Flames at Cricket Matches - Just How Hot are They?
Time to turn down the temperature…
So how hot is a flame?
Upwards of 1000℃, is the answer, if indeed you’re talking about the giant pyrotechnic flamethrowers that have become ubiquitous at cricket matches in the UK and many other sports around the world.
With the climate emergency beginning to take its toll, having potentially disastrous consequences for cricket everywhere, surely it is highly incongruous for clubs to continue blasting these enormous jets of burning fuel into the atmosphere, often on live TV? With many clubs striving for greater sustainability, how can they continue to justify such a wasteful and damaging practice?
Even a small flame averages 1,000℃, and we’re talking about multiple pulsating flames, in close proximity to players and fans. Supporters in the stands are often able to feel the extreme heat, even at a distance and a number of players have even come close to being seriously injured, including Tom Curran and Aaron Finch. When we ask supporters, they understandably say, “I didn’t realise a flame was that hot!”
Sadly, while other sports are also culprits, cricket can be one of the worst offenders as some limited overs matches release flames at multiple points through the match, including for sixes hit throughout the innings.
Some pyrotechnic providers will claim they supply ‘lower emission’ flames, using biofuels or carbon offsets, but this is still a waste of resources and a crisis that is affecting us now. Offset programs have years of delay before any potential benefits, and there are all sorts of well documented problems. The reality is that you don’t need an offset program if you don’t create damage in the first place.
As wildfires rage in Australia, Canada and Texas and while Africa swelters in a record breaking heatwave, the tragic symbolism of pyrotechnic flames should not be lost on cricket lovers. Remember last year’s fires in London and Manchester, destroying homes and threatening lives? Remember the record breaking fires in Canada, Australia and Siberia, releasing enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere? As an overwhelming majority of scientists agree that these events are more frequent due to our hot planet, sport should surely not be glorifying the use of flames for entertainment purposes.
While we understand that flames are designed to excite the crowd, the sport itself should be exciting enough and there are of course alternatives, such as lasers, holographics, drone shows or the ‘colour blast banners’ used at the Women’s World Cup. Why not make use of local cheerleading or dance groups, youth bands or other creative ideas? There are so many possibilities with lower impact and better optics.
We here at The Next Test urge cricket clubs everywhere to cease their use of pyrotechnic flames at matches and for the ECB to live up to its sustainability commitments, as outlined in the recent Environmental Sustainability Plan for Cricket. We also urge you to get involved and join the conversation around cricket, climate change and sustainability.
What can cricket lovers do to make a positive impact?
Contact your favourite professional cricket clubs and urge them to stop using pyrotechnic flames. Ask them to seek out positive, alternative solutions.
Contact the ECB and urge them to take a stand. It is doing good work in encouraging sustainability, as shown on their website, but there are flames used in multiple ECB competitions. Remind them that they should be a global leader for the sake of future cricketers everywhere.
Here is a link to the ECB sustainability page with their contact details at the bottom. https://www.ecb.co.uk/about/what-we-do/sustainability
Thank you for your support, from all of us at The Next Test!
