Ahead of the Eight Ball
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.
Episodes
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
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
Thursday Sep 05, 2024
Episode 16 - Lower Order Runs
Thursday Sep 05, 2024
Thursday Sep 05, 2024
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
Friday May 03, 2024
Episode 15 - Cricket is Turning into Baseball
Friday May 03, 2024
Friday May 03, 2024
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.
Thursday Jan 18, 2024
Episode 14 - Cricket Needs A Strong West Indies
Thursday Jan 18, 2024
Thursday Jan 18, 2024
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
Friday Nov 24, 2023
Episode 13 - Politics (not really)
Friday Nov 24, 2023
Friday Nov 24, 2023
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.
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
Episode 12 - The Rattled Ashes Part 68
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
Dave's rattled. #Ulon
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Episode 11 - Ashes Hypocrisy
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
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.
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Episode 10 - Test Cricket is/isn’t Dying
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
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.
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Episode 9 - Root Maths
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Dave and Mick talk about stat noncing and why Joe Root had a golden period which coined the phrase, Root Maths.
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Episode 8 - Nighthawk
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
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.

About Us
Dave is a sports journalist and Mick is not.