Blog: long reads on cricket
Original long reads on tactics, history, science, culture and the future of the game.
How pace bowling moved from Larwood and Lindwall to the West Indian quartet and on to the modern era of workloads, data and reverse swing.
Players Gloves and Runs: The Rise of the Wicketkeeper-BatterFrom Alan Knott's artistry to Adam Gilchrist's hitting and today's attacking keepers, how the man behind the stumps became a match-winner.
Players Cool Heads, Big Hits: The Art of the FinisherWhat a finisher actually does, why the role matters, and how Bevan, Klusener, Dhoni and the T20 era have shaped cricket's closers.
Players Leaders with a Plan: Captains Who Rewrote Their TeamsLloyd, Brearley, Imran Khan, Ganguly and Stokes: how five captains changed what their sides believed they could be, and how.
Players Southpaw Style: Why Left-Handed Batters Fascinate UsSobers, Lara, Gower and Gilchrist: why left-handers look so elegant, how they unsettle bowlers, and what makes them a pleasure to watch.
Players Spin Twins: How Great Bowling Partnerships Hunt in PairsFrom Laker and Lock to Ashwin and Jadeja, discover how pairs of spinners squeeze, probe and trap batters together on turning pitches.
Players All-Rounders: Cricket’s Rarest Species and Why Teams Crave ThemWhy genuine all-rounders are so hard to find, what they give a side, and how Sobers, Kallis, Botham and Stokes changed the balance of teams.
Players Cricket Families: Brothers, Fathers and the Dynasties of the GameFrom the Chappells and Waughs to the Pollocks, Currans and Mohammad brothers, a look at the families who gave cricket generations of talent.
Players The Art of Tail-End Batting: Where Matches Quietly TurnHow lower-order batters add priceless runs, what coaches drill with them, and why the last three wickets so often decide a close Test.
Players Fielders Who Changed the Game: From Bland to Rhodes to JadejaHow athletic fielding moved from afterthought to match-winning weapon, and the fielders whose diving, throwing and catching raised the standard.