The Analyst Inside Cricket
Sharp analysis and opinion from the cricket world with Simon Hughes, The Analyst and the BBC's Simon Mann, featuring comment, analysis, interviews with international players and celebrity guests. Find us on the Sport Social website: https://podcast.sport-social.co.uk/podcast/the-analyst-inside-cricket/
Episodes
August 2, 2025 • 32 mins
A tremendous batting performance by India have set England a mountain to climb on the fourth day at the Oval. They require 374 and were shaping well with 50-0 until Mohammed Siraj yorked Zak Crawley with the last ball of the day. A tough day for England's bowlers and fielders and major work to do for England's batters if they are going to get close to securing the series 3-1. india are odds on to make it 2-2. This podcast is suppor...
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August 1, 2025 • 33 mins
A Test match and series superbly poised at the Oval with India leading by 53 with eight wickets left in seamer-friendly conditions. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report on an absorbing day of 340 runs and 15 wickets and plenty of confrontation that Surrey and England's Graham Thorpe, in whose memory everyone sported headbands, would have loved.
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July 31, 2025 • 33 mins
India possibly have the better of the first day at the Oval where England bowled waywardly and lost Chris Woakes to what looked like a dislocated shoulder towards the end of the day. With Woakes unlikely to play any further part in the match it makes India's score of 204-6 on a helpful pitch worth more like 250. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review a day when India's batting held up resolutely against England's makeshift attack. they...
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July 30, 2025 • 44 mins
A preview of the fifth and final test at the Oval, scene also of Gilbert Jessop's fastest hundred for England in a Test match in 1902, a 76-ball record that still stands. Simon Hughes discusses the prospects of a Stokes-less England and a rebuilt bowling attack with Sunday Times cricket correspondent Simon Wilde who has written a new book - Chasing Jessop. It reveals much about the man who could be considered the original Bazballe...
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July 27, 2025 • 35 mins
Five days of stretching every sinew on the field by both sides has ended in stalemate at Old Trafford. Superb tenacious batting by india - having been 0-2 - held England at bay for over one and a half days during which they only lost two more wickets. In the end the dead pitch was the winner. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review a match that broke many batting records and was a triumph for the warrior-like Ben Stokes and his opposit...
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July 26, 2025 • 25 mins
Despite England's huge 311 run lead and two early Indian wickets, the India third wicket remained intact for the rest of the day as KL Rahul and Shubman Gill knuckled down to the job of drawing the game. The day featured Ben Stokes becoming only the fourth Englishman to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test match. Simin Hughes and Deep Dasgupta evaluate the day and where Stokes ranks in the all-rounders Hall of Fa...
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July 25, 2025 • 29 mins
England take inexorable control of the fourth Test at Old Trafford thanks primarily to Joe Root's faultless 38th Test hundred. In the course of it he went past Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting to become the second highest run scorer in the history of Test cricket. Only the incomparable Sachin Tendulkar has more (about 2500 more.) Simon Hughes and Deep Dasgupta assess the day and India's legendary batsman Sunil Gavask...
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July 24, 2025 • 28 mins
Helped by the unexpected contribution of the injured Rishabh Pant India make a battling 358 on the second day at Old Trafford. But after Ben Stokes takes his first 5 wicket haul for eight years, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley make a superb statement of their own with a 160 run opening partnership. Simon Hughes and Deep Dasgupta review a day which has left the match well poised with England 133 runs behidn with 8 wickets in hand.
Le...
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July 23, 2025 • 27 mins
An attritional 83 overs on the first day of the Old Trafford Test as India progress to 264-4 but Rishabh Pant suffers a bad injury to his foot on 37 and may play no further part in the match. Ben Stokes was again the go to bowler for England and having now bowled more overs (119) than in any other previous Test series, he has the same number of Test wickets (226) as both Freddie Flintoff and Steve Harmison. Simon Hughes and forme...
