T20 WC: Drop-in pitches are shipped for installation in New York
Drop-in pitches in ICC T20 World Cup
The drop-in pitches prepared for the upcoming T20 World Cup will be transported in semi-trailer trucks from Florida to New York for installation at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, the ICC said on Tuesday.
Among other matches, the venue will also host the group stage match between India and Pakistan on June 9.
Since the end of December, ten drop-in pitches have been prepared in Florida, using proprietary techniques honed over the past decade at Adelaide Oval, the ICC said in a press release.
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The development of the pitches was carried out by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions, led by renowned Adelaide Oval head curator Damian Hough.
“The fields, planted with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, have been meticulously maintained in Florida by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and US-based sports turf experts LandTek Group, and have undergone ongoing care and maintenance over the past three months.”
Four fields will be constructed at Nassau Stadium, with another six designated for adjacent practice facilities.
The Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions team will remain in New York to assist local grounds staff with pitch maintenance throughout the tournament, ensuring world-class pitches.
The drop-in plaza, of the type used around the world, including at Adelaide Oval and Eden Park, was assembled in Florida and transported by road to New York via a convoy of more than 20 semi-trailer trucks.
The outfield was constructed last week by LandTek, who has worked with the New York Yankees and New York Mets as well as Inter Miami CF on their stadium and training fields.
ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said: “The installation of these pitches is one of the final parts of a project that is unprecedented in international cricket.
“We have taken a thoughtful and well-planned approach to this project, using the very best of the industry in Damian Hough to ensure we have the best possible playing surface for eight World Cup matches in New York.”
The tournament will be held from June 2 to 29 in the United States and West Indies.
Damian Hough, Chief Curator of Adelaide Oval, said: “We are delighted to see the arrival of the pitches here in New York. Florida proved to be the ideal nursery for the pitches in good weather, and working with great partners like LandTek was fantastic and everything comes together as it should.”
The New York matches will take place in a state-of-the-art 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, east of Manhattan.
Nine teams will perform in New York, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, South Africa, Netherlands and USA, with the first match taking place on June 3 between 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: May 02, 2024 | 1:39 PM IST