Technical
“Give yourself as much fighting room as possible; running over road pins and rope left at the side of the square can
create unwanted problems”
Not only that, it makes the groundsman, as an individual, look unprofessional and unprepared.
overcast, drizzly days are of little use for rolling and will only create more problems. If your washing won’t
122 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
dry outside, then don’t roll!”
conditions want to be dry and bright, with a little warmth;
“Ideally, the weather
Servicing should have been carried out in the winter months and all working parts greased. Run the engine a couple of weeks before just to make sure everything is okay, as this will allow adequate time to repair it if there are any problems. With full preparation achieved, pre- season rolling can begin; take down all the fencing surrounding the square and move well away from the roller’s path. Give yourself as much fighting room as possible; running over road pins and rope left at the side of the square can create unwanted problems. With full PPE in place, a full fuel tank and clean drums, the roller can be taken onto the square, going at a firm walking pace. I always start going against the line of play left to right across the square. I normally include approximately five yards behind either stumps, I split the square into half and proceed by leaving the square at one end and rejoining in the middle, working my way across. Once this has been completed which, for a standard square of, say, ten pitches, should take around thirty to forty minutes, I do the same formation in the line of play, splitting the square, this time into quarters, and working my way across it. This direction can take a little longer but, without hiccups, should be completed in around an hour. I do each direction twice in the same
period of rolling, always finishing with the line of play. So, after around three hours, the first phase of rolling will be complete. Allow the square to dry for two days, then return and repeat this action.
Not only is this firming the square, but also the immediate areas around it, aiding the close fielding positions. Again, once completed, leave for a couple of days. When I return, I now start to reduce the amount of time I go across the square, but only if I am satisfied with the results so far. I now only go across once, and with the line of play.
Moisture levels will begin to reduce quite quickly, particularly if the weather has been favourable. Therefore, I may well return the following day and go solely in the line of play without going off the square, i.e. go up and then reverse back down the same path. Once completed, moisture levels need to be assessed. This can be down with a pointed tent peg, or similar, by just applying minimal pressure to the top and seeing how far it can be pushed into the surface. If it meets with no resistance, and the square takes in most of the peg, then much more rolling still needs to be done in better conditions. If resistance is met within the first inch or so, then compaction is being achieved and rolling the whole square can now be reduced to little and often. If, however, you experience a heavy period of rain or a sharp frost or two,
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