98 Not Out - The Cricket Podcast

The cricket world continues to reverberate from the bombshell news that Lancashire has not offered Sir James Anderson a contract for 2027. Huw Turbervill from "The Cricketer" and Ian Lomax from the Lancashire Action Group lead the discussion.

Joined by our regular contributors Dan Whiting, Nigel Jones and Barrie Funnell, we also talk about England's dismal ODI triangular series in Pakistan, the South Africa vs Australia Test series, as well as the departure of Gareth Batty from Surrey, which seems to have come out of the blue. And there's a trip down memory lane with Oliver Hawke who recalls the days of Sunday league cricket.

BREAKING NEWS: Lancashire CCC has not offered Sir James Anderson a contract for the 2027 season; does this spell the end of a legendary career?...there's also the latest news from around all the other counties.

David Wright and Barrie Funnell examine ways for the ardent cricket fan to get his or her fix over the gloomy autumn and winter months and Nigel Jones questions the wisdom of making Dan Lawrence the captain of the England Lions.

Updates on England as they begin a globe-trotting winter and also all the latest from a thrilling Test match taking place between South Africa and Australia.

The dust has barely settled on the end of the 2026 season, but yet there is so much going on! This week our panel takes a look at the county scene and the fall out from the curtain falling on the English summer, with already players and coaches jumping on the transfer merry go round. England has announced a new batch of central contracts, totalling 39 in all! Is this good or bad from a county perspective? And we get an update on Pakistan legend Imran Khan, who turned 74 last week.

Taking part this week are Don Topley, Dan Whiting, Barrie Funnell, Asif Tanvir, Alex Gates and Harry Everett.

The English cricket season may be over (or not, if you are one Essex or Leicestershire fan), but there is always something to talk about!

This week:

Debbie Knight and "The Grumbler" on Essex.

Dan Whiting on the transfer market.

Nigel Jones previews England's winter...

and Craig Tranter on the latest goings on at Lancashire.

I also say a few words about Jeffrey Archer, whose death was announced this week.

The curtain has come down on the English cricket season. Warwickshire are Champions (as predicted by Barrie Funnell), with Durham and Kent promoted from Division 2. Hampshire are relegated from the top flight, but will an appeal against a points deduction save Leicestershire from the drop and place Essex over the trap door instead?

Controversy as yet again England pluck players out of county games to join the national squad. Lancashire cancelled their end of season awards, but Essex had theirs at Hylands House in Chelmsford, graced by some famous ex-players., including Nasser Hussain and Monty Panesar.

Our panel take a look at all these talking points and examine where their teams did well this season and what needs to be done over the winter.

This week we hear from Oliver Hawke, Dan Whiting, Nigel Jones, David Wright, Barrie Funnell, Dan Haggar and new boy James Tarry.

Remember to subscribe to the podcast where you get full length interviews PLUS items not included on the Phoenix FM radio show.

We enter the final round of County Championship matches with still to be decided both at the top and the bottom of Division One, as well as finding out who will get promoted alongside durham from Division Two. There's also the small matter of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, where Middlesex lifted the trophy after a great final at Trent Bridge against Leicestershire.

Joining us this week to discuss events are newbie Dan Whiting, Oliver Hawke, Alex Gates, Dan Haggar, David Wright, Nigel Jones and Barrie Funnell.

George Dobell from "The Cricketer Magazine" talks about Stephen Fleming's appointment as the new England coach and he is impressed! A vast change from the previous regime and so far it bodes well also for the county game, which remains under huge existential pressure.

We have reached the penultimate round of fixtures in the 2026 County Championship and it is STILL all to play for at the top and the bottom of Division One, but is a late points deduction going to set a cat among the pigeons? Oliver Hawke, Dan Haggar, Barrie Funnell, David Wright and Alex Gates describe a frantic dash for the finish line.

Teams are jostling for position at both ends of the County Championship Division One table, with the spots for champions and relegation still all to play for. Games are coming thick and fast and many outcomes are pivoting on a particularly good or bad session.

As always, plenty to talk about and our panel of Harry Everett, David Wright, Barrie Funnell, Dan Haggar, Oliver Hawke and Alex Gates are here to report on all the latest goings on at their counties.

