Jeremy Clarkson meets Australia captain Pat Cummins before making stunning cricket admission
The former Top Gear presenter welcomed Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins to his Oxfordshire farm ahead of next week’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
The visit to Diddly Squat Farm in Chipping Norton came as Cummins prepares to lead the defending champions against South Africa.
Despite hosting the Australian skipper, Clarkson was characteristically frank about his sporting preferences.
“I’ve never been a fan of cricket,” Clarkson said. “I always had too much hay fever to know what was going on.”
The encounter, arranged by Amazon Prime, brought together two of the broadcaster’s most popular programmes.
The highlight of the visit was an impromptu farmyard cricket match. Cummins bowled to Clarkson’s Farm stars Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland, whilst the host watched from the sidelines.
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The match featured a unique piece of equipment – a cricket bat crafted from willow grown on the farm itself.
This entrepreneurial venture appears to be the brainchild of Charlie Ireland, one of the farm’s regular faces.
“I was very impressed with Charlie’s idea to grow English cricket bat willow,” said Cummins, who owns a farm in New South Wales himself.
The light-hearted game provided entertainment despite Clarkson’s admitted indifference to the sport.
Cummins, an avid viewer of the Amazon series, expressed his enthusiasm for the visit.
“I’ve watched every episode of Clarkson’s Farm and visiting the team from Diddly Squat Farm ahead of training for the World Test Championship final was a real treat,” he said.
The Australian captain added: “The life of a farmer is just as chaotic as you see on the show.”
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Clarkson, meanwhile, spotted a commercial opportunity despite his sporting apathy.
“But at least now I’ve found a way to make some money out of it,” he remarked.
The presenter noted that Diddly Squat has become something of a destination for Australian sporting talent.
“We enjoyed showing Pat around Diddly Squat Farm, after we had Oscar Piastri visit us previously as well.”
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Cummins arrives at Lord’s with formidable credentials, having claimed 294 Test wickets at an average of 22.4.
His leadership has proved equally impressive, with Australia securing the World Test Championship in 2023 after defeating India in the final.
The 31-year-old fast bowler has been a thorn in England’s side throughout his career.
The home nation has failed to win any of the four Ashes series in which Cummins has featured.
Australia’s defence of their championship crown begins on Wednesday against South Africa.
Later this year, Cummins will return to these shores to lead Australia in another Ashes campaign against England.