The upcoming T20 World Cup is set to witness a significant milestone in the history of cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that drop-in pitches are being transported from Florida to New York for installation at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
Drop-in pitches at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium
These drop-in pitches have been prepared in Florida since late December, employing proprietary techniques honed over a decade at Adelaide Oval. The development of the pitches has been undertaken by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions, led by renowned Adelaide Oval Head Curator Damian Hough.
The pitches, cultivated with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, have been meticulously nurtured in Florida by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and US-based sports turf experts LandTek Group. They have undergone continuous care and maintenance over the past three months.
Four of these pitches will be set up at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, with an additional six designated for neighbouring practice facilities. The Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions team will remain in New York to assist local ground crews in pitch maintenance throughout the World Cup.
What are Drop-in Pitches?
The drop-in square, a type used around the world including at Adelaide Oval and Eden Park, has been curated in Florida and transported by road to New York via a convoy of more than 20 semi-trailer trucks. The outfield was laid last week by LandTek, who have 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 pieces in a project that is unprecedented in international cricket. We have taken a considered and well-planned approach to this project, using the very best in the business in Damian Hough to ensure we have the best possible playing surface for eight World Cup matches in New York.’
“T20 as a format was an innovation in its time to bring the sport of cricket to a new and expanded audience. This innovative strategy, to bring the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to the United States, with a temporary venue and a pitch that has its founding on the other side of the globe, is truly groundbreaking and I can’t wait to see the world’s best compete in Nassau County this June.”
🚨 Pitch installation at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium marks latest milestone as New York gears up for ICC Men's #T20WorldCup 2024 🤩
Check out the visuals 👇https://t.co/cJ6Fw0yz5M
— ICC (@ICC) May 1, 2024
The matches in New York will take place at a state-of-the-art 34,000-seat modular stadium located at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, east of Manhattan. Nine teams will feature in New York, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the USA, with the first match taking place on 3 June between 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa.
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