Blog: long reads on cricket
Original long reads on tactics, history, science, culture and the future of the game.
England's leg-theory tactics in Australia in 1932-33 strained relations between two nations. How Bodyline unfolded and how the laws changed.
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…
Culture Within the Laws, Beyond the Laws: The Spirit of Cricket DebateFrom Bodyline to the underarm ball to a stumping at Lord's, how cricket keeps arguing about where fair play ends and the rules begin.
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.
Fan Guide How to Enjoy a Test Match When Nothing Seems to HappenSlow session? Look closer. Here are the quiet battles, tactical chess moves and small details that make Test cricket's quiet hours gripping.
Future Beyond the Old Heartlands: Cricket Finds New Ground in the USA and EuropeHow cricket is growing in the United States and continental Europe, from Major League Cricket to Dutch upsets, and what obstacles still stand in the way.
Tactics Playing Spin: Sweep, Defend or Step Out?The split-second decisions batters make against turning balls, from reading length to choosing between the sweep, the forward defence and the charge.
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.
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.
Culture More Than a Result: How Cricket Carries a Nation’s StoryWhy Ashes, India-Pakistan and West Indian victories in England matter far beyond the scoreboard, and what rivalries say about the nations playing them.
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.
Fan Guide Great Places to Watch Cricket Around the WorldFrom Lord's to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Eden Gardens to Newlands, a tour of grounds that make watching cricket an experience worth travelling for.