Groundsman's Corner

Over the year I shall be writing a regular blog to keep you in touch with the life of the lonely groundsman.

1st February
After the end of season work that we carried out in September your groundsman has to report that the square is looking in excellent shape with virtually 100% germination and strong growth. It just shows how important this work is carried out to ensure good wickets for the following year.
Just before Christmas we had the whole square vertidrained. This aerates the square to a depth of about 20cm which helps ensure good stong root growth.

You wouldn't believe it as I sit looking from the warmth of my house that snow is falling almost horizontally. It is early February and my thoughts are beginning to consider the year ahead.
Already the square has had its first cut of the year and has been rolled to consolidate the soil. These are not pleasant tasks at this time of the year when the temperature is just above freezing and there is a wind to increase the chill factor. But these are tasks that have to be done regularly now (weather permitting) to ensure that all you cricketers enjoy a good season scoring loads of runs. (Sorry bowlers)

25th.March
Well by now the rolling of the square should be in full swing. Typical that the English weather has intervened again. After a dry week the North Westerlies have returned with the usual rain. The square is once again too wet to do anything. By the end of next week the forecast is better. I need to do a lot more rolling to consolidate the soil ready for 18th.April.
The mowers are back from servicing and the seasons loam, seed and fertilizer have been delivered. We're geared up for the season ahead. Need to 'square off' the square as soon as possible. For you mathematicians I use pythagoras.
The annual Cricket Force is close (4th.and 5th.April). There are a lot of jobs to do to get the ground ready for the season and we need everyone to muck in.

1 April 2009

Cricket Force due next week but unfortunately Andrea has booked for us to go away, again. Ordered tons of loam and far two much seed, Bertie will be jumping up and down, hee hee ! Managing to get the wicket very green despite all the sun shine we’ve been having, hope they put the covers together at the weekend, gives my grass some shade on sunny days. Additions to the ground you will have noticed are the small manhole covers, shouldn’t cause too many problems for the big mower. They are an excellent investment, not only can I use them as reference points to position young players in my squad, they might also stop a few runs off my bowling.

17 April 2009

Cricket Force weekend came and went but no senior players came or went. Cracker of a pitch for the first game, all that lovely rain and cloudy skies, the grass has come through lush and green on the track. Had to remove my manhole covers, very disappointed with the attitude of both captains and Ratty and who seemed to think the mower would be a problem as well as the league umpires, at least Andrea agrees with me. Calculated I’ve now got enough seed for the whole ground as well as most of my back garden.

8 May 2009

Really great news, having completed my 112th grant application in two years, I’ve finally convinced someone to give us money for a deep aerator. This will be put to immediate use in October or maybe November when I will use it for at least 4 hours one afternoon before carefully storing it away till next year. Big thank you to the first team captain who gave me a free hand to produce one of my classic wickets for the visit of Middlewich this week end (his instruction being to leave the covers off) which nearly worked. Might have to order some more grass seed, its running out fast.

22nd.May
What a s**t month so far. The weather is so bad I cannot get on the square to prepare and repair. The outfield is one soggy mess. Where has that nice April weather gone? Please, please pray for a decent summer. I'm beginning to feel suicidal. I've a cunning plan - we cancel all home games until further notice!!

Or we could play on the plastic pitch, I’ve bowled some cracking balls on that during net sessions, well Andrea didn’t get a bat on one of them in three hours one afternoon last week. Recent additions to the playing equipment is the new portable net, once all the holes have been mended it will be a worthwhile investment and I can now use the older net for climbing roses or sweet peas, should make Bryan Waring from Christleton very jealous. Put an order in for more grass seed, tastes great in morning with skimmed milk.

8th June

On holiday with Andrea at the moment, hope Evo isn’t making a mess of the wicket and cutting the grass too short. Like to report that I got my first ever unbeaten double ton this week but Andrea’s bowling figures were awful I’m afraid, no wickets for two hundred, that’s beach cricket for you. Grounds was looking rather shabby as I left, I wonder if any of the captains have organised a working party, don’t want to think it could be true, it would bring a tear to my eye to see the site screens brilliant white and the long grass around the ground tidied up. Andrea has told me not to be so sarcastic, think I’m suffering withdrawal symptoms from grass seed withdrawal.

21st June
Well back from holiday. Worse than I thought, ground looking even worse, nothing been done. Evo has managed to knacker the mower used for cutting wickets. John the lawnmower man has been great and repaired it within two days, only 80 quid. Thought at first we would have to buy a new mower at 2500 quid.
Square nice and green and wickets nice and green. Bowlers rubbing their hands in glee. Unfortunately both home teams this weekend lost the toss and lost the match. Makes a change from being a batsman's friend. Mind only had two days to prepare instead of the usual 6 days. So we'll blame Evo (guys).

13th.July
First team lost on Sat having been bowled out for 111. I know the ground got soaked on during the week with torrential rain but I didn't think that the wicket was that bad. The square is a bit like April in moisture content and I think the batsmen need to apply themselves and play accordingly. Bit like the England team at Cardiff in the first test.
Got a junior Cheshire match on Thursday. Need to make sure the ground and square looks good. Wish I could get players to do something on the ground. Must be great just to turn up, play, have a drink then go home. I wish.

23rd.July
This c**p weather just continues. The third year running where we have had rain showers virtually everyday. Nothing dries out on the ground. Cannot get hard wickets. Doesn't help our present crop of players in the club who seem to like the ball coming onto the bat. The nudgers and nurdlers of yesteryear where are you now?

Got a new toy. An aerator. Will help the square recover from the intense cricket played on it. Also got news about the relocation. The latest site has had a knock back so we return to square one. Nearly ten years now we have been trying to move. Over that time five sites have been turned down by the planners. Who are these guys?

Oh well time to see if I can produce another slow green track for the first team tomorrow. It looks promising to date (for the bowlers, sorry batters. Again!)

26th August
Well it's at least four weeks since I added to my blog. During that time we have had a variety of weather, mainly (yes you guessed it) wet. Last week wasn't too bad with a bit of sun from time to time so managed to prepare the best track of the season for the first team. Consequently they blew it and managed to get out for 180 odd to the bottom team in the league, well below the 220-250 I was expecting. Not surprisingly the opposition won.
The new toy is doing wonders. I don't think that I have seen the square look as good as it does now at this time of year before. All I need now to make my life easier is a loam/seed/fertilizer spreader. How can I convince the committee of this? Only £800 needed!!
Only three weekends left and then the square can be put to bed and the cycle starts all over again. We will need to deep scarify, seed, spread loam, fertilize and then at intervals during the cold, wet, miserable winter play with my new toy aerating the square. Whoopydo!!

16th.September

All set for the 19th. working party. Loam, seed, fertilzer and machines primed and ready. Just need some bodies now. Looking at the square today. Can't believe how good it looks. It's either the unusually wet weather this year or my new toy helping the grass to recover. See you all on Saturday. Ha ha!

26th.Sept.
Oh well that's it. Another season over and the square has been put to bed. Well as far as everyone is concerned it is but we know don't we that there will be work to do during the Autumn and Winter.
Am watering the square regularly at the moment. I don't recall ever having to do that in September before but with the seed not getting any rain to assist germination I am having to do it. Now that is a pain as it takes me about one and a half hours to water the square each time. Who heard of having a half inch domestic water pipe to water a field of play. Now someone is having a laugh at this club!!
Roll on next Spring.
Oh and the wicket mower has broken down again. Just stopped. I have a suspicion that after 30 years of trusty service it has come to the end of it's days. Still we'll have to see what John, our lawnmower man, says.