Old Trafford outfield to be replaced

The new outfield will improve drainage at Old Trafford © Getty Images

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Lancashire’s NatWest Pro40 match against Middlesex on August 17 will give fans a unique chance to go home with a piece of cricket history.

With the game being the last at Old Trafford this season, the entire outfield is being dug up after the match and replaced with a state-of-the-art drainage system.

At the completion of the match, Lancashire will give attending spectators the opportunity to walk out onto the ground (not the square) and have photos taken on the historic Old Trafford pitch.

To mark the occasion, members and supporters will have the opportunity to take a piece of the Old Trafford outfield home as a souvenir.

Peter Marron and his ground staff will oversee the cutting and distribution of this turf.

Over the years the outfield has played host to some of cricket’s most memorable occasion’s, including Jim Laker’s 19 wickets in a Test, Alec Stewart’s 100th hundred, the 2005 Ashes thriller, the 1971 Gillette Cup Semi Final in the dark and Shane Warne’s “ball of the century” to dismiss Mike Gatting.