First things first - what does reverse swing mean?

There are two types of swing. Conventional swing is when a bowler uses the polished side to get the ball to move one way. With a Kookaburra ball, which is used often in South Africa and Australia, quite often the shine doesn't last very long, which is when bowlers look for reverse swing.

The key to finding reverse swing is to get one side of the ball as pitted and scuffed as possible - and kept scrupulously dry. This creates extensive turbulence around the rough side, 'forcing' the ball against its natural swing path, which is why it's known as reverse swing.