Return of the sticky wicket

Sticky wickets could become a feature of county cricket again, in name at least, following the ECB's decision to allow groundsmen to coat one-day pitches with glue.

The decision follows a successful trial conducted by Peter Marron, the head groundsman at Old Trafford, who last summer sprayed PVA glue on a pitch used for an Under-19 one-day game between England and Sri Lanka.

The ECB's playing regulations for the 2006 season include provision for the use of "Surface Stabilisation Agents" on one-day pitches, in an attempt to produce more durable surfaces.

"The PVA glue binds and seals the surface," says Alan Fordham, the ECB's first-class cricket operations manager. "Glue pitches were a hot topic at a recent groundsmen's conference and a number of groundsmen have shown interest in conducting their own trials. The aim is to try to produce a pitch that remains the same for both sides and does not deteriorate."

The glue, which is readily available at DIY stores, is sprayed on to the entire pitch in quantities of between five and 10 litres per 15 litres of water. The surface dries hard within two hours, giving the wicket a glaze and turning it grey.

County groundsmen will not be permitted to use glue on pitches prepared for four-day matches. Nor can a strip treated with glue for a one-dayer be used for a four-day game later in the season, says Fordham. "We want four-day pitches to break up and deteriorate naturally to encourage spin bowlers."

Chris Wood, the ECB's pitches consultant, is conducting his own trials at Tonbridge School and Cranfield University using polymer enzymes to coat wickets. His trials are on-going, but may have benefits at grassroots level, helping clubs produce longer-lasting pitches.

One area of concern is the long-term effect that artificial substances might have on grass growth. "Peter Marron says that the glue washes out when you flood the pitch", says Wood, "but that is something that we will have to monitor."