How hybrid pitches are spearheading the next evolution in cricket: Part One

A stitch in time - ECB viewpoint

Phil Helmn recently caught up with Andy Mackay, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Pitches and Grounds Advisor, to discuss all things hybrid pitches and there uses in cricket.

Turf-Hybrid pitches are natural turf pitches that contain a small amount of synthetic fibre, above and below ground, to help

stabilise the surface and protect the grass plants. Andy explained, “Because of the mode of action of the machines, which drive fibres vertically into the soil, these pitches are often referred to as being ‘stitched’ or ‘stitched pitches’. Other combinations of synthetic turf and soil are in use in cricket overseas, but none are considered suitable for use in the UK and such systems are still relatively experimental.”

How long have hybrid pitches been used in cricket?

Turf-hybrid technology has been around in winter sports pitches since the early 1990s, but it was not until 2017, when SISgrass developed the Universal machine, a compact machine measuring 1.2m x 2m and weighing just two tonnes, that opportunities to use hybrid technology in cricket were born.

Inspecting wear tollerance of stitching at Goodwood with head groundsman Richard Geffen.

Andy picked up the story, “Chris Wood, the ECB Pitches Consultant at the time and my predecessor, spotted the Universal machine on display at the BTME exhibition and had the vision to see that this might offer something to cricket pitches. A few months later, the first ever cricket pitch ‘stitching’ took place at Loughborough University under the supervision of Chris and the keen eye of the university Grounds Manager at the time, Will Relf. Experimental installations also occurred soon after at Edgbaston, Birmingham and New Road, Worcester.”

The Universal machine installs fibres in a regular grid pattern at a 20mm x 20mm spacing and, in an established cricket pitch, these are usually set 90mm deep, although on newly constructed pitches or outfields where the soil is softer, the fibres can be installed at 180mm deep. The total fibre content at the surface makes up just less than 5% of the surface area, so these are still 95% natural turf pitches.

Andy continued, “The earlier experimental installations performed well and there was further uptake at many other First Class Headquarter venues in the 12 to 18 months following the initial pilot. And, in time for the 2019 season, the ECB sanctioned their use in List A (white ball) and First Class County 2nd XI (red ball) competitions. To date, all but two out of 18 HQ grounds have at least one hybrid match pitch, and most have between 2 to 4 match pitches, plus a significant amount of the net pitches.”

SISGrass at Trent Bridge

Andy explained, “Analysis of match reporting data from the 2019 season onwards showed that these match pitches performed every bit as well as non-hybrid pitches in white ball cricket; but, the hybrid pitches could maintain that performance for longer, carrying on average twice to four times more fixtures whilst providing the same quality surface, but only if the underlying pitch quality was good and the surface was managed well in between fixtures.”

Early thinking was that, due to the increased wear resistance that the hybrid fibres offered, pitches may not deteriorate enough to promote spin bowling, however, there has been enough reason to challenge this premise, although there was not enough data from 2nd XI cricket to know conclusively; and so, in 2024, the ECB are conducting a pilot trial in the use of hybrid pitches in the Vitality County Championship (4 day 1st XI red ball) and have sanctioned their use for one season in this competition to better understand this and gather more information.

Benefits of hybrid pitches

Stitching pitches offers the following benefits:

• Reduced and or slower wear of the pitch, making it last longer, due to the benefits of better plant health.
• More even and deeper wetting of the soil profile, as the fibres create consistent pathways for water in the soil.
• Deeper root system, as the roots follow and cling to the fibres.
• Quicker, easier drying because the fibres allow heat transfer deeper in the soil.
• A stronger grass plant that recovers better from use because the fibres protect the plant and encourage deeper rooting.
• Significantly increased wear on foot holes and around the crease because the increased grass health protects the soil, and the fibres physically reduce soil erosion.
• It was initially assumed that the fibres would improve the ball-surface interaction, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Before considering stitching a pitch you should make sure of the following:

• Surface levels do not require improvement (especially saddle ends).
• There is no thatch or fibrous accumulation in the pitch.
• There is a suitable depth of appropriate cricket soil.
• There are no other underlying problems such as soil breaks or layering.
• You have adequate machinery available to protect the on-going quality of the investment.

No silver bullet

However, it is important to recognise that stitching a pitch is not a silver bullet and will not usually make an underperforming pitch into a good one. Hybridising pitches is a significant investment that will be wasted if the underlying factors in pitch quality are compromised.

Andy reflected, “If any of the above are in doubt, then you may be wasting money on installing hybrid pitches.” He continued, “For example, I recently had a call from an old friend (ex-player) who had moved overseas and wanted to know about how he could install hybrid pitches. Before we got to that, I asked him about the soil quality and general pitch health; these were completely absent, but his expectation was that he could somehow magic up cricket pitches just by installing a hybrid system because it’s very much flavour of the month. I encouraged him to forget all about hybrid pitches for now and to concentrate on creating some high standard pitches. Then and only then should he realistically consider stitching.”

Maintenance tips

“I see a lot of varied practice around the grounds and there is never a one-size-fits-all solution,” advised Andy. “The following guides can be considered ‘received wisdom’ or best practice”-

• Hybrids perform better the season following installation once a cycle of swell-shrink has happened, the grass plant has capitalised on the fibres and the roots have properly anchored the fibres.
• You can always mow fibres shorter (if your mower is sharp and well set!), but the fibres cannot be put back on. Err on the side of caution on trimming fibre length, but most people find that keeping the height of cut on a prepared pitch a mm or two above the fibre height gives the most consistent pitch.
• Pitch preparation is the same as a non-hybrid pitch.
• End of season renovations are the same as a non-hybrid pitch, but care should be taken in the first year not to pull out too many fibres and avoid applying too much top-dressing or burying the fibres.
• Managing the pitch between games is key to success regarding longevity of use. The pitch will need ‘re-surfacing’ between uses, so light watering and re-smoothing of the soil with the roller will help achieve this. If this is done well, it’s surprising how many games a hybrid pitch can sustain, depending on the underlying pitch quality and how well you manage soil moisture deeper down.

It’s always a pleasure to catch up with Andy and pick his brain, and I’m sure this valuable insight will help groundsmen and groundswomen when deliberating on stitch installation or maintenance. Until next time - thanks Andy!

Andy profile

Andy has been at the ECB since 2020 and before that was Head Grounds Manager at Sussex County Cricket club. Andy’s role involves him working closely with the grounds managers at all the first class grounds up and down England and Wales, reviewing and reporting on pitch performance for international and domestic cricket as well as supporting grounds managers whose pitches may not be performing as desired for the Cricket Regulator and assisting the ECB to understand and support pitch quality.

Look out for part two of this article from SIS Grass Hybrid later this week...