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Ahead of the Eight Ball

Published by Dave and Mick Tickner

  • Sports
  • Cricket

Cricket is the best sport and has the best cliches. In Ahead of the Eight Ball, failed sports journalist Dave Tickner and failed comedian Mick Tickner dissect every single one of those clichés, from behind the eight ball to tracer bullets via heavy balls and big bats, in painstaking detail whether you like it or not.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, opens in a new tabMake something like it

On the charts

2 chart placements

Every published chart this podcast appears in, in the snapshot behind this page. Each one links to the chart it came off.

  1. Number 159CricketAustralia
  2. Number 193CricketUnited Kingdom

From the feed

Recent episodes

The latest episodes published to this podcast’s own RSS feed. Titles and descriptions are the publisher’s.

  1. Episode 17 - Yeah well, basically I've checked all other possibilities and it's come down to being rattled. I don't know, The Ashes? Sorry, who is this I'm talking to? from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Jan 23, 202549 min

    We are back with another episode about the Ashes but because it is 10 months out and not a lot is going on, we mainly talk about our favourite jokes from Viz, proboscis monkeys and pitches. Stuff we talk about; All run 7 from our friends at Wisden Darren Lehman on Joe Root

  2. Episode 16 - Lower Order Runs from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Sep 5, 202433 min

    Some handy, useful, bonus, frustrating and irritating podcasting from Dave and Mick as they negotiate their way through the fascination with lower order runs. Follow us on X, the social media platform formaly known as Twitter and inform us of the daft commentary you hear. @Aheadofthe8 Dave - @tickerscricket Mick - @Tickersgrins

  3. Episode 15 - Cricket is Turning into Baseball from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    May 3, 202458 min

    Dave and Mick are joined by Peter Miller aka The Cricket Geek as we go deep into why cricket isn't turning into baseball because both sports have always been very similar. We talk fastball, pitch runners and bunts. Pete namedrops and Mick does an impression. Standard stuff.

  4. Episode 14 - Cricket Needs A Strong West Indies from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Jan 18, 202448 min

    We do talk about the topic but also about Brian Lara being great, Ben Duckett's bat's axis of abscissa and Steve Smith (Dave is still rattled). Follow us on X, the social media platform formaly known as Twitter. @Aheadofthe8 Dave - @tickerscricket Mick - @Tickersgrins

  5. Episode 13 - Politics (not really) from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Nov 24, 20231 hr 1 min

    We sort of talk about cricket and how politicians use it for their lazy references. Loads of World Cup chat, stare out champinships and the new feature CBWP (Cricketers Bad Wikipedia Photos). CBWP #1 - Damien Martyn .

  6. Episode 12 - The Rattled Ashes Part 68 from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Sep 28, 202340 min

    Dave's rattled. #Ulon

  7. Episode 11 - Ashes Hypocrisy from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Jul 6, 202355 min

    A slightly different episode in which Dave is let loose to rant for an extended period of time about why England and Australia are both just dreadful whinging hypocrites. Send your appeals to the Dave Review System to @aheadofthe8 on Twitter.

  8. Episode 10 - Test Cricket is/isn’t Dying from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Jun 14, 202331 min

    We have nudged and nurdled our way slowly to double figures. In this episode we introduce the DRS (the Dave Review System) and we discuss how test cricket might actually be dying. Test cricket is dead, long live test cricket.

  9. Episode 9 - Root Maths from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Apr 27, 202331 min

    Dave and Mick talk about stat noncing and why Joe Root had a golden period which coined the phrase, Root Maths.

  10. Episode 8 - Nighthawk from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Feb 15, 202342 min

    The latest Ahead of the Eight Ball discusses an exciting recent addition to the language of cricket. It's mainly associated with a seasoned cricket comedy operator despite/because of the fact he has never actually performed the role. Dave and Mick talk about what a Nighthawk is and, far more importantly, what it isn't. Because people are already getting this wrong.

  11. Episode 7 - Mankads from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Feb 7, 202349 min

    Finally, there's a podcast willing to talk about mankads, as Dave and Mick bang on for a bit about whether they're okay, why they're happening now, whether they should be called mankads at all and the pleasingly forthright MCC stance.

  12. Episode 6 - BAZBALL! from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Aug 16, 202242 min

    With the England men's Test team back in action this week, Dave and Mick discuss the word on everyone's lips apart from those of Dean Elgar who definitely hasn't given it a second thought, actually. It's time for more BAZBALL!

  13. Episode 5 - Loves their Cricket from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Jun 29, 202245 min

    A lot has happened in cricket over the last few weeks, much of it very on brand for previous episodes of Ahead of the Eight Ball which means it is itself ahead of the eight ball, in a way. Dave and Mick discuss all these matters as well as the phenomenon of famous people who aren't cricketers but nevertheless Love Their Cricket.

  14. Episode 4 - Highest Successful Fourth Innings Run-Chases ft. Tom Evans from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    May 26, 202230 min

    Dave and Dave's brother Mick come dangerously close to actually fulfilling their promise of delivering a fortnightly podcast as they are joined by Cricket Twitter stalwart Tom Evans to finally answer the very biggest question in the sport - Highest Successful Fourth Innings Run-Chases: harmless, vaguely interesting stat or scourge on the game to be eradicated at all costs?

  15. Episode 3 - Deserved a Century ft. Dan Liebke from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    May 10, 202239 min

    Australian podcaster, humorist, author and doyen of Funny Cricket Dan Liebke joins Dave and Dave's brother Mick to discuss cricket's obsession with round numbers, the daft idea of deserving a century and pay their own small tribute to the great and ridiculous Shane Warne.

  16. Episode 2 - The Spirit of Cricket ft. Peter Miller from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Mar 3, 202250 min

    They said it would never happen but Dave and Mick are back with Episode 2 and this time they've dragged along author, twitter nuisance and Caribbean enjoyer Peter Miller to discuss the Spirit of Cricket and why, precisely, it doesn't actually exist. You can find Peter on Twitter @TheCricketGeek .

  17. Episode 1 - Behind the Eight Ball from Ahead of the Eight Ball, opens in a new tab

    Feb 12, 202228 min

    Only one place to start, and that’s where every England captain finds themselves sooner or later. Behind the eight ball. An all-conquering titan of cricket clichedom that has spawned a nonsensical series of variations including the title of the podcast after we picked after realising someone had already done one called Behind The Eight Ball, which was annoying. We’ve decided “Ahead of the Eight Ball” is actually a better name, but are probably only fooling ourselves.

Ranking source

Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.

Observed September 20, 2026.

Apple and Apple Podcasts are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

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