The cricket test grounds of Glamorgan and Warwickshire have each asked Stuart Canvas to manufacture bespoke Hover Covers© in time for the season's cricket matches and their hosting of Ashes Tests. The grounds join the other leading test venues of Lords, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge in becoming the latest grounds to utilise Hover Covers to protect the pitch in the event of rain.
The new hover covers, Warwickshire's 100 foot cover and Glamorgan's 90 foot cover, are specifically designed to be mobilised quicker and easier and can protect a wicket from rain in less than a minute. In addition to the quick deployment they can be easily removed when play resumes and require less manpower in the process.
Both grounds are scheduled to host the Australians, with Glamorgan hosing the 1st N-Power Test on 8-12 July and Edgbaston hosting the 3rd N-Power test from the 30 July to 3rd August.
Edward Stoddart, Chief Executive of Stuart Canvas, comments: "The last two years were some of the wettest on record and it is great to see even more of the big grounds using the latest ground equipment to protect themselves against these eventualities. The last thing we would want to see is rain influencing the outcome of a match, particularly if England were on top against the Aussies!"
Steve Rouse, head groundsman at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, comments; "This is a great piece of kit that can quickly and efficiently protect the pitch in the event of rain. We are delighted to have the facility available at Edgebaston, but ironically we hope that we won't have to use it when playing the Australians."
The patented hover design also protects the pitch while being deployed and once in place it keeps the playing surface drier, allowing a quicker return to play than a traditional cover. This reduced downtime is naturally a benefit to paying spectators, grounds and sponsors.
Due to the look and design of the covers there is also a significant opportunity for the clubs to recuperate some of their costs by offering an opportunity for sponsors to be promoted on the covers.
