The turf technology that keeps Adelaide Oval looking pitch-perfect is being rolled out in the US as the local curators take to New York for next month's T20 World Cup.
Head curator Damian Hough and his team have been using drop-in pitches for more than a decade, and were selected to develop 10 drop-in pitches for Eisenhower Park in New York, which will be hosting international cricket for the first time.
"Adelaide Oval was approached really because of our expertise in drop-in pitches and our ability to fabricate, design, and install drop-in pitches," Hough said.
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The pitches were grown in Florida due to its favourable climate and then trucked more than 2000 kilometres to New York.
"Transporting the pitches… the 18-hour trip from Florida to New York poses its own challenges," Adelaide Oval CEO Nick Addison said.
While plenty of work still needs to be done, Hough said he is satisfied with the progress made so far – and that it's an achievement he'll look back on once it's in the rear-view mirror.
"To play a role in such a historical event in a T20 World Cup is something that I won't look at right now," he said.
"But in years to come it's something you look back with really fond memories of."
Addison said he expects Adelaide Oval to get more opportunities on the back of this World Cup.
"What's important about that is that we continue to deliver and enhance that reputation," he said.
"So we're pretty confident that there's going to be some great opportunities off the back of this."
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
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