Zak Foulkes shines on Test debut, more England v India thoughts & the LA Olympics

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at a run of dominant performances by the Black Caps in Zimbabwe, share a few more thoughts about the Test series between England and India, and discuss cricket at the LA Olympics as well as overseas investment in The Hundred.

We start the show by talking about the two-Test series between the Black Caps and Zimbabwe, which resulted in heavy defeats for the home side. New Zealand ticked a lot of boxes, with debuts to Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy and Matt Fisher, plus impressive performances from the likes of Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls. We discuss what it all means in the context of Zimbabwe's own struggles, and ponder how Test cricket can grow while still ensuring the games remain competitive.

The conversation continues with Raj and Baldy sharing their thoughts on the epic series between England and India. We talk the spirit of cricket, Mohammed Siraj, the England bowling attack and why it is a shame that both sides aren't heading straight into another Test series.

To round out the episode, there's talk of the qualifying outlook for the LA Olympics cricket event, which looks set to features only six teams for the men and women. We also discuss overseas investment into The Hundred and how that could potentially change both the tournament and the global cricket calendar.

We'll be back in your feed next week to discuss more stories from the world of cricket. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.


You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].
Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro
1:05 Black Caps v Zimbabwe - what did we learn about NZ?
3:30 Zak Foulkes's impressive debut & NZ's bowling depth
7:05 Matt Henry continues to be world class
9:00 Did NZ make the right decision to declare?
14:05 Where to now for Zimbabwe? Two-tier WTC?
28:20 England v India: a hard-fought series
32:55 Mohammed Siraj & India's allrounder options
38:50 England's bowling attack for the Ashes
42:00 2028 LA Olympics qualifying
53:50 The Hundred: Overseas investment & another T20 window?