Cricket Facts: Light

Bright natural light is as important to cricket players as in any other fast-paced ball sport.The comment "bad light stopped play" indicates a shortened day's cricket, usually in a match lasting more than one day. Simply put, the umpires decide the available daylight is not good enough for batsmen to see the dark red ball and "offer the batsmen the light"--the option to quit play for the day, rather than risk being out through not seeing the ball clearly.

  1. History

    • Nations of the cricketing world started playing major one-day matches under floodlights in the 1970s. In one-day internationals the first team's innings, about three and a half hours long, is in daylight. The second team usually begins before dusk, but finishes under lights, with the ground quite dark. These matches use white balls, which are easier to see under lights than the traditional red ones.

    Floodlights

    • Many venues for test matches (scheduled for five days) have lights installed for one-day matches. Until 2009, match umpires usually, but not always, resisted pressure to switch them on during a dull day, even though that would mean more playing time. The first test match in England when the umpires allowed artificial light was in 2009, between England and Australia. Even then the umpires called play off when the daylight continued to worsen because the red ball was hard to see under artificial light.

    Law 3

    • Law 3, part 9, covers the "suspension of play for adverse conditions of ground, weather or light." To sum up the complex part of the law: if a batsman taking strike appeals to the umpires, claiming the light is unsuitable to continue batting, both umpires will inspect the light, looking up the wicket, at the striker's end. They will take a light meter reading, not to define "good" or "bad" light but as a reference point to see if the light subsequently worsens or improves.

    Continue

    • If the umpires, on appeal, decide the light is fine, play will continue. The law states they shall inform the captains if they agree the light is not suitable for play and they will suspend play, unless the batting side wants to carry on. If the batting side later decides the light has gotten too bad to carry on, they can make another appeal, which the umpires will uphold if the light has worsened or stayed the same as when they "offered the light". This is where they refer to their light meter, which the official laws do not mention.

    Safety

    • Regardless of the batting side's wish to carry on, if the umpires decide--referring to Law 3.9 (d)--there is "obvious and foreseeable risk to the safety of any player," they will suspend play. The umpires are the sole judge of when and if light improves. They will make an inspection from the center of the ground "as often as appropriate" and unaccompanied.

    Day-Night Tests

    • In 2010 cricketing countries, especially Australia, experimented with day-night test matches under lights in an effort to boost attendances at the longest form of the game. A huge controversy arose from the proposed color of the ball--red or white. Some games used pink. The International Cricket Council general manager of cricket, Dave Richardson, said after a trial match early in 2010 that there was still a long way to go before day-night tests were a reality, as the game lacked a viable alternative to the red ball.