98 Not Out - The Cricket Podcast

Despite all the uproar, has the ECB pulled off a masterstroke in getting such huge sums of money from the sale of stakes in the franchises for The Hundred. Valued at a whopping £967mln, this provides a big windfall for all the counties, but they need to invest the money wisely if there are to survive long into the future. Is this the lifeline they needed?

Ricky Ellcock has led an amazing life. Born and raised in Barbados, at the age of 15 he was offered a scholarship by Malvern College and he made the journey to start a new life in England. Progressing through schools, then county cricket, Ricky was selected to play Test cricket for England in the West Indies. His debut was curtailed by a back injury, the first of many and when he had to retire from cricket, Ricky retrained as an airline pilot, eventually being picked up by Virgin Atlantic to become their first black captain. Unfortunately, bad luck struck again when he sustained a brain injury after falling down some stairs and Ricky was within a whisker of death, suffering seizures and being put into an induced coma. Thankfully the "Miracle Boy" has survived and he is here to tell us about his life and the autobiography he was written called "Balls to Fly". It is an inspiring read and to get your copy, please click the link below: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=balls+to+fly+ricky+ellcock+-+an+autobiography&crid=3Q1JGXPXXGYFV&sprefix=balls+to+fly%2Caps%2C72&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_12

A very interesting and wide-ranging chat with Rachel Mitchell, Head of Women's and Girls cricket at Billericay Cricket Club and part of the Essex Cricket the Community initiative. We discuss England Women's performance Down Under in the WAshes and ask whether Alex Hartley had a point when she questioned the fitness levels of some of the players. We also talk about the domestic scene and the arrival of county women's teams in 2025, but Rachel is fearful that careless fixture decisions will harm club cricket. What do you think? Let me know in the comments please!

Former Barbados, Middlesex and England cricketer joins us to talk about his new book, "Breaking Barriers: From Barbados to England and Back". It's a great account of his life coming to England as a youngster from his native Barbados, becoming the first black player to represent England and how once he had retired, returned to "Bim" and become actively involved in all sports on the island.

With the news that James Vince and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have decided to miss the 2025 first class season in England in order to pursue lucrative franchise contracts, RICHARD CLARKE aka "The Grumbler" says this was sadly inevitable. Given the direction of travel and the ECB's apparent lack of support for the county game, will there be more to come and what can the English counties do to stave off a drain of their best talent?

It may be the depths of winter, but there is plenty going on in the world of cricket. England’s men have the power to take a stand and refuse to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy next month, so says Tonia Antoniazzi MP. We discuss… Australia’s Test series again India lived up to all the hype and the hosts sealed a 3-1 win to take the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and seal a place in the World Test Champions Final at Lord’s in June. South Africa has been hosting Pakistan and a 2-0 series win sees them head to Lord’s to get Australia in the WTC Final. Reports coming through of Australia, England and India plotting to create a two-tier Test structure that would see the top teams play each other more often. But what would this means for the lesser sides? We discuss… Plus news from around the counties, with Essex Women busy with new signings. Make sure you follow “98 Not Out” across social media, YouTube and also wherever you get your podcasts!

Johnny Barran is just back from Buenos Aires, where he has been covering the Americas qualifying rounds for the 2026 ICC World Cup, which is to be held in India, We talk about the rich heritage of cricket in Argentina, which stretches back even further than football. The dispute over the Falkland Islands (or "Malvinas", depending on your perspective) is ever present and Johnny gives a little background. However, the ex-pat roots with Britain are still strong! 2025 is the 75th anniversary of the Lord's Taverners and Johnny will be heavily involved in a busy year. He will also be involved as "The Voice of God" at Surrey, so he has plenty on his plate!

A conversation with the legendary David Lloyd that starts off on the pressures of being away at Christmas - whether playing cricket, coaching or commentating - then veers off into a very funny discussion about 80s gameshow "Bullseye" being rebooted under Freddie Flintoff. Classic Bumble! For those of you who are too young to remember "Bullseye", take a look at this: https://youtu.be/YlTsyaHh37M?si=YLODF8cO1aCE5-8X

Here are a few festive messages from some of our many friends that have appeared on the show.Have a great Christmas and all the best for 2025. Come on England!!!.

