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[Chalkie]

Sounds like a bit of a north/south divide on this one. The optimists for improving weather in the south say put them in, with the pessimists for a worsening pitch in the north say bat first   

Assuming its your home pitch then you should also have past experience to guide you and also depends on the relative strengths of your team.

Alternatively you could call Alastair Cook for his advice and then do the opposite 

Good luck

 

[AdClem]

Sounds like a bit of a north/south divide on this one. The optimists for improving weather in the south say put them in, with the pessimists for a worsening pitch in the north say bat first   

Assuming its your home pitch then you should also have past experience to guide you and also depends on the relative strengths of your team.

Alternatively you could call Alastair Cook for his advice and then do the opposite 

Good luck

Appreciate all the well reasoned opinions.  We don't use covers, but we're down South, on chalk [Chalkie] and dry out very quickly.  I'm thinking:

• damp-ish, with the likelihood of drying - bowl first;
• soggy and likely to stay damp - bat first;

lose toss - dilemma solved.

[Rob580]

lose toss - dilemma solved.

This. This is the answer to your problem.

[uknsaunders]

Not quite the same but I remember playing a Sunday game at Wokingham once. The wicket was starting to crack up after a long hot spell and we were dead chuffed at tea, having scored 220 odd. It was showing signs of breaking up and surely we had done the right thing? The weather broke and it rained during tea. We got out there and all the cracks had sealed up and the ball was coming off nicely for the batsman. Lost inside 30 overs with the oppo only 2 down 

It's all to do with timing. If the wicket is very wet then batting first makes sense. If it's slightly damp but likely to dry then stick them in.

[Northern monkey]

Bat first, always
The day I stop thinking that is the day I give up playing

I've played on every type of wicket there is , from sticky oop north clay wickets to the crumbly top surface southern wickets.
No one can predict how a wickets gonna play second half, even when covers are used