Technical
With the wettest winter on record behind us and vast areas of the country suffering the aftermath of inundation, sports surface specialist total-play Ltd offers advice on what cricket clubs should be doing now to help rescue flood damaged natural and non-t
turf facilities
or cricket clubs, flooded grounds can be not only disruptive but costly; especially for those that do not have flood plans in place. This feature looks at the implications of
water damage for both natural and non-turf facilities and advises on the steps clubs should take now to give flooded surfaces the best chance of being in a playable state in time for the 2014 season, with a case study on how we helped a club rescue a flood damaged practice facility at St Asaph CC in Denbighshire last year.
Impact of flooding on non-t surfaces
turf cricket
In addition to the more obvious effects, like soaked and dislodged carpet, flooding can impact non-turf pitches in ways that may not be immediately visible to the untrained eye. One of the most subtle effects can be the disruption of the surface’s aggregate base construction. Waterlogging can shift aggregates around and even water moving up through the surface can transport very fine particles through the layers. This can result in unbalanced surface levels which, in
122 I PC APRIL/MAY 2014
After the flood... F
turn, can produce an inconsistency in bounce; directly affecting performance. Flooding can also displace both shock pads
and carpets. This generally depends on the fixing method and type of carpet used - however, carpets generally tend to float, which means they become stretched and do not regain their original tension. Once floodwater has subsided, there will be a lot of contaminants left on the surface - detritus can include anything from pieces of stone, glass, plastic to very small silt, sand and clay particles. Whilst larger pieces of debris are easy to remove, by brushing or blowing over the surface once the water has subsided, small particles are harder to remove and can inhibit the system’s drainage capabilities.
Impact of flooding of natural cricket tables and outfields
Natural grass cricket tables and outfields can be just as adversely affected by flooding as non-turf systems and, again, it tends to be the less visible effects that can have the most long-term impact. Here, the major risk is from contaminants -
Detritus on the non turf wickets at St Asaph CC
“
Once floodwater has subsided, there will be a lot of contaminants left on the surface
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