.

Declan's run of the Thames for Lord's Tavs is here.
And the Alan Igglesden campaign we mentioned is here.

Finally, enjoy one of the great online exchanges, involving of course an elephant who knows how to bat.