The 2020 cricket season may have just come to a close but preparations for 2021 are now fully underway with season renovations taking place across the square.
In previous years water has continued to stand on the pitch, due to the levels on the square not being equal and therefore ahead of the 2021 season, work has begun to make improvements.
While there is major work going on with pitch number 12, work across the whole square at Emirates Riverside is taking place this week. The square is being raised due to it dropping in previous seasons meaning the outfield has then come up with water running from the outfield onto the square.
Pitch 12 has been dug out by around 12 inches with a membrane added and stone compact together along with eight inches of ongar loam.
It is hoped that this work will see huge improvement to the square, within 2-3 years’ time Emirates Riverside having much better pitches.
Rob Kendel from At Bone has been involved with the renovations he said: “We’re resurfacing the square, and to improve the levels and wickets. There’s been a few problems over the years with the settlement and some water gathering so we’re trying to solve that for Vic.
“We’ve had a topographical survey done of the square a detailed one and then we use that to regrade and look at what we can do with angling the square, we’ve taken all of the vegetation off the top of the square, so hence why it looks like it does today.
“We then regrade, and that’s been a bit of a challenge because the whole field is so flat. One of the wickets Vic wanted rebuilt and that’s going to be a stone raft underneath with 200ml of soil on top.”
Check out the below video with Durham Cricket Head Groundsman Vic Demain talking through the 2020 season and explaining the work going on ahead of the 2021 season.