Summer Sports - Cricket


The Lord’s crowd at the Sri Lanka Test were amazed and delighted to see the Super Blotter soak up ninety gallons of water from the outfield in seconds after a heavy rain interruption


A familiar sight - and name - at county grounds. This one is at Kent’s St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury


now. Some have two, or even three. Ian says that, right now, there are thirty-five Super Blotters and forty of the more recent Mini Blotters out there soaking it up. All the Super Blotters in county cricket are


owned by the clubs, and most of them are now ten years or so old. “We make them too well,” said Ian, tongue in cheek. “They do last. The chassis is indestructible, but the drums and other parts do eventually need replacing.” In cricket, maybe the growth of what’s


referred to as the white ball game has something to do with the Blotter’s commercial worth. There’s so much more pressure to get a game on when there are large numbers of paying customers sitting there expecting play, not to mention television viewers. The media and sponsors demand that the game is on, and quickly. Groundsmen and staff are put under so much pressure. “The slow handclap is depressing in sport, yet a great motivator to groundsmen and us


the technical support,” said Ian. “The Lord’s crowd at the Sri Lanka Test


were amazed and delighted to see the Super Blotter soak up ninety gallons of water from the outfield in seconds after a heavy rain interruption. It’s great to be appreciated, but the lions share of credit must always go to the groundstaff, who do an amazing job.” Cricket has always been, and still is, the


mainstay of the Blotter’s purpose and market, but its horizon is ever widening. Tennis, rugby, golf, rock concerts; they’ve all


”


PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 I 65


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