Summer Sports - Cricket
GETTING Personal...
Todd Mathews - A levels can wait, there’s a cricket wicket to prepare ... after a night out with Nicole, obviously!
Who are you? Todd Arthur Mathews, Assistant
Groundsman at Hanley Castle & Upton Cricket Club.
Family status? Single, youngest son of three, mum (Caroline), dad (Grant) and brothers Barton (23) and Rory (20).
Who’s your hero and why? Graeme Swann, as I’m also an off spinner and would love to drift and turn the ball like him.
What would you change about yourself? Get school work done as a priority before other jobs!
What’s your guilty pleasure? Food: chicken korma and onion bhajis from Pundits in Upton upon Severn, what a restaurant; see my review on Trip Advisor.
What do you drop everything for? Sport, particularly Cricket on 5; no Sky TV in my house!
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Playing a round of golf at Loch Lomond and seeing the difference between first class and local facilities and the difference in maintenance, cost and quality there can be.
What are your pet peeves? People not understanding the amount of work required to prepare a pitch, and people advising you about
groundwork who have never even started a mower in their life.
If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? I would like to go to watch the autumn renovation of the square at Lords, maybe even help a little?
What’s the best part of your job? To produce pitches for me, my friends and my family to play on.
… and the worst? Pushing the covers on and off and trying to second guess the weather, which is greatly affected by the nearby Malvern Hills. Generally, having no control of the weather and it completely ruining you work plans.
Do you have a lifetime ambition? To be Head Groundsman at a County Cricket ground.
84 PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013
Favourite record, and why? Constant Conversations by Passion Pit.
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? Nicole Scherzinger.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Invest some of it in the cricket club’s facilities; roller, wicket mower etc.
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? Double bass: working hard in the background, crucial to the overall tone.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? The greatest risk in life is to take no risks at all.
What’s your favourite smell? Freshly cut grass.
What do you do in your spare time? Play cricket, golf - I am a junior member at Puckrup Hall Golf Course (Tewkesbury) - and tennis.
What’s the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? What does that mower do?
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Atco Groundsman, as I enjoy making stripes on it.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Sporty, kind, fun.
What talent would you like to have? To be able to read minds.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? Learn to drive at 16; get rid of OFSTED as it is too much stress for my teacher parents!
Hanley Castle & Upton CC - in the shadow of the Malvern Hills
the region of £1,000 each year - £100 for machinery hire in the autumn; £350 on loam and seed; £500 on machinery repair and upkeep; £100 on petrol, diesel and oils.” “In 2010, we were able to
extend the square and brought on two new strips, which means we now have an astroturf strip (that is used by the younger colts and for occasional senior midweek fixtures), a net strip for senior practice, seven senior strips and two colts strips.” Colts teams are run from U-10 through to U-17, with the youngsters drafted into the Sunday XI to gain experience and, where their talent dictates, the two Saturday league sides. “The square is about 400m
from the banks of the River Severn and has developed a light well drained profile, which we have improved with the introduction of Kaloam. Root depth is 100mm, there’s little thatch thanks to regular use of a Graden during the last five year’s renovations, and we have a soil pH of 6.6,” explains Todd. “Perhaps surprisingly, bearing in mind the trials and tribulations at New Road and our proximity to the river, the ground does not flood.” “There is a drainage system running through the outfield and the square also has its own drainage built in.” “The pitches are used by the local school as well as the cricket club, and are occasionally hired out to other local clubs. We were delighted that the county colts teams felt the surface was acceptable enough to stage district and county fixtures in the last three seasons, so we must be doing something right,” says a
rather proud Todd. “One of our biggest frustrations is the school’s practice of marking out a twelve lane athletics track across a large area of the outfield and burning in the lines, which affects the quality of the surface,” he bemoans. “We often struggle with a build up of worm casts, and we also have rabbits who like to eat the grass and leave their droppings all over the square and outfield. Foxes have also caused problems on the outfield where they have dug small holes.” “Again, with limited funds, all we can do is keep the worm casts to a minimum, with regular brushing of the square, as well as filling in and reseeding the holes created on the outfield. We do have a club member who has his spraying qualifications so, if any weeds or pests do occur, he can come in and spray as and when required.” Todd goes on to explain that the square is maintained at a height of 10-15mm using an Atco Groundsman. “During wicket prep, this is reduced to 7mm, then down to the playing height of around 5mm using a Hayter Ambassador.” “A wicket is prepped using
Pitchcare’s fourteen day guidelines, which we have printed out and stuck in the grounds shed for us to follow.” “The pitch is initially scarified with a Sisis Combirake, then dragbrushed when the sward has been thinned to a suitable coverage. If necessary, the pitch is soaked and rolled using an old Bomag road roller. Once the pitch is ready for the match, it is marked out just before the game.” “The square is aerated
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