How Cricket Pitches Are Covered in Rain — Rules, Covers & Conditions

When rain falls or is forecast during a cricket match, groundstaff deploy large plastic covers over the pitch and, at most grounds, over the run-ups at each end. The covers protect the playing surface from rain saturation, which would otherwise make the pitch unplayable and dramatically change its character. The speed and efficiency of the ground crew's covering operation — often measured in seconds — can determine whether a match is delayed by 20 minutes or loses half a day.

What the Laws say about covering

Law 11 of the Laws of Cricket states that the pitch shall be covered before play, during play (if rain falls), during intervals, and overnight — but only if, and to the extent that, the two captains agree in advance or if it is specified in the match conditions. In most international cricket, the ICC Playing Conditions require full covering of the pitch and run-ups. In some domestic competitions — particularly older-format county cricket — partial covering was historically agreed, leading to the notorious 'sticky dog' or 'sticky wicket' conditions on which spin bowling was extraordinarily potent.

Run-up covers

Beyond the pitch itself, most international grounds deploy additional covers over the bowler's run-up zones at each end. These prevent the turf from becoming waterlogged to a degree that would make footing unsafe for bowlers. The ICC requires that run-ups be fit for play before matches resume. Umpires are empowered to delay the restart if they consider the run-up unsafe — slipping during a delivery stride is a significant injury risk.

The outfield and conditions for resumption

Outfield areas are not covered (it would be impractical given the size), so rain saturates the outfield grass. The umpires must judge when the outfield is fit for play — principally that fielders can run and dive without hazardous footing, and that the ball will not become saturated every time it reaches the boundary rope. Mechanical drying aids (super-soppers, large air blowers, absorptive rollers) are used extensively between rain stoppages to speed up the outfield drying process.

Uncovered pitches — a historical perspective

Before universal covering became standard (broadly the 1980s in England, earlier in some countries), rain followed by sun created what cricketers called a 'sticky wicket' or 'sticky dog.' The wet pitch would dry rapidly under sun and wind, producing a surface on which the ball gripped, bounced unpredictably, and turned dramatically. Teams winning the toss would routinely choose to field first if rain was forecast, hoping to bowl the opposition out on the wet pitch after the rain cleared. Uncovered pitch cricket produced some extraordinary bowling performances but also some highly unbalanced matches that the covering rule was introduced to prevent.