Why isn't cricket played in the rain?
- Published
During most cases of rain during cricket matches, players are either not allowed on to the pitch to play, or are taken off if a game is ongoing.
An exception to this is if it is raining lightly and the on-field umpires feel the conditions are not unsafe to play in.
Cricket is not played in heavier rain for a number of reasons.
They include the safety of players, who can be injured by slipping on the surface or are unable to run comfortably across the wicket.
The pitch, ball and wicket can also be damaged by allowing rain on to the surface without covers or other layers of protection in place.
By being proactive with the use of covers on the wicket and outfield, the surface will drain water faster and dry up quicker.
The better condition the pitch is in, the more likely it is to lead to higher-quality cricket.
While play can continue in rain if it starts without being too unsafe, in the event players are off the field for a scheduled interval, delay or before a day's plan begins, they cannot be brought until the field until it is not raining.
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How does rain affect a Test match?
Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley running off during day five of the first Test match between England and India at Headingley
The impact rain has on a Test match largely depends on the amount of rainfall, the current weather, and how good a ground's drainage is.
The more action that is lost due to poor weather, the less time there is for either team to secure victory, with long delays in Tests often leading to drawn matches.
An example of that came at the 2023 Ashes Test at Old Trafford, with less than 30 overs bowled across the final two days with England in a commanding position before the weather played its part.
The match ended in a draw - as did the series.
Where required, an hour's worth of play can be added on to a Test match to make up for lost time. In most countries, this is done at the end of a day's play, but it can also be added to the start of play too.
More than an hour lost from a single day's play does allow extra time to be added on to subsequent days of the same Test match.
What about in shorter formats?
In shorter formats - those most commonly featuring 20 or 50 overs a side - the Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) method is used to determine results and work around poor weather conditions.
A DLS score is used to project an estimate of how a team has performed at every stage throughout their innings and set a target to the opposing team if they are unable to play out all of their overs because of the weather.
The number of overs can also be reduced - with both teams having the same amount of overs taken away in order to ensure a match still goes ahead.
In 50-over matches, the minimum number of overs per side is 10. In 20-over matches, the minimum is five overs per side.
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