How tall are cricket field lights? If you are going to build a new cricket stadium, you may wish to know the light pole height for this oval-shaped sports field. You can’t achieve the best lighting outcome if your light poles are too tall or short. This article is explaining the common light pole height of cricket field, as well as factors affecting it.
Common Cricket Stadium Light Pole Height
The light pole height of a cricket stadium is 14 to 50 meters (46 to 164 ft), depending on the level of competition and field size. Generally speaking, we use taller light poles for more professional and larger cricket fields.
| Class | Applications of cricket field | Average cricket field light pole height |
| III | Recreational | 14 to 20 meters (46 to 66ft) |
| II / III | Training, high school or college practice field | 22 to 30 meters (72 to 98ft) |
| I / II | Local or regional competitions | 25 to 33 meters (82 to 108 ft) |
| I | National or international tournament | 30 to 50 meters (98 to 164ft) |
1. Recreational Cricket Field
A light pole height of 14 to 20 meters is sufficient to meet the needs of amateur cricket players. The lighting requirement is not so harsh for recreational cricket fields. Some fields may even use shorter poles, such as 6 to 8 meters, depending on the layout design.
2. Training / High School / College Cricket Practice Field
The height of light poles in high school or college cricket grounds is about 22 to 30 meters. We need higher light poles because of larger field size and higher lighting standard. The training ground needs brighter lights, so the athletes and coaches can clearly see the cricket balls and the batting movement.
Sometimes high school or college cricket fields are loaned to local competitions, so it is better to have taller light pole and higher illuminance level.
3. Local or Regional Competitions
The height of the light poles should be between 25 and 33 meters if local or regional competitions are held on the cricket field. As more spectators are involved, we need brighter and more uniform lighting. We can achieve these goals by using taller high mast poles.
4. International / National Tournament Cricket Stadium
The height of the light poles will be 30 to 50 meters in national or international cricket stadiums. Taller light poles are needed because we need to meet strict horizontal and vertical illuminance requirement at the same time. Sometimes we can’t achieve a high vertical illuminance if the poles are too short. In addition, ultra-bright, flicker-free and glare-free lighting is essential for 4K or 8K TV broadcasting.
Importance of Getting a Right Light Pole Height in Cricket Field
The cricket grounds should have an appropriate light pole height to provide better lighting quality for athletes, referees and cricket fans.
1. Minimize the Cricket Field Lighting Wattage
We can reduce the cricket field lighting wattage when using short light poles. This means we can reduce the power consumption of lighting equipment if we avoid using the unnecessarily tall poles. For instance, there is no need to install 50-meters-high light poles in the recreational cricket field as we don’t need such extra-bright and uniform lighting. This will be a waste of energy due to the attenuation of the light beam.
The common LED cricket light wattages include 400W, 1000W, 1500W and 2000W. We will make use of different wattages and beam angles to achieve the best lighting quality – high brightness and uniformity.
2. Improve Lighting Uniformity
High light poles can increase the lighting uniformity on the cricket ground. We can imagine that sunlight has the highest uniformity (very close to the maximum value 1). If you happen to measure the lux levels of the cricket field during the day, you will find that all sampling points have almost the same lux value. The light beam from the sun can be evenly distributed on the cricket field.
High lighting uniformity means fewer shadows or dark spots on the field, which is crucial for cricket players. This is because sudden change in brightness will strain the eyes, and we can barely see the cricket balls and batting movement if the certain area is too dark.
The uniformity of cricket stadium lights can be increased by 0.1 to 0.3 if we use the higher light poles.
3. Minimize the Glare
Glare is observed if we directly look at the high-power flood lights. It causes eye discomfort and loss of visual performance. Getting a higher light pole can reduce the chance of cricket players directly or accidentally stare at blinding floodlights or spotlights.
4. Save Light Pole Cost and Installation
Cricket field floodlights and light poles are expensive. Getting a right light pole can optimize the lighting design – use fewer watts and poles while maintaining a good lighting quality.
Factors Affecting the Cricket Stadium Light Pole Height
Why does the height of the light pole have a certain range? That said, the pole height for class I cricket stadium is 30 to 50 meters (98 to 164 ft), while for class III is 14 to 20 meters (46 to 66 ft). The light pole height is slightly different due to the following reasons.
1. Size of Cricket Ground
Not all cricket stadiums are the same because they have different size and light pole layout. For instance, recreational or training cricket grounds are usually smaller.
We need higher poles for larger cricket field, so the light beam can reach longer distance.
2. Level of Competition
As discussed, recreational and professional cricket fields required different light pole heights, this is because they have different lighting standard, such as lux, lighting uniformity and anti-glare requirements.
