Summer Sports - Cricket
Start of the recycling process, working in different directions to break down the pan layers
- Root breaks and discontinuations within and between profile layers
- Excessive build-up of organic matter, or ‘thatch’, on surface
- Severe ‘saddling’ on existing seven natural pitches
As it stood, the existing square’s surface levels ranked ‘average’ and fell within the minimum standards benchmarked by the ECB’s Performance Quality Standards (PQS). There was, however, significant room for improvement; not only in terms of performance in the benchmarking tables but in the playing experience.
Key objectives:
- To remove thatch from the site to speed up play, aid surface drainage and reduce risk of pest and disease problems
- To encourage vertical rooting down to at least 150mm to help hold the soil together and produce a faster, more consistent and higher bouncing surface
- Introduce an imported soil to the recycled profile in order to improve the quality of the loam, with the aim of creating a soil with a breaking strength
Recycling the original loam and grading of the new pitches
of between 56-75kg to ensure it holds together in the event of drying out
- To establish an improved sward of 100% Perennial Ryegrass, the preferred species for cricket pitches
- To provide a playing surface with levels that rank well in the PQS benchmarking system
Site preparation
Prior to work commencing on site, a laser level was set up to control laser guided equipment, and the levels cross- referenced to ensure accuracy at every stage of the process. To rectify the issues highlighted by the report, organic matter was initially removed from the table by fraise mowing, with spoil placed on site and retained for use in recycling process.
Profile Recycling
The existing profile was cultivated and then broken down further before the formation layer was graded to establish consistent surface levels across the whole area.
Surface Grading
Once cultivated, the surface was levelled and compacted using a laser guided
Cultivated soil just prioir to rebuilding the square with the laser grader
grader for accuracy. At this stage, the only imported element of the new profile - Boughton County Loam - was introduced to help improve the native soil. The introduced material was ameliorated into the existing profile using a combination of mechanical and hand raking.
The seedbed was then prepared by further mechanical and hand raking to produce a fine tilth; with extra care taken to maintain a level, smooth and evenly firmed seedbed with a final surface tolerance level of +/-3mm.
Application of seed and fertiliser
To establish a better sward and, in turn, enhance the playing experience, a 100% Perennial Rye Grass seed mix - selected from the STRI grass ratings to suit the local climatic conditions, soil type, the club’s maintenance programme, performance requirements and existing cultivars - was applied to the graded seedbed. The seed was sown evenly using a cyclone distributor at a rate of 60g/m². A 6:9:6 fertiliser was then applied, using a cyclone distributor at a rate of 35g/m², before being lightly raked into
Profile Regeneration & Recycling: The Theory
The problem - Compaction vs Consolidation
The ‘compactability’ of soil is considered to be an important factor in the selection of cricket loams, yet compaction is detrimental to the health of grasses used in general for sports surfaces. It results in the total exclusion of vital pore spaces in the soil horizons that hold moisture, air and to allow root development to depth.
In cricket, we are looking to ‘consolidate’ the soil which, although similar to compaction, differs in that pore spaces are retained - although smaller - allowing for air and water retention and promoting deep root development.
Pore space is related to the range of particle sizes within the soil; soils are said to be ‘well sorted’ (all similar-sized particles) or 'well graded' (a variety of particle sizes). Consolidation of soil particles into a tight packing arrangement markedly increases the bulk density of the soil - but decreases its porosity - therefore producing the firmer surfaces required in cricket.
Soil structure refers to the arrangement of soil particles into aggregates, which possess solids and, more importantly, pore spaces. Aggregates are important in soils because they influence bulk density, porosity and pore size. Different pore sizes, large and small, provides for good aeration,
permeability and water-holding capacity. Aggregates in different forms give the soil its structure, and naturally occurring events aid the formation of aggregates, including:
• Wetting and drying • Freezing and thawing
• Microbial activity that aids in the decay of organic matter
• The activity of roots and soil organisms • Absorbed cations
When a soil becomes destructured, few or none of these events can occur naturally and, if they do, it takes many years. Compaction, leading to destructured surfaces, is a common result of cricket surface preparation over several years, and this loss of soil structure invariably requires expensive remediation, traditionally in the form of replacement, rejuvenation or re- surfacing.
Deciding on the best route forward
To decide on the best remedial route, a thorough investigation of the cricket facility is required. The investigation should be carried out by someone who can interpret the results and implications of a variety of factors; including soil type, particle size distribution, bulk density, moisture content, clay mineralogy, nutrient status, pH, layering, thatch and fibre content and overall pitch construction, amongst others.
Two of the most important things to consider are clay content and clay type. Clay content, as noted by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) TS4 document Recommended Guidelines for the construction, preparation and maintenance of cricket pitches and outfields at all levels of the game should be for:
- First Class and Premier Leagues: minimum of 28-35% clay
- Club standard: minimum of 25-30% clay - School: minimum of 25-28% clay
The ‘organic’ fraction in cricket loams, meanwhile, should be between 2-8% with a pH above 5.5.
There are a number of different types of clay; Kaolonite and Smectite being two of the main types when discussing clay soils for cricket. A single clay particle is referred to as a ‘colloid’ and, depending on the type of clay, is made up of ‘layers’ or ‘sheets’. These layers can be 1:1 (Kaolinite), 2:1 (Micas, Illite, Vermiculite and Montmorillonite) or 2:1:1 (Chlorite) which refers to the ‘bonding’ agent between layers, for example hydrogen, aluminium etc. This whole chemical process is a very complex subject that would take too much time to explain in full here, but it has a bearing on the final decision. Likewise, another important factor about clays is they carry a negative ionic charge and, therefore, attract positive ions,
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148