The Ashes: spirit, morality, tribalism, culture, Broady. He’s good, isn’t he? (Knows what he’s doing.) We take your visceral minutes. dribble about all (some) things Ashes, briefly talk about other cricket, and finish with a failure-inspired #AskTGC. Heartfelt thanks to everyone’s who’s supported TGC during this series. A deeply special one for us, though we’ll never admit that, as men. Anyway, 2-2: let’s all fuck off. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com. Use the code 'goodareas' for free shipping (valid in both the UK and AUS). Budgy Smuggler are searching for the final 4 contestants to compete in the final of World’s Most Ordinary Rig in Australia this November 🔥 How to enter: 1️⃣ Post a picture of yourself or a mate in Smugglers at peak ordinariness. 2️⃣ Hashtag #WorldsMostOrdinaryRig and @budgysmuggler | @budgysmuggleruk | @budgysmugglerfrance 🇦🇺Final 10 win a trip to Sydney, Australia with a mate. 🏆 World’s Most Ordinary Rig Winner wins $10k AUD cash money, a 12 month Budgy Smuggler modelling contract and the title of ‘World’s Most Ordinary Rig’ Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retain [verb]: continue to have (something); keep possession of. While England stroke their chins soberly, pondering morality and the impact of clouds on children, Australia’s grubby little convict mitts clutch the urn, with g-strings and court jester hats close by. Elsewhere, India dusts West Indies, Harmanpreet gets mist, Pakistan beats Sri Lanka, and Headingley helps a man settle his divorce. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com. Use the code 'goodareas' for free shipping (valid in both the UK and AUS). Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major League Cricket is here and so is Zampa's reference to the 20th of April. Is it good? Are we watching? What does The Star Spangled Banner mean to powerplays? Australia have successfully retained the Women's Ashes, but this is of course not enough, despite it being good for the game. The best series ever though; Alyssa Healy thinks not. India absolutely smash the West Indies in the 1st Test. How will splitting up the islands benefit anyone? Do the West Indies just need to WANT IT more? Alex Malcolm from ESPNCricInfo joins us in the studio to preview the 4th Men's Ashes Test at Old Trafford. It's some really nuffy cricket chat but also we complain about why bad things happen to the team that we like and how nothing is fair. #AskTGC comes in from Scotland and also Edmonton, Canada. What is the truth of cricket? Will our world's completely capitulate? Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com. Use the code 'goodareas' for free shipping (valid in both the UK and AUS). Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com. Use the code 'goodareas' for free shipping (valid in both the UK and AUS). Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We emerge from obstacles technical and travel to drag ourselves to the microphone for a late crack at the scenes from Lord’s. Danny Rood starts things off, before we pore over events legally, philosophically, sociologically, tribally, viscerally, clumsily, and in grade terms. Also, Stokes and Smith can play. Following a rare defeat at The Oval overnight, Alyssa Healy claims her team "is allowed to lose a game of cricket". Very interesting! Scotland look poised to hurdle the full-member only World Cup, and AskTGC ponders the real meaning of the Spirit of Cricket, as well as whether or not his question should have included some "cock stuff". Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com. Use the code 'goodareas' for free shipping (valid in both the UK and AUS). Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In lieu of our lost cast, here's an extended visceral minute post Lord's. Full cast out Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We record this from The Oval in south London the day before The Lord's Test match, where anything can happen but one thing is for certain, this is very cult-like and we're having a nice time. Barney Ronay stops in to talk about the good things and the things we are allowed to question. What is tackles? What is Tongue? Speak in absolutes and with such certainty forever. Never change. Do push ups. We celebrate Ash Gardner's 12 wicket haul in the women's Test, the hopefully bright future of 5 day Tests for women and also if we'll accept anything other than a clean sweep. Nathan Lyon is about to embark on his 100th consecutive Test match for Australia, while England have already named their spinner-less 2nd Test starting XI. Why? There's other news about first pitches at The Olympic Stadium, West Indies failure in Zimbabwe, Netherlands' success and some other, more irreverent, stuff in-between. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com. Use the code 'goodareas' for free shipping (valid in both the UK and AUS). Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We come to you direct from Manchester, basking in the afterglow of a podium Australian Test win in the modern era. We skin the cat as many ways as possible, chronicling the feelings 24 hours post victory, where it ranks, the game itself, and what next. Inside that we cover Cummins, Springsteen, Uzzie, Gaz, Stokes, Robinson, Ponting, KP, other names that make us feel things, and your Visceral Minutes. We also preview the Women’s Ashes, where once again we threaten effigies should Australia not emerge with the full complement of points. