To theMANORborn
Being a volunteer Groundsman at the ‘prettiest’ club in Shropshire has its rewards reckons Stephen Morris
THE Manor Ground, home of Bishops Castle Cricket Club, is situated on the Shropshire/Wales border and is, without doubt, one of the most picturesque grounds in Shropshire Cricket. The first recorded cricket in Bishops Castle was in 1841, but the club was formed in 1896 at the Six Bells Public House playing at various grounds in the Town including Oak Meadow and Love Lane, before moving to its present home at Lydham Manor in 1946, the ground being owned, as it still is today, by the Sykes family. They had previously used the ground as a private cricket ground to play various invited teams and players between the world wars. The Club were one of the most
respected in Shropshire Cricket throughout the 1950s and 1960s, so much so that they were approached to be a founder member of the Shropshire League (now the Proactive Shropshire Premier) in 1969. But the then Committee turned the chance down, a decision that would have repercussions in the 1980s when the Club reached a very low ebb, before a resurgence saw them join the Shropshire League Division 5 in 1993 - at two weeks notice! They set a still standing League record on their debut, bowling their opposition, Guilsfield, out for 11. Various promotions have followed and, this year, they competed in Division 2 of the seven
Division League for the fifth successive season. Also, this season, the club ran a 2nd XI for the first time competing in Division 7 of the Shropshire League. Bishops Castle also run a Sunday side, Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 sides and kwik cricket for 11s and under. The club have four ECB coaches and they also foster excellent links with the local primary school and community college. This meant that in 2007 there were over seventy matches played at The Manor.
THE ground is kept in shape by Groundsman Stephen Morris who has looked after the Manor Ground since 1985, having started playing with the Club in 1977 (and still on 1st XI duty in 2007!!). He dedicates, on average, fifteen hours a week mainly over a period of 25- 28 weeks every year. Stephen is ably assisted with machinery maintenance by Gerald Jones, who has been involved with the Club for over twenty years and also, at busier times of the season, by various other volunteers. The square at the Manor was first used by the Club in 1946. It has no drainage system as such but does have a slight slope from top to bottom which can help with excess water on the square. The square has eight natural turf pitches - six senior, one junior and one for use with the mobile net which was purchased last year.
Because of an extreme lack of finances in the mid 80s, there was very little in the way of a budget for the maintenance of the ground. It was a case of it breaks raise some money and fix it. Up until 1999 the outfield was cut with a set of trailed Ransomes gangmowers, borrowing a tractor off Gerald’s father who is a farm machinery supplier. The square has not been top dressed in all the time that I have been groundsman (originally due to lack of funds), although the last three seasons I have used Kettering loam (from GSB Loams) to repair the bowlers’ footmarks, which has been very good. This must mean we are very lucky with the soil composition of the square. Over the last six seasons there has been a run rate of 3.75 per over (so, per 100 overs an average of 375 runs).
At the end of the season we aerate the square with a manual Sisis solid tine, and
“It was a case of if it breaks raise some money and fix it”
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