Outfield I


Bob Stretton looks at the importance of cricket outfield maintenance, the problems caused by dual use and how they might be rectified 58


n the maintenance of a cricket outfield, success or failure of such work is influenced by whether the area is to be used solely for cricket or for any winter sports. The ideal cricket outfield should be firm, fast and true, and present no hazards to any player as a result of a ball bobbling up from an uneven surface. Ideally, from a cricketer’s point of view, hockey would be a preferred winter sport as it tends to be less stressful on the grasses and ground conditions. Alas though, hockey is now established as a game played on artificial surfaces, and long gone are the grass pitches we knew in the past except, perhaps, at independent schools. However, if football or rugby is the preferred sport, then a different strategy has to be employed. In the past, old and ancient cricket clubs possessed poor levels of outfields, a feature for some clubs, but also as a result of having originally being constructed


from existing ridged and furrowed land or land left fallow where heavy clay is the predominant factor. Where this problem is severe, i.e. where the topography is very undulating, it can lead to varying depths of topsoil existing over high and low spots which, in turn, will affect grass coverage and create wet and dry hot spots. The only way that this problem can be overcome is to carry out large scale regrading and levelling. This can be very costly and involves regrading sub soils and the levelling of topsoil. Where the undulations are not too severe, and there is a good depth of topsoil, then it is more practicable to remove the topsoil, grade the subsoil to the required levels and replace, or introduce new topsoils compatible to the ground conditions. Where isolated undulations occur, much smaller scale work could be undertaken to overcome the problem.


The installation of a pipe and slit


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