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com Get Shane Watson’s book, “Winning The Inner Battle”, at shanewatson.au Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are very proud and excited to announce our special guests who will join us on stage in the UK for our Ashes Live Show Tour. Some tickets are still available at: grade cricketer.com/live-shows Birmingham - 18 June - GLENN MAXWELL (Sold Out) Birmingham - 19 June - IAN BELL (**tickets available**) Manchester - 22 June - PHIL SALT (Sold Out) Leeds - 24 June - STEVE HARMISON (**tickets available**) London - 25 June - RICKY PONTING (**tickets available**) London - 26 June - GRAEME SWANN (Sold Out) London - 27 June - MICHAEL VAUGHAN (Sold Out) www.gradecricketer.com/live-shows Sign up to the Australian Cricket Family at cricket.com.au/acf before June 6 to get early bird discounts on tickets for the Aussie summer, with Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa all coming out. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com Live show tickets available in Birmingham, Leeds and one London show: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are very proud and excited to announce our special guests who will join us on stage in the UK for our Ashes Live Show Tour. Some tickets are still available at: grade cricketer.com/live-shows Birmingham - 18 June - GLENN MAXWELL (Sold Out) Birmingham - 19 June - IAN BELL (**tickets available**) Manchester - 22 June - PHIL SALT (Sold Out) Leeds - 24 June - STEVE HARMISON (**tickets available**) London - 25 June - RICKY PONTING (**tickets available**) London - 26 & 27 June guests will be announced soon. These shows are already sold out. www.gradecricketer.com/live-shows Sign up to the Australian Cricket Family at cricket.com.au/acf before June 6 to get early bird discounts on tickets for the Aussie summer, with Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa all coming out. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com Live show tickets available in Birmingham, Leeds and one London show: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bit quiet in our niche cricket wheelhouses this week; almost like the schedule has been cleared to talk about one thing only. Anyway, Hazlewood is maybe getting fit, Jaiswal is in as a reserve, KL Rahul enjoyed himself, and Sabba made a tonne off 34 rocks. Oh, and the IPL Final was postponed 24 hours, and we recorded beforehand. On a serious note, Meg Lanning is out of the Ashes due to medical reasons and we wish her the best. ESPNCricinfo’s Alex Malcolm joins us for some good, earnest Ashes cricket chat, before AskTGC references Wisden, internet dickheads, Ian Bell masks, and crisps/chips. Sign up to the Australian Cricket Family at cricket.com.au/acf before June 6 to get early bird discounts on tickets for the Aussie summer, with Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa all coming out. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com Live show tickets available in Birmingham, Leeds and one London show: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shubman Gill makes the statement of the IPL with the thirstiest of thirst traps. Have to respect the lighting. The Ashes is one week closer, so we guess what's going to happen with a few more hours of knowledge. Mitch Starc joins us from Sydney to give his insights into how the squad's golf game is looking. Tom Moody joins us from India to tell us what's going on in Indian cricket and if the IPL means we'll get more shirtless selfies and less Tests. And Phil Walker joins us from London to give us his hopes and fears ahead of the most important Ashes series since the last one. Sign up to the Australian Cricket Family at cricket.com.au/acf before June 6 to get early bird discounts on tickets for the Aussie summer, with Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa all coming out. Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com Live show tickets available in Birmingham, Leeds and one London show: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ashes is upon us, and this time it really is The Ashes. Of cricket. Literally. The flaming, dying embers of the game as we know it, which then become actual ashes, followed by bulk bunce in Saudi Arabia or whatever. Nah, not really, because Stokesian captaincy and the Bazball revolution are here to Save Cricket, which if nothing else, permits the hosts early moral superiority points in the 8-week War Of Words which precedes the 6 week Test series. Also, Australia plays India for the actual championship of the thing, which when you think about it makes sense as a warm-up to the main event. The main event being a golf trip in Liverpool. Normal and good. In and around all that discussion is Barney Ronay and Adam Zampa. Onto more familiar matters – the schedule for Australia's home summer has been released with Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa all coming out. Cricket Australia is offering early bird discounts before June 6 - all you have to do is sign up to the Australian Cricket Family at cricket.com.au/acf. Happy to be offering discounts on bunce for a day out at the cricket. Get around it, and it, you. In a circular motion etc. We also talk IPL, ICC distributions, and the social and cultural undercurrents at play on the major existential matters facing cricket, according to two blokes off the Internet. An English cuck writes in for #AskTGC about God knows what in a story about France and a West Indian, and we finish with a visceral minute via “Ginger Century”, who makes a strange, potentially northern English, noise at the end. Can anyone tell us what that noise was? Not in a “secret sound” way – genuinely don’t know what the noise was. And of course you would take Faf’s rig, you TOW-TAL SLAG! Budgy is backing us big time this English summer, get around them at budgysmuggler.com Limited edition merch available: gradecricketer.com Live show tickets available in Melbourne, Birmingham, and one London show: gradecricketer.com