Can you breathe life into a used, mistreated cricket wicket?
As any cricketer understands, the quality of the playing surface can have a big influence on the way the ball reacts. Pitches that are irregular or pitted could cause the ball to behave inconsistently, pitches which are very hard could make the cricket ball bounce higher and fast, whilst wickets which are covered in grass could minimise the amount that a spin bowler can turn the cricket ball.
In order to standardise the playing surface and offer a wicket which you can use in most circumstances, many leisure centres, institutions and cricket clubs use artificial cricket wickets. Even though synthetic pitches are definitely hard-wearing than natural wickets, they also need frequent upkeep to ensure they are in pristine condition. Luckily, even old, uncared for cricket wickets may be brought back to life with a little bit of TLC as well as the correct treatment.
Man-made Cricket Wickets
Synthetic cricket wickets may be installed on either a dynamic (stone) or non-dynamic (macadam or concrete) base. The top of the wicket itself is manufactured from superior quality short pile carpet that is either hardwood edged and nailed or nailed directly into the aggregate. Shock pads are usually installed underneath the surface of the wicket to make sure the cricket ball bounces perfectly and also that the synthetic wicket responds exactly the same way to the ball each time, no matter what the weather.
Maintaining An Artificial Pitch
Like most synthetic surfaces, artificial cricket pitches have to be correctly maintained if they’re to offer the most effective playing pitch all year round. Our recommendation is that anyone using an synthetic cricket pitch should implement an annual deep clean process, level the batting zone often and use one or more chemical treatment plan twice yearly. This post www.artificialgrassmaintenance.co.uk has a lot more info on the main topic of synthetic cricket pitch.
Regardless of routine repairs and maintenance, cricket wickets may degrade eventually, shock pads can harden and surfaces could become uneven. If you see that the bounce of the cricket ball is becoming uneven or that the surface area is looking tired and worn, it might be time for you to give your artificial wicket a facelift.