Edgbaston turns to their cannabis lamps

Such is the pressure on groundsmen in an Investec Ashes series in which pitches have dominated the agenda, Warwickshire have turned to an unlikely source of inspiration ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston. Head groundsman Gary Barwell, who is preparing his first Ashes pitch, is using lights normally used for the cultivation of cannabis in the hope of preparing the perfect surface.

This is not the first time the Edgbaston officials have used the hot lamps, which are borrowed free of charge from West Midlands Police after being confiscated from local cannabis growers.

The hope is that the lamps help encourage grass growth and dry an outfield which has suffered heavily at the hands of the torrential rain that has swept the UK in the last week. That Edgbaston's vast pavilion also can leave the outfield shadowed exacerbates the issues.

The pitches at Cardiff - where a Mitchell Starc delivery in the match's first over bounced twice on the way through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin - and Lord's - where Australia amassed 337 for 1 on the first day - have been one of the main talking points of the series although both matches finished inside four days.

Just as notable on the outfield as the teams trained on Monday was the sight of the ECB's pitch inspector, Chris Wood, and Lord's groundsman Mick Hunt, who has come under fire for the surface for the second Test, which Australia won by 405 runs.

The lamps were handed over to the club in the winter of 2013-14, after Barwell had seen similar techniques in action while working on the staff at Notts County FC, and they have been used since in order to create pitches that suit Warwickshire's varied attack, which contains the pace of Boyd Rankin and the spin of Jeetan Patel.

Amid accusations that the ECB have ordered placid surfaces to nullify Australia's vaunted seam attack, Starc accused England of "not knowing what they want to do" with the type of surfaces they are preparing.

"We'll find out on day one, but the way it is at the moment, I guess the quicks on both sides will be happy to see it stay the way it is," Starc said, of a pitch that two days out was grassy, but will be well mowed ahead of the Test.

From the England camp, Joe Root said: "I want to see a result pitch where we can play some good competitive cricket and put a show on."