The carbon footprint of cricket

New guidelines drawn up by experts commissioned by the ECB could "reduce the carbon footprint of cricket by the equivalent of a small housing estate."

And the guidelines could also save more than 700,000 hours of cricket pitch-preparation time across the UK through more effective use of rollers, it has been boldly claimed.

Boffins at Cranfield University's Centre for Sports Surface Technology have spent the last four years "aiming to develop a scientific understanding of the rolling of cricket pitches."

The boffins worked with the ECB and Institute of Groundsmanship to consult more than 100 groundstaff across England and Wales to identify the scope for improvement. Amazingly, they found that, in first-class cricket, the number of roller-passes over the pitch ranges from five to 280.

Dr Iain James, senior lecturer and head of the centre for sports surface technology at Cranfield, is in no doubt about the value of the four-year study. "We calculated," he revealed, "that if all clubs in England and Wales were to target their rolling using these guidelines, the reduction in rolling time will save a total of over 700,000 hours of rolling per year and reduce the carbon footprint of cricket by the equivalent of a small housing estate."

ECB pitches consultant Chris Wood reckons the study will prove invaluable. "This research," he said, "will go a long way to dispel the myths and legends and instil sound and economical rolling practices for the production of quality pitches across all levels of cricket."