October 22, 2026, witnessed a rare coincidence in international cricket — three close finishes in three separate formats across three continents.

In Rawalpindi, as part of the tri-series between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, the latter scored 429 for four wickets in its 50 overs. This proved to be insufficient as Sri Lanka reached 430 for eight wickets with a single delivery remaining.

In Christchurch, New Zealand scored 225 for four wickets, only for India to secure victory with two deliveries to spare in the first of five T20Is. In both matches the winning hit was a six.

Meanwhile in Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth, South Africa beat Australia in the final session of play in the second Test of a three-match series.

Within each of these matches there were heroic deeds. In the first, Harry Brook, England’s captain, struck the fastest double century in One Day International history, a remarkable 202 from 116 deliveries. This also made him the first England batter to score a double century in a men’s ODI.

In Brook’s eyes the sheen was taken off his achievement because England lost. Sri Lanka’s heroes were Pavan Rathnayake, who scored 130, Dasun Shanaka and Avishka Fernando, both dismissed for 97 and, finally, Janith Liyanage. He scored 61 from 27 deliveries including the winning run in the final over in which two wickets were lost in successive deliveries. The aggregate match score of 859 was second only to the 872 scored by South Africa and Australia in 2006. In both cases, the chasing team won.

In the match at Christchurch, Glenn Phillips scorched his way to 82 from 40 deliveries, but India’s in-depth batting proved to be too strong, Naman Dhir’s 42 from 15 deliveries sealing the victory. This proved to be the case in the second T20I when New Zealand scored 180 for five, Phillips top scoring with 70. In trouble at the halfway stage, having lost five wickets for 70 runs, India’s middle order propelled them to victory with a single delivery remaining. The third match was much more one-sided.

New Zealand posted 198 for three, only to watch helplessly as Abhishek Sharma blitzed his way to 113 from only 38 deliveries to propel India to victory in 13.2 overs. India won the toss in all three matches and opted to bowl. There is clear advantage in being able to bowl first in T20 matches played in the evenings, when dew often has an impact on bowling in the latter stages of the match.

Bat has dominated ball in all three matches between New Zealand and India and in the ODI match between Pakistan and England, with bowlers overwhelmed. Only Mitch Santner with a remarkable 4 for 21 in his four overs in the second T20I against India exercised any control. In the other matches in Pakistan, bowlers have had more of a say. England scored 241 against Pakistan in 46.4 overs and reduced Pakistan to 154 for nine after in the 36th over. The game seemed over but a stunning last wicket partnership ensued between Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf that took their team to victory after 47.1 overs. In the following match, Pakistan crumbled to 110 all out, Sri Lanka winning by eight wickets.

Continuous concern is expressed in cricketing circles about the increasing imbalance between ball and bat. This is especially the case in T20 cricket. Analysts have devised win-probability models to calculate how much the win probability changes after each ball. Resource and economy models evaluate constraints such as the maximum overs per bowler, powerplay fielding restrictions and boundary sizes to quantify the degree of pressure on the bowling side. Researchers have tracked historical shifts in variables such as average first innings totals, run rates and percentage of runs scored in boundaries across eras to evaluate the impact of significant changes in the laws or playing conditions.

Four eras are usually defined. The first ran between 1971 and 1991 when typical first innings par scores were between 180 and 220 against a red ball and defensively set fields. In 1992, a second era was ushered in when fielding restrictions were introduced in the first 15 overs of each innings, along with white balls. In the 10 years to 2002, typical par scores were between 230 and 260. These increased to a range of 270 to 300 in the third era between 2003 and 2011 when powerplays were introduced that restricted the number of fielders outside of a 30-yard circle at certain stages of the innings. The fourth era, from 2011, was heralded in by the formalization of two new white balls per ODI innings, one from each end. This did not allow the balls to age enough to reverse-swing or spin in standard conditions and moved the balance even more to the bat. Since 2025, the fielding team is allowed to continue with either of the two balls after 34 overs.

This is unlikely to satisfy those who wish to see an even balance between ball and bat. Even India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, bemoaned the conditions in Guwahati after his team chased down 406 for two wickets against the West Indies on Sept. 30, 2026.

He said: “I think there has to be a bit of more contest between bat and ball, because I think you talk about cricket — but this is not cricket, this is only batting…it is not fair for the bowlers.”

He recognized that such a run-fest was outstanding for both spectators and broadcasters. Therein lies the problem. There are obvious changes which could be made concerning wides, no balls, field placement restrictions and 60-yard boundaries. However, if those laws are tightened up, will the interest of those who fund the matches be diluted?

During the third of the matches, the second Test between South Africa and Australia, there were comments across all media about the sparseness of the crowd and the interruptions for rain. On social media there were hostile comments about the boredom of the format. What these attitudes failed to appreciate was the theatre of a fierce battle between talented cricketers in challenging conditions that generated extreme ebbs and flows and heroic performances. Rain severely affected the first two days, at the end of which South Africa had staggered to 97 for five.

What transpired the following day was sensational. Temba Bavuma played a captain’s innings scoring 179, assisted by his number nine and 10 batters, driving the total to 429. An hour into the second session on the next day, South Africa had bowled Australia out for 99 in its first innings. By the end of the day, Australia, fighting a rearguard action, reached 156 for four.

On the final day, Oct. 22, rain wiped out the first session but then relented. South Africa did not, prizing out the remaining wickets mid-way through the final session. A true battle of wits had played out between bowlers and batters, in which the latter had to fight for every run. On a single day, three different formats of cricket ran simultaneously, each one producing a thrilling and unpredictable finish. Together, they offered something for afficionados of each and every format.