Hybrid pitches to make cricket County Championship debut in 2024

Hybrid pitches will be used for the first time in English first class cricket during the 2024 County Championship season. The technology has previously been used in one-day cricket games, but the concern has been that hybrid pitches “wouldn’t deteriorate enough” for four-day cricket.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), however, made a decision in late 2023 to trial hybrid pitches. ECB said that the prospect of losing the traditional “fourth day pitch” conditions – which often guarantees a result – would be positively offset by the opportunity to allow grounds to cope with the volume of cricket played during the English summer season.

“The use of hybrid pitches will be permitted in the County Championship next season as part of a one-year trial,” the ECB said in a statement.

The use of hybrid pitches will be permitted in the County Championship next season as part of a one-year trial

“The use of hybrid pitches has, until now, been limited to white-ball cricket. The one-year trial will assess the value of using hybrid pitches in multi-day cricket, with counties having the option whether to use hybrid pitches or not through the season.”