A day-night match in cricket is one where the match timings are such that a major portion of the evening is utilized. Initially, day-night matches were contested only for limited overs fixtures played in the One Day International and T20 format. However, since 2015, even test cricket has been scheduled in the day-night time limit.
Whenever there is a day-night contest, the teams that win the toss often to choose to bat second. This is due to the onset of evening during the match play, that leads to the formation of dew on the grass. The dew factor heavily favours the chasing side. This is because of three reasons. First, the dew allows the ball to skid through to the boundary much quicker. Second, the ball remains shiny, which does not allow pace bowlers to have control over the direction of swing. Finally, the ball constantly remains wet, making it challenging for the bowlers to grip the ball.
Due to the dew, the pitch becomes damp. This keeps the ball low, and bowlers do not get the needed bounce. For the fielding side, the only advantage of dew is that owing to the shine of the ball, fielders outside the 30-yard circle can spot the ball easily from a distance.
The dew factor is more often seen in venues where the climate is relatively hot. This is seen in the Indian subcontinent prominently. To control the level of dew, the ground staff clears the dew using soppers in between breaks. These soppers can also help in controlling the dew on the pitch, thereby limiting the dampness. At times, the ground staff cuts more grass to reduce the accumulation of dew. A non-toxic spray is also used to control the amount of dew.
Despite its cons, the dew factor poses a challenge to the fielding side whose skills of defending a total are put to test.
