Please note that our blog now has a new home … You can find all the latest case studies and guidance on the world’s most versatile cricket pitch from now on at
or click the link at the online home of the 2G Flicx Pitch : www.flicx.co.uk … why not head over there now!
#NWCF is a great time to ensure your Flicx Pitch is ready for the new season. Add it to the project list and assign two volunteers to the job. It should not take too long and is well worth the effort now – it will certainly pay dividends for the rest of the season.
2015 NWCF
Here are a few simple things to do to ensure you have a fully operating Flicx Pitch ready for the season
If you are not sure how to remove the broken tiles or how many you may need, we would suggest you take a photo and email it to gary@flicx.co.uk or call him or Rob on 01295816765 where they can provide expert advice.
You can purchase replacement tiles directly from Flicx UK which can be shipped within a day or two of ordering. Again just contact gary@flicx.co..uk with your order
Cricket Force weekend is a good time to get your Flicx Pitch out and ready for the season, especially if you are going to roll it out and leave it in situ for the season. Please Click Here for the correct procedure for the installation of a Flicx Pitch and recommended maintenance guidance.
We wish you and your club good luck for the season … you can keep in touch with us via our social media accounts
Twitter : Facebook : Instagram – do tweet us a pitch of your handywork this weekend and we will feature the best ones for some extra moral support!! @FlicxPitch
Flicx UK, the company behind the innovative 2G Flicx Pitch, the versatile, cricket pitch solution helping many clubs and schools worldwide to improve their cricketing facilities, is offering an early bird deal on all sales for the remainder of February with an “early bird” two week flash sale.
Don’t miss out on 10% off all orders confirmed in the final two weeks of the month which is a great opportunity to get organised for the new season well in advance our our busy period
The applications of the highly acclaimed 2G Flicx Pitch are vast and we are pleased to be able to support the development of cricket in new markets for the game whilst also supply a host of independent and public schools in the UK and abroad. Add your sponsors logo and choose from a range of colour options and coaching designs to support skill development in young players.
Don’t forget our early bird Flicx Flash sale only runs until the 29th February so don’t miss out, get your bespoke quote for your 2G Flicx Pitch today or call Gary Luke on +44 (0)1295 816765 to see if the Flicx Pitch will be right for your requirements.
Get a quote – http://www.flicx.co.uk/get-a-quote-for-a-2g-flicx-pitch/
Read our testimonials – http://www.flicx.co.uk/pitches/testimonials/
Watch our 2G Flicx Pitch video – a quick overview of the product and how it works
So your brand new 2G Flicx Pitch has arrived! (or you are thinking of getting one and you are studiously preparing) … our latest blog will tell you how to lay your pitch to ensure you get maximum performance from the surface.
First of all you have a decision to make …
Is your pitch to be laid permanently on your field (or in same position for at least for the season) or will it be used temporarily and rolled up and out each time you want to use it? See 1. for guidelines on laying your pitch permanently or 2. for temporary applications
Then the most important thing to consider in terms of laying your pitch correctly is that the tiles underneath contain feet which are 15mm long. For optimum pitch performance, these feet should touch the under surface. If they don’t then energy from the ball when bowled will be absorbed by the pitch and the bounce will be flatter. Therefore you initially need to cut the grass down very short so the feet of the pitch touch. Follow these steps
Top Tip “If you are looking to protect and conserve your main square, you can lay a 2G Flicx Pitch over the top of it, without any damage to the surface underneath which is ideal for hosting practice games or training sessions”
Rolling out a 2G Flicx Pitch
Over time as the grass grows through your pitch the bounce will improve further as the pitch “beds down”. You can mow over the pitch not a problem although gang mowers should not be used.
2. Temporary
If you plan to roll your pitch out then back up after your game the process is fairly similar. We recommend you cut the grass down to the roots first, go over with a roller then just lay the pitch over the top. On subsequently uses the pitch should be rolled in the same spot.
As you can see – Flicx makes light work for your groundsman and it’s such a quick, easy, portable cricket pitch solution so very popular with schools and clubs all around the world.
