Blog: long reads on cricket
Original long reads on tactics, history, science, culture and the future of the game.
How Kapil Dev's India defended 183 against the mighty West Indies at Lord's in 1983, and how that win changed cricket in India for ever.
History The Tied Test of Brisbane: A Match Played in the Right SpiritThe first tied Test, Australia v West Indies at the Gabba in 1960: a final-over thriller and a contest that helped redefine how cricket should be…
History Headingley 1981: The Test That Made Botham’s AshesEngland followed on 227 behind, then won by 18 runs. How Botham, Dilley and Willis turned Headingley 1981 into the most famous comeback in Ashes history.
History Edgbaston 2005: Two Runs That Lit Up an Ashes SummerEdgbaston 2005 ended with England winning by two runs, the narrowest margin in Ashes history. How a single Test set an entire series alight.
History Kolkata 2001: Laxman and Dravid Turn a Test on Its HeadFollowing on at Eden Gardens, India were 274 behind. Then VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted a day and a half to beat Steve Waugh's Australia…
History Lord’s 2019: The Final Decided by a Tie, a Super Over and BoundariesEngland and New Zealand tied the 2019 World Cup final and the Super Over, and England won on boundaries. The story of a famous final.
History Bodyline: The 1932-33 Series That Forced Cricket to Change Its LawsEngland's leg-theory tactics in Australia in 1932-33 strained relations between two nations. How Bodyline unfolded and how the laws changed.
History The First Cricket World Cup, 1975: Sixty Overs and a Midsummer FinalThe 1975 Prudential Cup was a 60-over experiment that became cricket's biggest event. Clive Lloyd's West Indies won the first final at Lord's.
History Edgbaston 1999: The Semi-Final Tie That Broke South African HeartsAustralia and South Africa tied the 1999 World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston, and Australia went through. The story of the most agonising run-out in cricket.
History How a Tiny Urn Became the Most Famous Trophy in CricketFrom a mock obituary in 1882 to a tiny terracotta urn at Lord's: the story of how the Ashes began and why England v Australia still…
History Packer’s Circus: The Rebel League That Rewired CricketHow Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket of 1977-79 raised wages and brought in coloured kit, night matches and a new style of television coverage.
History Madras 1986: The Day a Test Match Finished LevelThe story of the 1986 Chennai tied Test between Australia and India, from Dean Jones's heat-battered double hundred to a final-over drama.