Introduction

Cricket is a sport that has been a favourite for centuries, with millions of fans and players in different countries. However, playing cricket at night poses some challenges such as visibility, safety and comfort. Cricket is like any sport ( For football, tennis, basketball, please check accordingly ) where proper lighting ensures player performance, enhances the fan experience and promotes safety. Cricket stadiums, as sports infrastructure, are relevant to people’s lives, and as playing fields their planning is relevant to the planning and development of sport in this country. This is why cricket stadiums need to have adequate and appropriate cricket lighting solutions to meet the regulations and requirements of the sport. In this article, we will look at some of the basics of cricket stadium lighting (including pitch dimensions, lighting standards), why LED lighting is the best choice for cricket stadiums and how ZGSM’s solutions can transform our playing experience and more.

Dimension of cricket stadium

Cricket pitches can be either round or oval. A round cricket pitch is considered ideal, but in most cases it is oval, either because of site constraints or because it is easier to arrange spectator seating. Cricket pitches do not have fixed dimensions, but they are usually between 450 feet (137 metres) and 500 feet (150 metres) in diameter. At the centre of a cricket pitch is a fairway made up of a rectangular strip of clay and short grass called the ‘turf pitch’. The length of this pitch is 20.12 metres (from wicket to wicket) plus a minimum distance of 1.22 metres at each end to accommodate the return crease and the bowler’s running area. The width of the fairway is 3.05 metres. The dimensions of the pitch vary according to the level of cricket played.

The Turf pitch has three upright wooden posts, called ‘stumps’, at each end. Two ‘bails’ placed in grooves at the top of the stumps connect the three stumps. Together, the three stumps and the two bails form a wicket. In addition, there are infields, outfields and near infields in a cricket ground. On the playing surface, two semi-circles with a radius of 27.43 metres are drawn around each three-post wicket, and at the centre of these semi-circles are the wickets at each end of the pitch. The circles are marked by consecutive white lines or dots at intervals of 4.57 metres, which form the infield of the cricket ground. The area around the periphery of the infield is the outfield. In addition, the area within a dotted circle with a radius of 15 yards (13.7 metres) centred on each of the three wickets is known as the ‘close-infield’. The infield, outfield and close-infield are all used to enforce defensive limitations, and it has a lot to do with the defensive strategy a team develops.

Lighting regulations and requirements of cricket lighting

Cricket stadium lighting standards are usually published by national standardisation bodies or by the International Cricket Council (ICC) through technical specifications. However, we have searched the relevant websites and found no such document, which is a great pity. Cricket lighting standards can of course be set by other bodies such as the European Committee for Standardisation ( EN12193, and what’s EN12193? ) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (RP-6-22), but their standards are quite varied and incomplete because they are very general when it comes to lighting standards for infield, outfield and pitch. However, their standards vary greatly and are not complete, as they are very general when it comes to lighting standards for inside, outside and pitch. By reviewing the best in the lighting industry and the information we have obtained from relevant customer projects, we believe that the following standards are the most relevant and detailed.

Cricket stadium	Vertical illuminance level. w.r.t main camera			Horizontal illuminance level
	Illuminance(ave)	Vertical uniformity		Illuminance(ave)	Horizontal uniformity
	(Lux)	U1(min/max)	U2(min/avg.)	(Lux)	U1(min/max)	U2(min/avg.)
Pitch	1500	0.60	0.70	2000	0.60	0.70
Infield	1250	0.50	0.60	1750	0.50	0.60
Outfield	1000	0.40	0.50	1500	0.40	0.50

We can see that for different areas of the cricket pitch (infield, outfield, pitch), the horizontal illumination, vertical illumination and the corresponding uniformity ( What’s uniformity and how to improve it? ) are different. The pitch has the highest lighting requirements because of the distance and the fast moving cricket ball; the infield has the second highest lighting requirements because of the confrontation between players; the outfield has the lowest lighting requirements, mainly because of the small number of people in the area and the low frequency of cricket balls in this area. In addition, there are different requirements for glare, colour temperature and colour rendering index in cricket lighting. In ZGSM’s project in Nepal, for example, the glare requirement for the installation for critical observer position should be < 50. Correlated colour temperature of lamps is required to be 5000K-5700K. It also requires a colour rendering index of lamps used (Ra) > 80 to improve match viewing, and of course if the stadium has a live broadcast requirement, the CRI requirement can even reach 90. EN12193 also has a lighting standard for cricket stadiums, but the illuminance requirement is significantly lower, and there is no vertical illuminance requirement, see below.

Outdoor			Reference area		Number of grid points
			Length m	Width m	Length	Width
Cricket	Square Field	PA PA	27,40 120	27,40 120	13 21	13 21
Class	Horizontal illuminance (square/infield)		Horizontal illuminance (field/outfield)		RG	Ra
	Ehor Ave lx	U2hor	Ehor Ave lx	U2hor
I II III	750 500 300	0,70 0,70 0,50	500 300 200	0,50 0,50 0,30	50 50 55	70 60 60
a. When grid points are outside the playing area they are not included in the calculation. For the backstop area the same requirements apply as for the outfield.

ZGSM cricket lighting solution

Cricket pitch size confirmation

Before designing the lighting for a cricket pitch, we need to clarify the information of the pitch, including the shape of the pitch (oval or perfect circle), the infield size, the turf pitch size and so on. This is because the size of the pitch will have a direct impact on the planning of the lighting, including the number of luminaires, the choice of lenses, the distribution of luminaires and so on. In addition, if the pitch is already surrounded by light poles, we need to confirm the number, height and position of the poles, which are also major factors affecting the lighting effect (illuminance, uniformity and glare - Find more to know how to reduce glare, etc.).

