Sports & Recreation Clubs


the ECB Cricket and Winter Sports Pitches levels 1 and 2. These at least gave me some basic knowledge to be going on with.” The grounds cover an area of just over


eight hectares and comprise two full size rugby pitches, which also form the cricket outfield, a ten wicket cricket square and a junior size artificial strip for mainly Under 11 and Under 12 matches. There’s also a three- lane cricket net. The soil is free draining, with four to six


inches of topsoil over various types of clay. “It is very compact in certain areas,” bemoans Dave, “but our budget doesn’t stretch to doing anything more than the bare


minimum. There is only so much in the pot!” Dave explains that the ground tends to


flood after heavy rain, mainly due to the compaction, but also that a small plot of new homes have been built at the southern end of the ground which seem to have had an effect. “Mind you, it was a bog before,” he states. “We just have to wait for conditions to right themselves.” Dave is assisted by Pete Dawn, who helps with the irrigation. “Actually, it’s me that assists him,” confesses Dave. “He also keeps the boundary tidy and does the general gardening ... and he’s also the bar manager, so I need to keep him happy! I can get


further help from club members when they are press ganged into it!” The cricket club was formed in 1929 and


moved to the Memorial Ground in 1959. It runs four Saturday XIs and two Sunday teams, plus seniors and a strong junior section. The rugby club runs three senior XVs, development squads, a thriving ladies section and minis and juniors from age six to under 17. That's a lot of sport to provide for. In 2012, the cricket square was koroed off under the guidance of Alan Kettleborough. “The square was built using Gostd loam, which is probably ‘too good’ for the level of cricket played here and the time I had to


PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 I 53


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