This Week in Cricket #59 - NZ beats England in a Test series, English batting woes, Black Caps selection dilemmas and a World Test Championship Final preview with the Edges and Sledges podcast

The Top Order Cricket Podcast

With the World Test Championship Final on the horizon this week, it's a feature-length episode as we break down New Zealand's historic Test series win against England and look forward to the big dance.

We start the show with South Africa's crushing victory over the West Indies and Shakib al Hasan's tantrum, but it isn't long before Raj and Lippy are praising the Black Caps and celebrating NZ's first Test series win in England since 1999.

There's a detour from the Black Caps squad to discuss England's batting woes, wonder who decided it was a good idea to give James Bracey the keeping gloves and ask if the ECB are disrespecting Test cricket. Spoiler alert: Binksy comes off the long run - shorter Ashes series, anyone?

After we wrap up the England series, our attention turns to the World Test Championship Final. Who will New Zealand pick? Who would we pick? And can they beat this formidable Indian line up, featuring the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Ravi Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah?

We're also delighted to be joined by DJ from the Edges and Sledges podcast to help us look at the game from an Indian perspective.

• Is this the best ever Indian Test side?
• How much would a World Test Championship victory mean to Indian fans?
• Which spots in the XI are up for grabs?
• And who will win?

We also featured on Edges and Sledges this week - they do some great work so we thoroughly recommend you check out their feed if you haven't already. The YouTube link to our appearance is available here.

Keep an eye out on our social media feeds as we get excited about and react to the World Test Championship final. We also previewed the final with the team at Gully Cricket to Bouncy Wicket, so give them a follow, too. And if interviews are your thing, a chat with former Black Cap and new Wellington Cricket bowling coach Iain O'Brien will drop after we wrap up the WTC final.

If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, such as Shane Bond, Mike Hussey, Matt Henry and Graham Thorpe, just to name a few.Please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter and Facebook, & @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider. It really helps others find the show.

If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [e-mail].

Thanks for listening.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices