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Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:15 pm
by James P
I always thought cricket pitches required a hell of a lot of time and care in order to keep in the right condition to be played on. I have absolutely no doubt that science and technology has moved on leaps and bounds in recent years but is it feasible to suggest that a football pitch used up til mid May could become a cricket pitch and then turned back to a football pitch by early August? Are there artificial cricket pitches that would be brought in or would it be a matter of them quickly "growing" a natural cricket pitch after the football season is over? How long would that take to come about?

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:17 pm
by Up the Junction
James P wrote: Are there artificial cricket pitches that would be brought in ...
Based on nothing but guesswork, my money would be on this.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:20 pm
by James P
I know absolutely nothing about cricket (except they all get knighthoods for winning a test series if the opponents are Australia) so just wondered how it would work. Are there any precedents of artificial pitches? Do other teams play in non-cricket arenas? I'm guessing in Australia maybe?

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:21 pm
by Up the Junction
Trap's your cricket man, he'll be best placed to answer :thup:

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:24 pm
by MD_HM
Would they need 73k for cricket :shock:

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:26 pm
by Smudger1
A drop in pitch would be my guess, most of the major cricket venues in New Zealand for example are primarily used for rugby with a drop in pitch used for cricket.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:34 pm
by loopyludo
As smudger says a drop in pitch can be used, the fourth Ashes test this winter used a drop in pitch at the MCG to try to help Australia (it was supposed to provide more bounce like Perth). So if it can be used at the highest level of the game I am sure they can use it at the OS for 20/20
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop-in_pitch

Cheating Aussies
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Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:42 pm
by the pink palermo
I'm not worried about the cricket .A drop in pitch will work for them .

My concern is the protection of our playing surface .With stories about the Chadwell Heath playing surfaces being contributory factors in players injuries , I would be alarmed were we to have a pretty stadium with a poor playing surface .

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:45 pm
by Westbourne Bill
I'm trying to understand how Essex will benefit from playing any of their T20 games at the OS. I don't believe they sold out all of those they played at Chelmsford last summer - so playing normally in front of about four or five thousand doesn't suggest to me their attendances will grow significantly in Stratford. After WHU and Newham Council take their cut, I'm not sure there will be much left.

Or am I missing something?

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:51 pm
by loopyludo
WB, I imagine they are after the corporate crowd that could come in, post work from the city to catch a T20 match/spend their bonus cheque on champagne, it would be a lot easier than them getting to Chelmsford.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:06 pm
by WestHamIFC
Westbourne Bill wrote:I'm trying to understand how Essex will benefit from playing any of their T20 games at the OS. I don't believe they sold out all of those they played at Chelmsford last summer - so playing normally in front of about four or five thousand doesn't suggest to me their attendances will grow significantly in Stratford. After WHU and Newham Council take their cut, I'm not sure there will be much left.

Or am I missing something?
Well I will defo go now. I live in Wanstead, work by St.Katherine's Dock / Tower Bridge. Could not be more convenient for those Night games.

I'm guessing the same will be true of alot of City workers with Stratford being 1 train stop from Liverpool St.

Cannot wait! - And let's face it, these days T20 games have a far better atmosphere than Premiership Football. Bunch of pi$$heads!! :D

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:32 pm
by AMC1964
Bill, Last season's T20 contained extra fixtures, and the majority were sold out. The season before, every game was sold out. Chelmsford holds about 6000 seated, but there were a lot more standing up. I won't print what I think the real attendances might be as it may cause ECCC some issues, but remember the old days where you could get in 2 for 1 at the boleyn ground...well it was a bit like that.
I reckon the Essex plan would be to get in a couple of sub continent superstars specifically for the T20 and attempt to sell thousands of seats to the local asian community. They would definitely use a drop in pitch for this purpose.

I think it would be great to watch Essex in front of 25000... :crest:

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:43 pm
by Whitters
When Twenty20 first arrived, crowds were huge, with Lords getting close to 30000 for one game. However the counties have expanded the format too quickly, and crowds have dwindled as a result.

Despite this, it could bump up Essex's attendances, and maybe a one day series between India and Pakistan would really put bums on seats, and dare I say it appeal to the local population a lot more than West Ham vs. Wigan ever would.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:46 pm
by Hammer1972
I also know next to nothing about cricket, but when I have seen it the pitch always looks much larger/rounder then a football pitch?!

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 3:47 pm
by Up the Junction
Hammer1972 wrote:I also know next to nothing about cricket, but when I have seen it the pitch always looks much larger/rounder then a football pitch?!
A bit like our new stadium?

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:24 pm
by GideaParkHammer
Nearly all the Cricket Ground in Aus also host their wierd version of Football. So as others have mentioned, they would probably use a drop in wicket.

Essex may get some decent attendances for 20/20, but I think the big money earner could be international games featuring Bangladesh, India or Pakistan.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:39 pm
by WHU_Del
GideaParkHammer wrote:Nearly all the Cricket Ground in Aus also host their wierd version of Football. So as others have mentioned, they would probably use a drop in wicket.
Indeed. The Sydney Cricket Ground and the Melbourne Cricket Ground are both used for Aussie Rules in the winter, MCG probably gets more use from that than from cricket.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:42 pm
by mywhufc
Westbourne Bill wrote:I'm trying to understand how Essex will benefit from playing any of their T20 games at the OS. I don't believe they sold out all of those they played at Chelmsford last summer - so playing normally in front of about four or five thousand doesn't suggest to me their attendances will grow significantly in Stratford. After WHU and Newham Council take their cut, I'm not sure there will be much left.

Or am I missing something?
they are after the cricket mad asian population that live in tower hamlets mainly but also in newham and hackney and leyton.
i wouldn't be surprised if in say 5-10 years an international one day game is held there if essex games prove successful as in a blink of an eye it will become by far the largest cricket stadium in the country. i can imagine the suits in lords will take a great interest when essex play there to see if the surface holds up to first class cricket.
as a so called anti mover, i cant wait to watch cricket there as the shape of the stadium is more conducive to watching cricket than football

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:21 pm
by Westbourne Bill
I take the point re the City boys being interested and possibly the Asian cricket fans.....I'd overlooked that. I saw Essex play Middx at Lords last summer and the crowd that evening was over 15k.....so the OS would be a viable alternative to those who might otherwise take their clients to the Oval or Lords. That's assuming public interest in the format of T20 hasn't waned by then.

Re: Cricket

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:33 pm
by aaronhammer
I can imagine the ECB latching onto the ground for international cricket ODI's or T20's (possibly even Test matches if the pitch works well for a few years). (Taken from KUMB's article) for cricket it will hold 73000. No cricket ground in England can do that at the moment so potentially it would be huge for them.