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There have been some bizarre methods used to construct cricket wickets throughout the world, although on face value these methods were questionable to say the least; however they worked out to be very successful and produced wickets that played well producing excellent consistency, and still do to this day. On the other hand there has been some other cricket squares constructed and followed a more standard specification, and for one reason or another the project failed and requiring the cricket square to be rebuilt.

When planning a cricket square construction one should approach the topic with a very open mind. Consider all possible construction methods, consider all materials that could possibly be part of the final make up of the profile, and importantly talk to other Curators/Groundsman in the area that have successfully constructed cricket squares and have successfully sustained them over a long period of time, this in itself can be a powerful tool in making the right decision in what method will be used to construct or re-construct a cricket square.

In relation to the reconstruction of a cricket square, it can be time consuming, costly, and inconvenient. Before actually deciding if a cricket square does in fact require a reconstruction all aspects should be looked at in relation to the maintenance prior to deciding on a full reconstruction.

• Consider preparation techniques currently being used and if they can be modified to improve the performance of the cricket square
• Look at management of turf & how it can be improved.
• Consider the usage factor & if the current cricket square is being over used
• Analyze the profile & if it can be improved upon
• Discuss the performance of the cricket square with administrators & how they believe the performance can be improved
• Compare performance of wickets at the venue to other wickets in the area and how they measure up.
• Reconstruction is the last option, as a general rule of thumb; if a cricket square is performing at an acceptable level then don't change it!

When choosing a construction method along with construction materials for a new cricket square, clear objectives should be set for the project. When considering what construction method will be used firstly look at the key objectives of the cricket square

1. The weather conditions that will be contested with during the cricket season, this has a major effect on the decision making process, the type of clay chosen, the depth of clay, base material, and grass species.
2. The format of the cricket that is going to be played, i.e. one day, two day, three day, four day, or five day cricket, this will have an effect on the type of clay chosen and the depth of clay that is decided upon.
3. The amount of cricket that will be played on the cricket square, this will have an effect on the amount of wickets that eventually makes up the size of the centre square. Generally speaking the more matches that will be scheduled in a season, the bigger the cricket square will need to be.
4. The length of the season, this will again have an effect on the amount of wickets that makes up the cricket square.
5. The turf species that will be used on the cricket square, and whether it needs to be warm or cool season grass.

The construction of a turf cricket square is not too dissimilar to any other to many other civil constructions - the base work is all important, and the materials that is placed on the base will be only as good as the base itself and how solid it has been constructed. Turf cricket squares have a requirement for the base to be 100% solid with even cross fall that will mirror the final levels to move water and provide a solid base for the clay growing medium to be placed on that will later provide the basis for the pace and bounce of the prepared pitches. Normally in all other turf constructions sub-base drainage is a necessity to move irrigation and rain water away from the site. However, with cricket wickets, sub - base drainage is not required due to the heavy nature of the soil that is used - there is a very small amount of water that actually goes through the wicket profile, hence why sub-surface drainage is not required, however, drainage around the perimeter of the cricket square is considered crucial to the 'catch' all the surface water through surface run off.

The soils used for the construction of cricket squares has a very specific requirement in that it is required to be able to be compacted to very high bulk densities to provide good ball bounce and pace once prepared, but at the same time it must have the ability to grow grass to a good level. The soil must allow the grass to produce a good root system, and have the ability to shrink and swell as it dries and is rewetted through preparation and maintenance. There is a standard cricket wicket particle distribution size and physical specification test that the soil must pass before it is deemed acceptable for use. The aim of the particle size distribution is to ensure it contains a certain amount of clay, a certain amount of silt and a certain amount of sand. The aim of the physical specification test is ensure it performs in a certain way when placed under the stresses of a prepared pitch, and importantly has the ability to shrink and swell when placed preparation conditions of wetting and drying. It is only certain certified laboratories then test cricket pitch soils for suitability.

During the construction phase of a new or reconstructed cricket square the placement of suitable soil/clay onto the prepared sub - base is considered an all important task. The laying of the suitable material should be done in a similar fashion to laying a road - the material should be laid in thin layers and compacted with heavy earth moving equipment. This involves placing the soil in small but consistent depths and compacted to ensure that there will be no movement of soils in the future. As each layer is placed in the cricket square to make up the final depth, it should be 'keyed in' to the previous layer to ensure there is uniformity through out the completed profile and there is no potential issues later on during the preparation phase.

The accuracy of the final leveling of the newly constructed or reconstructed cricket square is absolutely crucial. The surface falls must be very accurate to ensure that the movement of water from rainfall and irrigation to the perimeter of the cricket square is carried out efficiently. The standard sideways fall of a cricket square ranges between 0.5% - 1%. To achieve maximum efficiency when conducting the final levels the accurate & proven methods of the 'peg and rail' system is used. This involves setting up two metal straight edges 10 feet wide across each wicket, along the length of the cricket square. The top of the rails need to be set according to the final levels. i.e. if a wicket has a 1% sideways fall, one rail is set one percent higher than the other, making reference to the reference point set at the commencement of the project. Once these rails are set, the loose clay can be used to fill the area in between the rails and screened with a straight edge stretching across the two metal rails until the final levels are reached and the surface falls are even and consistent. Final consolidation by roller is done and a final leveling completes the process.

Selecting a suitable grass for a cricket square is the most simple task of the project regardless of the location - a turf variety simply needs to be selected that works, weather it be of a warm or cool season nature it doesn't matter as long as it is suitable to that environment, ensuring the selected grass can handle the local conditions, can handle compaction, and it has good recovery abilities. It is easily possible to fail the construction or reconstruction of a cricket square through choosing the wrong grass species.

In summary, it should be remembered that there are many ways to construct quality cricket squares and no one method works for everyone. Many conclusions & similarities can be drawn from different Countries, but there will be always differences. The simpler things can be kept, the less likely things can go wrong.

It is important to understand your own situation well, understand your own requirements & needs, work within your boundaries, and work with good materials. Always remember to do your research, conduct trials, talk to colleagues, and ensure you have the data behind you to make sure the next cricket square you construct is a success. Take in good advice, but end of day you are responsible for the project, so stick with what works for you.