From cricinfo: A question for anyone with a PhD or masters in growth rate of grass(!), how much do they grow overnight? I am assuming not more a millimetre, so the question, why did the groundsmen need to cut the grass today?" -- Anyone with a PhD in Botany here?


Cricinfo->Mikey: "Cutting JUST the overnight grown grass? Really? Would love to know how that works." --- I am not an expert and I am as perplexed as you are.


ricinfo->Miller: "@ Albab Masud, I have no PhD in that subject, but I am a groundsman for our football + cricket ground, and I'm very familier with mowers. I can assure you, our mower don't have a blade for millimeter, all done in inches. Even hair clippers don't have that option of trimming just a millimeter."

Continuing on the topic of grass, here is Dilly: "Im a university student. (No phd yet). But I've seen faster grass, in the height of a nice, rainy, warm week, grow about 1/4" per day. On the other hand (Amazingly) some bamboo varieties (which are grasses), that can grow a foot a day..."

Ocean: "Thanks for the info Dilly. May be the groundsmen mistakenly planted bamboo instead of the usual grass for the outfield....which explains why the ball wasn't travelling at all yesterday as well as why we'd need to trim them today!!!"


Albab Masud: "I was just wondering whether it is common practice to mow the ground in the middle of a test match. Seems a bit unfair to the team batting in the heavier grass. Remember how the Sydney ODI between SL and AUS was called off as it was not 'fair' for the teams?" -- I think they do it (not very sure though)