TESTING TIME FOR CRICKET
Report says climate change is impacting the sport
by TurfPro Editor, Steve Gibbs
 
Steve Gibbs

For cricket fans it's the start of the summer this week, with the first Test getting underway at Lord's on Thursday.

 

An exciting time of the year for fans and a busy period for groundstaff, everyone will be hoping for a sustained period of dry weather to allow the plethora of cricket in all its forms we have to look forward this season, to take place uninterrupted.

 

But as fans and professionals know only too well, that inevitably will not happen. Rain has of course always played a part in the English summer, effecting cricket arguably more so than any other sport. But in recent years it feels like it has somehow gotten worse. You may remember that two of the seven Tests last year against South Africa and the West Indies were unable to reach a result because of rain disruption. And a statistic released by betting company Betway, says that 27% of England's home ODIs since the year 2000 have been played with reduced overs.

 

Are these statistics clear evidence of the effects of climate change? A body such as the Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest climate change action group, would certainly say they were.

 

In February this year they released a report which names cricket as the sport that will be hardest hit by climate change in England, stating that "wetter winters and more intense summer downpours are disrupting the game at every level".

 

This is a viewpoint agreed with by Glamorgan's Head of Operations Dan Cherry, who in an interview with the Betway website, warned that climate change could "fundamentally change the game".

 

He is quoted as saying, "The less cricket we play, the fewer people will watch it, the less they will come to the ground and pay to enter, the less chance there is for young people to be inspired."

 

Which is a truly worrying thought for all of us who love the game and wish to see it flourish.

 

The insightful piece by Adam Drury on the Betway site, goes on to talk to Steve Birks, head groundsman at Nottinghamshire, who says that one of the problems with climate change in England is that it’s not always straightforward to identify.

 

"One week it’s 27 degrees," Steve says, "and the next it’s central-heating weather again. You can't rely on it being red hot for a week."

 

What this does mean for the sport is that groundstaff at English cricket grounds have to be at the top of their game, ready to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Also the infrastructure needs to be in place to give them the best possible technical assistance.

 

Steve Birks talks about how the new outfield at Trent Bridge has come into its own in recent seasons. The result of a £600,000 grant from the ECB to Trent Bridge in 2008, the new outfield includes a new turf surface, drainage and sprinklers.

 

"The drainage at Trent Bridge is now second only to Lord’s,” he says. “It can take up to 25mm per hour in most places on the square.

 

"Beforehand, it was just a clay-based outfield with land drains in. Now it’s got a rootzone up to 150mm, drains every five metres, and pop-up sprinklers in between drainage. It really takes it away."

 

Pressure is clearly on cricket groundsmen to deliver the right pitch both from a tactical standpoint in the context of the game being played - but also from a financial one, in terms of the coffers of the club hosting the match. To lose a day's play in a Test, or the entirety of an ODI, will have massive financial consequences.


Groundstaff find themselves on the front line in terms of mitigating the effects of climate change. It will always be a battle, but with their skills and professionalism, combined with the cutting edge technology available at the top level, it’s one which is being stood up to.


As Steve Birks says, “Whatever gets thrown at us, it’s our job to deal with it."

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TESTING TIME FOR CRICKET
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REESINK MAKE A FINETURF CHOICE
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