Curator's Guide to Cricket Australia Community Facility Guidelines 2023

Guidance Note 02 (Playing Pitches) recommends:

For the number of turf pitches at a site, Cricket Australia recommends seeking advice from your State or Territory Cricket Association. Practice pitches are covered separately in Guidance Note 03.

Dual turf and synthetic. A dual arrangement lets a ground used for afternoon turf competition also host junior matches in the morning and on weekday evenings. It works best where pitch management is strong and communication between the curator, clubs and other users is healthy, and where pitch preparation or wet weather (covers staying on) does not heavily limit use of the synthetic pitch.

Guidance Note 01 (Playing Field) gives these preferred playing field dimensions:

Indicative age ranges for the junior stages

• Stage 1: Under 11 (boys or mixed), Under 13 (all girls).
• Stage 2: Under 13 (boys or mixed), Under 15 (all girls).
• Stage 3: Under 18 in both.

How to measure. Take distances from the middle of the centre pitch for a single pitch ground, or from the centre of both the east and west pitches where there is a turf table or multiple pitches. For Stage 1, the batter bats from one end only, so the 40m is measured from the batter's end stumps. For Premier, Cricket Australia recommends consulting the State or Territory Premier Cricket governing body.

Planning tip. Plan new or redeveloped fields for the maximum recommended senior size, then reduce boundaries with rope or line marking for other formats. Existing fields are not all expected to meet these dimensions, but new, realigned or upgraded fields should use them.

Guidance Note 01 (Playing Field) says:

• Run-off distance. Run-off areas beyond the boundary line or rope are shown as 2.74m to 4.0m for all age groups and levels of community cricket. Run-offs take precedence over playing field dimensions, and all playing fields must meet the tabled minimum.
• Plan on top of the field size. Run-off from the boundary markers to the nearest fixed obstruction or neighbouring playing field is in addition to the field of play dimensions.
• Run-off surface. It should be obstacle free (including perimeter drainage, fencing, lighting poles, sight screens, football goal posts and practice nets), have the same gradient as the outfield, and have the same surface as the outfield or an approved equivalent such as synthetic grass. If Cricket Australia-AFL compliant synthetic grass is used, a minimum of 1m of natural turf is recommended between the boundary line and the start of the synthetic grass.
• Multiple fields. Where several playing fields share one area, particularly junior formats, a minimum 5.48m run-off (2 x 2.74m) between each field's boundary line is recommended, so concurrent games do not conflict.
• Buffer zones. Because cricket is a 360-degree sport, buffer zones are recommended right around the perimeter, with distances from car parks, roads, neighbouring properties, trails and playgrounds set through a venue safety assessment.

Guidance Note 02 (Playing Pitches) gives these natural turf pitch dimensions, with line marking details sourced from the WA Sports Dimensions Guide for Playing Areas:

The overall footprint of a turf table depends on the level of competition and the number of pitches. A five pitch turf table needs a minimum area of 15.25m wide by 22.56m long, not including extended bowler run-ups.

Creases

• Bowling crease: the line through the centre of the three stumps at that end, 2.64m long with the stumps in the centre.
• Popping crease: in front of and parallel to the bowling crease, 1.22m from it. It is marked to a minimum of 1.83m on either side of the middle stump and is unlimited in length.
• Return crease: at right angles to the popping crease, 1.32m either side of the middle of the stumps. It extends a minimum of 2.44m behind the popping crease and may be unlimited in length.

Guidance Note 02 (Playing Pitches) sets these dimensions for synthetic centre pitches:

The longer length lets the bowler take several strides on the same surface before delivery. Width matters particularly for junior development, because juniors enjoy it more when they can land the ball on the pitch, and it helps spin bowlers pitch the ball wide.

Marking for junior formats. Cricket Australia recommends building all synthetic pitches to these dimensions so they can be marked for the full range of junior and senior cricket:

• Stage 1 Junior Cricket: 16m stump to stump.
• Stage 2 Junior Cricket: 18m stump to stump.
• Stage 3 Junior Cricket: the standard pitch length of 20.12m, with no unique markings needed.

If site or ground conditions prevent full sized pitches, reduced sizes may be considered after contacting the relevant State or Territory Association.

Playing field (Guidance Note 01). The recommended maximum gradient for an oval is a 1% fall in any convenient direction. Steeper than 1% affects ball roll, and flatter grades make drainage rely more heavily on the profile and subsurface drainage. The preferred shape is a dome falling away from the centre wicket area, which protects the pitch from stormwater run-off. Where a dome is not possible, cross-fall and diagonal falls are acceptable, and where a turf pitch is needed, surface water should be directed away from it.

Pitch (Guidance Note 02)

• Pitches should not be steeper than 1% in any direction and should be built on a single plane.
• Cross-fall: 1% maximum. Turf wickets can be built flatter (for example 0.5%) but then rely heavily on covers in rain. Synthetic wickets, unless built on a free-draining base pavement, should always have a 1% grade.
• Longitudinal fall: flat, unless site constraints require a fall.
• Diagonal grades are accepted if the resulting gradient is not steeper than 1%.
• The centre square or pitch should sit above the outfield so water drains off it, raised gradually so it is not a tripping hazard (relevant to synthetic pitches). Where the outfield grades towards the wicket, locally raise the wicket block, by no more than 50mm, and blend it in so a bowler does not notice it.

Guidance Note 02 (Playing Pitches) says:

• Soil. Build natural turf pitches from wicket soil with a proven track record locally. Typical characteristics are clay content of 50 to 70%, coarse sand under 10%, pH (water) of 5 to 7, linear shrinkage ratio of 0.08 to 0.15, Emerson class above 4, and total soluble salts under 1,000ppm. Test a sample of the soil before buying it.
• Grass. A dense, low-growing, resilient species. Warm-season couch varieties are preferred in hotter, drier climates; rye grass can be used in colder southern climates such as Tasmania.
• Weekly preparation. Pitches need regular annual turf maintenance plus weekly preparation in season, so that they are prepared hard and flat. The main activities are rolling, mowing at low heights, marking, scarifying, vacuuming and watering.
• Skills. Venue managers should engage specialists, or get appropriate training, to prepare and maintain pitches.
• Covers. Plan pitch covers and a designated storage area. Storing covers on some synthetic grass outside the field of play and run-off area avoids damaging natural turf.
• Rotation. Rotating pitches for games is recommended so a used pitch can recover.

Guidance Note 02 (Playing Pitches) says:

• Construction. A synthetic pitch is short pile synthetic grass matting glued to a base pavement. The base should be designed to hold its level tolerance for a minimum design life of 20 years. Rigid pavements, typically concrete, have a proven track record in Australia.
• Pile. Products commonly used for cricket pitches have a pile height of 9mm to 13mm, without sand or crumb rubber fill.
• Life. If regularly maintained, matting lasts approximately 6 to 8 years, depending on off-season covering and usage.
• Maintenance. Sweep regularly, and water blast at least every two years to refresh the pile. Hybrid turf surrounds can be considered to give safe, consistent bowler run-ups.
• Watering. Synthetic pitches need no watering for play.

Off-season covering (Cricket Australia recommends two options):

1. Synthetic pitch covers. They must meet AFL-Cricket Australia approved synthetic grass performance and testing standards. Rubber granules are broomed in when laid and vacuumed out before lifting. Do not store covers wet, because trapped moisture can damage them.
2. Soil over heavy duty industrial plastic. This is generally managed by the council or club. Noted problems are injury risk to untrained volunteers, machinery tearing the grass, and a raised surround that can cause unpredictable ball deviation or a "swimming pool" effect after rain.

Natural turf outfield (Guidance Note 01). Natural turf remains the preferred playing field surface for cricket at all levels. Warm season grasses such as couch and kikuyu are generally preferred. The field should have good turf coverage, be cut short and even with no bare patches, have dangerous holes and undulations fixed, and have no excess clippings. Annual maintenance should include regular mowing, vertical cutting, pest, weed, insect and disease control, soil aeration, irrigation and fertilising.

Irrigation and drainage

• Irrigation is generally designed to apply 10mm across the whole field over an eight hour period.
• Minimum performance: sprinkler CU of 90% or more, DU of 85% or more, and a scheduling coefficient (SC 5%) of 1.3 or less.
• Operate and inspect every sprinkler line at the start and end of the irrigation season, and record and fix faults.
• Inspect drainage systems annually for cracked pipes and pits.

Synthetic outfield. Cricket Australia acknowledges full synthetic fields can give more programming flexibility. Under the AFL and Cricket Australia licensing program, a product must carry the "Approved Synthetic Turf Product" mark, and each installed oval must pass on-site testing after one month or 160 hours of play. It is then certified and must be retested every two years. The program covers outfield products, not synthetic centre pitches.

Orientation (Guidance Note 01). Playing fields and pitches are recommended to run north-south, within a range of 45 degrees east of north to 35 degrees west of north, with a suggested optimum of 10 to 15 degrees east of north. Local conditions may override this.

Fencing. Where fencing does not limit a site's use, access or room to expand, cricket's preference is a fence around the oval boundary to limit balls leaving the field of play. For a club home or club satellite venue, cyclone mesh wire fencing at 1050mm or 1200mm is desirable; the traditional white picket fence is considered more appropriate for a Premier level venue. Fencing that protects spectators, pedestrians and neighbouring property is highly recommended in the "hot spot" areas where balls are often hit.

Gates and access

• Fencing should allow emergency vehicle entry and exit, typically a double gate with a 4m wide opening.
• Curator machinery needs unimpeded access to the playing field, close to the equipment storage or internal road network.
• Pedestrian gates should be at least 1.35m wide for universal access.

Safety checks. Each site should have its own safety audit completed by the facility owner, and the Marsh/Cricket Australia Matchday Checklist is to be completed by clubs before every match to identify and mitigate foreseeable hazards.

Guidance Note 03 (Outdoor Training Facilities) gives this guide to the number of training pitches:

*Preferably two, but at a minimum one synthetic training net should stay publicly accessible at all times (not enclosed, locked or gated off).

Dimensions

• Turf training pitch: length 15m minimum (25m optional), width 1.83m minimum (2.4m optional).
• Synthetic training lanes: at least 3.6m wide.
• Leave a 1m to 2m buffer between the batter-end stumps and the back netting.
• Orient nets north-south, ideally 10 to 15 degrees east of north, with a maximum of 45 degrees east or 35 degrees west of north.

When setting the number of turf nets, allow for each pitch's rest and preparation (rotation) periods.