Industry
Vic Demain, Durham County Cricket Club
There are two innovations regarding cricket that have made a huge difference to myself.
1. The Stuart Canvas Hover Cover.
Having pushed on roll-on covers and dragged the associated side sheets for a number of years, the hover cover has taken square coverage to a whole new level. Because the side sheets are fitted and transported on the main body, they simply need to be rolled out across the square once the hover is in place, meaning
that, with a few people, the whole square can be covered in a matter of minutes.
Similarly, when removing the covers, the sheets are rolled in, lifted onto the hover and transported off; all resulting in a reduction of playing time lost and making our job so much more user friendly.
2. The new sand construction
has been the saviour of the Murrayfield surface, whilst the Millennium Stadium has also ditched its palletised system in favour of Desso.
Now, wouldn’t it be great if the lower league clubs invested in the technology?
Steve Landick, States of Jersey
Goals have always been hard to move around and the socketed goals that are left in place all season cause erosion of the goalmouth and an uneven surface to play football on.
The integral weighted goals are easy to move around and, when not staked, are completely safe from tipping over and hurting someone. The aluminium make- up of the posts and crossbar also add to the ease of moving the goals around.
On a training facility, the goals can be moved around, spreading the wear across the entire training area.
Artificial surfaces: Artificial playing surfaces have been around, especially for hockey, for a good many years, yet the advances being made in 3G technology have seen artificial pitches now being used at high level rugby clubs and at some league football clubs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Football league, to date, has rejected the use of 3G pitches, but who knows what the next ten years will bring?
One thing is for sure, the 3G media bandwagon will roll on.
Intelligent watering: Pop up watering systems have been around since the early seventies. However, with modern software technologies, apps and mobile phones, and the development of better watering systems, intelligent watering can be programmed to be site specific, making
outfields at Test Match grounds.
Having witnessed, at first hand, extreme thunderstorms, a matter of minutes before the start of play during games at Trent Bridge, result in standing water all across the outfield and disappear in a matter of minutes, meaning that play could start almost immediately the rain stopped when, in the pas,t games would be washed out.
Together with improved drainage and state of the art irrigation, these outfields are second to none, resulting in a minimal amount of time lost.
water optimisation easy to control.
For example, in horse racing, there is technology available for boom sprayers to identify how much water needs to be applied over a given part of the track; GIS mapping can identify what ground conditions are like and apply the right amount of water based on the underlying soil type.
Mowers: The humble ‘lawnmower’ has seen some radical advancements in recent years. One of the fastest developing technologies is the use of battery and electric powered equipment.
Many manufacturers are now producing battery powered vehicles, machinery and equipment. Whilst electric powered UVs have been around for a number of years with Toro, John Deere and Ransomes Jacobsen leading the way, the step into hybrid drive and full battery power has opened up a new chapter in triplex and pedestrian greens mowing.
John Deere pioneered the first commercial hybrid electric
Intelligent watering - boon, not bust!
Saracens 3G pitch - now in its second season
Jacobsen Eclipse 322
Mike Atherton, King William’s College, IOM
For me, the one thing which stands apart from all other things that have helped me over the last ten years, is a more simple offering.
Put simply, my options would be grossly limited across pretty much every facet of my employment without the benefit of a computer.
With so many areas to deal with, I have embraced computer technology as a necessity to ensure efficient running of a department, and I believe it to be the glue which holds the fabric of my working life together.
For those who now use a computer as part of their daily working lives, take a moment to stop and think what would happen if it was to be taken away tomorrow.
As good as many machines are nowadays, if you take away one, there is an equally adept alternative waiting in the wings - the same could be said for a fertiliser, or any other such product. Take away a computer (for those that are reliant on them), and what alternatives are you left with?
PC APRIL/MAY 2015 I 15
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