Turf Solutions team oversees T20 World Cup pitches in New York
Adelaide Oval’s expertise in delivering outstanding cricket pitches is already recognised throughout the cricket world – and now it’s going to be showcased in one of the most famous cities on the planet.
The Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions team led by Head Curator Damian Hough has been tasked with delivering the drop-in pitches for the New York venue that will host eight games of this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – including the 9 June blockbuster between India and Pakistan.
The matches in New York will be played in a cutting-edge 34,000-seat modular stadium at Eisenhower Park east of Manhattan in Nassau County. As well as global titans India and Pakistan, other teams to play in New York will include Sri Lanka, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, South Africa, the Netherlands and the USA.
The Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions team has been preparing 10 drop-in pitches in Florida since late December using proprietary techniques honed over the past decade at Adelaide Oval.
The drop-in trays were manufactured in Adelaide and shipped to Florida for assembly in collaboration with sports turf experts LandTek Group, who are delivering the outfield at the purpose-built venue. The trays were carefully filled with local soil and laid with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass before incubating in Florida over the past three months where they have been meticulously rolled, watered, monitored and manicured.
And this week, they were transported by road to New York via a convoy of more than 20 semi-trailer trucks. Four will be installed at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium and the remaining six at neighbouring practice facilities. The Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions team will remain in New York to assist local grounds crews in pitch maintenance throughout the World Cup to ensure world-class pitches that will set the stage for unforgettable cricket.
“We are excited to see the arrival of the pitches here in New York,’” Head Curator Damian Hough said.
“Florida proved to be the ideal nursery for the pitches with good weather, and working alongside great partners like LandTek has been fantastic and everything is coming together as it should.
“We’re now focused on bedding in the pitches here in New York to ensure we’re delivering an end product of the highest quality.
“The games in New York are a great platform for us to showcase our abilities to a global audience. It’s certainly a massive thrill for everyone at Adelaide Oval to be involved in such a huge event.”
Adelaide Oval has been developing its Turf Solutions business for some time, consulting to local, national and international venues.
“Adelaide Oval has always been renowned for delivering some of the best playing surfaces in the world but, until now, we haven’t really had the opportunity to export that expertise,” Adelaide Oval CEO Nick Addison said.
“The development of our Turf Solutions business has been a deliberate strategy to leverage our know-how with drop-in pitches and take it to a wider market, both in Australia and internationally.
