Cricket Field Layout
Cricket fields may have different layouts because there are no official rules for the size. Nonetheless, the cricket should have an oval-shaped outfield and rectangular pitch, while the closed infield and infield should have curved boundary.
1. Cricket outfield size
The common cricket outfield is slightly oval. It should have the diameter of 137 to 150 meters (or 450 to 493 feet). Thus, we need at least 150 x 150 meters = 22,500 sq. meters (or 5.5 acres) lands to build a cricket ground. However, it is not the end of story because we need to reserve some space for the audience seats and light poles. Eventually, we need around 6 to 7 acres land to build a cricket field.
2. Cricket infield size
Cricket infield has a pill shape and curved boundaries. It has a radius of 27.4 meters (90 ft), and the center of circle is at the end of the pitch. Generally speaking, we need to provide brighter lights for the infield, because it is the key area of the cricket ground.
3. Close-Infield
Close-infield is formed by two circles slightly overlapping with each other. They have the radius of 13.7 meters (45 ft).
4. Cricket pitch dimension
The pitch is the most important part of cricket ground because the most exciting action take place here. It is a long rectangle with dimensions of 22.56 x 3.66 meters (74 x 12ft).
Cricket field size in acres
As the cricket outfield dimeter is 137 to 150 meters (450 to 493 ft), the overall cricket field size is π x radius 2 = 3.1415 x 68.52 to 752 = 14700 to 17700 sq. meter (3.6 to 4.4 acres).
The cricket pitch size is 22.56 m x 3.66 m = 82.6 sq. meter (or 0.0204 acres)
Understanding the cricket field size is essential as the lighting requirement would be different. For instance, the lumen required for cricket ground lighting increases with the field size.
Cricket ground dimension in feet
Similarly, we can do a quick conversion from sq. meter to sq. feet or calculate again. As the cricket ground diameter is 450 to 493 ft, the field size = π x radius 2 = 3.1415 x 2252 to 246.52 = 159,000 to 191000 sq. ft.
In addition, the cricket pitch size in feet is 74 x 12 = 888 sq. ft.
Indoor Practice Cricket Net & Field Size
1. Practice cricket net size
Indoor practice cricket net has different size and dimensions. Generally, the standard indoor practice cricket is 20 meters (66 ft) long and 3.6 (12 ft) meters wide, so the area is 72 sq. meter (775 sq. feet).
If you are planning to have 4 side-by-side cricket nets, the wide should be 3.6 meter x 4 = 14.4 meters (47.2 ft), and the total cricket field size becomes 20 m x 14.4 m = 288 sq. meter (3100 sq. feet). You can have more side-by-side practice cricket grounds if your indoor sports facility is larger.
2. Indoor cricket court size
In addition to practice nets, there is another indoor cricket court for competitions. Unlike the outdoor oval-shaped cricket field, the indoor facility has a rectangular shape. The length of the indoor cricket court is 28 to 30 m (92 to 98 ft), and the width is 10 to 12.5 m (33 to 41 ft). Hence, we should reserve at least 28 x 10 = 280 sq. meter (3000 sq. ft) to build an indoor cricket court.
Why Do Cricket Grounds Have Different Size?
1. Different Level of Competitions
Cricket field size required depends on level of competition. It might not be necessary to build a full cricket ground if it is just for recreational purpose. For example, we can half the diameter of the outdoor cricket field for training.
However, if the cricket field (or stadium) is designed for the international tournaments such as ICC World Cup, T20 or Indian Premier League, the cricket ground should have the highest standard, says the oval ground should have at least 137 to 150 meters diameter.
2. Outdoor Vs. Indoor
There are different recommendations regarding the size of the outdoor and indoor cricket ground. The outdoor cricket field is an oval shaped area with the diameter up to 137 to 150 meters, while the indoor cricket court is a rectangle (12.5 x 30 meters). The main difference between outdoor and indoor field is that the indoor cricket court doesn’t have a large outfield.
3. Land resources
In countries lacking land resources may only be able to build smaller cricket fields. In addition, the country’s emphasis on this sport will also affect the number and size of cricket stadiums built.
