The pitch
The pitch has a significant effect on the performance of all batsmen and bowlers.
Pitch types
Types of pitch available :
- Uneven
- Cracked
- Hard & Fast
- Green
- Flat
- Slow
- Dusty
The following is a rough guide to how the type of pitch can affect your players - but keep in mind weather, fitness, form and player preferences also play a part in how a player may perform...:
| Batting | Fast | Fast Medium | Medium | Spin | |
| Uneven | -1 | +1 | +2 | +1 | 0 |
| Cracked | 0 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Hard & Fast | +2 | -1 | -1 | -2 | -1 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | +1 | +2 | 0 |
| Flat | +2 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -2 |
| Slow | -1 | -2 | 0 | +2 | +1 |
| Dusty | +1 | +1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
Pitch square - preparing multiple pitches
Your groundsmand has a wicket square at his disposal - you can see all the games due to be played at your ground in the next week and you can give individual orders for preparing each match pitch.
You can set a 'default' pitch type that will be used if you do not set specific orders for each match pitch.
Pitch change options become available exactly 7 days before the match is due to start.
From the next daily update for your country after that it will start to move towards either your default pitch request,
or if you have made a different one, then to the requested pitch for that match.
Pitch preparation is not on a straight sliding scale. You always start with a green pitch - from there, there are two different lines of preparation that your groundsman can go down:
- From Green towards Flat > Slow > Dusty
- From Green towards H&F > Cracked > Uneven
Sometimes you will play a match on a pitch in it's transition stage - ie. when preparation is on its way from say Green to Flat, you will go through a stage of Green/Flat, and then Flat/Green prior to having a Flat pitch. If a match is played on a transitional surface, elements of both type of pitch at play in the match. Any players with preferences for either type of pitch will get their bonus on these types of pitches.
Pitch - how quickly does it change?
It takes a full 7 days to get to dusty or uneven pitches that are furthest away from the starting point.
First Class matches - pitch deterioration
In First Class matches, the pitch deteriorates during the match.
The deterioration will move away from green as the game progresses - roughly half a level per day.
- Green > Flat > Slow > Dusty > 'No idea'
- Green > H&F > Cracked > Uneven
If your pitch is green, you can influence the path the deterioration heads down by starting to prepare the pitch you'd like it to move towards shortly before the match starts.