A cricket pitch is 10 feet wide and 66.01 feet long. The batting and bowling crease are away from the stumps each side by 0.21 metres. Now a pitch and its surface can differ from a country to country, weather condition, and how the pitch was prepared. When you play fantasy cricket on the internet or actual cricket, you need to understand the behaviour of the pitch and strategize for the game accordingly.
Below we have explained the pitch types, their textures, and how each influences bowling of bowlers.
Types of Pitches in Cricket
Below-given are types of cricket pitches.
- Green Tops
Playing on a green pitch is challenging for batsmen, because the pitch assists pacers with ample seam movement and swing from the turf. The matches played on such kind of a pitch, are usually low scoring ones. Batsmen find it difficult to judge the ball movement in a short-time after pitching.
- Dusty Pitches
A dusty pitch has a lot of loose sand or clay. A dusty pitch results when a pitch is not rolled properly. It helps spinner get a good amount of bounced and spin. So, when you play fantasy cricket online and the pitch type for a selected match is dusty, you may want to bat first.
- Dead Pitches
Such pitches do not aid spinner or pacers, but are batsmen friendly. Thus, matches played on such a pitch are usually high scoring ones, and often used for T20 cricket.
- Rough Patches
Ever heard commentators mentioning rough patches on the pitch when spinners bowl? Basically, rough patches on a pitch develop from footmarks on the ground during a bowler follow-through. As batsmen and bowlers change ends after every over, rough patches down the line in a match is a normal phenomenon.
Rough patches greatly help spinners. So, when playing on a fantasy cricket app or a real ground, reserve the spinners for the latter part of the game. The spinners try to target this patch, as the ball tends to bounce and turn sharply after hitting a rough area, making it tough for a batsman to play.
- Danger Area
Danger area or protected area is the central portion of a pitch that is almost 5 feet from each crease and 2 feet wide. No player is allowed to run on this area, because this is the area where the ball usually bounces. Players can only run over this section when trying to field the ball, but not otherwise. Running on this area can cause footmarks on the pitch that unduly gives an advantage to bowlers over batsmen.
The umpire gives a warning to bowlers who run over this portion. If a bowler breaks the rule twice, he can be removed from his spell and barred to bowl for the rest of the innings. If a batsman commits this offence, then penalty runs are not put on the opposition team.
How to Judge a Cricket Pitch?
Reading a cricket pitch correctly will help at least the toss-winner of the game to take a right decision – either to bowl or bat. Now, if you want to play fantasy cricket and win cash daily, apart from selecting players wisely for your team, you need to also read the pitch correctly. If the pitch is a type that will assist bowlers early in the game, then the toss-winning team will choose to bowl first, and vice-versa.
Here is how you can analyze a cricket pitch:
- Cracks on the Pitch: If the pitch has several cracks, especially in the protected area, then you can expect great bowling. The ball will produce a good amount of bounce and movement on hitting this area.
- Grass on the Pitch: A grassy pitch is ideal for swing and seam bowling. But if a batsman stays around for a while and is able to read the swing and movement of the ball, then he can play shots easy as the balls comes nicely on the bat in such pitches.
- Hardness of the Pitch: This type of pitch is idea for fast-paced and short ball deliveries as the ball will bounce a great amount. It is suitable for batsmen who like to pull or cut the ball often. The ball comes quickly on the bat, thus, matches played on such a pitch are again high scoring ones.
- Wetness on the Pitch: If the amount of moisture is high in a pitch, batsmen will find it more difficult to bat. As they have to play shots a little late because the ball will come on bat at a much slower pace. Thus, there is a risk that the batsman will play the shot too early.
- Dryness of the Pitch: Dry pitches are usually best for batsmen as the ball comes nicely on the bat. Matches played on such pitches are usually high scoring ones.
Now that you understand how a cricket pitch affects batting and bowling, whether you play the game online or offline, you need to pay attention to the pitch type and think of your gaming technique accordingly.
