STRI Australia

30/03/2026

The ICC - International Cricket Council Women’s T20 World Cup kicks off this June, hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) across seven venues, with 33 matches set to take place throughout England and Wales.

In preparation, Toby Lumsden (CSTM), alongside the ICC team, has been visiting venues across the UK to carry out comprehensive facility reviews and provide expert guidance to grounds teams. This includes ensuring boundary dimensions meet requirements, advising on pitch rotation and usage, and supporting coordination with broadcasters and venue event teams to ensure everything is ready for the global stage.

Host venues include Derby, Loughborough, Edgbaston, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, Bristol, Hampshire, Lord’s and Cardiff. It’s a fantastic line-up of locations set to showcase the tournament. Here's a glimpse at some of the venues when the sun came out!

20/02/2026

Cricket has reached a turning point where data is no longer simply a supporting tool, it is fundamental to how the game is played, managed and prepared.

This becomes even more critical for global tournaments like the ICC - International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, where venues span diverse climates, soils and turf systems, yet expectations around safety, fairness and consistency remain the same.

In this article, we explore how data underpins surface performance, pitch preparation and governance, and why combining technical datasets with curator expertise is key to delivering world-class playing conditions. Read here:

In discussion with Toby Lumsden, Senior Sportsfield Design Consultant Cricket has reached a turning point. Data is no longer simply a supporting tool in the background, it has become fundamental to how the game is played, managed and prepared. Decisions that were once guided primarily by experience....

06/02/2026

Today the final takes place for the ICC - International Cricket Council U19 World Cup, and we’re excited to see England face India.

Looking back over the tournament, here’s a glimpse of the pitches STRI's Toby Lumsden visited in Windhoek, Namibia recently to review and share recommendations with the ICC and the venue's curator, to ensure the grounds were performing to a high-class standard ahead of the tournament.

Toby assesses the surface conditions, maintenance regimes, gathering data and providing insights to help keep standards high for all future tournaments. We’ll be undertaking pre-tournament assessments next for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and we’ll be keeping you updated throughout. Best of luck to the finalists!

07/10/2025

Successfully delivering a sporting event or tournament is a complex task.

We have experience in organising world-renowned sporting events and are committed to ensuring your event or tournament is executed to the highest standard.

Our services include:
✅ Providing technical support to venue ground teams
✅Overseeing pitch presentation and tournament management
✅Offering detailed reporting and feedback

As a Group, we have played a key role in delivering top-tier sports surfaces for prestigious events including Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, Rugby World Cups, Wimbledon Championships and UEFA tournaments.

Talk to us to find out more on [email protected]

12/08/2025

🌳 Trees contribute significantly to the visual appeal and character of a golf course. They also provide environmental benefits, such as habitat for wildlife, improved air quality, and screening of undesirable views. However, trees can also negatively impact turf quality, particularly when they limit access to light, air movement, or nutrients which are all essential for healthy turf.

🌳 If your club is experiencing ongoing issues, we're happy to conduct an assessment to quantify the impact the trees are having on the playing surface. We can highlight targeted management strategies which will improve the quality and playability of the affected course.

07/08/2025

Irrigation is crucial in ensuring an optimum playing surface for natural, hybrid and artificial surfaces.

We can develop and model scenarios which assess your club’s irrigation requirements, and determine what's needed to avoid unforeseen issues occurring in the future.

We look at a range of key factors, including weather variability, irrigation system efficiency, on-site dam storage capacity, and the potential for water harvesting. Speak to us on how we can support you to ensure you're implementing the right infrastructure for your club or facility.

e: [email protected]

30/07/2025

How do you determine the best turf for your playing surface? We’ve been working alongside clients to conduct extensive research for years, testing in warm and cool season environments/

✅Species/Cultivar Trials
✅Demonstration Trials
✅Rootzone, Maintenance Trials
✅Salinity Tolerance Trials
✅Water Saving Trials
✅Pesticide & Fertilizer Evaluation

Some of the independent research we conduct includes pesticide and fertilizer evaluation for the chemical industry and grass cultivar assessment for seed and sod companies.

Discuss how we can help with your upcoming research, reach out and we'd be happy to discuss more.

Our research team is focused on supporting the sports turf industry by exploring cost-effective ways to produce high quality durable surfaces.

07/07/2025

Welcome Toby Lumsden (CSTM) !

With over 32 years of experience in professional turf management across elite sports including cricket, AFL, soccer, rugby, bowls, croquet, and tennis, he brings a wealth of global expertise and passion to our projects. His career has taken him to some of the world’s most iconic venues, including the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), Lord’s Cricket Ground, and the Dubai International Stadium.

Toby is known for his innovative approach to turf management, particularly in the development and refinement of cricket wickets. His recent work has focused on hybrid turf technologies, clay material trials, and pushing the boundaries of turf performance through research and new systems.

Welcome to the team!

25/04/2025

We’re delighted to share some exciting news…we’ve got a new look!

It’s an exciting time for STRI Australia and we're thrilled to share our new logo and updated website which has launched this week. Reflecting on the developments of the past 12 years, it’s important for us to be clearly aligned to STRI Group which offers end-to-end services in sports and environmental engineering. We will continue to enhance pitches, facilities, courses, tournaments and events, and provide world class research for Australia and the world.

Take a look at our brand new website here: https://striaustralia.com.au/ which includes our case studies and up to date summary of our range of services. Happy browsing

26/03/2025

We have been in Hobart undertaking racecourse agronomic benchmarking of Elwick Racecourse following their recent Hobart Cup Carnival. The track presented and raced very well.

We conduct quantitative assessments to collect data for measuring against industry standards or your own previous results. We can assist with benchmarking audits for sports surfaces, horse racing tracks, greens and wider golf course areas to help with decision making, provide benchmarking analysis and make recommendations.

25/02/2025

Water irrigation can impact on various aspects of turf management, and comprehensive testing should be routinely undertaken to determine the water's suitability and to understand any management implications for its use.

Michael Robinson, Sports Turf Agronomist breaks down the test parameters in our latest blog.

Over recent years there has been a major drive for the turf industry to become less reliant on potable (drinking) water for irrigation and to use alternative water sources (often of lower quality) such as recycled and bore water. Recycled water can contain salts, harmful concentrations of Sodium, Ch...

12/02/2025

During the 2024/25 season, Maroondah City Council undertook the re-construction of the North Ringwood Reserve in Victoria. The purpose of the development is to improve the playing surface for local community cricket and junior football sports. The project involved the stripping of the initial playing surface, new earthworks modelling, an extensive drainage system and an automated irrigation system to aid in wise water management programs. The site was then grassed with a warm season turfgrass species TifTuf.

It was a collaborative project from Maroondah City Council, our team and Victorian Sports Group (Joslyn Group). Together, we ensured the local community sporting assets were developed sustainably within the local government budget allocation, without a reduction in project quality and importantly, with no impact to the lifespan of the sportsfield.

A construction program was initiated and the detailed design documents were created by our team. This provided accurate technical instruction and practical direction to the project, without generating over-designed expenditure. A positive result for the community.

The North Ringwood Reserve will be open for community use in the autumn 2025.