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July 19, 2025 • 58 mins
Twilight of the Gods: the first episode of our six -part series on the 2005 Ashes - often regarded as the greatest Test series of all time. Twenty years on Simon Hughes and Simon Mann relive the drama of those Tests with its participants including Michael Vaughan, Freddie Flintoff, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Strauss and Simon Jones, interspersed with the memories of Shane Warne. This first episode recalls ...
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July 14, 2025 • 40 mins
A truly melodramatic final day at Lord's featuring only 112 runs but six vital wickets to give England the narrowest of victories by 22 runs. It was on the very day six years ago when England tied the World Cup final and won the Super Over on a boundary count back, and two of England match-winners that 2019 day - Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer - were at the forefront of England's victory today. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann look back at...
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July 13, 2025 • 35 mins
Defending a meagre 193 for victory, England's Durham pair Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes offer hope of a brilliant climax to an absorbing third Test with late wickets. India now require a further 135 runs to win, with serene opener KL Rahul looking secure and the mercurial Rishabh Pant due in next. It promises to be an exciting final day as the moribund pitch gradually deteriorates. Can Ben Stokes inspire England again on the sixth a...
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July 12, 2025 • 32 mins
England and India finish on exactly the same score in their first innings at Lord's. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann discuss a day of attrition with the odd memorable highlight and a juicy confrontation between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley at the end of the day as the England openers manage to make one Bumrah over last eight minutes before stumps were drawn.
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July 11, 2025 • 35 mins
A day of attrition at Lord's, as England battle to 387 all out - despite Bumrah's five wickets - and hold india to 145-3. Jofra Archer bowled a sensational first over after on his Test match return after four years in rehab, and England dismissed the prolific Shubman Gill for only 16. On a fiercely hot day at Lord's 15 overs were left unbowled and Simon Hughes and Simon Mann discuss what can be done about the interminable delays an...
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July 10, 2025 • 34 mins
Led by the indefatigable Joe Root England ground out a solid base on the first day of the 3rd Test at Lord's. On a slow pitch England elected to bat first and only allowed India four wickets in the day for 251 runs. There is more hard work tomorrow once Root has got the one run to record his 37th Test hundred. But Simon Hughes and Simon Mann are concerned by an apparent muscle twinge suffered by his fifth wicket partner Ben Stokes...
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July 8, 2025 • 40 mins
Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review the 2nd Test at Edgbaston which ended in a thumping win for India. They assess how England will respond and who they will pick for Lord's starting on Thursday. Will the returning Jofra Archer significantly bolster their ailing attack and can they find a solution to the prolific Shubman Gill who has amassed 585 runs in the first two Tests.
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July 5, 2025 • 37 mins
India grind England's bowlers into the Edgbaston dust to notch up 1014 runs in the match and set England a nominal 608 to win. Even the Bazballers can't make that especially after losing three early wickets. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report on a record breaking, bat throwing day for India's batsmen led by the remorseless Shubman Gill
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July 4, 2025 • 33 mins
A day of extremes at Edgbaston as two England batsmen - Harry Brook and Jamie Smith - make over 150 and six are out for ducks. Despite Brook and Smith's magnificent partnership of 303 England still are coming comfortably second in this game and will need a miracle spell on Saturday morning to have any chance of winning the match. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report from England's spiritual home on a noisy Friday.
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July 3, 2025 • 31 mins
A majestic 269 from Shubman Gill shattered records and broke England bowlers' hearts to put India in an indomitable position at Edgbaston. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report on a debilitating day for England as the India batters piled up the highest total registered against Ben Stokes' England. Having lost three top order players for 25 England have a Herculean task now to get anything out of this game.
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July 2, 2025 • 36 mins
Shubman Gill's sublime century is the cornerstone of India's 310-5 on the first day at Edgbaston after Ben Stokes put India in. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann assess a lively first day with England lifted by the boisterous Birmingham crowd to keep India in. check but the second new ball will be key in the morning. This podcast is supported by Betfair. Note you must be 18 or over to bet and please gamble responsibly.
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