Cricket, explained.
Test, one-day and T20 cricket: how the skills work, what the numbers measure, and how the competitions came to be the way they are.
92 articlesGuideExplainerTacticsAnalysisEconomicsHistory
- GuideWomen's Premier League cricket: format, auction, rules18 minA guide to Women's Premier League cricket: the five franchises, the auction and retention system, the purse arithmetic and the January window.
- ExplainerTurning pitch cricket explained: why the ball grips18 minWhat makes a cricket pitch turn: the friction a spinner needs, why grip arrives on the third day, how footmarks form, and how batters read a turner.
- TacticsSwitch hit rules in cricket: why the shot stays legal18 minWhat the Laws say about the switch hit and the reverse sweep, why changing handedness is allowed, how it affects lbw and wides, and the case against.
- ExplainerSuper over rules in cricket: how a tied match is decided18 minHow a super over works under ICC playing conditions: what triggers one, the two-wicket limit, field settings and the scrapped boundary countback.
- TacticsSpin in the T20 powerplay: why sides open with a spinner17 minWhy T20 teams open the bowling with spin: what a hard new ball gives a spinner, the matchup logic, the risk of two fielders out, and how batters hit back.
- ExplainerThe second new ball rule in cricket, and when to take it16 minThe second new ball rule in cricket explained: when eighty overs makes one available, what it does to the ball, and the reasons a captain delays taking it.
- GuideSA20 format explained: how South Africa's T20 league works18 minHow the SA20 is built: the shareholding behind it, six teams owned by IPL groups, the auction, squad quotas, the playoff ladder and the season it displaced.
- ExplainerRun out third umpire explained: how the call is made18 minWhat the third umpire actually looks for in a run out or stumping: the bail moment, the grounded bat, frame gaps, split screens and the benefit of the doubt.
- GuideRanji Trophy format explained: groups, points, knockouts18 minHow the Ranji Trophy is structured: thirty-eight teams across Elite and Plate divisions, a split league season, and the knockout ladder above it.
- TacticsPowerplay batting in T20: intent, matchups and risk18 minHow T20 sides bat the first six overs: setting intent, attacking the new ball, arranging matchups, budgeting risk and recovering from an early wicket.
- ExplainerPink ball Test explained: what changes under lights17 minHow a pink ball Test works: why the colour was changed, what the extra finish does to the ball, and why the twilight hour hurts batters so much.
- GuidePakistan Super League format: eight teams, two pools21 minThe Pakistan Super League format after expansion: two pools of four, ten league games each, the four-match playoff and who pays for a franchise.
- ExplainerOver rate penalties in cricket: fines, points and fielders17 minHow slow over rate sanctions work: the minimum rate, time allowances, the eighty over let-off, World Test Championship points and the stop clock.
- TacticsThe opening partnership in cricket: what openers are for17 minWhy the first pair bats first: the new ball problem, the leave, left and right combinations, powerplay maths and how the opener's job changes by format.
- ExplainerNet run rate calculation in cricket, with worked examples19 minThe net run rate formula, the all-out rule that uses the full allocation, how balls convert to overs, and what rain does to the sum, with examples.
- AnalysisModern cricket fielding: how the standards were rebuilt18 minHow modern cricket fielding changed: the specialist boundary rider, catching technique, the amended relay catch Law, measuring runs saved and selection.
- GuideMajor League Cricket USA explained: how the league works18 minHow Major League Cricket is built: single-entity ownership, six teams, borrowed stadiums and drop-in pitches, squad quotas and the June window.
- TacticsLeft-arm fast bowling angle: the geometry explained18 minWhat the left-arm fast bowling angle does to a right-handed batter: release offsets, slant in degrees, the lbw problem and the field consequences.
- EconomicsIPL retention rules explained: slabs, RTM and the purse18 minHow IPL retention works: six slots per franchise, five capped and two uncapped, the fixed slab charges, and the right to match card explained.
- ExplainerICC pitch rating system explained: ratings and demerits18 minHow the ICC pitch rating system works: who marks a surface, the four categories, what earns demerit points, and when a venue loses the right to host.
- ExplainerHow ICC Elite Panel umpires are chosen and assessed18 minWhat the ICC Elite Panel of umpires is, why it was created in 2002, how officials are promoted onto it, and how their performance is judged over a career.
- TacticsHow to bowl a yorker: technique, target and practice19 minA mechanical guide to how to bowl a yorker: the landing zone, release height and timing, grip, run-up, the four types, the fault list and drills that hold up.
