South Africa v Australia Test Series Preview, plus NZ20 & the India v WI runfest

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu quickly hit on a couple of news items out of New Zealand and India before diving into an extended preview of the upcoming Test series between Australia and South Africa, which begins on 9 October.

We start the show with news of disharmony among some New Zealand cricket legends, including Sir Richard Hadlee, about the way the NZC board has approached the consultation and communications process that led to the decision to pursue the NZ20. Will it prove to be the best decision for New Zealand Cricket? That's a question we might not know the answer to for a good few years yet. We also briefly touch on the runfest going on in the white-ball series between India and the West Indies, which has seen hundreds galore and a sparkling double-century - the fastest ever in ODI cricket - from Shubman Gill.

As the conversation continues we move to the main feature of the show and the much anticipated Test series between World Test Champions South Africa and the visiting Australian side. We discuss the shape of the series and recent performances, and run through a range of squad news including the fitness of Kagiso Rabada and Cameron Green, plus call-ups for Nic Maddinson, Marques Ackerman and Sam Harper.

Next we move to the key players and matchups that could define the series. What role will spin play? Will Keshav Maharaj outbowl Nathan Lyon? Can Steve Smith prop up an Australian batting lineup that looks more vulnerable than it has in a long time? Does none of that matter because Australia's seamers are so good? Or can Temba Bavuma go big to lead this South African side to another famous victory?

In the final segment of the show, we make some series predictions so it's all on record to review at the end of what we hope will be a fascinating few weeks of test cricket.

We'll be back again soon to discuss the first test of this series and any other news that catches our eyes. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and