Final surface cultivations in readiness for turfing
laid on 27th March 2009, the turf being supplied by Lindum in the form of a 40mm thick big roll grown on a fibre reinforced rootzone material. Laying of the turf was carried out under sub- contract by Talbot Turf and was completed by Good Friday (10th April 2009), just two weeks prior to the start of the new season.
The first season of use
Because of the thickness and stability of the turf, it was agreed that the club could hold three consecutive days of pre-season friendly games on the outfield, the first of these starting just five days after the final turf had been laid. Apart from some minor turf movements under one of the bowlers run ups, the turf held together and play was able to progress unhindered with favourable feedback from the players concerned.
The first scheduled home match of the new season commenced on 26th April 2009 and proceeded without incident, apart from some minor rain delays at the start.
As part of an ongoing monitoring
programme of the established outfield, the STRI undertook some initial infiltration tests using double ring infiltrometers. Initial readings taken in early May indicated that sections of the outfield did not comply with the ECB drainage requirements. This was largely due to the presence of a 5-10mm accumulation of thatch at the immediate turf base. Also, there was some inevitable residual compaction within the upper soil profile as a result of the earthworks having been carried out during the adverse winter weather conditions.
Laying of imported turf
At this stage, the turf was not sufficiently well rooted to facilitate compaction relief measures using a vertidrain type machine and, therefore, the only form of aeration possible initially was some relatively shallow solid tine spiking.
The first major test of the outfield came with the advent of the One Day International between England and the West Indies, which was held on 21st May 2009. In the week leading up to this event, there had been repeated rain showers that culminated in a spell of two hours of heavy rain immediately prior to the start of the match. It is well documented that the game was abandoned due to waterlogging of the surface, which was largely due to the retention of the rainwater within the thatch layer contained in the turf. Beneath the moisture retentive top, the
ground was reasonably firm underfoot and there was no evidence of any soft unstable conditions due to any drainage problems lower down in the profile. The abandonment of the match was a major disappointment to the club and consultant alike and, to rub salt into the wound, the remaining two matches of the One Day International schedule were played the following week in perfectly dry and sunny conditions. A further two weeks passed before the turf was sufficiently well anchored into the underlying soil to enable an initial vertidraining treatment to be undertaken. Through the remainder of June and early July a fairly intensive programme of treatments was implemented with the aim being to further improve surface drainage. This
commenced with a hollow tining treatment using a tractor mounted Toro Procore, followed by light scarification with a tractor-mounted scarifier/collector. Two further vertidraining operations
were also carried out to help alleviate some of the underlying compaction. A second set of infiltration tests carried out after this programme of work showed an 85% improvement in terms of the rate of water movement off the surface. The northern and western sections of the outfield exceeded the ECB infiltration rates whilst, to the east and west of the square, the figures fell just below. During this period, the club also
acquired a Jacobsen Tri-King triple mower to assist with routine mowing, and this was also fitted with verticutting units, which are now being used on a monthly basis, again with a view to reducing the thatch content in the turf base. Sadly, the improved performance of the outfield was not matched by that of the England Test team. Indeed, approximately 25mm of rain fell during the night prior to the first day of the match but the outfield was fit for play by 9.00am.
As part of the end of season renovation works, further vertidraining, in combination with sand topdressing and additional scarifying work, was carried out. With the completion of the new pavilion, due to be ready later this year, Headingley Carnegie Stadium will provide world-class facilities for both international and county cricket and, with proper ongoing management, it will have an outfield to match.
Completed outfield
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