Cricket Sight Screen: Why It Exists and How It Helps Batters
Sight screens are the large white or black boards placed at each end of a cricket ground to help batters track the ball against the background — a critical safety and fairness measure.
A sight screen is a large board placed at each end of a cricket ground, directly behind the bowler's arm. Its purpose is to provide a plain, uncluttered background against which the batter can clearly see the ball from the moment it leaves the bowler's hand.
Why Sight Screens Matter
Cricket balls are small and fast — a delivery from a pace bowler can exceed 145 km/h (90 mph). The batter has fractions of a second to read the line, length, and movement of the ball. A cluttered background — spectators, advertising boards, or stadium structures — makes this task significantly harder and increases the risk of injury.
Colour Conventions
For day cricket with a red or white ball, sight screens are traditionally white or light grey. For day-night cricket with a pink ball, black sight screens are used because pink shows more clearly against a dark background than against white. Ground staff move or swap screens between innings and sometimes between overs when the bowling changes ends.
Movement During Play
Spectators or ground staff moving behind the sight screen during play is considered a distraction and the batter can ask for play to be stopped. The Laws of Cricket require the fielding side to keep the sight screen area clear of movement. At most international grounds, designated seating behind the screen is reserved or empty during matches.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there a sight screen in cricket?
The sight screen provides a plain background behind the bowler so batters can clearly see the ball from release. Without it, movement or colour contrast makes tracking the ball much harder.
Why is the sight screen black in day-night cricket?
Pink balls used in day-night Tests are more visible against a black background than a white one. Black sight screens are used to maximise the batter's ability to pick up the pink ball early.