Playing Time (cricket) - When The Game Is Played

When The Game Is Played

The game is only played in dry weather. Additionally, as in first-class cricket it is not unusual for balls to be bowled at over 130kmph, the game needs to be played in enough daylight for a batsman to be able to see the ball. Play is therefore halted when it rains (but not usually when it drizzles) and when there is bad light. Some one-day games are now played under floodlights, but, apart from few experimental games in Australia, floodlights are not used for first-class games, including Test matches. Apart from some experimental One Day International series in Australia's roofed Telstra Dome, professional cricket is played outdoors.

These requirements mean that in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe the game is played in the summer. In the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh games are played in the winter. In these countries the hurricane and typhoon season coincides with their summers. This has another effect. Games start earlier in these places than in the countries which play cricket as a summer sport. In these countries games start at around 9.30am rather than the 10.30am or 11am start time used in England, say, so that play for the day is complete before dusk, which may be as early as 5.30pm.