The Hover Cover

Patent number 2331466

The Hover Cover is an innovative product designed by Stuart Canvas Products that has revolutionised the way that major cricket grounds protect their squares and pitches.

Developed in 1998 and installed at Lord’s in the same year, it not only reduces the amount of playing time lost to rain but also enables the ground staff to cover the pitch and square within three minutes with much reduced manpower.

The Hover Cover, with its potential for generating sponsorship/advertising revenue, is the ideal product for covering all Test Match and County grounds.

“This is not only perfect for cricket – it makes good business sense too” said Tony Dodemaide, Head of Cricket at MCC, after the NatWest Series Final between New Zealand and West Indies in 2004. Play was completed on the day despite several rain interruptions, thus avoiding unnecessary expenditure for an additional day’s play.

The Hover Cover has many advantages over conventional pitch covers and these include:

Speed - the Hover Cover can be protecting the pitch within three minutes of the start of rain whereas normal cricket covers would take up to 10 minutes to cover the pitch completely.

Manpower - being self-propelled, the Hover Cover requires less ground staff to manoeuvre it onto the square than traditional mobile pitch covers.

Transportation - the Hover Cover glides to the centre of the pitch thus meaning there are will be no wheel marks or damage to the turf after a deluge of rain. The hover, which is motorised, can be loaded with side sheets and a bowlers’ run-up cover thus avoiding extra man power and time getting the covers to the centre.

Sponsorship - the Hover Cover is an ideal sponsorship medium for your venue. The canvas top is perfect for sign writing and it can be shaped to the sponsor’s wishes, e.g. made to look like an aeroplane fuselage with tail fin or even a can of drink. The Hover Cover can also be used as a mobile advertising hoarding during intervals if required.

Benefits to the groundsmen - the air circulation units can be used to speed up the drying process and is ideal for controlled germination, especially out of season.  It can also be moved sideways easily, on and off the pitch, when work is necessary during showery days.

Dimensions - its dimensions are tailor made to the customer’s own requirements, but would normally be between 80ft – 105ft long and 15 ft wide.  It is powered by two 20 hp petrol-driven engines, one at each end.  Integral gutters down each long side are designed to carry square covers on inflatable tubes, and extra covers, if necessary, for bowlers’ run-ups.

In short, the Hover Cover is ideal for covering pitches at all major cricket grounds and the potential for generating sponsorship/advertising income means it is also cost effective. The Hover Covers are currently being used at Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Cardiff, Edgbaston and Old Trafford.