Author

Jozaf

Section editor, Blog

Science Inside a Cricket Bat: Willow, Grades and the Art of Pressing

Why English willow is prized, how bats are graded, pressed and shaped, and why two bats that look alike can feel completely different in the hand.

7 min read Culture Tea, Lunch and the Rituals That Make Cricket Cricket

Why does cricket stop for tea? Explore the intervals, customs and unwritten codes that give the game its distinctive identity and sense of civility.

7 min read Players Southpaw Style: Why Left-Handed Batters Fascinate Us

Sobers, Lara, Gower and Gilchrist: why left-handers look so elegant, how they unsettle bowlers, and what makes them a pleasure to watch.

7 min read Fan Guide Following Cricket Across Time Zones: Surviving the Awkward Hours

How fans plan viewing, use highlights, sleep smartly and stay in the loop when matches start in the middle of the night or the working day.

6 min read Women's Cricket The Pipeline: How Girls’ Cricket Grows from the Grassroots

Behind every international star lies a path through schools, clubs and programmes. Here is how girls' cricket is built from the ground up.

7 min read Future Four Days or Five? The Great Test Match Argument

Should Test cricket be shortened to four days? We weigh the arguments on scheduling, results, tradition and fairness on both sides of the debate.

7 min read Tactics Two Spinners in T20: When It Wins Matches and What It Costs

When picking a pair of spinners helps a T20 side, how the two work together, and the balance a team gives up to play them.

7 min read History Lord’s 2019: The Final Decided by a Tie, a Super Over and Boundaries

England and New Zealand tied the 2019 World Cup final and the Super Over, and England won on boundaries. The story of a famous final.

7 min read Science Shine On: Why Fielders Polish Only One Side of the Ball

The logic behind keeping one side of the cricket ball shiny and the other rough, how it helps swing, and what the laws say you may…

6 min read Culture Lucky Pads and Nelson’s Number: Cricket’s Superstitions

From the dreaded 111 to the pad that must go on first, why cricketers cling to rituals in a game built on uncertainty and chance.

7 min read Players Spin Twins: How Great Bowling Partnerships Hunt in Pairs

From Laker and Lock to Ashwin and Jadeja, discover how pairs of spinners squeeze, probe and trap batters together on turning pitches.

7 min read Fan Guide Tours, Series and Tournaments: How Cricket’s Calendar Really Works

Confused by tours, bilateral series, ICC events and franchise leagues? Here is a clear guide to how each format of competition works and why it matters.

7 min read