CRICKET
It was actually enjoyable to be more hands-on, and I ended up doing the majority of pitch preparations myself. But, without the matches, I was still working shorter days
”
The ground underwater earlier in the year. There was so much silt washed onto some areas, the groundsmen were forced to break it up and use it as topdressing!
As the waters began to subside in March, just when pre-season work should have been in full swing
played, and also of how finances would be affected, the goal was to prepare to ECB standards,” explains Tim. The outfield was finished on 5th April, with the scarifier doing extra duty removing silt washed into the ground from nearby farmland. “There was so much silt in places, we broke it up and used it as topdressing.” Just nine weeks later, with plans for a return to professional cricket looming, preparations on the square began. “It was very early, but we just didn’t have the time window offered by completing renovations in the autumn,” he comments. “Worcestershire was one of the first clubs to bring back furloughed players and, whilst it added to the pressure, it was good to see them and gave us something firm to work towards.”
There had been no time for renovations in the net area, which had simply been maintained, so nets and bowling areas were set up in the centre and further practice areas on the outfield.
Thoughts of trying a new seed mix were quickly discarded, with the reliability of local supply of the tried and tested mix from Carrick Sports more important. Ironically, after all the flooding, the dry spring was now causing problems. “We had just 15mm of rain, and there was that really hot spell in the middle,” Tim recalls. “We haven’t historically needed to water much in the summer so have no pop-
78 PC August/September 2020
up sprinklers at the moment and having fitted a booster pump to the water system I was moving sprinklers by hand between mowing runs!” By this time, Tim was working largely on his own - the club had kept on a skeleton staff from 14th March to 13th April, but then furloughed the three groundsmen. “It was actually enjoyable to be more hands-on, and I ended up doing the majority of pitch preparations myself. But, without the
matches, I was still working shorter days.” The peace and quiet soon ended with the news that Pakistan would be coming to Blackfinch New Road to train in eleven days. “We were all very pleased - it was a boost for the club and proof that we are not a ‘one trick pony.’ We provided a ‘bubble’ for the squad, who were staying in the Premier Inn next door, accessing the ground directly from the hotel and being provided with all their meals by our caterers. It was very successful and we hope there will be demand from other overseas squads in the future.”
Tim and other club staff - plus the rest of the grounds team before and after furlough - had already proved adept at social distancing, but the ‘bubble’ protocols took it to another level. “We were not allowed within 20m of the players so, if we needed to get them off the field, we’d have to use the horn on the tractor to get their attention. It took a bit of getting used to and we made liberal use of What’s App to communicate.” The club’s players transferred to nearby
Evidence of the layer of mud which coated the groundsmen’s hut
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