We're live from Castleford Cricket Club with special guest Colson Smith and this one's got everything. Colson joined the committee at 15 years old, just in time to watch the club nearly fold. From relegation to a five-year rescue plan scribbled on the back of a Nando's menu, this is the story of how a local club rebuilt itself around three simple words: Cricket, Club, Community.

It gets properly chaotic too, the council literally filled in their tea-room serving hatch mid-renovation, they're spending £385 just to host a home game, and somehow, out of all that, a women's team was born.

Then we're into the professional game: the Lord's pitch disaster, England v NZ fallout, Ben Stokes' big night out and what Joe Root back as captain actually means.

The Clean Take Podcast, honest cricket chat, served straight up. New episodes every week. 🏏

This week on Clean Take, Fish races straight from a chaotic T20 to the podcast after battling Cheshire road closures, while the lads break down another rollercoaster week of club cricket.

From back-to-back ducks and unorthodox scoop shots to a first-ever stumping off a seam bowler, controversial umpiring decisions, and England's latest Test match frustrations, there's plenty to discuss.

If you enjoy honest club cricket chat, cricket stories, and plenty of self-inflicted batting analysis, you're in the right place.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Fish's nightmare journey to the T20 & late arrival 03:10 Wicketkeepers trying to field and club cricket updates 05:45 Breaking a run drought, scoops, and batting struggles 10:35 Team performances and captaincy challenges 12:15 2nd XI debut and a first stumping off a seam bowler 16:30 Batting review, rust, and getting out cheaply again 20:25 The worst LBW decision you'll see this season 23:15 Targets for next week and getting older in club cricket 24:00 Reviewing dismissals and the "drop catch" debate 26:20 England's Test match struggles and the future of Test cricket

🏏 New episodes every week covering club cricket, wicketkeeping, batting disasters, and everything happening in the cricket world.

#Cricket #ClubCricket #EnglandCricket #TestCricket #Wicketkeeper #CricketPodcast #CleanTake #VillageCricket #GMCL #CheshireCricket

The Clean Take Episode 10

Fish is back from Thailand (where, surprisingly, there was no cricket), while Wizard's form has somehow gone from bad to worse — just 1 run across his last 3 innings.

This week, we break down Fish's return to action in a T20 that earned him both maximum fines and DOTD, react to the return of the Vitality Blast, and get stuck into the latest Virat Kohli drama after his awkward exchange with Travis Head.

We also look at the 15-year-old IPL sensation smashing 97 off 29 balls and share what might just be the funniest village cricket video ever uploaded to the internet.

New episode every week. Follow us so you never miss one. 📲 @wizardthewicketkeeper | @fish.cricket

Fish has had a haircut. Wizard has had a nightmare. 🏏Three games, three losses, 14 runs and that's not even the worst of it. A county cricketer tears Wizard's side apart, Fish's team nearly gets a win from the at the death, and a helicopter lands mid-over at a village ground. Yes, really. On the international side: England finally have a new selector in Marcus North and we've got thoughts. Plus Ben Stokes is back, two wickets and all. Send us your club cricket stories, scorecards, and chaos best one gets something special sent out.

This week, Wizard & Fish are back from the first weekend of the season — match reports, wicket keeping nightmares, grown men begging for slip, and the art of convincing your missus you need to play a double header. Plus: Ben Duckett's form, the Ben Foakes bowling incident, and whether Ollie Robinson deserves an England recall. Got a scorecard, a chaos story, or a clip from your weekend? Send it in, we want to hear it.🎙️ The Clean Take Podcast, cricket from the village green to the Test arena.

The Clean Take Episode 7

The cricket season is here and we're already arguing about everything.

This week on The Clean Take Podcast, Wizard and Fish get into Jacob Bethell's IPL situation (should he come home to Warwickshire?), Jude Bellingham joining Birmingham Phoenix (his PlayCricket stats are... not great), the age-old Hundred vs T20 Blast debate, and whether the new England kits are a genuine throwback or a lazy effort from Castore.

Plus club cricket is back. And we're launching the Game Week Highlights Competition - send in your scorecards, best moments, and cricket chaos for a chance to win.

New episode every week. Follow us so you never miss one. 📲 @wizardthewicketkeeper | @fish.cricket

The season is back and The Clean Take is back with it.

In Episode 6, Wizard and Fish return for the first episode of the 2025 season, and things kick off with a bang. Their two clubs went head-to-head on Saturday, and there's already drama — Wizard skipped the game for a trip to the Lakes, came back to a fine, and isn't entirely sorry about it. Fish, meanwhile, was being subbed off the gloves after 20 overs and banished to long-on in April mud.

Then the debate gets serious. Are cricket teas dying? Fish thinks so — and he's got plenty to say about it. From COVID quietly killing off the tradition to leagues refusing to enforce it, they go deep on why the proper post-match spread matters and who's to blame for its decline.

Plus, Wizard and Fish each share their personal targets for the 2025 season — the kind of honest, cricketer-to-cricketer chat you don't get anywhere else.

Expect fines, excuses, passionate rants, and the usual club cricket chaos. Welcome back.

Welcome back to The Clean Take Podcast!

In this episode, we’re embracing the chaos of village cricket as we rank some of the most outrageously “village” moments the game has to offer — from classic mishaps to the kind of scenes you only see on a Sunday afternoon. If you’ve played club cricket, you’ll definitely recognise a few of these…

We also look ahead to the season with our personal targets — what we’re aiming for this year, where we want to improve, and what would actually count as a successful campaign for us.

On top of that, we chat through the opening rounds of the County Championship, discussing early standouts, key performances, and what’s already catching our attention as the season gets underway.

As always, there’s a mix of cricket chat, honest opinions, and a few stories thrown in along the way.

So if you’re into village cricket, County Championship action, and a bit of everything in between, this is the episode for you.

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