Episodes

  • This Week in Cricket #177: RCB into the IPL Final, England crush Zimbabwe & Gill to captain India

    This Week in Cricket #177: RCB into the IPL Final, England crush Zimbabwe & Gill to captain India
    Jun 1 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Raj, Baldy and Stu discuss an eventful couple of weeks, which have seen RCB win their way to the IPL final, England demolish Zimbabwe, Karun Nair strengthen his case for a Test recall, Shubman Gill named India Test captain and Copilot names its favourite podcast host. We start by talking about IPL 2025's most recent game, which saw the Mumbai Indians advance, ending Gujarat Titans' season in the process. Sai Sudharsan was brilliant once again, but ultimately it was another stunning delivery from Jasprit Bumrah that turned the match. We also discuss Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first appearance in a final since 2016, with Josh Hazlewood and Virat Kohli leading the way with ball and bat respectively. But will they face Mumbai or the Punjab Kings in the big dance? Next we head to England to discuss their recent victory against Zimbabwe. Was it the perfect way to start the summer? Is Shoaib Bashir the answer? Is there a way in for Jacob Bethell after Ollie Pope's huge hundred? And how many references can we make to songs by Sam Cook? India named their Test squad to face England, and it is filled with stars but has a very new era feel to it thanks to the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Karun Nair's made a strong case for inclusion against the Lions, Sai Sudharsan's New Zealand-based fan club is growing and Shubman Gill has been named captain. To round out the show, there's brief mention of the World Test Championship Final build up (full preview coming next week) and the Black Caps' coaching search, which looks set to be finalised very soon. We'll be back in your feed next week to review the IPL final, preview the WTC and any other cricket 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:10 IPL knockouts - Mumbai survive, GT out! 9:00 RCB into the final after demolishing Punjab 13:45 MI v PBKS - who will face RCB in the final? 20:40 England v Zimbabwe - did England tick all the boxes? 28:20 The Shoaib Bashir conundrum 43:50 India A v England Lions - Karun Nair staking a claim & England's depth 49:30 India's potential Test XI 51:25 Shubman Gill named India's Test captain as they start a new era 57:10 World Test Championship Final and NZ coaching update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • This Week in Cricket #176: Virat & Rohit Retire, IPL Resumption & Test Match Cricket is Here (almost)!

    This Week in Cricket #176: Virat & Rohit Retire, IPL Resumption & Test Match Cricket is Here (almost)!
    May 18 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie, Baldy and Stu discuss an eventful week, which saw the return of the IPL but not all its players, the Test cricket retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, squad news galore and some potential candidates emerge for the Black Caps coaching role. We start by talking about the IPL's resumption and the players such as Jos Buttler and Mitchell Starc who have decided not to return or will need to depart for the playoff stages as the international calendar fills up again. Does previous form go out the window? And how will teams manage the disruption? Next we discuss the Test Cricket retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Was it the right time? What legacy have they left? How will they be remembered? Who will replace them? And does their departure put Test cricket in danger? We round out the show by bouncing around a couple of upcoming Test matches - England's first match of the summer, against Zimbabwe, and the World Test Championship Final between Australia and South Africa - as well as the latest reports emerging about the Black Caps' coaching search. We'll be back in your feed next week with more cricket news as the IPL playoff picture takes shape and England take on Zimbabwe. 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:20 IPL resumption - player ins & outs & disruption 17:10 Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli retire from Tests 20:45 Did they step away at the right time? 26:55 Legacy/How will they be remembered? 33:50 Who replaces them in the Test XI? 37:05 Is this a danger for Test cricket? 40:05 England v Zimbabwe 53:20 Australia & South Africa squads for WTC Final 1:02:45 Black Caps coaching search Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • IPL Week 6 in Review: Suryavanshi's cover drive, MI v GT final incoming & England & India Test chat

