Summer Sports - Cricket
Worcestershire’s pre- season schedule
21-22 March (Taunton) Somerset v Worcestershire: Cancelled due to snow
25 March (Cardiff) Glamorgan v Worcestershire: Postponed
27-28 March (Chelmsford) Essex v Worcestershire: Cancelled due to snow
28 March (Kidderminster) Worcestershire v Durham: Cancelled due to snow.
29 March (Cardiff) Worcestershire (222-8) beat Glamorgan (221-9) by 2 wkts
2 April (Kidderminster) Worcestershire (278-6 beat Gloucestershire (101) by 8 wkts (Worcestershire won inside 18 overs but carried on batting through their 40-over allocation)
3-4 April (Kidderminster) Worcestershire (275 & 133-0) drew with Gloucestershire (178)
New Road from the air showing the extent of the flooding entrance to the pitch. The technology is based on greenhouse
propagation techniques that have been around for many years, using grow lights and Co2 enhancement to grow crops more quickly. The use of modern, lighter materials enables these systems to be very mobile meaning, in effect, that the greenhouse can be brought to the plant to stimulate growth.
Each unit covers an area of 12 x 5
Tim Packwood is only the eighth Head Groundsman since the club was formed
metres although, if the trials prove successful, plans are in place to provide one that can cover a complete wicket 24 metres long, and also high enough to accommodate the use of machinery whilst in position. The company are also carrying out feasibility studies to place a system integral to the practice marquees used by many grounds for winter practice. The combination of heat, lighting and Co2 enrichment can produce 10mm of growth in twenty-four hours at winter temperatures and, it’s fair to say that, even after being in place for just a short period, there was a marked difference between grass cover inside the greenhouse than on the outside. As you might expect, the company have been very supportive and are also keen to see for themselves how well the system will work in a cricketing environment. They have loaned the greenhouses to the three clubs, whilst the club pay for the transportation cost, Co2 and power.
It costs around £300 to buy enough Co2 to last two months. This Co2 comes from waste industrial gas sources that would normally be emitted to the atmosphere. Normal atmospheric Co2 levels are approximately 350 parts per million (PPM). With the use of a PLC the Co2 levels inside the units are maintained at approximately 1500 PPM, ensuring that, when adding extra light, photosynthesis and the Calvin cycle is balanced. The lights are put on in the evening or when natural lighting is low.
The system uses 80% less power than
current traditional sodium lighting rigs due to the emphasis not being the focus of light alone, but the creation of the ideal atmosphere - heat, light and Co2. Inside, there is a distinct ‘smell’ of a growing atmosphere as you might experience in a greenhouse environment.
I was able to witness how easy it was to move the system and how much room there was to be able to water the grass whilst inside. Tim is mindful he will have to monitor watering, as the increased air and soil temperatures will soon dry out the profile.
The timing of the trials could not have come at a better time for Tim, as he aims to stimulate much needed grass growth on his square following the floods and cold weather. He is also keen to see how the system performs to aid grass recovery on a used pitch, once it has been repaired.
The lightweight construction makes manoeuvring simple 58 PC JUNE/JULY 2013
Watering will need to be carefully monitored
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