Dew Factor in Cricket — How Night Dew Affects T20 and ODI Matches
What the dew factor is in cricket, how night dew makes the ball difficult to grip and easier to hit, why teams prefer chasing in dew-affected conditions, and which grounds are worst affected.
Dew is one of the most significant but least discussed factors in day-night limited-overs cricket — particularly in the subcontinent. As temperatures drop after sunset, moisture condenses on the outfield and the ball, making the ball wet, slippery, and difficult for bowlers to grip. The team that bats in dew-affected conditions has a significant advantage, which is why the toss is often decisive in day-night matches.
How Dew Affects the Game
Bowling becomes harder: bowlers cannot maintain their grip on the wet ball, making swing and spin less effective. The ball does not grip the wet outfield, so fielders occasionally slip. The ball becomes heavier as it absorbs moisture, travelling slower through the air and off the pitch. The batting team benefits: the wet ball sits up on the bat more readily, reducing seam movement and making it easier to time shots. Even a perfectly bowled ball becomes less dangerous when the ball is wet.
Why Teams Choose to Chase
In dew-affected conditions, captains who win the toss almost always choose to field first and chase the target in the dew. The logic: your bowlers bowl in dry conditions (the first innings), your batters face wet-ball bowling in the second innings when the dew is heaviest. Chasing teams exploit dew twice: the target is set without dew advantage, and then they chase it with one. Many T20 captains in India have publicly acknowledged that winning the toss in a day-night match is tantamount to winning the match.
Which Grounds Are Most Affected
Grounds near water (rivers, sea) or in humid climates collect the most dew. In India: Eden Gardens (Kolkata), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai, near the sea), and grounds in Chennai and Hyderabad are notorious for heavy dew. In Pakistan: Karachi and Lahore grounds regularly have significant dew. In contrast, grounds in England and Australia rarely experience dew because of lower temperatures and different climate conditions.
Countermeasures
Groundstaff sometimes dry the ball with towels between overs (under supervision). Some bowling teams use a third ball during dew-affected overs if the ball becomes genuinely unplayable. Captains may choose to use their best bowlers in the first 10 overs before dew arrives rather than save them for the death overs. Toss strategy is the most important countermeasure — a team that controls the toss controls the dew.
Frequently asked questions
Does dew affect Test cricket?
Rarely — Tests are usually played in daylight. Day-night Tests (with pink ball) can be affected by dew, but the problem is less severe than in T20 play because a longer match gives dew less of an asymmetric advantage.
Can the umpire replace a ball affected by dew?
The umpires can inspect the ball and change it if it is deemed genuinely unfit for play. However, ball changes due to dew are rare — the umpires typically allow drying by the fielding team first.
Is there a DLS adjustment for dew?
No — the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method adjusts for rain interruptions but not for dew. This is a known limitation of DLS in night matches in the subcontinent.