Blog: long reads on cricket

From Alan Knott's artistry to Adam Gilchrist's hitting and today's attacking keepers, how the man behind the stumps became a match-winner.

Teams, tables, net run rate, playoffs and overseas stars explained, plus simple habits that help you keep up with a long franchise season.

Meet the early players and organisers who carried women's cricket from village greens to Test matches and World Cups, often against stiff resistance.

How franchise leagues earn money from broadcasters, sponsors and fans, where it goes, and what keeps these tournaments financially sustainable.

What good captains do when wickets fall in a cluster: how they change the field, the bowler and the tempo, whichever side of it they are…

England 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.

Soil, grass, moisture and wear explain why some pitches seam, others turn, and why a surface can change character across a five-day Test match.

Test cricket crowds drift, chat, sing and settle in for days. Explore the rituals and atmosphere that make the five-day game's audiences unique.

What a finisher actually does, why the role matters, and how Bevan, Klusener, Dhoni and the T20 era have shaped cricket's closers.

Sun cream, layers, cushions, radio and more: a practical checklist for a comfortable day at the cricket, from arrival to the final over.

From a 1973 tournament in England that pre-dated the men's event to modern global finals, here is how the Women's World Cup has grown and changed.

Cricket played a single Olympic match in Paris in 1900. Trace the long road from that curious game to the sport's return at the Los Angeles…