Blog: long reads on cricket
Original long reads on tactics, history, science, culture and the future of the game.
How seam angle, surface condition and speed combine to make a cricket ball swing, and why cloud cover and a shiny side matter so much.
Science How Spin Actually Works: Drift, Dip and the Magnus EffectA plain-English guide to how spinners make the ball drift, dip and turn, from revolutions on the ball to the Magnus effect and the bounce off…
Science What Makes a Pitch Turn or Seam? Reading the Strip Day by DaySoil, grass, moisture and wear explain why some pitches seam, others turn, and why a surface can change character across a five-day Test match.
Science Cork, Twine and Leather: How a Cricket Ball Is MadeFrom a cork core to hand-stitched leather and a raised seam, here is the craft that goes into the hard red or white ball used in…
Science Inside a Cricket Bat: Willow, Grades and the Art of PressingWhy 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.
Science Shine On: Why Fielders Polish Only One Side of the BallThe 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…
Science Who Writes the Laws of Cricket? The MCC, the ICC and the Small PrintHow the Laws of Cricket are written and updated by the MCC, how the ICC adds playing conditions, and why a Test and a village match…
Science Reading Between the Lines: What a Cricket Scorecard Reveals and ConcealsA scorecard is more than runs and wickets. Learn how to read strike rates, extras, partnerships and bowling figures, and what the numbers leave out.
Science How Bowling Speed Is Measured, and What the Number Really MeansFrom radar guns to camera tracking, here is how a fast bowler's speed gets on the screen, and why a single figure can mislead as much…
Science Less Than Half a Second: The Science of Facing Fast BowlingHow batters see, predict and respond to a fast delivery in well under a second, and why anticipation matters more than raw reflexes.
Science Why Cricket Starts When It Does: Time Zones and TelevisionFrom 9.30am starts in India to floodlit finals in prime time, here is how daylight, time zones and broadcasters decide when cricket begins.
Science Reading Player Statistics Without Being FooledAverages and strike rates tell a story, but only with context. Learn how era, pitches, sample size and role can change what the numbers really mean.