Bits and Pieces : The friendliest cricket podcast · LLLC

Ep 177: Bits and Pieces rises again from Bazball's Ashes!

·54 min·3 clips

Ben Stokes took 15 wickets at 25, then the hosts ask whether he even deserves a batting spot.

1. Bits and Pieces episode 177 is a long, loose review of England's 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia. 2. The panel is led by PGK, Tony Sebastian, Nitin Sundar, and Varun Murli, who are the four voices pushing the cricket arguments and jokes. 3. The episode asks whether England's "basketball" approach actually meant anything after a 4-1 Ashes loss. 4. The hosts revisit the Perth first Test and name Australia's attack of Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brandon Doggett, Nathan Lyon, and Cameron Green. 5. They say Travis Head opening the batting only happened because Usman Khawaja hurt his back. 6. They compare this series to older Ashes tours, especially the Mitchell Johnson Ashes and England's 2010-11 win in Australia. 7. The panel repeatedly says this Australia side was weak on paper because Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were missing for key parts of the series. 8. They argue that England still lost badly despite facing the weakest Australian attack in years. 9. Brendan McCullum's quote that England "couldn't afford a fielding coach" becomes a running joke. 10. Tim Southee is mentioned as England's bowling coach who was absent because he was playing ILT20 in Dubai. 11. The hosts discuss a Telegraph story about Harry Brook that they think was held back until after the series ended. 12. They speculate that the timing of that story put pressure on Rob Key, McCullum, and Ben Stokes. 13. Ben Stokes' batting and bowling numbers come up, including 15 wickets at 25 with an economy of 3.72. 14. The panel also says Stokes was England's third-highest wicket-taker in the Ashes. 15. One section argues that England's Ashes preparation looked unserious compared with Australia's drills and routines. 16. Another recurring point is that England's selection and backroom setup changed during the series, but the results never improved. 17. The tone is conversational, argumentative, and full of mock-serious cricket trivia and interruptions. 18. The format is a multi-host panel with frequent cross-talk, corrections, and on-the-fly fact checks. 19. Listeners who enjoy Test cricket arguments, Ashes history, and cricket media gossip should like this episode. 20. Listeners looking for a polished, spoiler-free match report may skip this episode.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Bits and Pieces : The friendliest cricket podcast