Preparing for Cricket

The smack of leather on willow is one of the traditional sounds of an English summer but for cricketers' there is another more ominous sound, rain on grass.

It’s not only players and spectators who watch the weather, but club groundsmen too. Keeping the square in good condition is a science in itself. Groundsmen start to step up preparation of the pitch 10 days before a major match in English County games.

The ideal pitch is an "even covering of straw coloured grass" (according to John Childs, assisting coach at Essex) that must not be too long or damp which would give a speed advantage to the bowler. On the other hand if the grass is too short or the soil too dry the ground cracks up.

Groundsmen generally find that keeping the pitches in good working order gets easier as the summer progresses and the ground dries out.

Atmospheric conditions and cricket
General atmospheric conditions affect cricket as well as the rain. Swing bowling, a ‘fast to medium’ style where the bowler polishes one half of the ball and literally tries to ‘swing’ the ball, is made easier by cloudy and humid conditions.

When rain stops play it can take up to 15 minutes to cover the square during a match. The ball is damper and harder to play with after a downpour and when there is early morning dew. A thick rope can be dragged over the outfield to take the water off the field. An absorbent roller can be used on the wicket if the umpire thinks that it is necessary.

Light influences play
Bad light sometimes stops play, and not necessarily at night. Umpires carry light metres which measure light levels at the crease. They are helped by lights on the scoreboard which also indicate the lighting levels. Here in the England matches are stopped by bad light more frequently at the beginning of the season but it can even happen in Africa and India.

Touring sides from hotter climes often find it very difficult to acclimatise whilst competing in England. For example when Sri Lanka toured early this summer it was difficult for them to get match practice because of the cold, wet weather. But for most of the world's cricketers heat is a problem and even in Britain we have to watch out for too much sun. Cricket clubs now have physiotherapists on hand to ensure that the players do not become dehydrated. Bowlers can drink on the boundary, and drinks breaks are a more common feature of cricket matches now

Another Cover Up
Although sunny weather is definitely more enjoyable for both spectators and players, if we could at least prevent ‘rain stopping play’ the game could continue. In Australia the Colonial Stadium has a roof which can be rolled over the pitch when there is bad weather. Is this the future for Britain? John Childs, assisting coach at Essex County Cricket Club considers covered stadiums' to be "taking it to the extreme".

Covered cricket stadiums' would not be financially viable in Britain. Even the Colonial Stadium is primarily used for Australian Rules football. As Mr Martin puts it, "it is alright to standardise pitches, but don’t standardise the atmosphere." The game would be made more uniform and certain tactics such as wind-influenced bowling could not be used.