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BBC Radio 5 Live

The Test Match Special team bring you the very best cricket reaction, insight & analysis.

Plus the No Balls podcast with Kate Cross and Alex Hartley brings a fine balance of nonsense and cricket as they welcome some of the biggest names in the sport.

Test Match Special

Henry Moeran is alongside England World Cup winners Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Alex Hartley as they look ahead to a huge summer of cricket for England's women, with the target of winning the T20 World Cup on home soil.

How has the preparation been? What is the strongest part of Charlotte Edwards' squad? And what are the minimum requirements for this set of players?

Test Match Special will have commentary of every ball of every match of the Women's T20 World Cup across BBC Sounds, 5 Sports Extra, and the BBC Sport app & website.

"It's Cricket's turn now": all eyes on the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup

Watch Strategic Timeout on the BBC Sport Youtube channel and on BBC iPlayer.

England fast bowler Mark Wood joins Traitors finalist Faraaz Noor and Amber Sandhu to discuss the biggest stories in the IPL and shares how he’s faring ahead of a busy summer of cricket.

Strategic Timeout: Mark Wood on the IPL, England & the pressure of playing

England have announced their squad for this summer’s T20 World Cup. Kevin Howells speaks with Isabelle Duncan about the squad and we hear from head coach Charlotte Edwards as well as 18 year old surprise inclusion Tilly Corteen-Coleman.

England's T20 World Cup Squad

Mark Chapman, Sir Alastair Cook, Jack Leach and, Phil Tufnell discuss the attitude towards spinners in England, how franchise cricket has affected the art of spin and whether England know what they want from their spinner heading into the summer.

How do you become a spinner? Is it down to the player or coach? Jack Leach and Phil Tufnell give insight into how they found themselves becoming spinners and, whether a batters’ attitude changes as you get older and as they get older.

As a spinner, what do you need from your captain? Is it blind faith? Is it protection if you are going for runs? The panel dive into the mind of a spin bowler and how they can adapt their game.

TIME CODES:
00:00 Intro and London Marathon
01:50 County Cricket’s substitute rule
04:03 The art of spin bowling
05:30 Captains and spinners
15:32 The nuance of spin
17:30 How did it start?
25:05 English attitude towards spin
33:26 When were you at your peak?
35:00 What if you started as a spin now?
38:20 The mental side
41:40 What do England want this summer?

The art of spin bowling

Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues his meteorological rise in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals. The batter, who has only just turned 15 stars with the bat yet again for his side, has made two 50+ scores this tournament - but how does he do it? Former England all-rounder Samit Patel and Traitors finalist Faraaz Noor join Amber Sandhu to discuss all the latest headlines from the Indian Premier League. Plus, Patel discusses his time in an England shirt and tells us what his only regret was when playing international cricket.

Strategic Timeout: Sooryavanshi Continues to Stun the IPL

Mark Chapman, Alex Hartley, Steven Finn and, Matt Prior discuss how England’s Test team is shaping up for the summer, the spots up for grabs and, who is best placed to take them. Less than two months to go until England begin their Test summer against New Zealand at Lord’s, by that time it will be nearly five months since Ben Stokes’ side trudged off the SCG having lost the 5th Ashes Test, losing the series 4-1.

Who should remain in the side? What are the main positions up for grabs? And is there someone who has done enough to make the step up?

They also discuss the new rules around replacing players in the County Championship which has proved controversial so far.

TIME CODES
00:00 Intro
06:15 How does selection work?
12:38 Opening batting partnership
16:35 Time for a new opening partnership?
24:37 James Rew and a positional dilemma
27:08 The cricket structure in England
30:31 Jacob Bethell and the Indian Premier League
34:34 Scores in the league
36:17 Favourites in the IPL
36:42 England’s pace bowlers
43:09 Spin bowlers
47:30 County Championship substitutes rule

Big changes for the England Test team?

We’re bringing you something different today which we think you’ll like - an episode from the BBC’s Formula 1 podcast, F1: Chequered Flag.

With the Formula 1 season on an enforced break, the Chequered Flag team pay a visit to the home of Haas F1 with the team currently sitting fourth in the F1 constructors’ standings. So how are F1’s smallest team performing so well? Izzy Hammond and Harry Benjamin investigate.

They visit the team’s HQ to speak with Team Principal Ayao Komatsu about their success. Plus, just how did Ollie Bearman escape from that huge accident in Japan unharmed and what are the team’s ambitions for the future? Izzy and Harry also answer your F1 hot takes. Could Gianpiero Lambiase become McLaren’s Team Principal in the future, following the announcement of his switch from Red Bull in 2028? And which driver is the most likely to be a reality TV star?

F1 returns next for the Miami Grand Prix at the start of May, with live commentary across the 5 Live network and BBC Sounds. If you enjoy this episode of F1: Chequered Flag, find more by searching ‘F1’ on BBC Sounds, and make sure to subscribe to get the latest episode every week.

The Rise of Haas (from F1: Chequered Flag)

10 years ago former England batter James Taylor's life changed forever.

Reflecting on being taken ill 10 years ago, he speaks to Kevin Howells about what he remembers from the day his doctor told him to not "wait for an ambulance, you haven't got enough time". He had just cemented himself in England's Test side and was forced to retire at the age of 26.

'I should have died' - James Taylor 10 years on

Two Ashes winning England captains, Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook, join Steve Crossman to discuss the art of captaincy in cricket. 

Leading England makes you one of the most recognisable faces in sport, it brings with it all manner of responsibility, scrutiny, joy and despair. But how do you manage different personalities in the dressing room? What marks someone out as a future England captain? What’s it like to be in the spotlight and face scrutiny? How do you cope when it comes to an end? 

Plus, Ben Stokes leadership and the likely challenges the current England captain will face in his fifth summer as skipper.

The Art of Captaincy

Strategic Timeout is available to WATCH, in full, on the BBC Sport Youtube channel and on BBC iPlayer.

Amber Sandhu, Faraaz Noor and former England international Dawid Malan break down the biggest IPL 2026 talking points. From captaincy debates and pressure moments to high-scoring games and standout performances, the panel explore what’s shaping the tournament so far.
 
With insight from Malan’s IPL experience, the episode dives into the role of captains in T20 cricket, the value of all-rounders in the modern game and whether experience is becoming more important than ever. Plus, the team discuss the Impact Player rule and a wider ball tampering controversy.

Strategic Timeout: Malan & Faraaz talk IPL, ball tampering, and captaincy pressure

Alex Hartley & Kate Cross talk about Crossy winning the FIRST EVER Women's County Cup with Lancashire Thunder, her send-off when she bowled Kira Chathli, and they react to England's T20 clean sweep of West Indies. Plus, Alex gives a spin bowling masterclass.

Email us at: noballspodcast@bbc.co.uk

No Balls: County Cup glory & spin bowling 101

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