The Uptonsteel County Ground installs hybrid pitches
Wed 3 Mar 2021
The Uptonsteel County Ground is now the proud owner of four brand-new hybrid pitches in time for the 2021 season, as SISGrass recently installed them into the square at Leicestershire.
Hybrid pitches have increased in popularity within the game of cricket in recent years, and not just in the United Kingdom. You will find a hybrid wicket in all cricket playing countries, the world over, and the Running Foxes have joined the movement.
By installing hybrid pitches ahead of the 2021 season, Leicestershire CCC become the fifteenth first-class county to have hybrid pitches at their disposal, and now find themselves on a level playing field with the large majority of the county circuit.
Head Groundsman at Leicestershire CCC, Andy Ward, was delighted to see the implementation of the pitches at Grace Road. He said: “It is really exciting times at Leicestershire.
“SISGrass have brought their machine over from the Netherlands to install four hybrid pitches on our square. I am having two first-class pitches installed, as well as two further pitches installed for what I would call ‘other cricket’”.
The hybrid pitch consists of 95% natural grass, and 5% synthetic fibre as Ward explains: “It is only 5% synthetic which will increase the durability of the pitch.
“The demands of a cricket square nowadays are always increasing, so if I can get any pitch that will last longer which the hybrid pitches will do, it will make my life easier.”
The pitches are permitted to be used for limited over fixtures but cannot be used for first class cricket, as the surface has not been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council due to a lack of deterioration.
Ward joked about the impact the hybrid wicket will have on a spin bowler: “To put Parky [Callum Parkinson] off it will probably spin even less!”
He continued: “Joking aside, it is all positive. They are good quality hybrid pitches and as the majority of my square is quite old, it should help the ball zip through a bit quicker.
“It’s not great news for the bowlers, but the batsmen will like it.”
Head Coach Paul Nixon also commented on the installation of hybrid wickets at Grace Road: “It is huge for the Club and huge for us as professionals to play on hybrid pitches.
“Many counties around the country have hybrid pitches now which meant that we were learning on the job beforehand about what we were dealing with.
“Now we can prepare well, and it will really, really help our game, especially with so many white ball games being played on hybrid pitches.”
In recent years, the Running Foxes had found themselves playing on hybrid wickets in fixtures away at the likes of Durham CCC and Lancashire CCC, and now have the benefit of training and competing on the same surface.
This is something that Nixon is hoping will aid his young Running Foxes squad in the future: “We will be able to consistently bat on them and get used to the different heights and the different pace of the ball.
“The more we can do that in practice makes it a formality out in the middle.”
*Watch the full interview with Andy Ward and Paul Nixon below.
