Summer Sports - Cricket


Fraise mowing of the square last autumn


What’s in the shed? John Deere 2635A Triplex mower Allett 36” Regal mower


Allett C20 cassette mower (cylinder and verticut reels) Ransomes Super Certes Honda Rotary mower TH White Auto-roller Kubota L245 tractor Groundsman 345HD spiker Sisis Auto Rotorake


Various Stihl hedgetrimmers, blowers and strimmers


Dave also uses a selection of his own equipment at the ground John Deere tractor Graden scarifier Risboro Turf Little John verticutter Hardi pedestrian and tractor sprayers BLEC Uniseeder Sisis Variseeder Turfco pedestrian topdresser


“ 60 I PC APRIL/MAY 2017


two seasons on, a Middlesex T20 match against Somerset on one of the said strips drew praise from presiding umpire Jeremy Lloyds. He described it as ‘an exceptional surface’. Dave’s aim ‘from the word go’ has been to


restore Uxbridge’s earlier reputation for pace and bounce. He carries out virtually all end- of-season renovation himself but, in the two most recent autumns, he has called upon the help of former Glamorgan CCC head groundsman, now advisor and contractor, Keith Exton, and his expert use of a Wiedenmann Terra Spike, providing effective, yet almost unnoticed aeration. At the end of the 2016 season, Dave also


had the square fraise mowed by a Koro Field Top Maker, courtesy of contractors AT Bone, to remove all unwanted surface matter, especially the Poa. It was a morning’s work, drastic to the onlooker, but well worth it. He followed this by scarifying, brushing, seeding and topdressing. He generally uses Barenbrug’s Bar Extreme ryegrass mixture for overseeding pitches and, where necessary, on the outfield; bowlers’ run-ups in particular. Over winter, Dave keeps the newly germinated square grass trimmed to 15mm,


mainly by rotary, then subsequently by 36- inch mower with roller to add a bit more weight. The whole square has, for some time, been top-dressed with 'Supernatural' produced by Surrey Loams, which also provides Dave with topdressing material for Uxbridge Sports Club’s grass tennis courts and bowling greens. A month before play begins, it looks in


pretty good shape and Dave was keen to get out in the middle to carry on with pre-season rolling. Initially, his Auto Roller is unballasted, but he would gradually be adding water weight as spring growth speeds up. Since Middlesex CCC’s announcement of


its return to Uxbridge Sports Club for championship cricket for the first time since they drew with Worcestershire here in June 2015, there has been a buzz on and off the pitch. The clash with Hampshire in September will actually be the 45th County Championship game here since June 1980 when it first acted as a Lord’s backup. Uxbridge’s record as an outground is distinguished. Its future is, it would seem, pretty assured too.


Uxbridge’s record as an outground is distinguished. Its future is, it would seem, pretty assured too


The Middlesex vs Warwickshire 4-day game in 2013, Dave’s first as Uxbridge groundsman


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