Table of Contents
It’s the time of year that we all look forward to but, exactly when is the cricket season and how long does it last?
When is the Cricket Season?
The answer depends on which part of the world you live in. In England, the cricket season starts at the beginning of April and finishes at the end of September. As the time zones move around the planet, the seasons will differ in other countries.
In most cases, there is a similar scenario with cricket being played across six months of the year when it’s warm and dry. There are some exceptions however as we are about to see.
When does the Cricket Season Start?
In The United Kingdom
In the UK, professional games have occasionally taken place at the end of March but the season will normally begin at the start of April.
In India
The cricket season in India will usually begin in mid-September. Often, there are senior women’s games starting things off before men’s tournaments commence in October.
In Australia
Cricketers in Australia may start playing in September, especially in the west of the country which gets the warmer weather first.
In The Tropics
The tropics extends to the West Indies where cricket is played almost all year round. The cricket season would typically start in October.
In South Africa
The season in South Africa starts in October. Some club cricketers get a three week break over Christmas while professional cricket is likely to continue.
When Does The Cricket Season End?
In The United Kingdom
Expect the cricket season in England to finish at the end of September although, in 2020, it extended to the first week in October.
In India
India’s cricket season extends through to the start of June. Since 2008, the campaign has traditionally ended with the final of the Indian Premier League.
In Australia
Matches in Australia would begin to finish around early April. The international season may have finished around March but there are senior games and grade cricket that progress a little further.
In The Tropics
Cricket in the West Indies and other countries within the tropics would come to a finish at some point in September when the rainy season begins.
In South Africa
South African cricketers will see their season come to an end in March.
In other regions, the test playing nations that are not on this list tend to follow others in their vicinity. For example, the cricket seasons in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be close in dates to that of India. Similarly, the season in New Zealand will tend to follow that of Australia.
Conclusion
Cricket seasons cover different months across the world as we would expect. In some countries, the seasons typically last for six months before the rain comes and the dark days descend.
Elsewhere, some countries are lucky enough to play for much longer as they enjoy longer, drier periods. The quality of a dry cricket pitch (and field) is so essential to playing cricket that they often stop the game in case it starts to rain. No wonder, an outdoor sport like this depends so much on the weather.