RICHARD CLARKE aka "The Grumbler" joins me to discuss whether England has been vindicated with the left-field selections of players such as Jacob Bethel and Josh Hull, who have very little first class experience, but "have something about them". What message does this send to players putting in the hard yards in the County Championship?

A great chat with Essex Chairman Anu Mohindru, who reflects on a turbulent last few years at the club, with off-field issues such as the Newton Report and "Batgate" - where the club was punished for Feroze Khushi's bat not meeting requirements in the game against Notts early last season. Add to that the departures of CEO John Stephenson and Director of Cricket Anthony McGrath, Anu has had a lot to deal with. For all that, he has navigated the stormy waters well and with the support of his board and club staff, 2025 is looking a lot brighter. We talk about the return to the club of Chris Silverwood and also the great prospect of Essex having a Tier 1 Women's team. There's an update on the ground and also we chat about the issues affecting the domestic game.

DON TOPLEY has been in the Caribbean covering England's white ball tour of the West Indies. As the tour ends, Don joins us from Barbados to give his thoughts on a new-look England side, which has fallen a long way since they were T20 and ODI world champions only twelve months ago. We also get an update on his son Reece and also a few thoughts on the IPL Mega Auction which is taking place in Jeddah. Here's the link for "Perfect Pub Walks With Bill Bailey": https://www.channel4.com/programmes/perfect-pub-walks-with-bill-bailey

Editor of Wisden's Almanac Lawrence Booth joins me to talk about the weight of responsibility in ensuring the evolution and future of one of the game's great institutions. We talk about the impact of Bazball - Lawrence has written a great book on the subject, "Cricket, Lovely Cricket? Bazball". Also, is The Hundred a bitter pill for the counties to swallow to ensure survival and we preview England's upcoming trip to New Zealand. .

Sussex Chair Jon Filby and Anne Chave from "County Cricket Matters" join me to discuss whether we should be optimistic or concerned about the future of county cricket.

The voice of the BBC's Test Match Special Jonathan Agnew joins us to reflect on his time in the commentary box after hanging up his bowling boots thirty three years ago. He talks of his love for Test cricket and why franchise cricket is not really his thing, but acknowledging it has been great for the game. We also remember some of the great names he has sat with in the TMS box and of course we mention the "Leg Over" moment. Aggers also talks about the famous names he has interviewed in "View From The Boundary" and reveals the players he has loved watching.

Huw Turbervill, editor of "The Cricketer" magazine, has some interesting views following England's defeat in the Third Test at Rawalpindi - is it time to find a "drop anchor" batter in the mould of Alastair Cook, Mike Atherton or Geoff Boycott, who can bat time? The current top seven may be entertaining, but results are everything and the team needs to demonstrate more responsibility for poor performances. Winning quickly or losing quickly, just so they can squeeze in a quick nine on the nearest golf course needs to change!

New Zealand's Men have beaten India in their own back yard in a Test match for the first time in 36 years. Despite Day 1 being washed out, New Zealand skittles India for just 46 when play got underway on Day 2 and went on to claim a very famous victory. Meanwhile, over in the UAE, The White Ferns beat South Africa in the Final to be crowned T20 World Champions for the first time in their history! Sports Freak's Rahul Patil joins me to discuss an amazing weekend for New Zealand. www.sportsfreak.co.nz

Recent weeks have seen a succession of departures at Essex Cricket both on and off the field. In this episode, Richard Clarke joins to discuss a "revolving door" at the County Ground and ask how worried should Essex fans be? Remember to subscribe to Richard's free county cricket newsletter here: https://countycricket.substack.com

Surrey and England legend MARK BUTCHER takes a break from the commentary box to talk about his new album "Always Somewhere". This is his third album and it follows "Songs From The Sun House" and "Now Playing", which both met with critical acclaim. This one features more personal writing and Mark talks us through a few of the standout tracks and talks about recording and playing live, all while juggling the day job! "Always Somewhere" is out now on Cherry Red Records.

Essex-based photographer JON WAGSTAFF chats about taking the perfect photograph and how each sport presents its own particular challenges. www.jonwagstaffphotogrpahy.co.uk