Fact Sheet - Turf wickets for Super Challenge 2000

Leading curator and Adelaide Oval groundsman Les Burdett is project co-ordinator for the ACB and has been engaged by StrathAyr to prepare the wickets

Australian Cricket Board

Aug 3, 2000, 12:00 AM

Leading curator and Adelaide Oval groundsman Les Burdett is project co-ordinator for the ACB and has been engaged by StrathAyr to prepare the wickets.

The dimensions of the main wicket are: 25m long, 3m wide, 200mm thick.

The pitch weighs 35 tonne.

A steel skeleton frame supports the pitch.

Legend couch grass (the grass used for the wickets) does not grow in Melbourne winters. To overcome this, the wickets have been grown under artificial light and heat inside an enclosure to stimulate the growth of the legend couch grass.

The heat of the lights is 25°C, and the lights are on for 18 hours each day. Believed to be the first time in the world that International wickets have been prepared indoors during winter.

On the weekend of 12 - 13 August, the pitch will be transported from Seymour on an over-sized prime-mover (39 m long) that is often used to transport trams and bridge beams. The prime-mover needs a special permit to be driven on Victorian roads and must be driven at certain times to avoid traffic and on a special route to avoid corners.

The pitch will be moved across Colonial Stadium's turf using a large specially designed TransportAyr (30m x 3m x 2m high) with four huge wheels (1.2m wide x 1.7m high) to minimize damage to the outfield. The TransportAyr was constructed at StrathAyr's Seymour farm and will only exert as much pressure on the surface as the human foot does.

A special prime mover concept will be used to get the pitch across the outfield while minimizing turf damage.

Two practice wickets (two halves of the second wicket being grown) will be dropped in at the south-west corner of the ground. Match practice over the practice wickets will commence on Monday provided no delays are experienced.

The whole transport-of-pitch operation will take approximately 24 hours non-stop.

Once the pitches are lowered into the arena, ground staff have three days to make final touches to the arena.

StrathAyr Turf Systems has developed three versions of portable pitches over the last four years. Previous pitch installations include the MCG and North Sydney Oval.

The matches for Super Challenge 2000 take place on 16, 18 and 20 August 2000 at Colonial Stadium.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

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