TacticsThe Quiet Craft of the Left-Arm Orthodox Spinner
Why left-arm orthodox spin is so hard to score against, and how patient bowlers use angle, flight and accuracy to control an innings.
Features
Original long reads on tactics, history, science, culture and the future of the game.
Tactics
HistoryEdgbaston 2005: Two Runs That Lit Up an Ashes Summer
Edgbaston 2005 ended with England winning by two runs, the narrowest margin in Ashes history. How a single Test set an entire series alight.
ScienceCork, Twine and Leather: How a Cricket Ball Is Made
From 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 top-level cricket.
CultureGully Cricket Around the World: Where the Game Really Lives
On streets, beaches and rooftops, improvised cricket shapes players and communities alike. See how gully games work and why they matter to the sport.
PlayersLeaders with a Plan: Captains Who Rewrote Their Teams
Lloyd, Brearley, Imran Khan, Ganguly and Stokes: how five captains changed what their sides believed they could be, and how.
Fan GuideHow to Read Live Cricket Commentary: Codes, Terms and Clues
Decode ball-by-ball text with this guide to abbreviations, scoring symbols, common terms and the subtle details that reveal how a game is going.
Women's CricketWhy Women's T20 Cricket Is Growing So Fast
Short, vivid and easy to schedule, Twenty20 suits new audiences and sponsors. Here is why the women's game is booming in the shortest format.
FutureCan Test Cricket Survive? A Fair Look at the Longest Format
Test cricket faces money, calendar and attention pressures, yet still produces the game's best drama. A balanced look at the threats and its case.
TacticsDefending the Small Total: Plans, Fields and Nerve
How teams set about defending a below-par score: attacking fields, bowler choices and the patience needed to make the chase uncomfortable.
HistoryKolkata 2001: Laxman and Dravid Turn a Test on Its Head
Following 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 in 2001.
ScienceInside a Cricket Bat: Willow, Grades and the Art of Pressing
Why 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.
CultureTea, Lunch and the Rituals That Make Cricket Cricket
Why does cricket stop for tea? Explore the intervals, customs and unwritten codes that give the game its distinctive identity and sense of civility.
PlayersSouthpaw Style: Why Left-Handed Batters Fascinate Us
Sobers, Lara, Gower and Gilchrist: why left-handers look so elegant, how they unsettle bowlers, and what makes them a pleasure to watch.
Fan GuideFollowing Cricket Across Time Zones: Surviving the Awkward Hours
How fans plan viewing, use highlights, sleep smartly and stay in the loop when matches start in the middle of the night or the working day.
Women's CricketThe Pipeline: How Girls' Cricket Grows from the Grassroots
Behind every international star lies a path through schools, clubs and programmes. Here is how girls' cricket is built from the ground up.
FutureFour Days or Five? The Great Test Match Argument
Should Test cricket be shortened to four days? We weigh the arguments on scheduling, results, tradition and fairness on both sides of the debate.
TacticsTwo Spinners in T20: When It Wins Matches and What It Costs
When picking a pair of spinners helps a T20 side, how the two work together, and the balance a team gives up to play them.
HistoryLord's 2019: The Final Decided by a Tie, a Super Over and Boundaries
England and New Zealand tied the 2019 World Cup final and the Super Over, and England won on boundaries. The story of a famous final.
ScienceShine On: Why Fielders Polish Only One Side of the Ball
The 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 and may not do.
CultureLucky Pads and Nelson's Number: Cricket's Superstitions
From the dreaded 111 to the pad that must go on first, why cricketers cling to rituals in a game built on uncertainty and chance.
PlayersSpin Twins: How Great Bowling Partnerships Hunt in Pairs
From Laker and Lock to Ashwin and Jadeja, discover how pairs of spinners squeeze, probe and trap batters together on turning pitches.
Fan GuideTours, Series and Tournaments: How Cricket's Calendar Really Works
Confused by tours, bilateral series, ICC events and franchise leagues? Here is a clear guide to how each format of competition works and why it matters.
FutureSeeing Every Edge: How Broadcast Technology Remade Watching Cricket
From stump cameras and slow-motion replays to ball tracking and on-screen graphics, see how television technology changed how fans follow cricket.
TacticsWhy Slip Fielding Is Cricket's Hardest Job
Reflexes, footwork, soft hands and mental stamina: what makes the slip cordon the most demanding position on the whole field.