Studies on the oblique impact of a cricket ball on a cricket pitch

The cricket pitch is a carefully prepared strip of natural turf of fundamental importance to the play of the game, yet the understanding of the factors that lead to good pitch construction remains limited. In order to ascertain why some cricket pitches are perceived to perform well whilst others cause difficulties, the mechanics of the oblique impact of the ball on the pitch have been explored. This study presents the development of a normal impact model to the oblique impact scenario. A coefficient of dynamic friction and an analysis of the pitch crater were used to predict the ball's rebound dynamics. Model parameters were determined from simple surface testing procedures and model predictions were found to be within an acceptable range of divergence from experimental impact measurements.