Understanding conditions

16 July 2026

Conditions play a strategic role in Whitewash, but they only come into play in the One Day format. Before your draft begins, three conditions are drawn for the series:

Pitch type
Sky
Weather forecast

Each affects the simulation differently, and understanding the difference between them is key to building the right XI.

Pitch: the primary driver

The pitch has the biggest influence on how conditions affect your team's performance. There are four pitch types:

Seaming: Swing and movement through the air reward your pace attack. The higher the average rating of your pace bowlers, the greater the advantage on a seaming pitch.

Bouncy: Extra pace and lift from the surface. Just like the seaming pitch condition, your pace bowlers carry more weight here.

Turning: Spin is the dominant force on this pitch condition. The average rating of your spinners determines how much of an edge your team gains. If you're on a turning pitch, running 2 spinners in your XI is worth serious consideration.

Flat: A batter's paradise. On a flat pitch, the average rating of your batting lineup drives the conditions advantage. Prioritise high-rated batters and try to avoid weak links in your top order.

Sky: it stacks with the pitch

The sky condition applies on top of the pitch modifier.

Overcast: Cloud cover aids swing. If you're already on a seaming or bouncy pitch, overcast skies compound the pace advantage further. A pace-heavy XI on a seaming pitch under overcast skies is one of the strongest combinations in the game.

Hot: Hard, dry conditions give your batters a small boost. This stacks with a flat pitch, making an already batting-friendly surface even more rewarding for a strong batting lineup.

Sunny: Clear conditions. No additional modifier in either direction. The pitch condition still applies, but the sky doesn't amplify it.

Forecast: variance, not strength

The forecast works differently from pitch and sky. It doesn't change your team's base strength, it changes how predictable the result is.

Settled: No interruptions expected. Results track closely to your team's actual strength. The better your XI, the more likely you are to win.

Changeable: Conditions may shift during the series. Results become slightly less predictable. A strong team still holds an advantage, but the margin for surprise is wider.

Rain likely: Interruptions are possible. This introduces the most variance of the three forecasts. A dominant XI can still lose. A borderline team can steal a series.

All-rounders: built for any conditions

All-rounders are counted in multiple conditions groups. On a seaming pitch, a high-rated all-rounder contributes to your pace advantage. On a turning pitch, they contribute to your spin rating. On a flat pitch, their batting counts. This versatility makes quality all-rounders valuable regardless of what conditions are drawn.

The combinations matter

Conditions don't operate in isolation. It's the combination of pitch, sky, and forecast that defines the game you're walking into. You'll need to adapt your strategy to ensure your draft picks pack the most punch.

Conditions are an advantage, not a guarantee

Even with perfect conditions alignment, the simulation has variance built in. Just like in real life, a well-matched XI wins more often on the right pitch, but not every time. Conditions shift the odds in your favour, they don't decide the result.

Despite this, you don't want to ignore conditions. An XI built for the conditions will consistently outperform one that isn't, even at equal ratings.

Ready to put it into practice?

Play Whitewash