Why Dew Decides So Many Evening Games

In a large share of evening matches the captain winning the toss chooses to field, and the reason is atmospheric rather than tactical. Dew changes what the bowling side can do.

Dew forms when the ground cools below the air's dew point

After sunset the outfield radiates heat and its surface temperature falls faster than the surrounding air. When it drops below the dew point, water condenses out onto the grass.

The effect is strongest in humid conditions with clear skies and light wind, which describes many venues during the tournament's window in the calendar.

It typically begins around the middle of the second innings and intensifies, meaning the final overs are played in the wettest conditions of the match.

A wet ball behaves differently in the hand

Grip is the first casualty. A spinner cannot impart the same revolutions on a slick surface, and the ball skids on rather than gripping the pitch.

Seamers lose their variations for similar reasons. Slower balls and cutters depend on finger position and controlled release, both of which degrade when the ball is damp.

Fielding suffers alongside it. Clean pickups become harder, throws lose accuracy, and the marginal run conceded per over adds up across a chase.

The toss becomes a substantial advantage

Because dew reliably weakens the bowling side in the second innings, winning the toss and fielding first captures a known benefit rather than a speculative one.

The size of that benefit varies by venue and by month, and teams track it closely, since a ground with a dry climate produces almost none of the effect.

Where the effect is strong, the toss can account for a meaningful part of a team's results across a season, which is uncomfortable for a competition decided on fine margins.

Counter-measures are partial at best

Ground staff apply anti-dew treatments to the outfield and use ropes dragged across the surface between innings to disperse moisture.

Teams keep a supply of dry towels and sawdust at the boundary, and bowlers rotate the ball between deliveries to keep a usable surface available.

None of this removes the condition. It slows the accumulation, which is why the difference between innings narrows but does not disappear.

Scheduling is the only structural fix available

Afternoon starts avoid the problem entirely, but they conflict with broadcast demand for prime-time audiences, which is the tournament's principal revenue source.

Some competitions have experimented with earlier evening starts so that the second innings finishes before dew becomes heavy, which shifts rather than solves the issue.

The practical response has been to accept the imbalance and build squads for chasing, which is why so many teams now select their strongest batting depth for the second innings.