Pitch (cricket)

In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets – 1 chain or 20.12 m (22 yards) long and 3.05 m (10 feet) wide. The surface is flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the pitch.

In amateur matches in some parts of the world, artificial pitches are sometimes used. These can be a slab of concrete, overlaid with a coir mat, artificial turf, sometimes dirt is put over the coir mat to provide an authentic feeling pitch. Artificial pitches are rare in professional cricket, being used only when exhibition matches are played in regions where cricket is not a common sport.

The pitch has specific markings delineating the creases, as specified by the Laws of Cricket.

The word wicket often occurs in reference to the pitch. Although technically incorrect according to the Laws of Cricket (Law 7 covers the pitch and Law 8 the wickets, distinguishing between them), cricket players, followers, and commentators persist in the usage, with context eliminating any possible ambiguity. Track is yet another synonym for pitch.

The rectangular central area of the cricket field – the space used for pitches – is known as the square. Cricket pitches are usually oriented as close to the north-south direction as practical, because the low afternoon sun would be dangerous for a batsman facing due west.

The protected area or danger area is the central portion of the pitch—a rectangle running down the middle of the pitch, two feet wide, and beginning five feet from each popping crease. Under the Laws of Cricket, a bowler must avoid running on this area during his follow-through after delivering the ball.

The pitch is protected to preserve fairness in the game. Whenever a bowler follows through on the pitch, it creates patches in the dirt that cause unpredictable swing and bounce. These areas can be exploited by the bowlers to change the outcome of the match. If a bowler runs on the protected area, an umpire will issue a warning to the bowler and to his team captain. The umpire issues a second and final warning if the bowler transgresses again. On the third offence, the umpire will eject the bowler from the attack and the bowler may not bowl again for the remainder of the innings.

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Wikipedia