Hybrid Pitches To Transform Cricket

Hybrid Pitches To Transform Cricket: SIS Pitches has installed pioneering hybrid cricket pitches at County Cricket Clubs across the United Kingdom ahead of the 2019 cricket season.

The surface installation technology has been developed exclusively by industry experts SIS Pitches and comes as new research reveals it could have significant benefits for players and clubs.

Hybrid Pitches Set To Transform Cricket

The breakthrough has been possible thanks to SISGrass Universal, a compact and 100% electric machine with patented fibre injection technology, which combines speed, mobility and laser precision to deliver high-quality hybrid turf surfaces.

SISGrass hybrid cricket pitches have been installed and trialled in practice net areas and on main ground squares at a number of County Cricket Clubs since 2017.

Together with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), SIS Pitches commissioned research by Dr Iain James, cricket pitch specialist at TGMS Ltd, on SISGrass installed pitches at the Kia Oval, home to Surrey County Cricket Club, designed to provide insight into playability, durability, maintenance and renovation of hybrid wickets.

The report found that the pitches improved surface stability, reduced wear, reduced bowler foot holes and significantly extended hours of playing time. Futher research this summer will be carried out to ascertain whether there is increased pace and carry, and more consistent bounce from hybrid pitches.

The ECB became the first to install two trial wickets using SISGrass technology at the prestigious National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough and they have now approved hybrid pitches for use in the Royal London One Day Cup, Vitality Blast and all formats of second XI cricket for the 2019 season.

The pitches combine a majority of natural turf grass with less than 5% of uniquely engineered, soft polyethylene yarn, a system which has also been used to improve the quality of golf tees, goal areas, tennis courts and pitch surrounds.

Hybrid Pitches Set To Transform Cricket

In addition, repair works after play were reduced with a faster grass recovery time, while the surface remained more than 95% natural turf, meaning it will crucially still behave like a normal wicket.

Chris Wood, ECB’s Pitches Consultant, said: “The ECB is delighted with the incredibly positive results of these stitched, reinforced hybrid pitches to date and feedback from County Clubs has been most profound and encouraging.

“SIS Pitches have demonstrated their willingness through imaginative foresight, attention to detail and technological development towards converting a notion into reality which through the ongoing research since conception.

“This product has the potential to be a real gamechanger for the future of cricket, particularly in the lucrative, limited over, whiteball form of the game through increased usage and possible freeing up of central TV pitches, most importantly, without sacrificing quality over quantity.

“I’m aware that many clubs and indeed international governing bodies are viewing the ongoing progress with increasing interest.”

Weighing less than two tons and standing at 1.20m wide and 2m in length, the SISGrass Universal machine provides quick, accurate and flexible stitching, with different depths and spacing using precise laser guidance making it a practical solution for groundskeepers who are challenged to maintain uniform grass quality in high-wear areas.

One 10ft cricket pitch strip contains approximately 190,000 individual stitches of SISGrass fibre, made up of 46kg of yarn, totalling 38km, and can be installed in just five hours using SISGrass Universal.

After installation, pitches are maintained for a minimum of eight weeks to allow the profile to settle and for all holes to close and anchor the SISGrass fibres.

Phil Blackwell, SISGrass Director in the UK, said: “Some of the world’s biggest professional rugby and football teams have already seen significant benefits from the introduction of our hybrid pitch technology, and SISGrass Universal has the potential to transform the maintenance and durability of cricket pitches.

Hybrid Pitches Set To Transform Cricket

“We’re excited to see the impact it’s already having in the UK and anticipate demand from cricket clubs around the world.

“Our research and feedback from clubs and ground staff has been extremely positive so far, and our hope is that in the future hybrid pitches can be used as an alternative option to traditional wickets for practice and short formats of the game.”

Following successful trial installations, and positive feedback from players, coaches and ground staff, the demand for hybrid cricket pitches has increased with many of the top county cricket grounds choosing to have between two and six installed.

Hybrid cricket pitches have now been installed at Surrey, Lord’s, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Glamorgan, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Durham, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and at Loughborough University.

Watch the SISGrass Universal cricket pitch installation at The Oval, Surrey County Cricket Club

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The Evolution Of Spurs

The Evolution Of Spurs: After almost two seasons of calling Wembley home, Tottenham Hotspur will finally play their first official game at their new ground on Wednesday 3rd April, hosting Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is jam-packed with endless aesthetic pleasures, from the revolutionary to the retro. The picturesque exterior to the sweeping curves of the stands, the stadium is a spectacular addition to the country’s capital.

