Looking at the importance of hands-on training to improve your bowling skills, you cannot skip creating a personal pitch for net practice. A cricket pitch could lose functionality after exposure to rain and sun, and the arrangement sometimes fails to fulfill expectations if you do it incorrectly. Here are some helpful tips for building a cost-effective pitch to ensure that the pitch gets you the best of your bowling sessions while providing comfortable padding.
Choose the right location
When building a small practice ground in a backyard, remember that the area for installing the pitch should have soil with good moisture content. If the ground is dry, give sufficient water to run a roller to flatten the surface. The sloppy land can sustain flood damage during the rainy season and needs more watering every time you use the pitch. Choose an area that complies with the characteristics of a standard cricket pitch. Use modern ground leveling techniques to measure the surface height and remove dents. Trim the top layers of the uneven areas and find a place for shifting soils.
Create a layout
When you pick a location, nobody has ever used for playing cricket, there might be trees and shrubs overcrowding the land plot. These plants could extend their roots into the pitch if they are near the infield and wicket. Once they reach the deep layer, removing them without destroying the ground at a cost is not easy. First, create a layout design of the pitch on the land you select for the project. After marking the land for a bowling pitch, remove the grass from the top and harden the surface with a roller.
Get pitch materials
Before releasing the ball, the bowler has to land the foot near the wicket inside the crease. The soil in that region should have a flat surface appropriate for maintaining the pace. If the ground lacks quality, invest in sand, silt, and clay to mix them for installing the pitch. When you mix them to prepare the pitch soil, consult a ground expert to ensure the correct proportion of components. The soil between the wickets should have the potential to withstand weather the year around.
Safety considerations
The ball will move in any direction after bouncing from the ground whenever you bowl at the wicket. If your practice ground happens to be near somebody’s property or a parking lot, your activity could cause trouble in the neighborhood. Practicing with a batter on the other end of the wicket can be even more dangerous since the ball can fly out of the area. Installing a net in the surrounding is a better way to keep the ball near the pitch. Use a portable net to take it to any location where you want to drop the ball.
Routines maintenance
Although you spend extra cash establishing a reliable bowling pitch, the facility could degenerate shortly. Sometimes you may need to bowl and hit the wicket, even on bad weather days. Eventually, the pitch may take the toll of your negligence. It is difficult to fix a crack in the ground after all the damage you bring to the pitch. Creating scheduled maintenance can keep the installation functional throughout the season. Cover the area thoroughly with a plastic sheet to trap moisture inside.
When you are ready for the run-up, install a cricket bowling speed meter to measure the bowling speed. You can buy this radar device from Pocket Radar, a company specializing in speed-tracking technology.
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