Every week tens of thousands of readers link to Cricket365 thanks to keyword searches – some very specific, others ludicrously loose – via popular search engines.
For the most part, the site is dutifully able to oblige the research. Occasionally, though, the vague and random extent of the one-off investigation demands (sometimes satirical) explanation.
This Week’s Top Six Keyword Searches…
1. ‘Graeme Swann 365’: As flattered as we are to welcome the England spinner to the fold, graemeswann365.com won’t be able to compete with other literary and new media marvels like alviropetersen.com or shanewarne.com. There is not much else to the number, though, unless someone is tipping the animated slow bowler to ultimately fall short of the great Ian Botham’s record 383-strong Test wicket tally.
2. ‘salman butt’: The would-be investigator – in ignorance or protest, we are not sure – didn’t have the courtesy to capitalise the disgraced former captain’s name. What he/she would’ve come to know, though, is that Butt’s co-conspirator in 2010’s no-ball saga has finally fessed up. Mohammad Asif’s admission has completed the unholy trinity, after Butt and Mohammad Amir coughed up recently. It only took three years, but rather late than never.
3. ‘Did Viv Richards ever play for Durham’: Presumably a query, rather than a statement, despite the lack of question mark. Regardless, the simple answer is no. The mighty West Indian represented Somerset and Glamorgan – and event spent a stint in the Lancashire League – but the North-East were never privy to his substantial services.
4. ‘India A superstar’: A straight ‘Shikhar Dhawan’ search would have brought a less roundabout answer. Indeed, the hard-hitting left-hander struck terror in the collective heart of South Africa’s second-string recently, flogging his way to a near triple-ton in a solitary List A fixture. Dhawan and Suresh Raina’s presence in the A side is questionable, though, and is ostensibly a scouting mission for the full tour later this year.
5. ‘cardiff pitch report uk’: Another person not fond of the temporary caps lock button, and evidently late to the party – in that the Welsh venue hasn’t hosted a Test match since May 2011. The fourth ODI between England and Australia beckons in September, though, and will hopefully produce a less one-sided affair than June’s Champions Trophy semi-final between India and Sri Lanka.
6. ‘Highest score of Azharudheen’: Nobody appreciates having their name spelt incorrectly, or falling short of an impressive milestone, yet that’s exactly the plight suffered by Mohammad Azharuddin. The former India captain played 99 Tests, had a highest score of 199 and was only a couple of 100 short of completing 10,000 ODI runs before accusations of corruption ended his career.
And now you know. Be sure to use the Facebook comment tool below for your keyword conundrums…
Ben Worth, Tony Cole and Steve Hancock will drive a modified old Land Rover 11,000 miles through 21 countries on their way to South Africa. 
