In sheep's clothing

South Africa are hosting New Zealand for Tests in the winter month of August, which is a good enough reason to talk about sweaters in cricket.

In the photo above, umpire Arthur Fagg ties a player's sweater around him during the 1973 England-West Indies Edgbaston Test. Earlier in the game, Fagg had refused to walk out onto the field, miffed at West Indies' reaction to a not-out decision against Geoff Boycott, before he was persuaded to return.

Which do you prefer: sweaters tied around the waist or around the shoulder a la Shah Rukh Khan?

Jeff Thomson rocks the slung-over-the shoulder look during a fashion shoot with his wife Cheryl in 1978.

You ought to rethink your scheduling when players need to snuggle up to each other for warmth at the start of the county season.

Players get ready before a match between High Wycombe College and Buckinghamshire Ladies in 1939. Cardigans never seemed cool to me, but these ones are so fine (as is the overcoat). And what about their sensible-for-sport pinned hairdos? Ishant Sharma, please take note.

Speaking of sensible, Vijay Merchant isn't taking any chances - protecting himself from the weather and fast bowling (and also mosquitoes?).

Bob Taylor's jumper is all right, but how incongruous is it to see a pair of shorts under it?

How do you tell identical twins apart during a cricket match? Barry (left) and Keith Phillips, who played for the same team in Hereford, used to take turns to wear a sweater so their opponents (and presumably the scorers) could identify them.