Its also worth noting that tf the under surface is fairly hard anyhow, the pitch will perform well on the outfield without additional mowing which is great if you want to pull the pitch in half and play two junior games or use the pitch for nets. The possibilities are endless!
For any additional questions, you can either post in the comments box below or contact Gary on +44 (0)1295 816765
Watching the Big Bash and seeing what bumper crowds it has attracted this season, it is clear to see Australian Cricket is getting a lot right at the moment. Whilst Backyard Cricket has always been popular down under, its been taken to a whole new level this year with Channel 10’s partnership with Biggest Game of Cricket (BGOC) from the Ponting Foundation where people are encouraged to have fun playing “Australia’s favourite game” and raise funds to help young Australians and their families beat cancer.
Ten’s winning family, the Mitchell’s then hosted the likes of Gilly, Fred and Punter in a show-piece backyard cricket match at Taree in NSW and the video is fantastic if you haven’t seen it yet…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jgUkGxZuNI
Many people go to great length’s to prepare their backyard track … hours of mowing, rolling to prepare their perfect wicket. Did you know, the Flicx Pitch can help here … you can use our 2G Flicx Pitch in the backyard with minimal preparation and it can be used both permanently or as a roll out, roll up option. We would love to get involved in the 2017 BGOC so Ricky, let us know if we can help your event next year (we would love to create a nice blue, BGOC logo’d pitch for you)
Backyard Cricket at the Mitchells
Moving closer to home in the UK perhaps its an idea that Sky Sports and the ECB could get behind by means of boosting participation levels … NB – might need to be called garden cricket or something else given we don’t really have backyards but the sentiment remains … lots of people, enjoying cricket with their family at home and then possibly taking it to the next level and raising money for charity with a national event … What do you think? Comments welcome below
Back in June 2012, an overflowing culvert deposited tons of rocks and silt across the playing field at picturesque Threlkeld Cricket Club, near Keswick causing scene’s of devastation much similar to those which we have just witnessed across much of the North West of England with the recent terrible floods.
TCC after
When the water subsides its often down to the dedication of volunteers to try and get the club back on its feet and in a position where it can host cricket matches once again. This is often a timely and costly process and for Threlkeld led them to raising £50,000 in an extreme cricket calender whilst they settled their legal dispute over the damage with Cumbria County Council.. The idea had come up during a pub conversation a few weeks after the flood…
Underground Cricket
The clubs Flicx Pitch was now the only surface on which they could play on and innovatively they took it to various beautiful locations around the region, playing cricket in some unusual locations such as down a mine which created some wonderful images but also some excellent PR. The versatility and portability of the 2G Flicx Pitch means that is it suitable to use on many surfaces meaning you can train in venues that might not usually host cricket.
Any clubs affected by the recent floods can use the Flicx Pitch to train on perhaps at a local school or on an astroturf facility meaning players can still train whilst the clubs primary facility is being rebuilt. A few years on Michael Webster, Threlkeld CC club treasurer, said:
“I can’t tell you how proud I am that we have gone from staring at a pile of rubble and a feeling of utter distress to picking ourselves up, battling on and reinstating our stunning ground back to the way it should be.”
If your club is looking for a portable surface, take a look at our product range and contact us for a quote …
Extracts from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-33203585
Warriors is a documentary following a group of young Maasai who, in a remote region of Kenya, have remarkably formed a cricket team. They relate the sport to their traditional hunting techniques – the ball is the spear, the bat is the shield – and their flowing red robes in full flight are an awesome sight. The film whose executive producer is Englands leading wicket taker Jimmy Anderson, follows the team as they pursue their dream of reaching England, the home of cricket, and test themselves in the amateur Last Man Stands World Championship.
But there is a darker heart to the story. The Maasai are male dominated, women have few rights – even to their own bodies – and girls as young as six have suffered Female Genital Mutilation and early marriages. Traditional practices such as these have also contributed to the spread of HIV/Aids, and now many believe the future of the Maasai is under serious threat. The Warriors cricket team are using their new-found unity on the field as an inspiration to those off it, attempting to educate and give young people a sense of belonging, support, and hope. However, they face resistance from the elders of their community – well-respected and wise men who hold all Maasai traditional practices dear and carry great influence. They fear losing any of their traditions will herald the end of the Maasai. Can cricket really bring change to the region?
The Maasai Warriors are more than cricketers; they are the hope of future generations © Warrior Films website
“They play cricket, sleep cricket, dream cricket, and drink and eat cricket every day”
In contemporary cricket, the rise of Maasai Warriors can be compared to only Afghanistan’s. They took giant strides in the world of cricket despite having no infrastructure, kit, or exposure to quality cricket. These stories and others really demonstrate the power of cricket and its ability to change the world, for the better. Flicx was developed off the back of the apartheid era in South Africa as a vehicle to bring people together through sport (Read More)… our roll out, portable pitch enabled new facilities to be created and the game to grow. We were pleased to hear recently that a Flicx Pitch was donated to the Maasai Warriors cricket team by the British Army and you can see footage in the Warriors movie trailer …. we have heard other remarkable stories from around the world with cricket being used to bring peace to regions such as Israel and how cricket has changed so many lives for the better. (Read More)
This is the true value of sport and we look forward to watching the Warriors film – you can find your local screening by visiting the website www.warriorsfilm.co.uk
The ICC Academy in Dubai’s mission is to become and remain the world’s leading cricket development, performance and education institution. It’s facilities are unrivalled and attract many international teams with the venue containing 2 full-size cricket ovals with floodlights, 7 synthetic and 3 hybrid pitches, an air-conditioned pavilion with state of the art gymnasiums, performance analysis technology etc and an indoor cricket centre including 6 indoor practice pitches and 4 Flicx Pitches which arrived in 2014.
One of 4 Flicx Pitches at the ICC Academy
The Flicx Pitches are a vital part of the ICC Academy’s schools program in Dubai with the key benefits being the ability to host multiple games on one oval and to also take the pressure off the main oval at the facility. Large tournaments are now possible and as a result the program is being expanded this year to give every school in Dubai access to these world class facilities. Speaking about the Flicx Pitches Samuel Charnley, Warriors Program Lead said
“The Flicx Pitch is an extremely powerful piece of equipment for the coaches and the ICC Academy, for numerous reasons. The pitch allows us to transform our ovals into an additional 2 grounds allowing us to play more games in shorter spaces of times. The pitches also create the ability for us to run junior tournaments with far greater ease.”
The schools programme at the academy aims to attract every school in Dubai to the centre
The pitches are easily rolled up and rolled out onto the outfield and in the future program sponsors will also be able to add their branding onto the surfaces. In the hot, desert climate in the UAE, the Flicx Pitch is a great solution to enable cricket to develop for example in schools where it might be very expensive to grow and maintain a grass surface or their might be a lack of expertise from the staff, the Flicx pitch can be rolled out to create an authentic cricket experience by laying it over an astro or rubbercrumb pitch which most schools have on site. With many international schools in Dubai with large expat communities from the likes of the UK, India, South Africa etc, the sport has the potential to grow with facility solutions like the versatile pitch from Flicx UK.
Speaking about her visit to the ICC Academy, Flicx marketing manager Kate Costin said ” Flicx are very honoured to have 4 pitches at the ICC Academy … the facilities are first class and it’s great to hear how successful the schools program has been and Sam’s exciting plans for its development. We certainly believe that the Flicx Pitch is exceptionally well suited to conditions in Dubai and are keen to speak with schools in the UAE who want to create their own cricket facilities with the addition of a Flicx Pitch which going forward would be our new and improved 2G surface.
For more information on the Flicx Pitch or to get a quote, please visit our website www.flicx.co.uk
Flicx UK sales manager Gary Luke has just returned from a trip to KL in Malaysia where Flicx UK exhibited for the first time at The Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) Heads of PE Conference 2015. The event was hosted by Garden International School in KL and by chairman Barnaby Sandow of Jerudong International School in Brunei Darussalam, a school who has recently taken delivery of a 2G Flicx Pitch hence our invite.
For FOBISIA members looking to introduce cricket into their curriculum the 2G Flicx Pitch is a great solution to any facility issues which the school might have for example no fully maintained cricket square, not enough space etc. A 2G Flicx Pitch can be rolled onto existing fields or on an artificial surfaces to add authenticity to pupils cricketing experiences with a good consistent bounce which takes seam and spin. In tropical temperature such as those found in Asia the UV stabilisation added during manufacture means the product has a 10-15 year lifespan thus being a great investment.
Interest was very high at the conference with many schools UK counterparts already benefiting from Flicx products – some orders were placed on the spot with others looking to order ahead of the new season. Flicx hosted a knock about match for delegates and also sponsored the drinks reception at the event which attracted over 60 teachers from British schools in Thailand, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong to name but a few.
One of the Dulwich College pitches at Flicx UK HQ before dispatch to Shanghai
Another existing Flicx Pitch customer who was present, Jamie from Dulwich College International in Shanghai, spoke very highly of the 2G Flicx Pitches as Dulwich enjoyed their first weekend of cricket on a Flicx Pitch just 2 weeks prior to the conference.
FOBISIA members qualify for a discount on all pitches ordered … contact Gary Luke for more information on +44 (0)1295 816765 or email gary@flicx.co.uk
BatFast is the brainchild of high school friends Runish Gudhka and Jignesh Patel. The innovative new company has developed an interactive cricket simulator which allows you to face the pace of Mitchell Johnson to the spin of Shane Warne. Their mission is to always keep player engagement as the primary focus.
The BatFast products are all the result of observing and analysing the game and how it is played by club players and top professionals, combined with their technical expertise, and the system is perfect for cricket fan zones, sponsors engagement activities and taking cricket to new audiences which is a key focus for the ECB at the moment.
Unlike a bowling machine, BATFAST cricket simulators allow you to experience the real emotion of being an international batsmen! Their precise technology times the ball release exactly in-sync with the bowling actions of the cricketers you are facing on the screen. Cameras flashing, crowds cheering, instant replays and post-match interviews as well as opposition sledging ensure this is a truly authentic cricketing experience so naturally Flicx UK were delighted to be approached by Gudhka and his team in terms of selecting a portable pitch which could deliver a consistent bounce on a wide variety of under surfaces.
“As a business, we always realised how important it would be for us to go to cricket fans, rather than them having to come to us. This meant we designed our simulators for 100% portability. Having done this, we required a supplier who could provide high quality portable pitches that would replicate a realistic experience. Working with Flicx was a no brainer due to their outstanding reputation, experience in the marketplace, dedication to quality, affordable prices and impeccable customer service. ”
The time lapse video below shows the BatFast system including their 2G Flicx Eagle eyed pitch being set up whilst feedback so far suggests that the pitch is performing exceptionally well.
“In the test runs we have done so far, the Flicx pitch has been easy to set up, use and pack up. This is vital as it saves us time and expense which we can pass onto the customer. In terms of consistency, the Flicx pitch has been really well received by our batters, making batting fun and enjoyable. Going forward we are confident Flicx pitches will allow our experience to be enjoyed, as it was designed to be.”
BatFast will be available to rent from 1 April 2016 (with advanced bookings and early bird details available) and Flicx UK marketing manager Kate Costin already sees a lot of opportunities for the simulator system “The great thing about BatFast is that it can be hired and transported anywhere making it equally great to use at cricket matches as in city centres thus allowing sponsors and clubs to market the game to a new audience. Being so interactive, BatFast creates memories by allowing participants to play against the best players in the world which is inspiring for kids and adults like … like the Flicx Pitch it is sure to take cricket to places it has never been played before and we are delighted that they will be playing on a 2G Flicx Pitch”
For more about BatFast and details how to hire the system for your next event, please visit the website http://batfast.com/ or contact them on 0800 689 3137 or info@batfast.com.
2G Flicx Pitch BLOG 