Why a Sight Screen is So Important in Cricket?

In a game of Cricket we often see the batsman waving their hands to someone behind the bowler as if they are telling someone to move aside. What they are doing is, asking the grounds men to adjust the position of the sightscreen.

What is a sight screen in Cricket?

A sight screen is an apparatus that comprises cloth or canvas stretched across a board made of either wood or other material. Two sight screens are positioned on either side of Cricket pitch. They are placed at a short-distance behind the boundary rope and are movable. 

One sight screen is placed directly past the bowler’s end or at the straight boundary from the batsman facing the delivery on the pitch. The other sight screen is placed directly behind the batsman or at the long stop boundary. 

Why sight screen is used in Cricket?

The sight screen is usually black or white in color. In Test matches where a red ball is used, the sightscreen is black, and in One Day Internationals or Twenty20 Internationals where a white ball is used, the screen is white. 

The function of the sightscreen is to offer clear sight of the bowler and the delivery of the ball. It helps the batsman see the ball and track it to adjust the shot. The sightscreen also helps avoid distraction from spectatots. 

Since 1993, the tri-vision sight screens, the slats of which can be flipped, enabled advertising on them. The sightscreen slats are white or black on one side and contain advertising on the other side. In between overs, the slats are flipped to reveal the advertisement.

A typical sight screen measures 4.5 meters by 4.5 meters. In professional cricket matches, sight screens can be much larger, sometimes up to 25 meters wide.

At the club cricket level two to three men move the sight screen, and the batsmen tell them when to stop it. In professional matches, where the group is well-equipped, moving the sight screen is automatic. 

Conclusion

A sight screen is thus an essential piece of equipment without which a cricket match is unimaginable. It helps the batsman see the ball clearly and pick a shot. And for the audience, a properly functioning sight screen makes the game enjoyable.