World Cup cricket 'square' arrives in New York
Ten cricket pitches have completed their journey up the East Coast of the United States from Florida to New York state and are being installed in a new stadium built for next month's T20 World Cup. The "drop in pitches" have been prepared in Florida since December and were recently transported by 20 trailer trucks to the venue in Long Island. The surfaces, which will soon be used for games including the highly-anticipated clash between cricket giants India and Pakistan, were developed by Australian Damian Hough, curator of the Adelaide Oval. Winter conditions in New York meant that the grass needed to be grown in the warmer climate of Florida before being transported and installed. Hough said the journey from the base in Boynton Beach, Florida, to Nassau County in New York state, took over 24 hours, with regular stops for checks and hydration of the grass. The temporary 34,000 capacity stadium at Eisenhower Park has already been built with stands and hospitality areas already in place and the outfield has been put in place. Hough said the surface is likely to be typical of the kind used for T20 matches, where fans expect to see big shots from the batsmen. "Our ambition is to produce pitches along the lines where they're good quality pitches, minimal spin, minimal seam and ball coming onto the bat and let the players play the shot," he said. The first World Cup game at the venue will feature Sri Lanka v South Africa on June 3 but organisers are planning some test events before then. Much of the material for the stands has been taken from Formula One motor racing and will be dismantled after the end of the World Cup. But the international standard playing surface will remain in place with the possibility of it being used for local cricket. (AFP)