Planning permission was submitted in 2009 for the new stadium, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the various hurdles were cleared and construction could finally begin. The opening fixture may have been delayed, but it’s safe to say it’ll be worth the wait!

The Evolution Of Spurs

Well, where to begin?

Let’s start with the largest statistic, the capacity. It was originally proposed that the stadium would hold 58,000, but the capacity gradually increased as the plans evolved. The final capacity was confirmed last year as 62,062 – a considerable increase on White Hart Lane’s 36,284. The stadium will become the seventh biggest in the United Kingdom, and the second largest in the PremierLeague, behind Old Trafford.

Spurs fans will be able to watch their goal replays on the highest quality screens, the largest of any ground in Europe, which stretch to a dazzling 325 sqm. There are also 1,800 smaller high definition televisions around the interior.

The Evolution Of Spurs

Now onto the playing surface (not just one pitch, but two!). The stadium will be the first of its kind in the United Kingdom to have two pitches inside the same bowl. The retractable, natural turf surface splits into three pitch-long steel trays. When the trays slide together, the join is invisible and imperceptible to the players.

The trays, weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each, can be rolled under the new South Stand to reveal the artificial surface in a process taking about 25 minutes. When the natural turf pitch is not required, it will live under the South Stand, for up to 10 days thanks to LED lighting, unique cooling and irrigation systems.

Tottenham have agreed a 10-year partnership with the NFL, making the new stadium a dedicated home for the sport in the United Kingdom. Alongside this, Saracens Rugby Club have a five-year partnership with Tottenham to play their annual showpiece fixture at the new stadium.

The Evolution Of Spurs

So, when did Harrod Sport get involved?

Harrod Sport and Tottenham Hotspur have a 25-year strong relationship, and with the obstacles surrounding Football, American Football and Rugby all being played at the stadium, it was important for Harrod Sport’s involvement in the early stages. So just how much went on behind the scenes with the design of the second largest stadium in the Premier League?

In October 2017, Mark Smith, Design Manager at Harrod Sport and Sales Manager, John Robinson met with the design engineers, the principal pitch contractor and Tottenham Hotspur’s Head of Playing Surfaces. The physical workings of Spurs state of the art, retractable pitch were viewed and discussed. The challenges faced as a company were extensive. Football, Rugby and American Football, all on a 0.5m deep framework pitch consisting of thousands of tonnes of steel framework! A challenge that Harrod Sport were excited and honoured to take head-on and deliver.

The Evolution Of Spurs

Challenges faced and how we overcome them

The distance between the single tier and the goal line is just five metres – meaning fans will be closer to the action than at any other newly developed Premier League stadium. This resulted in the pitch having a dramatically angled run-off. Due to this, advice was needed on net support locations to meet Tottenham’s net requirements with bespoke runback depths. The sockets were set into the steel framework and the run-off required specialist net supports to fit. Because of the angled run off, bespoke PVC foam wedges were also designed for the rear of the warm-up goals to sit on to create a level surface.

The NFL posed differing problems at both ends of the pitch. One was designed around the centre rail that the natural turf pitch rolls out over. To overcome this, the NFL foundation was designed exactingly to fit underneath the central rail with a removable hinge assembly attaching to the bottom section of the upright. The other end of the pitch proved just as challenging as this time the socket foundations needed to be mounted to a single capping beam located directly in front of the hydraulically raised goal line runoff.

Special sockets were also manufactured for the rugby posts to fit into pre-formed sleeves under the artificial pitch. For the natural turf pitch, the rugby post foundation needed to be mounted directly to the large metal structure making up the pitch tray and required bolt-down hinge adaptors and specialist turf trays.

To date, Harrod Sport has supplied their unique Stadium Pro Football Goals, NFL Posts, Millennium Rugby Posts, Turf Trays, Crowd Protection Ball Stop Systems, NFL & Rugby Lifting Devices, Goal Post Storage Trolleys, NFL & Rugby Post Protectors, Corner Poles, and Bespoke PVC Foam Wedges.

The Evolution Of Spurs

The club have without a doubt created one of the finest stadiums in the world for spectators and visitors, and in turn delivered a major new landmark for Tottenham and London. The extraordinary design will reset parameters surrounding what is achievable with multi-sport venues. Harrod Sport are honoured to have been involved in this amazing project and look forward to the opening game with excitement and pride.

Did you know that Harrod Sport are the suppliers of the bespoke Stadium Pro Football Goals to prestigious stadiums across the world? Learn more about Harrod Sport here.

