Definition:

In cricket, the pitch is the 22-yard, flat, rolled strip of grass or artificial turf in the centre of the field.

Definition 2:

The area in which a cricket ball bounces after it is bowled. (This usage is less common than the first definition. It should be clear from the context which meaning of 'pitch' is intended.)

Also Known As:

• wicket
• track
• strip

Observations:

• The pitch is where most of the action happens in cricket. The batsman stands at one end and the bowler delivers each ball from the other. Learn more about cricket pitch basics here.

Examples of Usage:

Definition 1: The 22-yard, flat, rolled strip of grass or artificial turf in the centre of the field:

• "Bradman Fails On Wet Pitch" -an article about Sir Don Bradman from the Sydney Morning Herald, 1948
• "The umpires took the decision that the pitch was unfit and dangerous for the players. The captains consulted and agreed that the pitch was unfit for play." -excerpt from a report on an England versus West Indies match abandoned due to a dangerous pitch

Definition 2: The area in which a cricket ball bounces after it is bowled:

• "Quickly get right to the pitch and drive through the line" -from advice on playing spin bowling