SONNY BAKER: ENTHUSIASM PERSONIFIED

SONNY BAKER: ENTHUSIASM PERSONIFIED

Author: Simon Hughes May 13, 2026 Duration: 40:37
On the day Sonny Baker is selected for the England Test squad, Simon Hughes interviews the new fast bowling hope at his home ground. He talks about the people who’ve influenced him including Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie and overcoming the disappointment of his two one day international appearances last year. Also how Bone Broth and a meat-based diet has got him faster and fitter and which star player he would love to be for a day. For more information on Asthi Bone Broth visit www.weareasthi.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For anyone who feels the scorecard only tells half the story, The Analyst Inside Cricket offers the other half. Simon Hughes, known widely as The Analyst, teams up with the BBC's Simon Mann to pull back the curtain on the sport. This isn't just a recap of matches; it's a deep, engaging conversation that blends technical breakdown with the human narratives that define the game. You'll hear their firsthand experiences from around the world, alongside insights from the players, coaches, and personalities they've known for years. Each episode feels like sitting in on a candid chat between two experts who can explain the mechanics of a perfect seam position one moment and share a poignant, funny, or surprising anecdote from the dressing room the next. The podcast thrives on the details that get missed in the headlines-the tactical shifts, the personal journeys, and the off-field moments that truly shape cricket. If you're looking for rich context and stories that go beyond the boundary rope, this is where you'll find them.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Analyst Inside Cricket
Podcast Episodes
England Aren't Learning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:08
Apart from a superb 41st Test century by Joe Root, another dispiriting day for England at the SCG as the batters didn't make the most of winning the toss and the bowlers couldn't sustain control. Simon Hughes and Simon M…
Clouded Thinking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:53
The first truly contested day in the Ashes is cruelly terminated by absurd weather rules in Sydney. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann report on an enterprising day by England dashed by ridiculous protocol and inflexible laws d…
England's Ben Expects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:01
Simon Hughes and Simon Mann preview the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground and hear from Ben Stokes who is on a mission to finish a difficult tour on a high despite admitting being unable to read how the pitch…
SHOULD STOKES BAT No.3? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:09
Ashes Question Time: simon Hughes and Simon Mann field your comments and questions post the two-day MCG fiasco. Including - who should bat 3 for England, which should bowlers should play in Sydney now Gus Atkinson is als…
England Win a Test in Australia! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Simon Hughes and Simon Mann reflect on England's first Test victory in Australia since January 7th 2011. This was a remarkable and rather unsatisfactory Test which lasted barely a day and a half on an MCG pitch which had…
Boxing Day Gifts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:35
Simon Hughes and Simon Mann review an extraordinary day's play at the MCG where the groundsman and the batsmen gifted the bowlers 20 wickets. A helpful Melbourne pitch was well exploited by both team's seam bowlers - esp…
Ashes Retained [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:42
Despite a plucky seventh wicket stand between Will Jacks and Jamie Smith, the Aussies clinched their coveted prize in mid afternoon and celebrated in appropriate style. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann analyse waht went right…
England Dusted Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:48
Chasing a virtually impossible 435 for victory to keep the series alive, England inevitably lost more than half their side to a combination of the superb Pat Cummins and wizardly Nathan Lyon as the dusty fourth day pitch…
Australia's Headmaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:22
After courageous resistance from Ben Stokes gets England close to a barely adequate 300, England's bowlers suffer at the hands of the brilliant South Australian Travis Head. Simon Hughes and Simon Mann analyse the third…
England succumb to Aussie heat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:04
Simon Hughes reviews the second day from Adelaide when the outstanding Australian attack gave the England batters a good roasting in the Adelaide heat. Justin Langer also gives his view on England's batting frailities wh…