Ultimate Guide For Learning On How to Make a Cricket Pitch
The way a cricket pitch is designed and its structure can have a significant impact on how well cricket players play, may it be the batting team or fielding.
A good pitch is the one which is hard, well-watered and firm. It should have even grassed growth to ensure that the ball gets sufficient bounce.
Preparing a Cricket Pitch
- The base of the pitch should be hard and firm to allow bounce for the ball. The breadth of the pitch should vary according to the wickets required up to three square feet as opposed to the length which is standard to a hundred square feet.
After earth gets taken out from the ground where the pitch gets placed, it should be rolled using a heavy roller to make the base firm. Ballast Stones are added for about nine inches and then covered with the dug up and spread over the surface. This also gets rolled with a heavy roller to make it completely firm, levelled and hard.
- Two layers of bricks, nine inches of bricks in each layer, get created, with one layer pointing in one direction and the second in the other.
- A very thin layer of fine sand and charcoal gets levelled which does not only fill the gaps between the bricks but also assist in quick and effective drying of the pitch especially in case of any rain.
- Now, mix black/ clay soil with red earth and morrum in equal ratios and spread it over the black layer equally.
- Shower some water on it, and ensure that the top layer is equally distributed. This step is vital to let the turf grow on the surface and spread, since otherwise, it may even die. The last two layers of soil mixture are essential and influence the behavior of the pitch.
- The first layer consists of Black/Clay soil (one part), Red soil (½ part), Manure (two parts), Morrum (2 parts). This mixture is spread, giving a good foundation for the grass to be sprinkled on. The second time the mixture is spread is after wet grass is added to the pitch. It consists of the same ingredients in the same quantity.
- The pitch is left to dry in the sun after two or more days. Next, water is sprinkled on the surface with little force so that spots do not appear on the pitch. The pitch should be watered daily twice; in the morning as well as the evening when the sunsets. Where the pitch seems to be uneven, the area can be filled or the excess can be removed.
- When the grass reaches the minimum height of four to six inches, a light roller should be used on the pitch to achieve some firmness to the growth of the grass. However, proper care should be taken to prevent the grass from dying, by adjusting the weight of the roller from medium to heavy.
Watering the pitch as well as other caring steps should be taken to maintain the well-being of the pitch. They may be altered according to the climate of the location where the pitch gets made.
The outcomes of the match are dependent on its state. A dry, dusty pitch, for instance, will cause a bouncier spin and therefore benefit the team which has more or better spin bowlers.