Concrete

cricket pitches
Introduction
Although most clubs can maintain turf pitches of sufficiently
high standard to meet their annual fixture lists, few are able Bowling end Batting end
to provide turf areas of a standard which will permit proper
practice and coaching. All too often the so-called practice
1,90 m
pitch is so bumpy that any attempt at stroke play is futile, and 8,5 m min
the unpredictable behaviour of a ball bowled down such a 5,00 m 2,00 m
pitch constitutes a positive danger to seasoned and 20,15 m
inexperienced players alike.

Concrete provides a permanent solution to the problem of

ever-increasing maintenance costs associated with the Figure 2: Layout for practice pitch
traditional turf pitch, whether for matches or for practice. It is
now possible to simulate, very closely, the characteristics of Figure 1 shows two alternatives that can be considered for
a natural surface and at the same time provide a number of match pitches; the choice will depend on individual
additional benefits: a concrete pitch base, with a synthetic requirements.
playing surface to cater for spin and to prevent excessive
Figure 1(a) shows the ideal situation where both run-ups and
wear of the cricket balls, is virtually maintenance free, it does
pitch are constructed to a width of 2,75 m which is a little
not suffer form the effects of drought, it is extremely difficult
wider than the width between the return creases. With this
to vandalize and it cannot be damaged by being played on
arrangement play can take place much sooner than usual
when wet. In fact, a concrete-based match strip, set in the
after rain, as bowlers will be able to obtain a firm foothold.
middle of the ground, avoids the need for a separate practice
Figure 1(b) shows a pitch of minimum length and width.
pitch and also provides an opportunity for full-scale practice
including fielding and wicket-keeping. In both match and practice pitches the stumps should not be
fixed directly in the concrete but in an opening in the
concrete measuring 300 x 150 mm formed at a suitable
position and later filled with clay.
Typical pitch layouts

(a) Site preparation

Joint
Generally, the tasks involved in preparing a site for a
2,75 m concrete-based pitch are the same for each type of base.
30,00 m Mark out the plan area of the pitch and excavate to a depth
of 100 mm plus the thickness of the surfacing mat. Any soft
spongy spots should be further excavated and filled with dry,
(b)
Joint hard material. Check the depth of the excavation by bridging
across with a scratch template (Figure 3) then compact the
1,90 m excavation either by rolling or by tamping. Check the
20,15 m min
compacted surface of the excavation from ground level in the
same way as the depth of the excavation.

Figure 1: Alternative layouts for match pitches

 Table1: Mix proportions for site mixing per bag of
cement

Cement: complying with SABS EN 197-1;

strength class 42,5 or higher* 1 bag
Concrete sand 95 l
19 mm stone 110 l
Water (net) approx. 24 l

* Other cements may be used in consultation with the

manufacturer.

Table 2: Materials per m3 of concrete

Figure 3: Trimming the excavation using a scratch
Cement 355 kg
template
Sand 0,66 m3
Fix side forms around the perimeter of the intended slab 19 mm stone 0,79 m3
to contain the concrete until it has hardened. The forms
should be 95 mm deep, of either metal or timber
95 mm x 32 mm planed hardwood is suitable held securely Table 3: Approximate concrete quantities
in place by steel spikes or wooden stakes. 3 mm hardboard (Quantities are net; increase quantities by about 10%
pieces should be used as shims between the ground and the when ordering to allow for wastage.)
bottom edges of the side forms to bring the forms to the
correct height. The level along the pitch should follow the lie Layout 1(a) 8,3 m3
of the ground; gauge it with a taut string stretched between Layout 1(b) minimum width 3,9 m3
pegs at each end of the pitch. Check the level across the Layout 2 minimum width 3,0 m3
pitch with a spirit level, allowing a slight crossfall of about
12 mm to one side. Before placing concrete, paint the inner
faces of the formwork with a thin film of release agent Ready-mixed concrete is far more economical in terms of
clean lubricating oil is suitable. time and effort but can present problems of access to the
site. It should be remembered that the concrete is delivered
in very heavy trucks which can cause a great deal of
The concrete damage to unprotected grass areas. If, therefore, full
Concrete can be obtained in various ways, depending on the advantage is to be taken of this system and one of the
quantity required. main features of ready-mixed concrete is that it can be
Buying cement and aggregate separately and mixing them placed directly from the mixer truck into a prepared area
on site in a hired or borrowed concrete mixer is probably the special precautions must be taken to protect the route to
cheapest method of obtaining concrete, but demands a lot of the pitch.
effort. You will also need storage space for the materials. Ready-mixed concrete should be specified according to
Cement must be kept as dry as possible; if it cannot be Table 4. Approximate concrete quantities are given in
stored indoors it should be stacked on a raised timber Table 3.
platform and completely covered with waterproof sheeting.

