How the Flicx Pitch is helping to grow the game on Lanzarote

Cricket in Lanzarote is on the up and up … with a wonderful year round climate they get to enjoy a lengthy domestic season as well as hosting their own invitational tournaments and welcoming an ever increasing number of touring teams. It is the 10^th Anniversary of cricket on the island this year and that has coincided with the official recognition of cricket as a sport in Spain by the Spanish Government.

Initially all playing surfaces were covered in volcanic gravel therefore a length of coconut matting would be laid down to play on however in 2009 the Lanzarote Cricket Association (LCA) brought a new pitch from Flicx UK which is rolled out on an Astroturf. The standard of cricket on the island was transformed instantly. Peter Starmer, from the LCA said they are all indebted to the Flicx Pitch that they have been using for over 5 years now. “It enables us to play cricket in the same environment all year round, and given the understandable lack of grass on the Island, it makes for a fantastic playing surface with the only variable being the weather -will it either be hot or very hot!!”

The Lanzarote season lasts almost 10 months and every game is now played on our Flicx Pitch. This year, the LCA are proudly hosting their 3rd annual international T20 tournament which is held over three days in March, with teams from the UK competing with Lanzarote whilst the prequel to this event is a local franchise based T20 tournament in February followed by a number of games between a first and second representative XI. (Following the success and demand from the March tournament, the island will now be hosting a second T20 International in October). After Easter the 35 over league season starts which runs until August then in September a local club based T20 competition once more in readiness for the arrival of the touring teams takes place with Lanzarote very proud of their near perfect home record, having being beaten only once (in the final of last year’s March T20).

@FlicxPitch Great game of cricket in Lanzarote today! First game back and took 4 wickets getting the ball to move of the seam on the mat.

— Tricheffing (@nathancradduck) March 26, 2015

Amongst other LCA activities, they are currently talking to the England and Holland over 40’s about a possible triangular tournament towards the end of the year, have sent their league winners to represent Lanzarote in the Spanish Champions finals in La Manga as well as organising a beach cricket competition on the Playa Grande, Puerto del Carmen, in the Summer – this event is also played on their Flicx Pitch which is a great testament the products versatility. A youth cricket festival and a street cricket competition in July also forms part of their calendar which serves to promote the sport and they fundraise during the annual Lanzarote Summer Music Festival.

In summary, the Flicx Pitch has been a major force behind the development of cricket on Lanzarote. It enables them to play several games a day and on several consecutive days of the week when the demand arises all without any deterioration in the pitch conditions. The nature of the Flicx product enables the LCA to replicate a much truer bounce than would have otherwise have been possible to achieve on an artificial surface. It is safe to say that they truly appreciate how much the Flicx Pitch has contributed to the development of cricket in Lanzarote and will continue to do so.