- ExplainerHow Hawk-Eye works in cricket, from cameras to margins18 minThe engineering behind cricket ball tracking: camera placement, frame rates, triangulation, trajectory fitting and why the system reports uncertainty.
- ExplainerFollow on rule cricket: the 200-run margin explained18 minWhat Law 14 says about the follow-on, how the margin changes with match length, the four sides that won after following on, and why captains now decline it.
- AnalysisFast bowler workload management: the injury arithmetic18 minHow fast bowling loads are counted and controlled: why the lumbar spine fails, what the acute to chronic ratio shows, and how rotation is decided.
- TacticsDew factor cricket explained: why chasing gets easier18 minThe dew factor in cricket explained: the physics of dew, what it does to grip and the ball, how it bends the toss, and the countermeasures grounds use.
- TacticsDeclaration cricket explained: the captain's timing call18 minWhy a Test captain stops his own side batting, what Law 15 permits, how the overs arithmetic works, and how to judge a declaration while it is happening.
- TacticsDeath overs field setting: how the last four are built21 minHow a death overs field is set: the five-out limit, catchers against savers, where riders really stand, matchup placement and the short square boundary.
- ExplainerCricket World Cup qualifiers explained: the full pathway18 minHow teams reach the Cricket World Cup: ranking places, League 2, the Challenge League, the play-off and the final Qualifier, and how the tiers connect.
- EconomicsCricket TV rights explained: how the money is sold18 minHow cricket TV rights work: cycle length, territory splits, digital against linear packages, the tender process and revenue concentration.
- GuideCricket tour preparation: how a touring side gets ready18 minWhat a touring cricket team does before a series: reconnaissance, warm-up fixtures, acclimatisation, net bowlers, and why away records differ so much.
- ExplainerThe cricket selection process: how a squad is chosen18 minHow the cricket selection process works: who sits on a national panel, who appoints them, what the captain and coach decide, and why the arguments never end.
- ExplainerCricket scoring explained: how a scorebook is kept18 minHow cricket scoring works in practice: the scorer's duties under the Laws, the symbol for every delivery, where extras are written, and how two scorers agree.
- GuideCricket pathway explained: age group to international18 minHow a cricketer gets from age group teams to a national debut, how England, Australia and India build their systems differently, and who is lost.
- TacticsCricket innings break strategy: how a chase is planned18 minWhat happens in the interval between innings: how long the break lasts, how a chasing side reads the pitch, splits a target into phases and plans for dew.
- HistoryCricket in America: history of a sport that lost out18 minHow cricket became the leading American team game, why Philadelphia was its capital, how baseball displaced it, and what brought it back.
- HistoryCricket helmet safety history: from cap to neck guard18 minHow cricket went from bare heads to a tested British Standard, why the change took a century, and what the 2013 and 2019 rules on helmets actually require.
- GuideCricket ground preparation: everything beyond the pitch18 minHow a cricket ground is prepared: outfield construction, drainage, covers and mop-up, boundary ropes, sightscreens, floodlights and the groundstaff year.
- ExplainerCricket fixture calendar explained: how the year is built18 minHow the cricket calendar is assembled: the Future Tours Programme, ICC event windows, the seasons that fix the dates, and why the fixture list keeps growing.
- AnalysisCricket fitness testing: what the yo-yo test measures18 minHow cricket fitness testing works: the yo-yo and bronco runs, the two-kilometre trial, skinfolds and gym benchmarks, and where the scores mislead.
- ExplainerCricket anti-corruption unit: how the ICC ACU works18 minWhat the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit does, the offences in the Anti-Corruption Code, the duty to report an approach, and where the real risk sits.
- ExplainerConcussion substitute cricket rules: how replacements work17 minWhat the concussion substitute rules allow: the off-field assessment, the like-for-like test a match referee applies and the stand-down period.
- GuideChampions Trophy format explained: eight teams, no slack17 minThe Champions Trophy format explained: how the eight places are earned, why fifteen matches is the whole design, and what changed when the ICC revived it.
- EconomicsCentral contracts in cricket explained: what a board buys18 minHow central contracts work in cricket: what a retainer purchases, how bands and match fees stack, and why no-objection certificates matter so much.
- GuideCaribbean Premier League format: how the CPL season works18 minThe CPL explained: the seven-franchise regional map, the nine-five-three squad rule, the draft and right to match, and the playoff ladder.
- TacticsBowling plans in cricket: how bowlers set a batter up18 minHow a bowling plan is built for a specific batter: the dismissal shape, the field that enforces it, when to abandon it, and what the analyst adds.