The blistering English Summer has come to an end with heavy - but much needed - rain coming to disrupt the cricketing calendar. Nonetheless, our intrepid panel members were out and about, braving the weather to catch whatever county matches they could. This week:

Dan Haggar and David Wright on Essex v Surrey

Oliver Hawke on Yorkshire v Leicestershire

Harry Everett on Sussex v Somerset

Alex Gates on Derbyshire v Middlesex, Durham v Gloucestershire and the Test match at Lord's between England and Pakistan.

..and Craig Tranter on Worcestershire v Lancashire.

Red ball cricket is back and our panel is here to report on the games they have been watching:

Harry Everett and Dan Haggar on Somerset v Essex

David Wright and Barrie Funnell on Surrey v Notts

Oliver Hawke on Leicestershire v Glamorgan

Craig Tranter on Lancashire v Northants

...and Craig also tells us what he is REALLY up to in Worcester this week?!?!

Leicestershire and Middlesex will battle it out in the Metro Bank One Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge on the 21st of September. We hear from Oliver Hawke and David Wright, who were at Grace Road and Radlett respectively. Also at Radlett was Alex Gates who gives his thoughts, not only on Middlesex, but England's prospects under new leadership, as the series against Pakistan gets underway. And finally Craig Tranter returns with all the latest goings on at Lancashire, where life is rarely dull!

Essex Cricket has elected Rachel Lewis as the new Chair at the club, the first woman to hold the position in the club's 150 year history. Here she tells us about how she plans a future that is shaped on the past.

The Metro Bank One Day Cup is heading towards a climax and we hear from Dan Haggar,

Oliver Hawke, Harry Everett, Barrie Funnell and David Wright about how their clubs have fared. Spoiler - only one of them is happy!?!?!

As the heatwave continues, so does interest in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, with some great outground cricket being played under sunny skies in front of sizeable crowds.

In this episode, Dan Haggar talks about an eventful trip to Arundel Castle and a meeting with the new Essex Chair Rachel Lewis.

Oliver Hawke reports on a couple of good wins for Leicestershire which saw them top the table. Harry Everett is equally cock-a-hoop about Somerset and David Wright enjoys attending some neutral games alongside his beloved Surrey.

This week Oliver Hawke, Barrie Funnell and Dan Haggar join me to discuss the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the delights of watching cricket at beautiful out grounds under sunny skies. We also look at a poignant Test match just completed in Trinidad, where the West Indies beat Pakistan against the backdrop of Sir Garfield Sobers' death. And how could we not talk about the controversy surrounding Saltburn CC and "Click Bait" ?!?!

Maiden Cricket is a company specialising in kit and equipment designed especially for women and girls who play cricket. Here Mia Rogers and Cat Black explain the story of how it all came about and where they hope to take the brand over the next few years.

www.maiden-cricket.co.uk

As the T20 Blast reaches the quarter final stage, our regular panel of supporters give their views on the progress of their counties.

Dan Haggar wonders if Essex can do it, Craig Tranter predicts who will lift the trophy at Edgbaston, David Wright spots a possible problem, Barrie Funnell looks at non-host county finances and Oliver Hawke reviews Betty's Tea Rooms in Harrogate!

The games are coming thick and fast in the T20 Blast. Our panel of county cricket supporters are here to keep us up to speed!

Barrie Funnell and David Wright on Surrey

Oliver Hawke on Leicestershire Foxes

Harry Everett on Somerset

and Craig Tranter on Lancashire Lightning

Ben Stokes has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. The announcement was made mid-way through the afternoon session on day 4 of the third and deciding Test at Trent Bridge against New Zealand.

It triggered an astonishing sequence of events. Phil Walker, Editor-in-Chief on Wisden Cricket Monthly joins me to discuss the fall out.

Here's a catchup with Derbyshire stalwart David Griffin aka "Griff". We talk about Derbyshire's fortunes, a look back to the summer of '76 and Michael Holding's arrival on the cricketing world stage plus a look at where county cricket is headed and is demutualisation the answer to its problems?