Impact of Weather on Cricket Betting

If you are someone who is planning to place a bet on a game you are well aware of the things you must keep in mind. It starts with the teams and their compositions, recent run of form, venue of the game, team records at venues and of course playing conditions. When we talk of playing conditions it isn’t just about the pitch and the outfield.

Though rain doesn’t impact the game in the modern day as it was in the past when the pitches were left uncovered but it definitely impacts both the sides. Even though pitches and the square are kept under covers it makes the wicket soft and increases the moisture content in the soil. This impacts batting as wicket gets slow and the ball doesn’t come on to the bat properly impacting stroke play. Batting conditions doesn’t get better when the wicket dries out as well. If rains are followed by bright sunshine cracks tend to develop at the surface due to difference in temperature making the ball turn and bounce sharply. As for the fielding side the ball getting wet in the outfield also makes it difficult for the bowlers especially for the spinners.

Fast bowlers would never wish to see sunshine during a match! Overcast conditions immediately put the odds in favour of the bowling side if they have good seam bowlers. They are known to assist seam and swing bowling as increased humidity in the air creates more friction in the air and makes the ball swing more than in normal conditions. There is a standard convention during overcast conditions especially in a Test Match – win the toss and elect to field. Even in the case of ODIs these conditions favour the side batting second where there are chances of rains. In case of rains the match is often curtailed and here the side batting first is often in complete dark about a good winning score to be put up on the board.

While clear sky overhead is the ideal playing condition bright sunshine and excessive humidity is also known to affect cricket matches like we often see in the sub-continent. Batsmen love to bat under the sun as dried wicket makes batting easy with the ball coming on to the bat easily and there being true bounce on the wicket. Humidity also takes a toll on fast bowlers who have to put in that extra effort to generate pace and bounce. Most teams prefer to bat first in such conditions as it is difficult for the fielding side in these contests.

This is something that affects ODIs and T20s when they are played under lights. With day-night Test matches finding active supporters it may start impacting the five day games in the future. Heavy dew makes the grass on the outfield wet. A wet ball is difficult to grip for the spinners and hence they don’t generate the normal turn off the wicket. The ball also skids off the pitch which makes batting easy. Heavy dew is common in the sub-continent and hence many teams prefer to chase under lights than bowl at the opposition.

While wind is a normal phenomenon in the game of cricket especially in stadiums that don’t have tall stands, heavy wind can make it difficult both for the batsmen as well as the bowlers more for the batsmen. Strong sideways wind helps the fast bowlers generate more swing in the air which can trouble the batsmen. In case of spinners they are able to generate more drift which makes it difficult for the batsmen to judge the pitch of the ball. Fast bowlers bowling with the wind enjoy the conditions as it increases their pace while it makes it difficult for them to bowl against it which benefits the batsmen.

When placing your bets especially on the toss and the performances of the individual players you need to keep these playing conditions in mind to improve your odds.