- AnalysisBoundary size cricket rules: ICC minimum and maximum18 minWhat the ICC playing conditions say about boundary size: the 65 and 90 yard limits, the three-yard rope rule, and why two grounds never match.
- GuideBig Bash League format explained: season and finals21 minThe Big Bash League format: eight clubs, an uneven ten-game fixture list, a four-match finals series, the overseas draft and who actually owns the teams.
- TacticsBatting order in cricket explained, position by position19 minThe batting order in cricket explained: what the Laws allow, the job at each of the eleven positions, and how Test, ODI and T20 orders are built differently.
- ExplainerBad light cricket rules: how umpires decide to stop play19 minWhat the bad light law actually says, how the umpires' meter sets a benchmark, why batters lost the choice in 2010, and what floodlights cannot fix in Tests.
- AnalysisAssociate nations cricket explained: money and status18 minWhat ICC associate membership means in practice: how the money is split, which statuses are rented rather than owned, and the expansion row.
- GuideAsia Cup format explained: groups, Super Four and hosts17 minThe Asia Cup format explained edition by edition: who decides whether it is fifty overs or twenty, how the Super Four works, and how the last seat is won.
- ExplainerThe bouncer rule in cricket explained, format by format21 minHow many bouncers per over in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, where the shoulder and head height lines sit, and the warning ladder that ends a bowler's day.
- ExplainerWorld Test Championship points system: the arithmetic19 minPoints per Test, why the table divides by points available, exactly where the over-rate deduction lands, and worked sums for projecting the standings.
- EconomicsWomen's cricket pay equality: the gap is not match fees18 minMatch fee parity is not income parity. Where women's cricket pay equality really sits, why domestic and franchise earnings decide it, and what changes next.
- ExplainerThe Hundred cricket rules explained, and why the over went19 minHow The Hundred works: 100 balls, sets of five, ten-ball spells, a 25-ball powerplay, and what happens to cricket's statistics once the over stops existing.
- TacticsT20 fielding restrictions explained: one innings, two games20 minHow T20 fielding restrictions split a twenty-over innings in two: the six-over powerplay, what changes in over seven, and the specialists each phase creates.
- GuideThe Sheffield Shield explained: six states, one purpose19 minHow the Sheffield Shield works: six states, ten rounds, bonus points, a five-day final, and a competition run openly to manufacture Test cricketers.
- ExplainerNightwatchman in cricket explained, and whether it works19 minWhy a captain sends a tail-ender in at 6pm to protect a specialist, the arithmetic behind the call, the cost nobody counts, and how to judge it live.
- ExplainerThe IPL impact player rule explained, and what it costs20 minHow the IPL impact player rule works: two team sheets, five substitutes, the fourteenth-over deadline, the overseas limit, and why all-rounders got cheaper.
- ExplainerICC rankings explained: three systems, not one table21 minHow the ICC rankings really work: why the team rating is an average not a league table, how opponent strength is weighted, and what a player rating measures.
- TacticsHow to pace a run chase in cricket: the two resources22 minA chase is a resource problem with a known answer. How wickets and balls trade off, why the required rate misleads, and what a well-paced chase looks like.
- ExplainerHow is a cricket ball made? Cork, leather and six rows17 minHow a cricket ball is made, from the wound cork core to the four leather quarters and the six rows of stitching, and why Dukes, SG and Kookaburra differ.
- ExplainerDRS in cricket explained, from ball tracking to umpire's call19 minHow the Decision Review System works: player and umpire reviews, ball tracking, edge detection, umpire's call, and the lbw tests a review runs through.
- ExplainerHow are cricket pitches prepared: a groundsman's week19 minRolling, mowing and covering are all one job, moving water through a soil profile. How groundstaff build a Test, ODI or T20 surface, and what wrecks the plan.
- ExplainerHow are cricket bats made? Willow, pressing and shape20 minHow are cricket bats made, from a willow cleft to a finished blade: the drying, the grading, the pressing that makes the face a spring, and the Law 5 limits.
- AnalysisDoes the toss matter in cricket? It depends on the day17 minWhat the toss actually decides, the two things a captain trades, why the answer changes by format, how dew distorts it, and whether it should be scrapped.
- TacticsDeath bowling in T20 cricket explained: the last four overs22 minWhy death bowling in T20 is a separate skill: the batter's inverted incentive, the yorker's margin for error, the field, matchups and what a specialist has.
- ExplainerCricket umpire signals and what the scorers write down18 minEvery cricket umpire signal, what it tells the scorers, why some are acknowledged and others are not, and why the order of two signals changes the score.
