Unlike many sports, the size and even the shape of a cricket field can vary immensely. Often the dimensions will change between games at the same ground, which can affect tactics and outcomes.
The Laws of Cricket set out specific rules on the shape of the pitch (that is, the position of the stumps and accompanying lines), but are much less prescriptive about the boundary of the field itself (which determine when players score four or six runs and whether a catch is legal.) In fact they only say that the umpires must decide the boundary and that no sightscreens can be inside the boundary.
Boundary sizes are instead set out in playing conditions for specific tournaments, though these usually have an allowable range rather than a fixed distance. For example, in international matches sanctioned by the ICC, the boundaries must be between 65 and 90 yards for men’s matches and 60 and 70 yards for women’s matches.
The distance is measured from the nearest stumps, so in theory the boundary will form a perfect oval (hence the name of many grounds). However, there’s not actually a rule that says every point on the boundary must be the same distance from the nearest stumps, so the shape of the boundary can vary. For example, a ground might have a corner of the boundary “cut off” to fit around a permanent structure such as a stand.
The boundary in a specific game will often vary because the ground features multiple pitches, usually in a line across the middle of the field. When using pitches further from the middle, a game may be played with a shorter boundary on one side than the other. That’s because playing conditions often say the aim is to maximize the total playing area. This is done by having the boundary as far out as possible on the “short” side and then the maximum allowable distance on the other side.
This may affect the choice of bowlers and bowling ends. For example, spinners, who may be more likely to be hit a long distance, may prefer to avoid bowling from the end that means the batter has the shorter boundary on their leg side (where they are more likely to play a powerful shot.)
The size of the boundaries will often change the overall game, simply because a shorter boundary means attempt to score fours and sixes are more likely to succeed. With a longer boundary, there’s a better chance of batters having time to run two or three runs before the ball is returned. This can affect the batters’ strategy and in turn the bowling tactics and field placements. For example, the record score by a batter at Lords (335) was achieved by Sam Northeast in 2024 on a pitch with a particularly short boundary on one side.