User Guide

How to use
Bat or Brolly

Everything you need to know about getting a verdict — and understanding what it means.

⚠

Indicative only. Bat or Brolly is a guide, not a decision-making tool. Weather forecasts carry inherent uncertainty, and match officials, ground staff, and umpires should always make the final call on whether a game goes ahead. Never use this app as the sole basis for cancelling or confirming a match.

01

Getting a verdict

Navigate to the Check Conditions page and enter the name of a town, city, or village in the search field. Hit Check and Bat or Brolly will fetch the current forecast and return a verdict within seconds.

You don't need to enter a full address — a place name is enough. For best results, use a specific town rather than a county or region.

Good examples
Taunton Lords Headingley Old Trafford
Avoid
Somerset The North England
02

UK locations only

Bat or Brolly is built specifically for UK cricket. The geocoding is restricted to Great Britain, and the weather thresholds are calibrated against typical UK summer playing conditions. Entering a location outside the UK may return no result or an inaccurate verdict.

The verdict thresholds are based on what constitutes reasonable playing conditions in a British summer — not the standards you'd apply in the subcontinent or the Caribbean.

03

When is the forecast taken?

The app always checks the 14:00 GMT forecast for today, regardless of what time you check it. This isn't arbitrary — 14:00 is typically when 40-over matches start, and the point up to which 50-over matches can be postponed. It gives you the most relevant snapshot for match day decisions.

If you're checking conditions for an evening fixture or a morning net session, bear in mind the 14:00 figure may not fully reflect conditions at your specific start time.

04

Understanding the verdict

Verdicts are based on three variables — temperature, precipitation probability, and wind speed. Here's what each verdict means:

Excellent conditions Warm, low wind, minimal rain chance. Get your whites on.
Good conditions Mild and manageable. A decent day's cricket is on the cards.
Playable but not ideal Borderline. Conditions are tricky but not a washout. Bring layers.
Poor conditions At least one factor is significantly against play. Worth monitoring.
Game off Conditions fall outside all acceptable thresholds. Don't bother packing the kit bag.
05

The weather variables

Temperature °C

Surface air temperature at 2 metres. Conditions above 18°C are considered comfortable; below 10°C is too cold for most recreational play.

Precipitation probability %

The likelihood of rainfall at the forecast time. Below 40% is considered low risk; above 70% suggests rain is likely enough to interrupt or abandon play.

Wind speed km/h

Measured at 10 metres above ground. Below 19 km/h has minimal effect on the ball; above 30 km/h makes conditions genuinely difficult for both batting and bowling.

Something not right?

If you've found a bug, an inaccurate verdict, or a location that isn't resolving correctly, please raise an issue on GitHub. Include the location you searched and the verdict you received.

Raise an issue on GitHub