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Shelton Transform Golf Club Greens

Shelton Transform Golf Club Greens: Lincolnshire drainage experts Shelton Sportsturf Drainage returned to Ross-on-Wye Golf Club earlier this year in the first week of September to install drainage on the remaining 13 greens after the first five had been completed one year previously. Prior to any of the work starting, flooded greens had been causing course closures and the use of forward pins.

The Shelton Lightning Drain System installed in the first 5 greens, had performed so well over the 1st year, turning the most waterlogged greens into their driest greens which remained in play all year, that it was decided to complete the programme, and drain the remaining 13 greens this September using  the same technique. Lightning Drain is a drainage technique pioneered by Shelton using their System 25 trencher; where 35mm wide trenches are excavated into the green using a high-speed digging wheel, 25mm perforated land drainage pipe and Lytag® are installed in a one-pass operation. The club recruited a team of volunteer members who worked alongside Sheltons and the work was completed in just 9 days.

Shelton Transform Golf Club Greens

Seeking advice from the club’s agronomist (STRI) on a post recovery programme the greens were then re-seeded using a mixture of dwarf rye (as a nursery crop) and Fescue grass mixed in with the top dressing, giving excellent results; the faster growing rye grass seed emerged quickly allowing the greens to recover and they were back in play in 4-6 weeks, whilst the slower growing Fescue came through before the rye started to respond to mowing. Ross-on-Wye’s Greens Chairman Hugh Elliott said: “The results have been excellent, the grass was growing through the trench lines within 10 days, and it has made a huge difference to the playability of the course. The whole project has been a great success and thanks must go to our brilliant volunteer members, STRI and the team from Shelton – I would recommend Shelton Lightning Drain System to any Club needing to drain their greens”

Shelton Drainage Ltd is a global business, based in Lincolnshire, England. Shelton design and manufacture specialist drainage machinery for the sportsturf and agricultural market which is engineered to maximise the efficiency of drainage systems and minimise the disruption of installation. As a result, and unlike some more traditional drainage methods, Shelton’s machinery and drainage techniques leave minimal impact on the surface.

Shelton machines are sold all over the world and the overseas business is growing quickly in over 20 different countries. Shelton work to an extensive research and development program, they are regular users of their own machinery allowing for continuous improvement. They appreciate customer feedback and use it to ensure that with a Shelton machine you will always get outstanding performance.

Shelton Transform Golf Club Greens

Ross-on-Wye Golf Club is a Members Club situated in Herefordshire, www.therossonwyegolfclub.co.uk

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Hearts Install New Hybrid Pitch

Hearts Install New Hybrid Pitch: Leading Scottish football club Heart of Midlothian Football Club has upgraded its famed Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh with a new state-of-the-art hybrid pitch thanks to Aggregate Industries’ drainage stone, sand and rootzone.

Having used a natural grass pitch and without a full pitch replacement in over 20 years, Heart of Midlothian Football Club wanted to significantly invest in a state-of-the-art pitch that would give the first team the best playing surface possible.

Hearts Install New Hybrid Pitch

Keen to invest in a robust pitch that will serve players and fans alike for years to come, Heart of Midlothian Football Club opted for the installation of a new £1m hybrid pitch combining natural grass with synthetic reinforcing fibres. The pitch includes a comprehensive piped drainage system, stone layer, base sand and rootzone layer, along with an entirely new irrigation system and upgraded undersoil heating system.

Working with main contractor Carrick Sports Construction and surface specialists STRI, Aggregate Industries was tasked with supplying high-quality drainage stone, sand and rootzone on an incredibly tight schedule. One of the main challenges included working within a restrictive traffic management plan and driving through narrow roads due to residential, commercial and school buildings surrounding the site.

An investment of this level demands the highest level of performance, hence the Aggregate Industries team at Levenseat Quarry in West Lothian suggested the use of a bespoke mix of solutions. This included ProPitch Root Zone, a blend of quality screened topsoil and the firm’s ProPitch 25 medium-fine silica sand, to produce a high quality growing medium as well as the best aggregates for drainage.

During a four-week construction programme which commenced on 10 May 2018, Aggregate Industries delivered 1,800 tonnes of ProPitch Rootzone to create a 100mm top layer, 1,800 tonnes of ProPitch 25 to create a 100mm middle layer and 1,500 tonnes of 2-6mm aggregate to create a 100mm bottom layer for drainage.

