Summer Sports - Cricket
“I always say you can get your certificates, you can know the basics, now learn the job”
get your certificates, you can know the basics, now learn the job. I don’t care who you are, I reckon it takes at least two years for a groundsman to understand a new square.” We return to the subject of league cricket - Bowdon play in division one of the Cheshire league. “I now prepare tracks for 55 overs-a- side games. The main requirement is a good track that provides even bounce and comes onto the bat nicely. These guys are not professionals and simply want an enjoyable day’s cricket. I’ve got one track here that misbehaves a bit, with the occasional shooter. I’ll get to the bottom of it in time.”
“I don’t know whether people expected me to arrive here with some magic dust. To be fair, the pitches were worse in the second year, but improved a bit last season. We’ve relaid three tracks and I expect to see improvements in the coming seasons. In fact, I expect them to end up like Old Trafford wickets, as I followed the same principles. We dug down a foot and rebuilt with Gostd loam from Surrey Loams. It’s got a high clay content and will crack like canyons, but will settle down eventually. I want the best for the lads playing here.” “The square here is bigger than it needs to be, in my opinion. The 1st team will, eventually, play on the six central tracks, whilst the 2nds and 3rds will use the others further out. I also want the under 15s and 18s to play on the central tracks. If, as I expect, the new tracks are as good as a county wicket, that’s exactly what they
should be being brought up on. The tracks will take it.” “I’ve also been advising a few local groundsmen on relaying squares. They had seen it as a daunting task, and were considering hiring in a contractor to undertake the work. Once I had explained the processes, and offered myself as back-up, they were confident enough to have a go. At the end of the day, all it is is digging out to depth and filling it up again. I’m not suggesting that a contractor shouldn’t be used if circumstances suit, but it’s not as complicated as it might appear. If done correctly, it should be possible to get three or four games out of each track where, previously, they were only getting one. And there’s the satisfaction of having done the job themselves.” Pete suggests a Blec
Seeder, a Sisis Truspred and a good lute are ‘must have’ equipment for cricket groundsmen. “I thought there was too much equipment on the county trailers. The only thing I would hire in would be a tractor mounted scarifier for end of season work. I use a Toro triple for the outfield and a Paladin for the wickets. I love the Paladin, always have, although I recently bought a Dennis and was impressed with that too.” “I’ve been asked, a number of times, about glueing tracks. I’ve said all along that it is not for everybody. At Old Trafford, where the tracks were rock hard, it was a useful tool in my armoury, but it is not for league clubs; not unless they have concrete tracks, and very few do.” There is no magic formula.
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APRIL/MAY 2012 PC 43
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