Summer Sports - Cricket
We are family!
It’s not often that a groundsman’s mum contacts us so, when an email from Caroline Mathews landed in our editor’s inbox telling us about her sixteen year old son’s passion for the industry, we were keen to learn more
Todd Mathews operating the Sisis Auto-Rotorake T
odd Mathews is a sixteen year old groundsman at his local cricket club, Hanley Castle & Upton CC, where he helps to prepare and organise the pitch preparation with his dad, Grant Mathews. Hanley Castle and the neighbouring village of Hanley Swan are nestled in the south Worcestershire countryside, close to the Malvern Hills and have a total population of just 1500. Jointly, they are known as The Hanleys. There was once a Norman castle, built as a hunting lodge for King John in 1207, from whence the village gets its name. By the end of the 15th century, the castle had been mostly demolished, and the tower was finally removed in 1795. However, a few traces still remain including a dry moat and a mound. A 900-year-old Cedar of Lebanon 82 PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013
dominates the village green, and a 15th century timber framed pub is its most striking building. There has been a cricket club on The Glebe ground for 103 years, the current club having grown out of the merger between Hanley Castle and Upton on Severn in 1999. The present pavilion was built in 1995 and the ground is shared with Hanley Castle High School who are responsible for the upkeep of the outfield. Todd explains that he has always had a passion for groundwork and loves to produce pitches for friends and family to play on. “I enjoy the attention to detail and presenting pitches to the best of my ability” he enthuses. “My father was, and still is, a volunteer groundsman at the club and, from a young age, I used to help him do the groundwork. He would
encourage me to help with mowing and general maintenance, both on the ground and at home. We even drove across the country to buy a second hand Hayter for my twelfth birthday!” “I have attended Worcestershire Association of Groundsman courses and lectures and have gained some basic qualifications,” he continues. “I recently went on an autumn renovation course and am interested in pursuing a degree at Myerscough College after I have finished my A levels.” “I’m a keen reader of Pitchcare, both the magazine and online articles, and this has helped develop my skills. In the future, I would love to be head groundsman at a county cricket ground.” By now, it will be clear that Todd’s
career path is already laid out in front of him, but what makes this young man
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