At several venues in franchise cricket the side winning the toss chooses to field with near-total consistency. The reason is a predictable physical change that arrives after sunset.
How dew forms during an evening match
As the ground surface radiates heat after sunset, its temperature falls below the temperature at which the surrounding air becomes saturated. Water then condenses directly onto the grass.
The process accelerates on still, humid nights and is slower where wind keeps the air mixed. Coastal and inland venues therefore behave quite differently through the same evening.
Because the effect depends on local humidity and cooling rate, it is broadly predictable in advance. Teams arrive with a firm expectation of whether dew will appear.
What moisture does to the ball
A wet ball is difficult to hold securely, which affects spinners most severely because their control depends on finger pressure at release. Revolutions imparted on the ball drop away.
Seam bowlers lose the ability to grip the seam consistently, blunting both movement and the disguise of slower deliveries. Variation becomes harder to execute reliably.
Fielders also handle a slippery ball, so misfields and dropped chances become more frequent. The defensive cost extends well beyond the bowlers themselves.
Why the outfield matters as much as the ball
Wet grass offers less resistance, so a ball struck along the ground travels further and faster towards the rope. Boundaries are conceded from shots that would otherwise be stopped.
Sweepers positioned near the boundary have less time to intercept, and sliding stops become unreliable. The effective size of the ground shrinks for the fielding side.
Scoring rates in the second innings consequently rise at dew-affected venues. The advantage is structural rather than a matter of form.
What teams do to limit the damage
Ground staff apply drying agents to the outfield and use ropes dragged across the surface during breaks. These measures slow the accumulation without preventing it.
Bowlers keep towels at the boundary and dry the ball between deliveries, though the moisture returns within a delivery or two. The remedy is partial at best.
Captains adjust by using spinners early, before dew arrives, and holding back bowlers whose skills depend least on grip. Bowling plans are built around the timeline.
How the imbalance shapes the competition
Where dew is reliable, the toss carries a measurable competitive value that no team can influence. That has prompted debate about whether the format is fair at such venues.
Suggestions have included earlier start times and giving the visiting side the choice. Each solution introduces its own scheduling and broadcast complications.
For now the effect is managed rather than removed, and teams treat it as a known condition. Preparation includes rehearsing with a deliberately dampened ball.
