SWALEC square to gain speed

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Work is continuing at the SWALEC Stadium to create a faster square with extra bounce.

Two of the Cardiff pitches have already been overhauled since the end of the 2012 season and further work will continue over the coming three years.

Head groundsman Keith Exton said: "The main aim is to create high-quality pitches that offer a fair contest between bat and ball.

Head groundsman Keith Exton believes work on the pitches at the SWALEC Stadium will prove highly beneficial. "There'll be a noticeable difference in pace and bounce," he explained. "They'll be quite quick."

"This is the second year of a long-term plan so I don't want to raise hopes too high this year; although I'm confident we're progressing, the real benefits will come further down the line as the new pitches mature.

"Once the pitches settle down, maybe after a year or two, there'll be a noticeable difference in pace and bounce - they'll be quite quick.

"There are always likely to be problems when you play on a pitch the summer after it's been laid but I hope things go well. I certainly know it'll be fine in the years to come and after this five-year investment we will have 10 quality pitches."

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