Top 5 pitch curators of the 21st century

#3 Steve Birks - Trent Bridge (Nottingham)

Trent Bridge has witnessed several great Ashes matches.

Best Known for - Preparing result producing pitches for four-day matches.

Steve Birks has been awarded as The Best Groundsman of the year twice in a span of seven years by the English Cricket Board (ECB). The man in charge at the Nottingham's Trent Bridge stadium, Birks is best known for his capability to produce result yielding wickets for four-day games.

When it comes to international Test matches, Birks constructs wickets that are bowler-friendly to start with and then gradually become more suited for the batsmen. His pitches for one-day games also have something in it for the fast bowlers. An average score of close to 230 in the first and the second innings of ODIs signifies that it is not just another Belter.

Steve Birks has an overall experience of 25 years in the field of preparing pitches and maintaining the ground.