Close of Play Podcast

Sanjay Murthy
  • 5.0 (1)
  • CRICKET

Ashes winner Geraint Jones & cricket tragic Sanjay Murthy chat cricket, hold a crappy quiz & read out your questions! It's cricket, but fun

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    England Are Resting Gus Atkinson — Why?

    Why are England resting Gus Atkinson after just one game? Sanjay and Ashes winner Geraint Jones debate the growing tension between rest and performance in the England setup. With county bowlers putting in the work, is the system fair — or is England now managing players purely for the biggest series? They also cover: County form vs England selectionIPL vs red-ball developmentThe spinner dilemmaManaging Jofra ArcherBurnout vs big money in modern cricketPlus Silly Point and a quick look at the latest England women’s squad news.

    44 min

  2. 28 APR

    Cook vs KP: Who’s Right About Bethell?

    Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen disagree on Jacob Bethell — and it raises a bigger question for England: Should Bethell stay in the IPL or return to county cricket?Cook believes Bethell should be playing red-ball cricket in England.KP argues staying in the IPL will accelerate his development.We break down the debate and what it means for Bethell’s role in England’s Test side this summer. Also in this episode: England’s possible XI vs New ZealandCounty Championship form – who’s in contention?The fast-bowling debate (Archer, Cook, Bamber, Tongue)Women’s T20 World Cup squad discussion⏱ Chapters 00:00 Cook vs KP – the Bethell debate01:10 IPL or County – who’s right?04:00 Should Bethell come back?06:40 Could Bethell open for England?09:40 England XI vs New Zealand13:40 County form – who’s pushing?17:40 England’s bowling options22:20 Viewer XI reaction25:40 Women’s T20 World Cup29:40 England squad debate

    53 min

  3. 21 APR

    What’s It Like To Run England Cricket? | Ashley Giles

    What’s it really like to run England cricket? This week on Close of Play, Ashley Giles joins Sanjay Murthy and Geraint Jones for a rare inside look at one of the toughest jobs in sport. From Ashes winner to selector, coach, county chief and Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Giles has seen the game from every angle. We discuss the pressure of running England, the COVID bubble era, selection, whether counties can survive, the future of the domestic game, and the toll the role took on him mentally. Plus, Silly Point returns and there are plenty of laughs along the way. Subscribe and follow Close of Play for weekly cricket debate, interviews and analysis. Episode Chapters 00:00 Intro01:20 Running England Cricket08:10 Pressure and judgement14:05 Firefighting vs building21:25 Mindset and leadership26:00 County cricket debate28:20 England XI v New Zealand38:20 Silly Point44:15 Can counties survive?52:25 2005 Ashes memories

    57 min

  4. 14 APR

    If Crawley Goes, Who’s Next for England?

    England’s watchlist is under pressure. After another round of county cricket, we go back to the names we picked and ask: who has actually delivered? With Charlie Harden, Geraint and Sanjay: Break down the standout county performancesDebate the England opening slotBuild an England XI based on current formAssess the bowlers – who takes the new ball?Review the watchlist: who’s rising, who’s driftingPlus Silly Point and our picks for who to watch next. CHAPTERS (Spotify timestamps) 00:00 Opening Clips00:25 County Cricket This Week02:00 Batter England Can’t Ignore05:30 Crawley – Who’s Next?07:30 Duckett – Form Check10:30 New Ball Debate14:00 Robinson vs Cook18:30 Women’s Cricket – Tier System24:30 Pathway Debate29:00 England XI – Charlie Harden37:30 Opening Slot Debate41:30 Spinner Debate46:00 Watchlist Review48:00 Silly Point53:00 Charlie Harden Interview56:00 Who To Watch

