A rule change introduced in July 2025 is altering the face of one-day cricket. Captains can now choose, after 34 overs, which of the two white balls used at either end they want to complete the innings. The chosen ball can become older and scruffier, and that has brought a reverse swing renaissance to the format.
BBC Sport's Matthew Henry reports that the effect is visible across international matches. After Sam Curran bowled England to victory against India at Lord's in July, he found more than twice as much swing with the old ball across his final spell as he did at the start of the innings. Overall, half of full deliveries from pace bowlers in the final 10 overs have swung more than one degree since the change, up from 35% in the 18 months before. Pace bowlers' economy rates in the final five overs have fallen from 8.40 to 7.95 runs per over, and their bowling averages have dropped from 19.2 to 18.3 runs per wicket. Hitting out at the death is not as easy as it once was.
England have arguably benefited most. Their bowling average at the death has fallen from 36.76 to 20.91, and their economy rate from 9.78 to 7.53, while their batting run-rate has improved from 8.07 to 9.16. Sri Lanka also used reverse swing effectively against England at Headingley, bowling 69% of deliveries six metres from the stumps or fuller on their way to a 16-run win.
Elsewhere, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan have all scored more slowly during the death overs since the change. West Indies' death run-rate has dropped by 2.39 runs per over. Individually, Alzarri Joseph and Lungi Ngidi have seen massive jumps in the swing they find at the death, with Joseph's average swing increasing by 84%.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing