A COLCHESTER sports club is planting trees at the edge of its waterlogged pitch to provide wood for cricket bats.
Eight Ash Green Cricket Club flooded for the first six weeks of the 2024 season, and missed out on a promotion as a result.
The club has since partnered with Chelmsford-based J S Wright and Sons Ltd, the world’s oldest supplier of cricket bat willow, to plant trees at the side of the pitch.
The willows are expected to mature in 15 to 20 years.
Colin Gwynn, tree buyer for JS Wright and Sons Ltd, said: "Planting cricket bat willows offers two benefits – the first is it will draw up a lot of moisture which will make the area nicer to play on.
"And the other is that the cricket club will be growing trees which will eventually be turned into cricket bats – it connects the dots and joins everything up."
The club's carbon champion, Richard Parker, who has been a member for 50 years, said the outfield has become increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather.
Richard said: "This area of the outfield is incredibly wet and due to climate change it's becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
"Two years ago it was under water till the end of May, so we didn’t actually play cricket till June.
"A third of our season had almost gone before we’d even started.
"We want to reduce the amount of water by natural means, and willow trees seemed the best bet because they thrive in damp conditions - it’s a great way for cricket clubs to become more environmentally oriented."
The willow planting is just one part of the club’s broader sustainability efforts.
Read more
Eight Ash Green also plans to install a ‘grey water’ system to collect and store waste water from the clubhouse for irrigation during dry spells.
Other measures include fitting double glazing, installing solar-powered showers, reusing equipment where possible, and encouraging members to car-share to reduce its energy use.
J S Wright and Sons Ltd, established in 1894, plants more than 40,000 trees each year across more than 2,500 UK sites.
Share