    52 min

  5. 7 APR

    Jamie Smith: In or Out? | Our England XIs Revealed

    We’ve picked our England XIs for the first Test — and after the opening round of the County Championship, the selection conversation is already shifting. In this episode, Geraint Jones and Sanjay Murthy reveal their England teams, build a watchlist of contenders, and start tracking the players who could force their way in before the first Test against New Zealand national cricket team on 4 June. There’s a big focus on Jamie Smith after his hundred for Surrey batting at three. Is he already a certainty, and what does Ben Foakes’ form mean for the keeper debate? We also get into: who opens alongside Ben Duckettspinner options and balance of the sidestandout county performancesthe England “watchlist”who is pushing their way into contentionThis is the start of a weekly England selection tracker through the County Championship. 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: Close of Play👍 Subscribe for weekly cricket analysis, debate and insight 00:00 Cold open 00:10 Intro00:40 Jamie Smith: in or out?02:00 Jonesy’s England XI05:20 Sanjay’s England XI09:50 Hardest selection calls13:30 Spinner debate & team balance17:00 Who are we least convinced by?22:00 County Championship — early performances25:30 Watchlist: players pushing for selection31:00 Robinson, Lawrence & county standouts37:30 Silly Point41:00 England pathway — Lions vs County46:30 Final pressure points48:30 Close — who needs runs next week

    53 min

  6. 31 MAR

    Does County Cricket Still Matter for England?

    Does county cricket still matter for England selection? We discuss whether England now pick on talent over performance, the role of county cricket in developing players, and who is under pressure ahead of the summer. In this episode of Close of Play, Sanjay Murthy and Ashes winner Geraint Jones debate whether county cricket still produces England players, or whether selectors are now prioritising raw talent over performance. From Ben Stokes and Division 2 to the ECB’s financial support of counties, we ask the big question: is the system still fit for purpose? We also build a potential England XI ahead of the summer and look at which players are under the most pressure to perform. 🎯 Topics:– Does county cricket still matter for England selection?– Should England only pick from Division 1?– Are counties financially sustainable?– Who is under pressure ahead of the summer? 👇 Let us know in the comments:Should England pick on performance — or potential? CHAPTERS 00:00 Does county cricket still matter? 02:30 Should England captain play in Division 2? 06:30 Is county cricket fit for purpose? 12:00 Do England selectors ignore performances? 18:30 Are counties financially broken? 25:00 Silly Point – Who Am I? 32:00 County title race & teams to watch 40:00 Who is playing for their England place? 46:00 England XI debate 52:00 Who is under pressure this summer?

    56 min

  7. 26 MAR

    The Summer That Brought Us Together

    What was it really like inside the 2005 Ashes? In this episode, Geraint Jones takes us inside one of the greatest series in cricket history — from the Lord’s long room to the chaos of Edgbaston and the moment England realised they could beat Australia. We cover: The dressing room before the series When belief kicked in The truth about that Edgbaston finish How England handled Australia’s auraThe characters behind the team Geraint’s combined 2005 Ashes XI Plus: how the series changed English cricket forever. Next week: we preview the County Championship and what it means for England this summer. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:00 First memories of 2005 02:30 Lord’s long room & start of series 06:15 When it felt “real” 08:00 Dressing room & Vaughan leadership 11:30 Build-up & confidence pre-Ashes 15:15 When belief kicked in 20:30 McGrath injury & Edgbaston 21:00 Edgbaston finish (inside the moment) 25:00 Trent Bridge & Flintoff 29:30 Silly Point – Ashes hundreds quiz 31:30 Regret: missed Ashes hundred 32:00 Did Australia lose their aura?3 5:00 Leadership: Vaughan vs big characters 38:00 Facing Australia mentally 41:00 Post-match culture & respect 43:00 Why 2005 still matters 45:00 Best combined XI 49:00 Celebrations & aftermath 51:30 Did 2005 change English cricket? 54:00 What happened after the series 57:00 Closing + next episode

    59 min

  8. 26 MAR

    From Comedy to Commentary | Aatif Nawaz

    BBC cricket commentator, Aatif Nawaz, tells us his story of growing up, how he started in comedy and how that led to his work on Test Match Special. Isa Guha played a major part in his transition and so she gets an honourable mention too!

    26 min
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About

Ashes winner Geraint Jones & cricket tragic Sanjay Murthy chat cricket, hold a crappy quiz & read out your questions! It's cricket, but fun

Information

  • Creator
    Sanjay Murthy
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sanjay Murthy
  • Show Website
    Close of Play Podcast

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