Not just the dew factor

The ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League has seen a stark contrast between matches during day and night as matches under lights have been high-scoring affairs compared to the low-scoring ones under sunlight.

In the six day matches played in this ongoing BPL, the highest first innings total has been 143-8, which was in Chattogram on Friday. In the matches at Dhaka, the highest first innings total was 129-8, with the batting team bowled out for 100 or less on two occasions.

On the other hand, the lowest first-innings total in the evening matches is 158-7, scored by Comilla Victorians in Dhaka. The highest total in evening matches has been 202-5, with two scores over 170 being chased down.

In Dhaka, Khulna Tigers chased down 184 against Minister Dhaka with two overs to go, and in Chattogram, Dhaka chased down 176 against Sylhet Sunrisers with nine wickets and three overs in hand.

On Saturday, Chattogram Challengers scored the first 200+ score in the tournament, ending on 202-5 in the evening match against Sylhet. Will Jacks, the hard-hitting English opener, was on fire as he scored 52 off just 19 deliveries. Afif Hossain scored 38 off 28 deliveries, with Benny Howell scoring a blistering 41 runs off just 21 deliveries.

There have been two centuries in the ongoing BPL, and both have come in the same match on Friday. Sylhet’s Lendl Simmons struck 116 off 65 deliveries before Dhaka’s Tamim Iqbal scored an unbeaten 111 off 64 deliveries to help Dhaka win.

The contrast in batting conditions during day and night has raised questions if the dew is the only factor making things easy for the batsmen later in the day.

Sylhet spinner Nazmul Islam Apu, after picking up four wickets against Minister Dhaka in a day match, said that there was help available from the wicket.

“There is some help on the wicket. The ball is doing something after pitching. Either it’s stopping or bouncing a bit more. I got that help from the wicket,” the left-arm spinner said.

Khulna Tigers’ assistant coach and former Bangladesh batsman Rajin Saleh said there is some help in the wickets early on, but it’s not just dew that takes away that advantage later in the day.

“Look, in the day matches, the game is played on a fresh wicket with moisture. It’s fresh and offers the bowlers some help, making it difficult for the batsmen.

“But after the match, the moisture wears off with 40 overs bowled and the other activities on the pitch. And then the pitch is rolled, leading to the pitch becoming much better for batting,” he said.

Rajin added that dew also does have a say in it. He said, “Of course, dew plays a part in it. The wet ball is much harder to control. The ball skids on after pitching on the wicket, and comes on to the bat easily. But the dew is not the only factor that makes the pitches batting-friendly.”

It seems like it’s not all in the dew after all, rather the condition of the pitch at the start of the day. And as things stand, it looks like this trend is likely to continue throughout this BPL as, despite the venue change, the situation has not changed.