Cricket is entering a new chapter in the United States. Growing participation, increasing investment and the sport's return to the Olympic Games at LA28 are accelerating demand for facilities that meet professional standards while remaining available for intensive year round use.

The opening of the Knight Riders Cricket Ground at Fairplex in Pomona, California, reflects that momentum. Developed as the home venue of the Los Angeles Knight Riders, the facility will host Major League Cricket matches while contributing to the continued growth of cricket across North America. For TenCate, the project demonstrates how advanced sports infrastructure can support the development of emerging markets by combining performance, durability and long term usability.

The project was delivered by The LandTek Group, part of the TenCate family of companies, as design build contractor. The scope included site preparation, grading, drainage, utilities, field construction and the installation of a specialist natural grass cricket square.

Construction began in April 2026. Just over two months later, the venue welcomed its first Major League Cricket match. Delivering a facility of this scale within such a short timeframe required close collaboration between engineers, contractors, agronomy specialists and project partners. More than 32,000 metric tons of material were moved to prepare the site before the playing surface could be constructed.

Cricket places unique demands on a sports surface. The central wicket must provide consistent pace and bounce, while the surrounding areas need to withstand intensive player movement, event traffic and changing weather conditions.

To meet those different requirements, the project combines a professionally engineered natural grass cricket square with TenCate synthetic turf in the surrounding warning track and circulation areas. Each surface was selected for the role it performs, creating a venue that balances elite performance with long term reliability.

This approach reflects a broader design philosophy. Every sports environment should be engineered around how it will be used, ensuring consistent performance throughout its lifetime.

At TenCate, product development begins with understanding how athletes interact with a surface. Research carried out through the Center for Turf Innovation combines laboratory testing, field validation and player feedback to continuously improve sports surfaces for different applications.

Although this project includes both natural and synthetic playing surfaces, the same principle applies throughout. Every design decision is guided by performance, usability and long term value. That philosophy extends across TenCate's global portfolio, from professional stadiums and training centres to community sports facilities and recreational spaces.

The Knight Riders Cricket Ground represents more than a new venue. It reflects the continued investment in cricket across the United States and the infrastructure required to support that growth. As the sport prepares for its Olympic return in Los Angeles in 2028, facilities capable of delivering consistent playing conditions and intensive use will become increasingly important.

Projects like this show how collaboration between local expertise and global innovation can help create sports environments that serve athletes today while supporting the continued development of the game for years to come.