    IPL Week 6 in Review: Suryavanshi's cover drive, MI v GT final incoming & England & India Test chat
    May 5 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 6 of IPL 2025, which saw the top 7 sides break away, Vaibhav Suryavanshi score a 35-ball century, Mumbai demolish Rajasthan, KKR win a final-ball thriller, Punjab secure a crucial two points against LSG, England name their first Test squad of the summer, and plenty more! We start this week by talking about Sunday's double-header, which saw KKR seal a nervy 1-run victory against RR to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, and Punjab Kings take a big step towards the semi-finals with an impressive victory against LSG. We spend a long time discussing Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cover drive, as well as the skill and quality of Arshdeep Singh as the battle for the Top 4 heats up. From there, we move to Stu's claim that this tournament is tracking towards a Mumbai Indians v Gujarat Titans final. Ryan Rickelton joined Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in the runs this week, while Trent Boult continues to take wickets alongside Jasprit Bumrah. For GT, it's the top 3 of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler who continue to shine alongside their balanced bowling attack led by Prasidh Krishna. We discuss how IPL form could lead to Test opportunities, and whether the upcoming match between these two sides could be a preview of the big dance. One side who haven't been flying high in 2025 is Sunrisers Hyderabad, and despite their tiniest of tiny chances of sneaking into the playoffs, we decide it is time to bite the bullet and discuss what went wrong this season. The short answer is everything, but without Baldy there to defend him somehow the conversation turns to whether Pat Cummins is a marquee player in T20 cricket and how SRH could look to improve their bowling attack in 2026. We round out the show by talking some Test cricket, thanks to England naming their first squad of the summer to take on Zimbabwe in a one-off fixture. The boys evaluate the squad, noting Ben Stokes on the comeback trail, an injury to Jordan Cox, a potential debut for Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir's inclusion and what bearing any of it could have for an exciting summer to come. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:35 KKR v RR - thrilling finish keeps KKR's chances alive 5:50 Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cover drive 12:30 Punjab v LSG - Arshdeep Singh's swing helps Punjab to crucial win 22:50 Are Mumbai and GT the best two teams in the tournament? 39:00 What's happened to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025? 50:00 England's Test squad to face Zimbabwe 54:25 Why has it taken Sam Cook so long to get a chance? 1:00:15 Shoaib Bashir's role Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • IPL 2025 Week 5: Mumbai on the rise, Virat's quietly impressive season & NZC's MLC investment

    IPL 2025 Week 5: Mumbai on the rise, Virat's quietly impressive season & NZC's MLC investment
    Apr 27 2025
    In this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy and Stu look back at week 5 of IPL 2025, which saw Mumbai and RCB make their moves, CSK start looking to next season and New Zealand Cricket invest in Major League Cricket in the USA. We start this week with a check in about RCB. It's been a strange season for them so far - less hyped than previous years, struggles at home, but with a lot of the players in key positions all delivering on what's required. We talk about Virat Kohli's quietly impressive stats, Josh Hazlewood doing the business, Tim David's finishing, Krunal Pandya's key moments and whether it's time to load up on RCB stock before it is too late. From there, we move to Mumbai's charge up the table thanks to Rohit Sharma's return to form, Suryakumar Yadav's consistency, a bag for Trent Boult and a bowling attack that looks so much more complete now that it features Jasprit Bumrah. Then it's time to bounce around a few different topics - from the top 6 teams putting a gap between them and the rest, to left-handed openers like Priyansh Arya and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the contrasting fortunes of teams like the Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. We round out the show with a discussion about New Zealand Cricket's investment in MLC in North America. Is international investment in franchise cricket a glimpse into the future of the game? How will it work in reality? Who could it benefit? Could we ever see something similar in the IPL? We'll be back in your feed again soon with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:50 Is it time to invest in RCB & Virat Kohli? 6:35 Mumbai Indians on the charge 10:25 Net Run Rate and the top 6 breaking away 12:45 Can we put a line through CSK and RR? 14:30 Are the Sunrisers also done? 19:25 Do CSK need to look to the future? 22:00 Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliance 23:35 Is 2025 the year of the specialists? 27:15 Priyansh Arya and the importance of composure 29:55 Why the hesitancy about DC? 36:15 New Zealand Cricket's investment in Major League Cricket Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • IPL 2025 Week 4: Suryavanshi's dazzling debut, Klaasen's gloves in the spotlight & Buttler loving life at GT