Lighting standards confirmation

After confirming the dimensions of the pitch, we also determine the level of illumination required according to the level of play (amateur, semi-professional or professional). For European standards, the standards for cricket stadium lighting can be found in the relevant section of EN12193. For the Americas, the relevant standards can be found in RP-6-22 and selected according to the level of the game or the number of spectators. Of course, the international standard ICC (with its relatively high requirements, e.g. 1500-2000 lux for safety levels) can also be used. Once the dimensions of the pitch, the position/height/distribution of the light poles and the lighting levels have been confirmed, we can proceed with the lighting design ( For different lighting design - indoor or outdoor, please check accordingly. ).

Lighting simulation and optimisation

The lighting simulation involves entering the above cricket pitch dimensions, pole information and a few other objects into the Dialux software. Based on the required lighting standards, we can initially identify the type of luminaires, wattage and lenses required. By optimising the aiming points of every flood lamps, we can get a preliminary lighting simulation by placing the right number of lamps, wattage and lenses in the right places according to the position and height of the poles. Then we need to optimise the results of the lighting simulation with reference to the lighting standards. The optimisation consists of changing the wattage, lenses and aiming points of the lamps to make the results comply with the corresponding lighting standards, while at the same time the cost of the solution is optimal. This step therefore takes a lot of time and requires a certain amount of experience. Otherwise we may not be able to move forward in this step, either the standard is not met or the solution is too expensive. In addition, some projects also have requirements for glare and ULR, we need to insert GR calculation points in the design, while surprisingly using asymmetric light distribution ( What's asymmetric light distribution? ) and adding shades, through which we can know and effectively reduce the GR value.

Other service we can offer

In addition, ZGSM can provide some extra services. If the customer requires us to provide the appropriate poles, we can design, draw and quote for the poles according to the lighting simulation. When a customer purchases a ZGSM complete cricket stadium lighting solution, we can also provide installation guidance, which includes the installation of luminaires, the determination of the point of illumination, the measurement of illuminance and uniformity, etc. This ensures that the final solution meets the prevailing lighting design, including illuminance, uniformity, glare, ULR ( What's ULR? ) and more.

ZGSM LED floodlights for cricket stadiums

ZGSM offers a wide range of LED floodlights for different cricket venues, whether your pitch is a recreational venue or a professional grade stadium.ZGSM products are designed to provide excellent performance and unrivalled durability, below are some of the key features of our Glomax stadium lights:

Modular design for easy installation and maintenance

ZGSM's Glomax pitch lights are modular in design, with 1-6 modules allowing a range of wattages from 250-1800W to be selected for a project. The modular design also makes the luminaire very easy to install and maintain, and we can also provide customised solutions if required. In addition, with well-designed bracket and Installation adjustment of 270° (with each step 10°), we can get a good lighting coverage with ZGSM Glomax series ( Find more about ZGSM Glomax series high mast light ).

Superior heat dissipation and optional power supplier placement

The use of a high efficiency finned heat sink effectively enhances the thermal conductivity of the luminaire, permitting rapid dissipation of LED heat. In addition, the Glomax high mast light allows its power supply to be mounted below the pole, which further reduces heat build-up. Both of these features extend the life of the luminaire, and the Built-in drivers in poles make it very easy for users to service or replace the LED drivers.

Multiple light distribution options

ZGSM's Glomax series has different light distributions for customers to choose from. With these sophisticated optical designs, the Glomax series can focus light precisely on the areas that need to be illuminated. As a result they can effectively and evenly illuminate the cricket pitch without causing glare and unwanted light pollution ( Find more about light pollution ). Through lighting simulation, we can also optimise the design to control the coverage of the lighting, which in turn reduces the amount of light entering the surrounding community. These make our solutions reasonably illuminated, highly uniform, low GR and low ULR.

Wide selection of accessories

ZGSM Glomax series flood lights can be with wire guard, laser pointer, visor and safety chain. Wire guard provides protection your stadium lights from harsh elements and cursious critters, preventing physical damage and ensuring their safe operation. The optional laser pointer is an aiming device enables fast and quickly adjustment of the precise installation angles of flood lights you need, which is good for precise targeting and facilitates on-site installation. Visor of Glomax can efficiently manage spill light and upward illumination to prevent light pollution and also decrease the GR value. Standard 304 safety chains are used to prevent accidental failure of the luminaire for safety reasons.

Other advantages (Anti-corrosion surface and surge protector)

Glomax LED flood lights feature a specialised surface treatment that significantly improves their corrosion resistance, ensuring durability and performance in challenging environments such as seaside towns. As pitch lights are usually installed on high poles, to protect outdoor sports lights ( ZGSM sports lighting solution) from lightning and surges, Golmax series can be equipped with 10-20KV surge protectors ( What's surge protection device? ). These measures not only extend the life of the luminaire, but also safeguard its structural integrity in harsh environments. In addition, Golmax offers a variety of dimming options, such as traditional 0-10V dimming ( What's 0 - 10V dimming? ), DMX dimming, and intelligent control.

ZGSM sports lighting fixtures

Summary

This article focuses on lighting solutions for cricket pitches ( Explore the design steps for golf course lighting ), covering aspects such as pitch dimensions, pole heights and positions, and lighting standards. It highlights ZGSM's lighting design capabilities, where we can help clients identify suitable lighting standards, luminaire distribution, lens selection and more, which are tailored to meet the client's project requirements. In addition, we outline the benefits of ZGSM luminaires, including their energy efficiency ( What's luminaire efficacy? ), durability, colour temperature, optional accessories and more. Moreover the ZGSM floodlights' rational light distribution, anti-glare and ability to provide even illumination throughout the pitch are very helpful in ensuring optimum visibility for both players and spectators. Contact us for more information.

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