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The smack of leather on willow is one of the traditional sounds of an English summer but for cricketer's there is another more ominous sound, rain on grass. "When there is rain, there is no cricket" says Steve Martin, groundsman for Middlesex County Cricket Club. But rain stopping play is not the only way that cricket is affected by the weather.
Preparing the pitch
It’s not only players and spectators who watch the weather, but club groundsmen too. Keeping the square in good condition is a science in itself. Groundsmen start to step up preparation of the pitch 10 days before a major match in English County games.
The ideal pitch is an "even covering of straw coloured grass" (according to John Childs, assisting coach at Essex) that must not be too long or damp which would give a speed advantage to the bowler. On the other hand if the grass is too short or the soil too dry the ground cracks up.
 Cricket
squares always get covered both before matches and after the days
play to prevent too much dampness. Groundsmen generally find that
keeping the pitches in good working order gets easier as the summer
progresses and the ground dries out. The English summer can make
the drying out of pitches unpredictable, a dry start might be followed
by a damp July and August. Middlesex’s Steve Martin relies on the
BBC weather 5 day forecast on the web and the daily weather on the
ceefax for his forecasting.
Atmospheric conditions and cricket
General atmospheric conditions affect cricket as well as the rain. Swing bowling, a ‘fast to medium’ style where the bowler polishes one half of the ball and literally tries to ‘swing’ the ball, is made easier by cloudy and humid conditions.
Various grounds seem to add to the affects of the weather conditions: Headingley is known as a swing bowlers ground. The wind also influences bowling, bowlers with different styles take advantage of certain wind directions.
When rain stops play it can take up to 15 minutes to cover the square during a match. The ball is damper and harder to play with after a downpour and when there is early morning dew. A thick rope can be dragged over the outfield to take the water off the field. An absorbent roller can be used on the wicket if the umpire thinks that it is necessary.
Light influences play
Bad light sometimes stops play, and not necessarily at night. Umpires carry light metres which measure light levels at the crease. They are helped by lights on the scoreboard which also indicate the lighting levels. Here in the England matches are stopped by bad light more frequently at the beginning of the season but it can even happen in Africa and India.
 Touring
sides from hotter climes often find it very difficult to acclimatise
whilst competing in England. For example when Sri Lanka toured early
this summer it was difficult for them to get match practice because
of the cold, wet weather. But for most of the world's cricketers
heat is a problem and even in Britain we have to watch out for too
much sun. Cricket clubs now have physiotherapists on hand to ensure
that the players do not become dehydrated. Bowlers can drink on
the boundary, and drinks breaks are a more common feature of cricket
matches now.
Another Cover Up
Although sunny weather is definitely more enjoyable for both spectators and players, if we could at least prevent ‘rain stopping play’ the game could continue. In Australia the Colonial Stadium has a roof which can be rolled over the pitch when there is bad weather. Is this the future for Britain? John Childs, assisting coach at Essex County Cricket Club considers covered stadiums' to be "taking it to the extreme".
Covered cricket stadiums' would not be financially viable in Britain. Even the Colonial Stadium is primarily used for Australian Rules football. As Mr Martin puts it, "it is alright to standardise pitches, but don’t standardise the atmosphere." The game would be made more uniform and certain tactics such as wind-influenced bowling could not be used.
Cricketers are forever hoping for good weather. Sometimes the situation can be quite confusing as Ray Illingworth, the England Captain one remarked "That black cloud is coming from the direction the wind is blowing, now the wind is coming from where the black cloud is." And perhaps even stranger still is how such a weather-dependent game was born in a country as rainy as England.
Edgebaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham used to use a motorised pitch cover called the 'Brumbrella'. Unable to find a suitable replacement they now have to rely on the fast legged groundsmen.
Lords Cricket Ground uses a 'Hovercover' to cover the main pitch, which takes a minute and the whole square is finished in five minutes.
Four huge covers cover 80% of the Lords pitch and take 45 minutes to put on. 'Supersoppers' - large sponge covered roller machines are used to soak up any excess rain.
Useful link
BBC
Sport's Cricket section
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