“We manage to provide a county standard ground on a club budget”
side, we have chalk six to eight inches down,” he explains, “then that gives way to sandy soil - it’s a bit of all sorts here.” ”We suffer from thatch build-up and moss,” Roger adds. “They cause us problems. I’d like to hire a Graden at some stage to help clear the organic material.” By the end of March, Roger’s
rolling out the wickets and reducing cut height from 6mm to 3mm, using his trusty Dennis mower; “but I do like to leave a bit of grass on there. After all, every groundsman is fighting to achieve bounce and pace.” “The speed of growth sometimes
takes me by surprise,” he confesses. “We can get three boxes off it and I think ‘where did all that come from’?”
The six grass nets at Horsham, now in their third year, have recently come in for a thorough makeover, Roger applying five inches of Surrey Loams Ltd’s Gostd, then overseeding with triple ryegrass mix.
Having a second, ten wicket
ground next to the main one has allowed Horsham to develop its cricket across a spread of age groups. “We have a large junior section, plus third and fourth teams, all of whom play on the nursery ground.”
Horsham has a good record of developing talent through its cricket academy, one of the innovations brought in by former club chairman, Dr John Dew, whose vision it was to foster junior talent.
Although he died last year, the fruits of his labours are clear for all to see in such bright hopes as 21-year old Sussex leg spinner, Will Beer, who impressed in the England U19s test series against New Zealand in 2008. “John was a great man. He’d always ask how everything was going and appreciated the difficulties of the groundsman’s task,” Roger recalls fondly. Since he arrived, Roger has been busy repairing wickets but knows that it can take at least two or three years before a
Horsham Cricket Club during Festival week
engineered for perfection
A first class finish …. everytime
For more information on our full range of cricket ground maintenance equipment call 01332 824777
PROUDLY BRITISH
www.dennisuk.com 43
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