    IPL 2025 Week 4: Suryavanshi's dazzling debut, Klaasen's gloves in the spotlight & Buttler loving life at GT
    Apr 20 2025
    In this episode of the show, Raj, Baldy, Binksy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 4 of IPL 2025, which saw a host of close matches, a few low scores, highlights from Jos Buttler, Mitchell Starc, Yuzvendra Chahal, a debut for 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi and plenty more. We start this week by talking about the remarkable debut of Vaibhav Suryavanshi for the Rajasthan Royals. There's talk about what we were doing at 14 and the confidence of youth, but also about what a missed opportunity this week was for RR to get themselves back into the tournament now that Yashasvi Jaiswal is firing. From there, we bounce around from the chances of the Mumbai Indians to go on a winning streak, CSK doubts, super overs and close games, Mitchell Starc yorkers and RCB's Josh Hazlewood tactics. There's also praise for Jos Buttler and the way he's adjusted to life at the Gujarat Titans, excitement from the Auckland studio about wrist-spinners and Yuzvendra Chahal in particular, before we start yelling at clouds about robot dogs, obscure applications of the laws of cricket involving Heinrich Klaasen's wicketkeeping gloves and we update our tournament winner predictions as the tournament passes the halfway mark. We'll be back in your feed again soon with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 Vaibhav Suryavanshi's debut at 14 years old 8:30 Rajasthan's missed opportunities 12:05 Mumbai Indians poised to swoop 15:15 CSK's win papered over the cracks 17:25 Close games, super overs and the 180-run sweet spot 22:20 Mitchell Starc & Josh Hazlewood bowling well 25:40 Gujarat Titans - Jos Buttler & co. continue to impress 33:55 Wrist spinners starting to shine - Chahal, Varun, Kuldeep 41:15 Robot dogs, rulebook badgers & Heinrich Klaasen's wicketkeeping gloves 47:15 Tournament predictions at the halfway point Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • IPL 2025 Week 3: Sunrisers are back, Nicky P is must-watch TV & injuries are no fun

    IPL 2025 Week 3: Sunrisers are back, Nicky P is must-watch TV & injuries are no fun
    Apr 13 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at week 3 of IPL 2025 through a stock market lens. Who are we buying? Who are we selling? And what are we watching with our fingers poised ready to pounce in the coming weeks? We start this week with an injury update - and it's not been good news both on the field for the Kiwis Lockie Ferguson and Glenn Phillips, and in the podcast studio, with almost all of us suffering from one ailment or another. Once things do turn positive, it's the Gujarat Titans who are first to receive praise - in particular Sai Sudharsan and the consistency he's shown throughout the tournament so far. We also talk about Punjab's Indian core and the golden duck to century turnaround for Priyansh Arya. Dr Jamie takes us through the mindset needed to succeed across a long tournament like the IPL, in which you're bound to fail along the way - perhaps more often than you do succeed. Next we talk about the Sunrisers Hyderabad after Abhishek Sharma's outrageous 141, which saw them chase down almost 250 and maybe kick-start their turnaround. Is it time to load up on SRH stock? Or are there still worrying signs? Things get dark when discussion turns to CSK - the intent has disappeared, no one is scoring runs and not even MS Dhoni cameos can really get the crowd excited any more. Can they turn it around? Or is it already time to sell all our stock despite it reaching an all-time low? To round out the show, we detour briefly to talk about Harry Brook's appointment as England captain, we talk Digvesh Rathi's celebrations, Vipraj Nigam establishing DC's spin trio & Nicholas Pooran's six-hitting prowess as LSG continue to impress. We expect to be back in your feed later in the week with more IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:00 Injuries to Glenn Phillips & Lockie Ferguson 4:45 Gujarat Titans - batting consistency & Sai Sudharsan 14:20 Punjab Kings - Indian batting core & Priyansh Arya's hundred 19:40 Sunrisers Hyderabad - we're back, baby! Abhishek Sharma & Travis Head go boom 29:15 Chennai Super Kings - what on earth is going on? 40:30 Digvesh Rathi's celebrations & DC's spin trio looking good 43:10 Harry Brook named England white-ball captain 48:15 Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant & Nicholas Pooran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Black Caps v Pakistan series review: NZ depth on show in dominant display

