The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, has attracted a lot of excitement from cricket fans all around the world. With 16 matches scheduled in the tournament, organizers have set up a temporary stadium in New York, which has cost £24m ($32m) to construct.
To prepare for the event, six trays from Australia were used to transport soil for the 10 Tahoma grass surfaces that were cultivated in Florida. The soil used had a high clay content, similar to pitches in Adelaide. After being transported to New York by road, the pitches were installed just a few weeks before the tournament began. The outfield is made of Kentucky bluegrass grown in New Jersey on top of sand.
However, there have been issues with the pitches during the opening matches. Teams have found it challenging to reach their target scores with plenty of deliveries to spare. Many believe that the toss plays an important role in determining the outcome of matches, with teams bowling first having an advantage.
Batsmen have also faced challenges due to the uneven bounce of some deliveries and skid along at ankle height on others. The slow outfield and boundaries of 75m and 65m on each side have hindered run-scoring even further. Despite efforts to improve playing conditions, some cricket fans are underwhelmed by what they’ve seen so far at Yankee Stadium.
India fans cheered for Ireland during a match hoping to see more batting from their team in the second innings while concerns were raised about South Africa’s training pitches at nearby Cantiague Park where their batters opted for throw-downs instead of facing their own bowlers due to injury worries.
In conclusion, while there have been some challenges with the pitches at Yankee Stadium during this T20 World Cup tournament, organizers continue to work hard towards improving playing conditions for players and fans alike as they eagerly anticipate what lies ahead throughout this exciting event!
