Total-Play Helps Clients Bring Existing Cricket Facilities Up To Scratch

Total-Play Helps Clients Bring Existing Cricket Facilities Up To Scratch

Well known in the cricket world as an ECB code of practice NTP (Non Turf Pitch) installer and for its own ECB approved ‘tp365’ match and practice systems, total-play Ltd has found itself helping a growing number of organisations to refurbish their existing facilities in addition to designing and building systems from scratch. 

In the past few months, the company has completed a host of refurbishment projects for clients that include The Royal Parks agency in London’s The Regent’s Park, Prebendal School in Chichester, Wivenhoe CC in Essex and Berkshire’s Sulhampstead & Ufton CC.

At The Regent’s Park, home to Central London’s largest area for grass sports, total-play refurbished four non-turf match pitches originally installed as part of a project funded by a grant from the Lord’s Taverners back in 2007. The project involved the removal of the existing playing surface carpets and shock pads, and the trimming back of the grass, top and sub-soil to allow the existing stone sub-base to be agitated and re-levelled. A new pitching shock pad was then installed to the full length (30m) of each pitch, and a new Wilton Woven carpet was laid to provide a completely fresh playing surface. 

The other projects, meanwhile, involved the refurbishment of non-turf practice facilities. Chichester Cathedral’s historic Prebendal School, a co-educational day/boarding school for children aged 3 – 13 years, was home to an existing 5 lane practice facility of considerable age; constructed from a concrete pad and chain link fencing. With a strong focus on cricket in the school’s sporting curriculum, the nets were no longer fit for purpose so a fund-raising initiative was launched by the PTA for the refurbishment project. total-play was selected to undertake the work, which included the installation of new socketed steelwork, black knotted netting, new shockpads and a new high performance playing carpet. 

At Wivenhoe CC, the club originally used internal resources to construct a three lane non-turf practice system with steel cage, which had become unsuitable for continued use. total-play was commissioned to remove the existing steelwork and install a new two lane socketed 18.3m steel cage complete with the company’s Protection Tunnel netting system, which forms a ‘cocoon’ in each lane to protect users from errant flying balls from adjacent lanes. Work included digging into a macadam sub-base to install 500mm deep sockets to support galvanised steelwork 18.3m long x 3.65m wide x 4m high in each lane.

For the Sulhampstead & Ufton CC project, meanwhile, the club was keen to repair its open-ended 27m, three-lane system, which had seen well over a decade’s heavy use. Following a site visit and discussion with several suppliers, the club contracted total-play to fully refurbish the facility; with works to include the upgrading of the stone sub-base, the installation of new shock pads and playing carpets, and the erection of new bespoke steelwork and ‘Protection Tunnel’ nets, with batting curtains also designed to the club’s very specific requirements.

Total-play’s Business Development Manager, James Coney, says:

“We’re seeing more and more clubs come to us looking to refurbish their existing systems – a lot of clubs now have facilities that were installed 10 – 20 years ago that are showing serious signs of wear and tear, and are no longer safe for use. I think the reason we’re so successful in winning this work is that we go beyond simply repairing and putting straight what the club already has, but draw on our expertise to provide a solution to upgrade the facility to the highest possible standard within the club’s budget; utilising modern materials and systems to ensure the a far higher standard of play.”

For more information on total-play’s range of non-turf and natural pitch products and services, visit www.total-play.co.uk