Dave Podmore

Three cheers for cricket's best team, Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds, with an eve of Ashes adventure of their superb creation Dave Podmore, once an England player, later entrepreneur and after-dinner speaker now a corner shop owner, plus dogged companion Andy Hamer. This made me laugh so often and explosively while I was listening to the preview disc that a neighbour looked in to see if I was OK. It isn't just cricket that comes under their fiendishly funny scrutiny. Radio, TV, social fads and fading commentators are all there too.

Since last we encountered England's greatest living cricketer Dave "Pod" Podmore his life's been batted out to cow corner. His wife Jacqui's left him now that he can no longer keep her nails in the style to which they have become accustomed and their pet dog has moved from being bipolar to self-harming. The Pod is earning a crust by selling ciggies to children in his East Midlands corner shop. But can he be persuaded to come back for the final Ashes Test? This is the funniest programme of the year. Howzat!

We have no hesitation in recommending this very funny and superbly observed comedy about the retired English cricket journeyman. The country may be gripped with Ashes fever, but Pod has been reduced to running a small provincial newsagents, wife Jacqui is seeking a divorce - "What do you want now? My liver?" - and faithful dog Saxon is in The Priory after self-harming. Can Pod save his career by getting a spot in the TMS studio?