Cricket Pitches, Wickets and Squares
Our Construction Experience
Our dedicated team has constructed hundreds of cricket pitches at grass roots level, in the education sector, and for world-class, international venues including Lord's, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston. With many years' experience, we understand exactly what is required to build safe, high-quality cricket pitches with consistent bounce and carry.
Our services are comprehensive and include project design, planning and management, construction, final preparation, surface installation, grass seed specification, aftercare, renovation and reconstruction. We begin each project by carrying out a thorough audit of the existing facility.
Cricket Pitch Construction – What's Involved?
Cricket loam is a natural product that needs to be handled with great care. Easily affected by the weather during construction, uniform consolidated loam layers are critical for a hard and healthy playing surface. Every cricket pitch is unique so we carefully assess what's required, adapting our construction techniques and the choice of materials to deliver a high-performance pitch for every situation.
There are three main steps in natural cricket pitch construction:
Excavate for Pitch Formation
Subsoil is excavated and the formation trimmed accurately to a uniform depth. Poor and inconsistent bounce is not only caused by the pitch surface but also by an uneven underlying formation and mismatched depths within the first loam layer.
Levelling and Consolidation
Thorough consolidation removes air pockets and ensures there's a good bond between each layer, preventing root breaks. Loam layers are laser-levelled using a bespoke, highly-manoeuvrable, lightweight tractor.
Prepare Final Surface and Seed
The final pitch surface is prepared, fertiliser applied, grass seed sown and completed with a hand rake finish.
Cricket Pitch Rejuvenation
Rejuvenating cricket pitches involves removing thatch and the top layer of loam with an Imants Koro fitted with a Terraplane® rotor, leaving a clean, smooth and even surface. Fresh loam is then ameliorated into the surface. The tungsten tipped Terraplane® rotor is particularly effective for removing saddles at wicket ends.
Protecting the Cricket Outfield
Tractors and dumpers are fitted with low ground pressure tyres to reduce compaction on the outfield when machinery and materials are manoeuvred into place. When appropriate our transport route is boarded.
Cricket Outfield Renovation
Renovation of the cricket outfield can include aeration to relieve compaction and improve drainage and scarification to remove thatch and weaker grasses followed by topdressing and overseeding.
Aftercare Advice and Support
We offer tailored advice about growing in new cricket pitches and provide ongoing support post-construction upon request.
Artificial Cricket Pitch Construction
Artificial cricket pitches are an increasingly popular all-weather facility. We have constructed and installed numerous strips at schools, universities and first-class venues across the country, using ECB approved materials.
