Message Board - Cricket: Marking wickets
20 Jul 2010 by dlp
whats the best way to ensure cricket markings are straight and even particualry when looking from end to the other???
20 Jul 2010 by Mike
By using strings, a tape measure, steel pins and a straight edge. The more diligent you are with the measurements, the more accurate your markings will be.
20 Jul 2010 by Andy Matthews
What Mike says is correct but all the equipment in the shed will be useless if you haven't got the squared "square up" properly, take time at the start of the season to make sure these are as close to bang on as possible, put in some permanent markers and then it's easy.
We played at a ground a few weeks ago on the Saturday and a second pitch was marked for a cup game on the Sunday and the creases were a foot out of line from end to the other and I mean a foot it was unreal.
20 Jul 2010 by Loammeister
Hi dip, Andy M and Mike are spot on with their advice, and what Andy means by 'squaring up properly is as follows:
If you have (for example) a square with ten pitches;
10 x 10' = 100' (this is the width of your square;
22 yards = 66' (this is the length of your square)
String the four sides of your square out and then check that each corner is as close to a perfect right angle (i.e. 90 degrees as possible); to check this you need to have a 3/4/5 measurement at each corner:
Measure 3' along your length of square;
Measure 4' along your width of square;
Then the distance between the 3' and 4' marks should be 5'.
By establishing that all four corners are accurate you can ensure a proper 'square' in the cricket sense.
As Andy states mark (with a disc or similar that is permanent) and you will not lose your markings.
I find it particularly useful to also mark out a 'T' at each ten foot mark so that it can act as a further guide for individual pitches during the season.
At this stage of the season you would be well advised still to do this so that you can 'string out' each pitch as Mike A advises and guarantee parallel lines on your pitches. The strings then serve as an extra border to your straight edge when marking out.
Good Luck dip
The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train
21 Jul 2010 by dlp
Thanks guys much appreciated
21 Jul 2010 by allrounder
It took me a while to figure out why my 70ft 'square' was never quite square untill i ran out the two tapes i use alongside each other, and found that over 100ft they differed by 10inches
22 Jul 2010 by jlawrence
Those long tapes do tend to vary in their measurements (unless you spend a lot of money on them) so I'd advise you only ever use the one tape when 'squaring' up.
I've always fancied trying to square up with a theodolite - just to see if it's more accurate. But a) it's a long time since I last used one, and b) iirc ones that measured distance accurately were hideously expensive.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
22 Jul 2010 by Barry Pace
Jon, normal site levels tend to have degrees on them so you can start in one corner, plumb bob over mark, site out 0 deg, 90 deg then stagger over to mark remaining, course we have one of those expensive thangies so I can do the diagonal and distance as well.........
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
22 Jul 2010 by jlawrence
It's the measuring that I find the most inaccurate. Would be nice to use one of the 'newer' theodothingies with +/- 3cm, can't see my lot stumping up for one though - last time I looked they we're well over 500 quid.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
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