MasterstrokeBlog
Cricket, explained for managers
Auctions, batting orders, bowling plans, pitch conditions and the numbers behind the table. Written by the people who built Masterstroke, for anyone who wants to win the next match.
The T20 batting order explained: who bats where and why
Openers who use the powerplay, a number three who can go either way, spin hitters in the middle, a finisher at six, and why the order should move.
Reading the pitch and conditions before you pick a side
Green tops, flat tracks and dust bowls, cloud and dew, day-night matches and the home ground. How to translate what you see into a toss call and an XI.
Planning a T20 bowling attack: powerplay to death
Twenty overs, five bowlers, four overs each. How to split them across the three phases, which overs to hold back, and how the field should match the plan.
Net run rate explained, with a worked example
The formula, the all-out rule that trips people up, a three-match worked example, and what it means for how you should chase.
How to pick a Test XI: balance, depth and the fifth bowler
Six batters, a keeper, four bowlers and the argument over the fifth. How to balance a Test side for the conditions, the series and five days of workload.
How a T20 player auction works, and how to win one
Purses, base prices, sets, retentions and right-to-match cards, then the strategy: budget by role, let rivals overspend early, and keep money for the end.