- TacticsCricket captaincy explained: the last job with real power20 minHow cricket captaincy works: fields, bowling changes, the declaration, the follow-on, reviews, over rates, the coach relationship and captaincy by format.
- GuideCounty Championship explained: the Test player factory20 minHow the County Championship works: two divisions, first-innings bonus points, over-rate deductions, the April and September squeeze, and the money behind it.
- AnalysisAll-rounder value in cricket is a squad-balance question19 minBatting average minus bowling average is the standard all-rounder test. What the subtraction claims, what it hides, and what the real case rests on.
- ExplainerWorld Test Championship explained: points, final and flaws21 minHow the World Test Championship works: why the table is a percentage not a points total, what each result is worth, the over-rate penalty and the final.
- AnalysisHow women's cricket went professional, and what changed19 minHow women's cricket professionalised: what a contract actually buys, why the domestic tier is the engine, the franchise money, and the gaps still left.
- ExplainerTypes of spin bowling explained: finger spin and wrist spin21 minFinger spin and wrist spin explained delivery by delivery: off break, arm ball, leg break, googly, slider, flipper, carrom ball and the contentious doosra.
- GuideThe art of wicketkeeping: standing up and standing back21 minHow wicketkeeping actually works: the depth, the soft take, the leg-side dive, the stumping sequence, and why standing up to spin is a different sport.
- ExplainerTest, ODI and T20 cricket: every difference explained18 minThe rules, tactics and economics separating Test, ODI and T20 cricket, and the one variable underneath all of them: how scarce balls and wickets are.
- GuideT20 franchise leagues around the world, and who gets the weeks19 minThe global T20 franchise circuit explained: how each league claims a window, who owns the teams, how a player builds a year, and what it costs Test cricket
- ExplainerPowerplay rules across formats: ODI and T20 restrictions19 minHow powerplay rules work in ODIs, T20s and The Hundred: the circles, the fielders in and out, the phase transitions, and the tactics each one forces.
- GuideHow to read a cricket scorecard: abbreviations explained19 minWhat each scorecard abbreviation means: f/o, c and b, st, lbw, the not-out asterisk, M and R in bowling figures, extras, byes and fall of wickets.
- ExplainerHow the IPL auction works: rules, purse and retentions18 minA plain guide to the IPL auction: the purse, retentions, right to match, capped and uncapped players, accelerated rounds and the overseas limit.
- ExplainerHow reverse swing works: the physics of the old ball18 minReverse swing explained properly: why an old ball moves the other way, what the shine and the rough side are really doing, and where the laws draw the line.
- AnalysisHow cricket teams use data: analytics behind the game22 minHow cricket analysts actually work: where ball-by-ball data comes from, why matchups mislead, how pitch maps set fields, and what the numbers cannot see.
- HistoryThe history of the Ashes, from mock obituary to modern urn22 minHow a satirical death notice in 1882 created cricket's oldest rivalry, why the urn never leaves Lord's, and how home conditions decide most Ashes series.
- ExplainerDuckworth-Lewis-Stern explained: how rain rules work19 minHow Duckworth-Lewis-Stern works: what a resource percentage means, why the table bends in two directions, how a revised target is set, and what it gets wrong.
- HistoryCricket World Cup history and how the format changed22 minHow the one-day World Cup was built and rebuilt: sixty overs in 1975, the move to fifty, the Super Six, the ten-team round robin and what comes next.
- GuideCricket statistics glossary: every key term explained21 minWhat every cricket statistic actually measures: batting average, strike rate, economy, control percentage, net run rate, and exactly where each one misleads.
- ExplainerCricket pitch types explained: green tops to dust bowls18 minWhat a cricket pitch is made of, how clay and moisture set pace and bounce, why a surface changes across five days, and how to read one before the toss.
- ExplainerCricket laws every fan should know, and why they exist18 minThe ten ways to be out, lbw in full, no balls, wides, dead ball and the spirit preamble, with the specific unfairness each cricket law was written to answer.
- GuideCricket fielding positions explained, from slip to fine leg18 minCricket fielding positions explained as a coordinate system: off and leg, fine and square, silly to deep, and how to read a captain's plan from the field.
- ExplainerBowling economy, average and strike rate, properly explained18 minHow bowling economy, average and strike rate relate, why average equals economy times strike rate over six, and which figure matters in which format.
- ExplainerBatting average vs strike rate: what each one measures19 minBatting average and strike rate divide by different things. Why not-outs inflate an average, why Tests weight one and T20 the other, and what both hide.