Higher light poles are required in the cricket stadium holding national or international tournament such as ICC, T20 World Cup, as it is easier for us to achieve bright and uniform lighting.
3. Beam Angle of LED Cricket Flood Lights
Floodlights and spot lights are used to light different regions in the cricket court because they have different beam angle. Flood light has the wider beam angle of 60 or 90 degrees, so they are used to illuminate the short range, like the outfield. On the contrary, spot light has a narrower beam angle, says 15 and 25 degrees, so they illuminate the cricket pitch (the center region of a cricket field).
We will need to adjust the beam angle usage if the light poles are too short or tall.
4. The Cricket Ground Construction Site
The maximum cricket light pole height is sometimes restricted by the construction site. Some locations can’t have high light poles because of the mellow soil or construction foundation. That’s why we may see short light poles in the cricket ground.
Before starting the construction process, it is recommended to consult your land surveyor to find out whether the site can tolerate light poles of 30 to 50 meters. If the light poles can’t reach the average height, we can still get good lighting quality through customized lighting design.
5. Neighboring Area – Light Pollution Control
If the cricket field is surrounded by residential areas, the light pole shouldn’t be too high. Otherwise, the light spill and light pollution will be too significant and affect the sleep quality of the citizens.
There are three ways to fix cricket field lighting pollution
- Lowering the light poles to reduce light leakage outside the cricket stadium
- Using smaller beam angle to make the light beam more concentrated
- Adding barn doors to the floodlights to reduce spilled lights
6. Preferences of Cricket Stadium Owners
In order to save lighting cost and installation cost, some cricket stadium owners may prefer to use shorter and fewer light poles. However, it will be more difficult to achieve high lighting uniformity.
Pros and Cons of Higher Cricket Ground Light Pole
Pros
1. Better Lighting Uniformity
It is easier to achieve high lighting uniformity of 0.7 to 0.8 if the light poles are higher than 20 meters. This is because the light beam can evenly spread every corn of the cricket ground.
If the light poles are too short, most of the light beam will reach a short distance. This is why the central cricket pitch is easily darkened if the light poles are too short.
2. Reduce Glare
Reducing glare is another advantage of high cricket stadium light poles. If the floodlight is mounted at a higher height, it can reduce the chance of cricket players accidentally staring at the blinding lights. Glare will greatly affect the performance of athletes because the dazzling lights make human eyes uncomfortable.
Cons
1. More Light Pollution
However, high light poles have their limitations, that is, light pollution. If the cricket ground is close to residential areas, light leakage will be very serious. You may receive a complaint about stadium lights that are always on. Some people may suffer from insomnia due to the blinding lights. Therefore, taller poles are not always better.
2. Needs Higher Wattage
Higher poles mean we need extra lumens and watts to illuminate the cricket field. This is because there will be more light loss if the light beam needs to travel a longer distance. This will in turn increase your cricket light cost and electricity bill.
Pros and Cons of Short Cricket Stadium Light Pole Height
Just like the tall light poles, short light poles in cricket field will also have positive and negative effects.
Pros
1. Lower Lighting Installation Cost and Time
The use of lower poles can reduce installation costs and time. This is because electricians may need more professional equipment to install floodlights on higher poles, industrial lifts and cranes for example.
Safety is also worthy of attention. If we need to install the lights on a 50-meter-high pole, the insurance cost will be higher for the workers.
2. Lower Wattage Lighting is Needed
We can reduce the wattage and the number of sports lighting fixtures if the pole is shorter, simply because the light loss is smaller. We can expect a 5% reduction in wattage if we shorten the light pole by 3 to 5 meters.
Yet, this method is only suitable for smaller cricket grounds.
Cons
1. Poor Lighting Uniformity
Poor lighting is one of the shortcomings of short cricket field light poles. It is difficult to illuminate the long distance, says the cricket pitch, so the center can will be darkened. This will greatly affect the experience of athletes and cricket enthusiasts.
To fix this issue, we will need to use a very small beam angle (<10 degrees) to illuminate the cricket pitch. However, this will increase the glaring (GR rating) in the field)
2. Temperature Increase
As high-power floodlights get closer to cricket players and spectators, the temperature will rise. Although it helps keep warm in winter, it is not a good idea in summer evenings. Athletes may sweat a lot and feel uncomfortable.
To solve this problem, we can use LED lights instead of halogen, metal halide or HPS lighting. This is because the energy efficiency of LED light is higher, so they emit less heat.
Conclusion
Cricket field light pole height is an important consideration in lighting design. By using the correct pole height, the lighting quality and user experience can be improved.
