Over the course of the last 18 months, Australian cricket has gone through a period of tumult that sent shockwaves through a society once proud of its cricketing elite. With a nation on its collective knees, Australia looked for a new hero; a new saviour; a voice of the people that told it like it really was. And before Marnus Labuschagne was indeed that voice personified, the nation turned to three blokes from the internet.
The Grade Cricketer, widely regarded as the only winners from ‘Sandpapergate’, offered a unique insight into the psyche of the dressing room and lifted a nation’s spirits while also questioning the legitimacy of England’s World Cup tie. Together, through the rehabilitation of laughter and Steve Smiths 774 Ashes runs, we were once more able to ‘get around the boys’. We figured out what a Coulter-Nile is, we marvelled at Mitch Marsh’s incredible appetite for front pads and carbohydrates, we connected with the earth with Justin Langer, we downward dogged with Cameron Bancroft, we sat on some balconies with Steve Waugh and oh how we craved the longing embrace of Ricky Ponting’s hairy forearms. We felt safe again.
Now, a new challenge awaits. Pakistan will bring all of their wild unpredictability and hilarious batting collapses and New Zealand will bring Colin de Grandhomme. This summer could be anything.
From one of the biggest sports podcasts in Australia, The Grade Cricketer Live returns to the stage after a sold out Australian and UK tour in 2019. Dave Edwards, Sam Perry and Ian Higgins are joined on stage by a very special guest each evening, as they continually try to dissect the intricacies of this absurd sport, while endlessly bringing humour to an often humourless game.
The Grade Cricketer Live is a rollicking, laugh-out-loud night out for those who love the game but aren’t sure why.