Print

[AdClem]

First game of the season.  Pitch soft, damp and sticky.  You win the toss.  Bat first or bowl?

[Manormanic]

bowl first.

experience is that the pitch will improve as it dries and, well, chasing 120 on a 150 deck is always easier than batting first without knowing what would constitute a good score playing too many shots and ending up with 120...

[Chalkie]

I would bowl, give them the pressure of setting a target and hope that the pitch dries a little before your innings.

[RF]

Bowl - As others have said the wicket should get better

If you bat first and make sub 100 you could run the risk of being out of the game before tea time

[Rob580]

It depends how soft we're talking here, if everything goes through the top when they're bowling and then dries out quickly, unless they're on it with tapping down the divets created then it can become worse to bat on as it dries out (as perverse as it seems)

But most of the time agree, bowl first.

[AdClem]

Doesn't sound perverse to me.  We're talking very soft and I'm worried, like you say, that it'll get worse rather than better.

[Chalkie]

Dont know much about preparing a wicket, but if they batted first and there were divots etc, would you be able/allowed to get a roller on it before you bat to help level it out?

[AdClem]

I wondered about that.  I'll have to check our league rules.

[uknsaunders]

Dont know much about preparing a wicket, but if they batted first and there were divots etc, would you be able/allowed to get a roller on it before you bat to help level it out?

A good reason for batting first. Use to happen alot in the village leagues in yorkshire. Teams would bowl first and get loads of movement, oppo crawling to 120 ao. Second innings the wicket has dried enough for the divots to harden. All of a sudden the ball starts going up and down, plus a little bit of sideways movement. Team batting second lose early wickets and scoreboard pressure means they have to chase the game. 80 AO. Let's not forget that the ball may skid on for the first hour or so of batting. As the sun dries the deck it get's slower and makes scoring runs more difficult.

This is strictly a village cricket answer, anybody playing decent club level with covers shouldn't be playing on decks this wet.

[procricket]

Wet wickets up north I tended to bat first

The dearth of Pakistan overseas slow left arm bowlers would grip 2nd innings when it would dry out a touch when it was wet it tended to not grip but skid and I found as it got dryer the proper spinners when we didn't do bowling restrictions would become unplayable.

See what your against I would

league cricket around Lancashire up until around 10-15 years ago wouldn't have covers

[RF]

@procricket B3 uncovered pitches - sound like Boycott mate

[RF]

Forgot to mention the mental aspect as well.

If you skittle a team for a low your score you're always buzzing at tea and their heads might go down quick if you get off to a good start in your innings. 

Sometimes worth letting someone have a free rein and play some shots when knocking off a small total

[Seniorplayer]

As Captain I would bat first and have best out of the of the track get a score and apply pressure on the opposition when fielding.

[brokenbat]

Bat first! With some luck, you get your batting in, and then it rains and you go home without fielding on the damp ground.

[Cin88]

Wet wickets up north I tended to bat first

The dearth of Pakistan overseas slow left arm bowlers would grip 2nd innings when it would dry out a touch when it was wet it tended to not grip but skid and I found as it got dryer the proper spinners when we didn't do bowling restrictions would become unplayable.

See what your against I would

league cricket around Lancashire up until around 10-15 years ago wouldn't have covers

Batting first is still the conventional way of doing things, especially in the leagues in and around Greater Manchester. Some clubs still use uncovered wickets as well, which can be a nightmare.