You get discounts, early access and an exclusive podcast every week when you sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 3rd (and almost definitely final) London live show has been added to TGC's UK Tour for 2023. Tickets for Sunday, June 25 at Alexandra Palace are available right now here: https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/the-grade-cricketer/ Further shows have been added to Birmingham (Monday, June 19), Manchester (late show on Tuesday, June 20) as well. And of course, tickets are still available for Leeds (Thursday, June 22). You can get tickets for all of those shows here: https://www.gradecricketer.com/live-shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate the Ashes and the last ever serious Test series, we’re pumped to announce TGC will be taking our live show to the UK in June, performing in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and London. Tickets go on-sale this Friday, 10am UK time at gradecricketer.com. For a 24-hour early-access window, sign up at patreon.com/gradecricketer Dates, Cities, Venues o June 18: BIRMINGHAM Glee Club o June 22: MANCHESTER o2 Academy o June 24: LEEDS City Varieties o June 27: LONDON Union Chapel Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday 10am UK time Head to gradecricketer.com/live-shows for that link to tickets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India win the Border Gavaskar series for the 4th time in a row but not before Usman’s emotional hundred, Cam Green’s first hundred, Shubman’s return hundred and Kohli’s drought-breaking hundred. 22 wickets in 5 days. Good stuff, fellas! To that end, we review the series as a whole and what we learnt, if anything. I think it’s that Axar Patel is Bradman. New Zealand have done it again in absolute thriller in Christchurch against Sri Lanka. All the best, lads. The WPL makes us feel safe and scared and we also learn about peripheral characters we’ve not heard of before. Temba Bavuma scores his first hundred in 7 years and Maharaj ruptures his achilles while celebrating a wicket against a West Indian team that hasn’t won an away series in nearly 30 years. Shaun Marsh retires from first class cricket this week, so we ponder if what we got was enough. #AskTGC is from a mix of characters called Anon, Fairbody and The Snake which sees weed brownies, MDMA and bowel movements all combining for a troubling tale of mixing drugs with run outs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sure, Australia made history with one of its finest ever performances, but instead we ask: what’s doing vis a vis decks, India? But seriously, Australia was good: Carey kept masterfully, the spinners stirred, Smith marshalled, and is there anything better than seeing The Bin Lid On A Shit Tip? We move to Ahmedabad where Modi will hold court in his 132,000K seat stadium where no one can get a ticket. Elsewhere, The WPL has started explosively. It’s a red-letter day for quality women’s cricket, and a horrendous day for Australian domination. Thankfully, two white blokes are here to explain why. Some other international stuff happened involving England, Bangladesh, South Africa and the Windies, too. Thanks to our guests this week, Trent Copeland and Ramachandra Guha, who each brought class, grace, intelligence and logic to an otherwise meandering offering, which concluded with a question about getting champed mid-Coitus. Speaking of being champed, if you’re considering abandoning TGC on account of us speaking to Mr Guha, thanks for your support, and see ya later (champ). Thanks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand pull off their greatest ever Test win in Wellington after being asked to follow on. England are still having fun though. Harry Brook hundreds, Joe Root's reverse laps, Kane Williamson's record breaking innings and Michael Bracewell forgetting how to run. The 2nd Test had it all. Is the Australian Women's team our greatest of all time? Their second World Cup three-peat certainly has us asking questions about what's next for our women. Gallipoli? Southern Cross tattoos? Sledging? Brett Lee in the sheds? And we look ahead to the 3rd Test between India and Australia where one thing is for certain: we're about to get very angry about things again. Fortunately, Greg Chappell has the answers. #AskTGC pertains to English gloating and online discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another game, another capitulation, another meltdown. After a promising start, Australia found a new way to fall to India, tangled in Ashwin and Jadeja’s web. Thankfully, Healso and Dos are on the case, one with a masterclass in trackies, another with a literal broom on the pitch. Very simple, Chalk. Elsewhere, Australia’s women do it with their eyes closed, so we provide news of their impeding win ahead of time. No doubt that will be appreciated. Bazball reign supreme in Mt Maunganui, so as a coping mechanism we focus on journalist reactions and the sheer wetness of The Nighthawk. To wrap up, AskTGC is about confusing Faf du Plessis with linguistics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Direct from Hyderabad, Higgos and Pez bring you most correct and accurate analysis of Australia's latest Indian capitulation. Where did it all go wrong? Selections, prejudice, intrigue, doctoring and ointment all figure. But most compellingly: the importance of a harder nose. Harder anything. Never smart, always hard. #justinlanger. We're also here for the Women's World Cup where Australia destroys again, England play NZ in a series about identity more than anything else, and AskTGC is - frankly - about adultery, grassing, reliable witnesses and group sex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.