Summer Sports - Cricket
“
It was wondefully peaceful and we had great fun too, even when we got it wrong sometimes, like the time an off- colour wicket
resulted from using the wrong fertiliser
What a backdrop? The impressive and stately Goodwood House
nicked the ball onto his pad, so there’s in- built cricket spirit on top of all the history. The club has been forging strong links with
Chichester club Priory Park, which uses the ground every Saturday from May to August for its 3rd and 4th team league games and, on some evenings, for its junior sides. It’s a good source of income - in cash or kind - and it keeps the pitches in full use, bringing in more players interested in playing for Goodwood too. In recent times, there’s been a little
It’s done sterling work, but the road roller may have seen its day
We want now to get the best possible playing conditions, but need help and guidance to achieve this, perhaps getting the square to Premiership level
” 74 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
concern about the future, especially in attracting players and looking after the square and outfield but, as Richard tells me, big changes could be just around the corner. He started looking after the ground in 1986. He’s now retired from a teaching career, latterly as head of a Dorset school. Before going into teaching, he had had some experience of cricket ground upkeep by, in his gap year, helping a groundsman in Yorkshire, so that’s why he volunteered for the task at Goodwood. “It was wonderfully peaceful in the
evening after a day’s work. We had great fun too, even when we got it wrong sometimes, like the time an off-colour wicket resulted from using the wrong fertiliser,” he recalled. Richard retired last summer and is now
groundsman whenever he’s needed and whenever it pleases. “Three of us generally do the work. As well
as myself, past chairman Tim Odell mostly does the outfield mowing, and Henry Whitby helps with strip mowing and rolling. I handle what you might call the planning and resource gathering. Being back and available most of the time means I can give more time to the pitches.” The ground is on downland turf. The
square has twelve strips and it’s always had a history of being slow and low. Richard uses Emerald Green 23 cricket mix and achieves good consistent cover. The club wants to lift the level of
performance and play, or at least investigate the possibility of doing this, particularly with a view to Priory Park playing more of its
competitive matches there. Sussex County ECB inspectors were recently asked to come and look at the square and provide an opinion. They took core samples, measured levels, and did grass counts with a grid. Their report was due at the end of July and, when I talked to Richard, things were still on hold. “We don’t really want to trickle along with things as they’ve been. We want now to get the best possible playing conditions, but need help and guidance to achieve this, perhaps getting the square to Premiership level,” said Richard. “We’re hoping that the ECB will suggest a
programme of activity and there will be opportunities to apply for grants. All this, of course, will depend on the likely costs involved. “Goodwood House has always been very supportive, but it’s being looked at in a very different, much more practical way now. We’re getting access to the facilities - notably equipment - of the Estate’s two golf courses, the Downs and the Park, and already getting the benefit of the outfield being mowed by one of their Toro 3550-D fairway mowers. This is so much better than the old gangs and tractor set-up we’ve had for years and years.” “Previously, after the season end, we’ve
had to verti-cut, but now we’ll be able to do proper scarification thanks to the golf club. We don’t yet know just how much of this we’ll be doing ourselves or whether the golf clubs’ greenkeepers will be giving us some of their time. We’ll be happy either way, and this is a great step forward.” “Spreading sixty bags of Mendip Loam by hand is something I’ll be glad to see the back of. Proper spreading equipment will save so much time and get the job done more accurately, not to say with less personal wear and tear.”
It's all in the air right now, but there’s
clearly massive potential. The injection of professional help and equipment is going to make things so much better for the club, Richard is sure. “Our one hundred percent amateur days may soon be behind us. Goodwood Estate
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