The summer of cricket is here! Get your family and friends ready for the ultimate backyard cricket game! In this blog, we run through a few tips on how to make your own backyard cricket pitch.
Preparing your pitch
Preparing a pitch is best done in spring or summer when your grass is actively growing. It is best to avoid mowing low in winter when the turf isn’t actively growing. A pitch is best made on couch varieties, like TifTuf where it can be mown low and will still recover when they are actively growing. Kikuyu and buffalo are also good options. However, on buffalo don’t mow too low as it doesn’t have any rhizomes, which are root-like stems beneath the ground that can produce grass shoots, and growing it back can be a problem.
Choosing your location
The best spot for a pitch is preferably in front of the garage, a fence, or a wall, so you can have an automatic wicketkeeper for one-on-one games. Keep in mind where four runs or six and out will be and where is it best to bowl from.
Once you’ve picked a spot, mark the length of your pitch. If you have older kids, make the pitch longer as your yard allows. For younger kids, you may want to make your pitch a bit shorter.
Mowing your pitch
Now we are on to the next step, mowing your pitch. When mowing your pitch drop the height of your blades on your mower. You need to mow the pitch into the existing lawn nice and short, so you’ll get more bounce. Plus, it will look more like the pitches you see on TV, with a nice contrast to the rest of the yard. Remember though, don’t mow down to dirt or you’ll have a sticky wicket: dead grass!
You may have to mow a few times, depending on how thick your grass is to make your wicket. When mowing it is also best to keep your catcher on to remove your clippings so there is nothing left on the surface.
Setting up your stumps
Once you’ve removed your clippings, it’s time to set up stumps! If you have wooden stumps and bails, knock ‘em into the ground. If you have metal stumps place them in position.
If you want to get more creative, go for the good old council bin, Esky, stack of buckets, or even tape a set of stumps onto the wall or fence.
To make the crease, grab some marking paint and mark the crease at either end. You can make the crease the length of your bat plus its handle.
Aftercare
Once you call stumps for the day, give the pitch an aerate and a deep soak. If there’s excessive wear, you may need to lay off it for a few days for it to recover.
Bonus Tip
Wrap some electrical tape around a tennis ball (half of the ball is covered in tape). This will cause the ball to swing a lot in the air and will really keep the batsman guessing!
Happy batting and bowling.