    Black Caps v Pakistan series review: NZ depth on show in dominant display
    Apr 8 2025
    In this episode of the show, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at the two white-ball series between New Zealand and Pakistan, which the Black Caps won in dominant style - 7-1 across the ODI and T20s combined. We start the show as we mean to continue, with huge praise for NZ and the depth on display during the two series, but also with a big question to answer: Were the Black Caps fantastic or was Pakistan terrible? As things get specific, plenty of New Zealanders are thrust into the spotlight. Jacob Duffy is now the world's number-one-ranked T20 bowler, Ben Sears took back to back five-wicket bags and Will O'Rourke continues to impress. On the batting front, we saw impressive debuts from Muhammad Abbas and Rhys Mariu, Mark Chapman continued to take his opportunities, Mitch Hay produced an innings of real substance and Tim Seifert blasted his way to the Player of the Series in the T20s. Who are we most excited about? And when might there be more opportunities for these players to shine? To round out the show, there's also a word for Neil Wagner's fairytale finish - a five-wicket bag to seal the Plunket Shield for Northern Districts in his final first-class appearance in New Zealand. Legend. We'll be back in your feed in a few days to continue our IPL coverage. If you're enjoying our content 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:25 Black Caps v Pakistan - were NZ incredible or were Pakistan not very good? 4:40 Fringe players and returnees step up: Seifert, Duffy & Chapman 9:30 Younger players show promise: Mitch Hay, Muhammed Abbas, Rhys Mariu 14:55 Will O'Rourke & Ben Sears 15:55 Michael Bracewell leads from the front 16:25 Do we like the return of uncontracted players? 19:30 What do the next 12 months look like for NZ? 21:50 Fairytale finish for Neil Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • IPL 2025 Week 2: DC on top, favourites in trouble & Jasprit Bumrah's return

    IPL 2025 Week 2: DC on top, favourites in trouble & Jasprit Bumrah's return
    Apr 6 2025
    In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy, Raj and Stu look back at week 2 of IPL 2025 through a stock market lens. Who are we buying? Who are we selling? And what are we watching with our fingers poised ready to pounce in the coming weeks? We start on a positive note with praise for the Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals for their performances this week, as well as a shout out to the mega auction player reshuffle that has led to an unpredictable start to the 2025 edition of this tournament. As we move through the episode we hit on a number of other topics: Can DC keep up their good form? What's happened to Travis Head and the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting lineup? Are the Chennai Super Kings confused? And is MS Dhoni part of the problem? Is the impact player rule leading to fewer competitive games? Will the return of Jasprit Bumrah change the fortunes of the Mumbai Indians? Why isn't the fielding better? Is it time to reinvest in pace bowlers? And much more! We'll be back in your feed in a day or two with a NZ-focused episode looking back at the two Black Caps white-ball series against Pakistan. If you're enjoying our content 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 Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 2:10 Buying: Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals & the unpredictable nature of the tournament 6:30 Can DC keep up this great form? 8:13 Selling: CSK - role confusion, batting struggles and MS Dhoni 14:15 Watching: SRH's slump - what's happened to their powerplay? 19:00 Are impact players leading to less competitive games? 26:15 Watching: KL Rahul and more DC stock 28:35 Watching: Jasprit Bumrah's return for MI 33:20 Sell: MS Dhoni & Rishabh Pant? 38:25 Sell: Fielding - why isn't it better? 45:05 Buy: Mohammed Siraj, Jofra Archer, Lockie Ferguson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 mins
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