Post your obscure cricket questions here!

[Zeeshan]

For us newbies, can someone please explain the basics of a pitch?

What is meant by a "flat pitch"? How does it affect a game? What happens when there is dew on the pitch? If it makes ball skid is that "good" or "bad"? How so? What about the cracks? In CI bulletin, it read:

Siddons hoped that his team would be able to catch New Zealand "on the hop" in Dhaka where the pitch "stays low and plays tricks".

What does he mean by that?

Please can anyone help me understand the nuts and bolts of pitch?

Thanks in advance.