A pitch report is a two-minute look at the 22 yards the match will be played on. Here is what to listen for.

Grass cover

More grass usually means more help for seam bowlers early on, with movement off the pitch. A brown, bare surface usually suits batters and, later in the game, spinners.

Cracks and dryness

A dry pitch with cracks can break up as the match goes on, which helps spinners and makes batting harder for the team batting second in longer games.

Dew

In evening matches, dew makes the ball wet and harder to grip. Bowlers struggle and batting second often gets easier. That is why captains often choose to bowl first at night.

Boundary size

Short boundaries reward big hitters; long square boundaries reward running between the wickets and bowlers who bowl to their field.

  • Green and damp: seamers early.
  • Dry and cracked: spinners later.
  • Flat with short boundaries: a high-scoring game.