While watching a cricket match on TV, many of us must have wondered what is the exact size of the Cricket Pitch, as what we see on the TV looks way smaller than their actual length and size in real. The cricket pitch which is located at the nucleus of the ground serves as the main platform for the bowlers and the batsmen during the game. The cricket pitch length has always been the point of focus before the toss session of the matches which helps the coaches and team skippers to determine whether to bat first or bowl.
#1 What Exactly is a Cricket Pitch?
It is basically a protected area and also situated at the Centre of the ground, is rectangular in shape, spanning up to 22 yards. It also consists of the stumps and bails on both the ends. Since the surface is flat and mostly covered with small grasses, it makes it easier for the bowlers to give the required bounce to their deliveries. It is always prohibited to walk on the pitch with spike shoes as it damages the flatness of the surface, thereby giving unduly and unfair advantage to the bowlers during the game.
While the experienced cricketers tend to measure the cricket pitch length in steps owing to their playing experiences, let us tell you the exact size and the cricket pitch length & other dimensions (yards/feet/inches) and of the pitch.
- The flat surface which is called “Pitch” is actually rectangular in shape, has white-colored stripes on all the sides, denoting the borders and other important lines within the whole area.
- The rectangular pitch has an overall area of 22 yards (20.11 meters) in length while the total width of the pitch is 3.05 meters. However, the game is played between within the 22 yards which are then divided as follows: The main area where the bowl is bowled is 19.33 yards where a bowler can try all his bowling variations from spin to pace whatever his/her bowling style is. Within that confined area they can bowl the length ball, Yorker, short ball, Flighted ball. Any length ball that is pitched within those 19.33 yards is a legal delivery.
- There is a gap of 2.44 meters between the pitch starting and crease which is then divided into two equal parts- One part before the stumps and another part between the stumps and the crease line. In the case of the bowlers, the pitch line is called a “Bowling crease” which helps them to take a leap for gaining the maximum momentum and energy before releasing the ball. The “Bowling Crease” is present on both the sides of the pitch but only prevalent for the end the bowler is bowling from. The only limitation of the bowling crease is that the bowlers shouldn’t cross the crease line as the delivery will be given a no-ball by the Umpire.
- In the case of the batsman, the same side is called the “Return Crease” which simply defines that they need to be within that line for avoiding getting run-out or stumped. The Return Crease is present on both the sides of the pitch at the striker’s and the non-striker’s end. It has a very significant role in deciding the course of the match in case of stumping or run-outs.
- As described above, there is one more term “Popping Crease” which spans 1.22 meters from the Stumps till the crease, plays a crucial role for both the batting and the fielding sides. For the fielding side, it regulates the no-ball rule, forbidding the bowlers to avoid crossing the crease. While for the batting side it helps in determining the run-outs and stumpings.
- The Wide line that comprises of 2.64 meters which are Gapped equally between the stumps on both the wide ends of the crease. The ball that exceeds the white striped bordered is termed as a “Wide Ball”, and the batting team gets an extra run for that delivery. The bowler has to bowl the delivery again. The batter’s focus is always protecting his/her wickets and at the same time, score runs for the side.
#2 Why Cricket Pitch Length is 22 yards?
The idea behind the 22 yards of the cricket pitch takes us back to one of the earliest laws of cricket- “Code of 1744” that defines the cricket pitch length to be not more than 22 yards. So the distance between the bowling and the batting crease shall be 46 inches. However, a new law was established by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1788, in which both the sides agreed to used the pitch-cover during a game. After almost 100 years, in 1865, the whitewash finally came into use to mark the borders and the crease lines that defined gave birth to the run-out and stampings. Till today the International Cricket Council (ICC) follows the same 22 yards rule for the cricket pitch length in all the forms of cricket.
Stumps and Bails used on a cricket pitch:
The total of 6 stumps and four bails are used on a cricket pitch. The Three stumps are used on each side of the pitch with two bails on them respectively. The placement of the stumps should be in proper alignment with an exact distance of 22 yards between them. The placement of the Stumps is in a way that the width of it is not more than 9 inches. The length of every stump is 28 inches which are dug in the pitch vertically. The bails are put in between the stumps, as all four stumps come into use.
#3 Types of Cricket Pitch:
As the ground curators make the pitch, a lot of factors are taken into consideration such as the climate, humidity, format of cricket to be played and keeping all those vital factors in mind, the pitch is prepared by them. While some cricket pitches tend to favour the pacers, some favor the spinners and the third type helps the batsmen. Let us give you the insight on the types of cricket pitches length that are prepared across the globe for the gameplay.
Dusty Pitch:
This type of pitch is usually dry and soft. Due to that the deliveries usually tend to stay low and the ball comes a bit slow on the bat. This helps the finger as well as the wrist spinner to show their rolling skills on the pitch. If the batsman is unable to adapt to these kinds of situation, it can be a nightmare for him. However, scoring runs on this pitch is not strenuous as long as the batsman can deal with the spinning balls on the dusty surfaces. These kinds of cricket pitch length are mostly found in the sub-continent and most favour the spinners.
Green Pitch:
These types of pitches are mostly found in the Western Countries and the greenish pitch covered with small grass is a huge help for the premium fast bowlers. A class pacer can easily wreak havoc among the opposition’s batsmen with his bowling movements and lot of seam variations. The uncertainties that these kinds of pitches have is sometimes very daunting to the side who bats first. Australia, New Zealand and England offer such kinds of cricket pitches that offer great bounce and swing help for the fast bowlers.
Dead Pitch:
The heaven for any batsman to bat on. Runs come easily for the side batting as the pitch is prepared with no grass or moisture on it. Offering no help to the pacers nor the spinners, the dark colored pitches have nothing to offer to the bowlers. The Batsman can easily pile runs and these types of cricket pitches are usually used in the shorter format of the game such as ODIs and T20Is.
#4 What is the length of a cricket pitch?
Cricket Pitch Length: While there is no such defined shape/size of the cricket ground mentioned in the Cricket rule book, the ICC has set a Standard size of the cricket ground to not more than 150 yards as per the Law 19.1 of ICC Test match law. There is still no such thumbnail rule to mandate the size of the cricket ground, as cricket grounds in New Zealand and West Indies have been found to be small and International matches are being hosted on those ground. Whereas, the cricket grounds in Australia are one of the biggest in the whole world. But the usual distance between the center of the cricket pitch and the boundary line is usually set between 65-70 meters and boundaries not exceeding more than 90 yards.
Some Common Questions Regarding Cricket Pitch
- What is the length of cricket pitch in feet?
Cricket Pitch Length in Feet: 66 ft (20.12 m)
- What is the width of a cricket pitch?
Width of the Cricket Pitch in Feet:10 ft (3.05 m)
- How many meters long is the cricket pitch?
Cricket Pitch is 20.12mts long