With precise planning and working collaboratively with all project partners, Aggregate Industries was able to achieve consistent and punctual deliveries throughout the project, helping Heart of Midlothian Football Club create the most precision-managed pitch in the world – on-time and to budget, while receiving glowing customer feedback in the process.

Hearts Install New Hybrid Pitch

Stewart Aird, Managing Director at Carrick Sports Construction, comments: “We were delighted to work with Aggregate Industries on this project as the team’s technical knowledge coupled with high-quality materials proved second to none. I’d also like to thank them for their excellent delivery service – the tight timeframe meant there was no room for delay and our suppliers had to deliver on time while observing a restrictive traffic management plan – and Aggregate Industries managed this well.”

Duncan McCool, sales manager at Aggregate Industries, said: “As one of the most high-profile pitch construction projects in Scotland, using the best quality materials is essential to creating a hybrid pitch that will truly stand the test of time. We are delighted that our bespoke mix of drainage aggregates, sand and rootzone, as well as precisely scheduled deliveries, were able to meet the unique specifications of this ambitious scheme.”

For further information, please call Levenseat Sands on 01525 237911 or email scotlandsales@aggregate.com

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Prevention Success At Preston GC

Prevention Success At Preston GC: Andrew Merry, Course Manager at Preston Golf Club, changed his mind-set regarding disease management after attending an ICL/Syngenta breakfast club meeting for Greenkeepers.

Andrew may well be unique in the fact that not only is he the Course Manager at Preston Golf Club but he is also the General Manager. It all started back in 2006 when he was appointed as the Deputy Course Manager but soon was promoted when the position of course manager became vacant.

Prevention Success At Preston GC

He admits that it was somewhat a baptism of fire but twelve years later Andrew has excelled in this dual role, and one look at the stunning course is certainly testament to this.

The superb 18 hole, 6,278 yard, par 71 course dates back to 1892 with the design influenced by such luminaries as James Braid, Harry Varden, Alistair Mackenzie and Sandy Herd. Preston also has a wonderful variety of holes and USGA constructed greens that offer a challenge to players of all abilities.

Andrew has to work hard at keeping the course in a consistently excellent condition and none more so than two years ago when the greens were unfortunately struck with disease.

“I went on my Christmas break, left on the Thursday and came back on a Monday to find disease on the greens and I was worried I wouldn’t get those back. But since then and since attending the breakfast clubs, my view on course management has changed. The ICL/Syngenta “Turf Science Lite” breakfast club has re-educated me and made me want to start looking at things more preventatively and so far that has worked for the second year running,” he said.

The breakfast clubs were arranged by ICL’s North West Technical Area Sales Manager Phil Collinson, who provided a little more background.

“The idea was to get Greenkeepers together, keep them up to date on legislation, and inform them about products or trial work and to provide a networking opportunity.

“The breakfast club which Andrew first attended was based around various hard-hitting fungicides leaving the market and educating them that successful turf management is going to have to be different in the future. It is not about waiting for disease and hitting it and reducing the damage it is doing – it is about understanding when the site is most at risk from a damaging disease outbreak and preventing that damage from occurring in the first place by being proactive with the management strategy.”

Andrew did exactly that and incorporated an early application of Medallion TL at a rate of 3L/ha prior to his annual renovation work.

“Our annual renovation period starts in the third week of September and so a preventative fungicide a week before is where we start with our preventative management. Following that first application, a preventative fungicide goes down around every four weeks as well as incorporating good cultural methods such as dew removal to lower the risk of an outbreak. It is difficult to get into the mind-set of applying a fungicide when your greens are clean but it is absolutely worth it.”

Prevention Success At Preston GC

To compliment Andrew’s preventative strategy and to assist in reducing disease pressure, he also embarked on a full H2Pro TriSmart programme. This unique wetting agent consists of a triple-active formulation which provides great control when it comes to moisture management.

“We apply TriSmart on the greens at 10 L/ha every 4 weeks from April through to September. 2018 was the year to find out which wetting agents really work and I can safely say that TriSmart has excelled.

“Since using the product I haven’t had any compromised greens even during the hottest and driest periods. It also worth bearing in mind that I have an irrigation system which perhaps isn’t the best and the greens dry out very quickly because they are sand based.

“However, I’ve managed my moisture levels incredibly well and TriSmart has done exactly what it says on the tin!”

Andrew claims that the research and trial work conducted by ICL and Syngenta was a big factor in him deciding to use the products.

“In my opinion ICL has that research and development which is proven and it is something that will always stand up in my opinion. The support I receive from Phil is also invaluable.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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