Wembley, The Hundred & the South Pole! Kate’s Flicx Pitch Bucket List 2022

Since 1997 Flicx has been taking cricket to places it’s never been played before and has given a huge number of people access to cricket globally. As well as now rolling out portable pitches at thousands of clubs and schools we have also hosted a match on Mount Everest, at Lords- the home of cricket, down a slate mine, with the Maasai warriors as well as historically on Robben Island. Here Flicx UK’s Marketing and General manager Kate Costin shares her bucket list of places she would like to see cricket played on a 2G Flicx Pitch in the future … admittedly some are slightly more feasible than others!!

1. At every Hundred, IPL and Big Bash League game

One of the best things about going to Saracens Rugby matches as well as many dutch hockey games is that families are welcomed onto the pitch at half time and full time for a “knock about” … Given the great influx in younger audiences currently seen at hundred games, we would love to link up with every “franchise” team and league including those in the IPL and BBL, to roll out branded bespoke designed throwdown pitches to allow kids to play cricket after the games on the outfield ensure the link between watching cricket and playing cricket is truly seamless. These pitches could also be used in pop up cricket nets around the ground for batting and bowling challenges or for coaching sessions in the community with star players.

2. Submarine Rock Beach Cricket

We have hosted some great beach cricket games over the years with the likes of the Sydney Sixers, Yorkshire Cricket Foundation and the famous Spoonbill Trophy in Norfolk but down in New Zealand they host arguably the best beach cricket match in the world on Submarine Rock in the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand. Currently their pitch is just a bit rubber so it would be a major upgrade to a branded, colourful Flicx Pitch. The set up and photo’s would be iconic!

See all about Submarine Rock Beach Cricket

3. Buckingham Palace garden for the royal seal of approval

We know that her majesty is a big sports fan and so are all the family so what better entertainment for the next Windsor Garden party than a spot of backyard cricket. With the palace garden being so immaculate, the 2G Flicx Pitch would protect the under surface and I am sure the grandkids and great grand kids will be bowled over by the quality of the surface. Given this year, the queen will be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service, the timing is perfect to take a Flicx Pitch to the most iconic address in the UK.

4. On an aircraft carrier

This one is borrowed from our company owner Richard Beghin’s wish list – he would love to take a Flicx Pitch and play cricket at sea on an aircraft carrier … The worlds biggest aircraft carrier is called the Gerald R Ford Class, which is a US vessel 100,000 tonnes in size so the boundaries would be quite large and given it can accommodate 75 aircraft and 4,539 personnel, we shouldn’t be short of players!

5. On top of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai – a 7 star cricket experience

The UAE has a great passion for cricket and having seen some of the world’s best tennis stars play on the heli pad of the amazing Burj Al Arab hotel as well as hosting promotions for Antony Joshua. It would be great to get the likes of Stokes, Kohli and Smith teeing off to promote the next major cricket event played in Dubai! I wonder where the photographer is to capture shots like these

6. Converting the world’s most iconic sports stadiums for cricket ie- Wembley, Camp Neu – Barcelona

One of the most common applications of the 2G Flicx Pitch is converting football or rugby grass or synthetic pitches into extra cricket fields for the summer. We have already played at some championship football grounds like Leyton Orient and Sheffield United but this is a bucket list so of course we have to aim for Wembley Stadium to host an England v Australia test match on a 2G Flicx Pitch. The Flicx Pitch would produce an exciting contest between bat and ball in front of a bumper British crowd and the barmy army.

7. Cricket in Space

Ok so this one might be a few years away yet but imagine when we are all space tourists and the international space station is a hotel, how great it would be to play some cricket up there. Better still could we one day be playing on the moon or on Mars? Elon Musk, Richard Branson hit us up and help us take cricket to a whole new world.

8. Cricket at the South Pole 

So we have host cricket on Everest base camp and in the Kenyan desert so the next extreme game surely needs to be at the other extreme of climate, at the south pole. Logistics still to be explored but if any other is keen, do let us know

9. Race between a cricket fast bowler and an F1 car

With Flicx being based near Brackley we are not far away from the headquarters of some of formula one’s biggest teams including Red Bull and Mercedes. At the most glamorous race of the calendar in Monaco, we could host a competition to see what would be faster. A F1 car off a standing start or a fast bowler delivering the ball onto a Flicx Pitch. Who do you think would win??

10. Your suggestions …

Where would you like to take cricket? Do you have a crazy idea or equally a worthy partnership which would introduce cricket to new audiences or make a difference to a community. Get in touch and we will see what we can do to make it happen. Connect with me on Linked In or contact me via kate@flicx.com or on 01295 816765. Thanks for reading and have a great 2022.