Dew in Cricket Explained: How Evening Moisture Changes T20 Matches
Why dew is a major factor in T20 and ODI cricket — how evening moisture makes the ball slippery and difficult to grip, why the team batting second has an advantage in dew-affected matches, and how captains factor dew into toss decisions.
Dew in cricket describes the moisture that settles on the outfield and the cricket ball during evening matches — particularly in subcontinent conditions (India, Pakistan, UAE, Bangladesh) where high humidity and temperature drops after sunset create significant condensation on the grass. Dew has a profound effect on cricket matches: a wet ball is harder to grip for spin bowlers, harder to polish for swing, and harder to bowl accurately at high speeds. This creates a consistent advantage for the team batting second in dew-affected matches — they face dew-affected bowling while the first-innings bowlers benefited from a dry ball.
Why Dew Helps the Batting Team
When dew settles on the ball, it: (1) reduces the effectiveness of spin bowling — a wet ball does not grip the finger or wrist to generate turn; the ball skids through straighter, making it easier to play. (2) reduces swing bowling — a wet ball cannot be maintained with one dry and one polished side (the technique for conventional swing); both sides become wet and slick. (3) reduces the bowler's ability to grip the ball securely for accurate yorkers and bouncers. The batting team benefits from knowing they will face worse bowling conditions than the first innings; the fielding team struggles to bowl their best deliveries.
Toss Strategy in Dew Conditions
In conditions where dew is anticipated (most Indian subcontinent day-night matches, particularly after 6pm), toss winners overwhelmingly choose to bowl first — meaning they bowl under dry conditions in the first innings and then bat with the dew-affected ball later. This toss advantage is so consistently documented that winning captains in day-night T20Is on the subcontinent almost universally bowl first. In the 2023 Cricket World Cup (mostly day-night matches in India), toss winners bowling first had a significant win-rate advantage. The ICC has periodically discussed solutions — including scheduling more day matches or using a dew-reducing compound on the ball — but no consistent solution has been implemented.
Mitigating Dew
Grounds teams and match officials use various methods to reduce dew's impact: the ball is changed more frequently when it becomes significantly wet (the umpires can replace a ball that has been damaged, though wet is not damage); players use dry towels to dry the ball between deliveries (legally permitted); and in some domestic competitions, a 'ball drying agent' has been applied to the outfield. None of these fully replicate the advantage of a dry ball. The most effective mitigation is scheduling — starting day-night matches earlier (6pm local time rather than 7:30pm) reduces the window during which dew develops, but broadcast and attendance pressures make early starts commercially unattractive.
Frequently asked questions
Why do captains always bowl first when dew is expected?
Because the team batting second faces dew-affected bowling in their innings — the ball is wet and harder to grip, reducing spin, swing, and accuracy. Captains who bowl first get dry-ball conditions in the first innings; when they bat in the second innings, the dew has settled and their batters face deteriorated bowling. In Indian subcontinent day-night matches, this advantage is well-documented and toss winners bowling first have a significantly higher win rate.
Which cricket formats are most affected by dew?
T20I and ODI day-night matches in high-humidity conditions — particularly India, Pakistan, UAE, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Test cricket is rarely affected because Tests start earlier in the day and are rarely played in the late evening hours where dew develops. The Ashes in England rarely has significant dew due to England's cooler and lower-humidity climate.
Can the ball be dried during play?
Yes — players can legally dry the ball with a dry towel between deliveries, and umpires can dry it with their own cloths. However, once the ball is significantly wet, drying only partially restores the surface. The key issue is outfield dew — a ball that has been fielded through wet grass gets a wet outer surface that cannot be fully dried mid-over, affecting grip throughout the remainder of the over.