For mixing on site, use the proportions given in Table 1,

Table 4: Specification details for ready-mixed
based on a bag of cement. The approximate quantities of
concrete
material required can be calculated from Tables 2
and 3.
Strength at 28 days 25 MPa
The amount of water used in the mix should be only enough Type of cement Complying with SABS EN 197-1
to make the mix easily workable. If the mix is too dry it will be Nominal maximum
difficult to compact and if it is too wet it will not attain the size of stone 19 mm
desired strength. Workability (slump) 50 to 75 mm
The mixing must be thorough, and the mixed concrete
should be of uniform colour and texture before it is placed.
Reinforcement Placing and compacting the concrete
The reinforcement required is a Ref-245 cross-welded steel The compacted ground under the concrete must be damped
wire mesh and it should be placed 40 to 50 mm from the ahead of concreting to prevent water being drawn out of the
surface. The reinforcement must not cross the central fresh concrete. However, any free surface water should be
transverse joint but should terminate 50 mm from the joint removed before the concrete is placed.
and the side forms. Any overlaps required should be a
The concrete should be placed and compacted in two stages
minimum of 300 mm.
as follows:
Placing the reinforcement is described under Placing and
compacting the concrete.
The concrete is first compacted and screeded off to a
depth of 45 mm below the top edges of the side forms.
A notched screed board as shown in Figure 6 should
be used. The concrete is initially placed and roughly
Central joint levelled off slightly higher than the required level (a
The central joint indicated in Layouts 1(a) and 1(b) may be notched template may be used for this). The notched
formed in one of two ways. screed board is then used with a chopping action to
compact the concrete. When the concrete is compacted
Grooved Joint (see Figure 4) This is used when the
whole pitch is to be placed in one operation. To make a the notched screed board is used with a sawing action,
grooved joint, a steel blade about 3 mm wide is forced while sliding on the side forms, to screed the concrete
down into the fresh concrete to a depth of 25 mm. It is to the required level.
then withdrawn leaving a groove into which is dropped Immediately this has been done, the reinforcement is placed
a strip of either bituminous roofing felt (eg Malthoid) or on the concrete, with overlaps as necessary.*
hardboard 3 mm thick cut to size. Surface finishing of
the concrete can then be completed. As soon as the reinforcement is in position the rest of
the concrete is placed and compacted and levelled off
using a straight screed board so that the finished
Bituminous felt in groove concrete is level with the top edges of the forms.
25 mm

Surface finishing
The ideal surface is a fine matt texture that will be suitable
100 mm

for applying a synthetic playing surface or, if the concrete is

left uncovered, will not be slippery when wet. Trowelling with
steel trowels is used to achieve such a surface but it must not
be started until:
1. Bleeding of the mix has ceased.

2. All bleed water on the surface has evaporated or been

Figure 4: Grooved joint. removed.

3. The surface has started to stiffen.

Keyed Joint (see Figure 5) This is used when half of
the pitch is placed on one day and the other half on a
A considerable downward force should be exerted on the
subsequent day. It is formed by nailing a 20 mm
trowel during the finishing operation. Trowelling should
halfround to the timber form at middepth of the
continue until the surface has attained an even, fine matt
concrete. After the form is removed the face of the
finish.
concrete should be painted with limewash prior to the
adjacent concrete being placed. Small amounts of water, flicked on with a brush, may be
applied to the surface to aid finishing, but as this tends to
Radius 3 mm weaken the surface it should be done as little as possible
and only where trowelling alone is not producing the desired
results.
40

Note: Planning of the work should take into account that the
100 mm

delay period before steel trowelling can start is likely to be

20

2 to 3 hours, and longer in cold weather.

40

During the delay period, drying of the mix, as opposed to

evaporation of bleed water, must be avoided as it may lead
to cracking.
10
This side placed first
* Laying reinforcing fabric on the ground before concrete is placed and
lifting it into position while placing, or placing it on the finished surface
of the concrete and pushing it in should not be permitted, as these
Figure 5: Keyed joint methods give no assurance that the reinforcement will end up in a
true plane at the required depth below the surface.
 Notched screed board slides on top of forms

45 mm
Timber screed board 152 x 37 mm

Concrete will be screeded off Side form

to this level

Figure 6: Notched screed board

Curing Applying the synthetic playing surface

It is essential, if the concrete is to develop the desired If such a surface is to be applied, the manufacturers
strength, that it be kept damp for an adequate period after instructions should be followed carefully. They may include
casting. Damp-curing should be continued for at least the requirement that the concrete be allowed to dry out first.
10 days in warm weather and 14 days in cold weather. The
curing procedure recommended is to cover the work, as
soon as surface texturing is complete, with plastic sheeting
that is kept in place with a thin, uniform layer of sand or soil
over it and stones along the edges. To avoid damage to the
surface which may occur when plastic sheeting is laid direct
on wet concrete, the sheeting may be supported clear of the
surface by timber battens for the first 24 hours of curing.
Wind must not be allowed to blow under the sheeting.

Cement & Concrete Institute

PO Box 168, Halfway House, 1685
Portland Park, Old Pretoria Road, Halfway House, Midrand
Tel (011) 315-0300 Fax (011) 315-0584
e-mail cnci@cnci.org.za website http://www.cnci.org.za

Published by the Cement & Concrete Institute, Midrand, 1996 reprinted, 1998, 2000, 2001.
Cement & Concrete Institute