Last updated: 7 April 2026
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device (computer, phone or tablet) when you visit them. They serve various purposes: remembering your preferences, analysing how you use the site, and enabling certain features to work correctly. Cookies were invented in 1994 and are a standard technology used by virtually every website on the internet — they are not viruses, malware or spyware.
There are two main types: first-party cookies are set by the website you are visiting (domain.com in our case) and can only be read by our site. Third-party cookies are set by external services embedded on our site (such as Google Analytics or affiliate tracking systems) and can be read by those services across multiple websites. Cookies can also be classified by duration: session cookies are deleted when you close your browser, while persistent cookies remain on your device until they expire or you delete them manually.
On CricketMatchDay, we use cookies primarily for three purposes: ensuring the site functions correctly (essential cookies), understanding how visitors use our match previews so we can improve content (analytics cookies), and tracking affiliate referrals when you click through to a betting operator (affiliate cookies). You can control all non-essential cookies — see Section 4 below for detailed instructions.
2. Cookies We Use
We categorise our cookies into four groups. Strictly Necessary cookies are essential for the site to function — without them, features like your cookie consent preference cannot be saved. Analytics cookies help us understand visitor behaviour in aggregate — which match previews are most popular, how long readers spend on squad analysis sections, and where traffic comes from. Functional cookies remember your preferences such as language or theme selection. Affiliate/Marketing cookies are set when you click a betting link and are used by the affiliate network to track the referral.
| Cookie | Provider | Category | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cookieconsent_status | CricketMatchDay | Strictly Necessary | Stores your cookie consent preference | 1 year |
| PHPSESSID / session_id | CricketMatchDay | Strictly Necessary | Maintains your session while browsing | Session |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Strictly Necessary | Security — confirms you passed Cloudflare challenge | 30 minutes |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Strictly Necessary | Bot detection and DDoS protection | 30 minutes |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Analytics | Distinguishes unique visitors (anonymised) | 2 years |
| _ga_XXXXXXXXXX | Google Analytics | Analytics | Maintains session state for GA4 | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Analytics | Distinguishes visitors within 24-hour window | 24 hours |
| _gat_gtag | Google Analytics | Analytics | Throttles request rate to limit data collection | 1 minute |
| _gcl_au | Google Ads | Analytics | Stores conversion data for Google campaigns | 90 days |
| NID | Functional | Stores preferences and information for Google Maps if embedded | 6 months | |
| 1P_JAR | Functional | Gathers site statistics and tracks conversions | 30 days | |
| btag / affid / clickid | Affiliate network | Affiliate | Tracks affiliate referral when you click a betting link | 30-90 days |
| lang / locale | CricketMatchDay | Functional | Remembers your language preference | 1 year |
| theme | CricketMatchDay | Functional | Remembers dark/light theme preference | 1 year |
3. Third-Party Cookies — Detailed Description
Google Analytics (Google LLC): We use Google Analytics 4 to analyse site traffic. GA4 collects anonymised behavioural data: page views (which match previews are most read), session duration, traffic sources (Google search, social media, direct), and device type. GA4 does NOT collect your name, email, phone number or any personally identifiable information. We have IP anonymisation enabled. Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy.
Cloudflare (Cloudflare Inc.): Our site uses Cloudflare for DDoS protection, page load acceleration and security. Cloudflare may set technical cookies (cf_clearance, __cf_bm) to identify legitimate visitors and distinguish them from bots. These cookies do not contain personal data and are not used for tracking or advertising. They expire within 30 minutes. Cloudflare privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
Affiliate networks: When you click a link to a betting operator's site, the affiliate network (or the operator's own affiliate platform) sets a cookie to track the referral. This cookie contains ONLY a technical click identifier — not your name, email or other personal data. The cookie is necessary for the affiliate programme to function correctly and is automatically deleted after 30-90 days depending on the programme. You can always visit any bookmaker directly, bypassing our affiliate links entirely.
4. How to Manage Cookies
Google Chrome: Open Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data. You can block all cookies, allow only first-party cookies, or delete existing cookies. Detailed instructions: support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647.
Mozilla Firefox: Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data. Firefox offers Standard, Strict and Custom modes for cookie control. Strict mode blocks most third-party cookies automatically. More: support.mozilla.org.
Apple Safari: Open Safari → Preferences → Privacy. Safari blocks cross-site tracking cookies by default through Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP). You can block all cookies or manage site data individually. More: support.apple.com.
Microsoft Edge: Open Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies. Edge offers three blocking levels: Basic, Balanced and Strict. More: support.microsoft.com.
Mobile devices: On iOS Safari, go to Settings → Safari → Privacy → Block All Cookies. On Android Chrome, go to Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies. Both platforms allow granular control over which cookies are accepted.
5. Consequences of Disabling Cookies
If you disable strictly necessary cookies, some site functions may not work correctly — for example, your cookie consent preference will not be saved, so you may see the consent banner on every visit. If you disable analytics cookies, this will not affect your experience of the site in any way — you can browse all match previews, statistics and guides without restriction. However, we will be unable to improve our content based on usage statistics. If you block affiliate/marketing cookies, you can use the site without any restrictions, but clicks through betting links may not be tracked correctly by the affiliate programme. In all cases, ALL site content — every match preview, squad analysis, pitch report and guide — remains fully accessible without any cookies whatsoever. You can change your cookie settings at any time using the browser-specific methods described above.