GROUNDSMANSHIP - PART TWO

Lincs groundsman of the year, Jon Taylor, continues his very helpful advice to those who tend club squares around the county


The first section of autumn ground renovation left off at the point that the square had been scarified and cleared of rubbish. Ideally the seed and top dressing would have gone straight on, but work commitments meant that I was unable to complete until the following weekend. The week had allowed a little growth and I decided to cut before seeding and applying soil. Cricket loam must be spread evenly and it is hugely easier to spread if there’s no significant grass growth. So, out with the wicket mower and I shaved the whole square down to match track height – another 5 barrow loads of grass and straw-like stems. At the end of this the square was ready for the seed...


In the picture the surface looks trashed – but this is what it should look like at this point!

Before moving on, a word about grass. Cricket squares are inhospitable places for grass. The soil is ideally of high clay content, poor draining, densely packed and the grass should never be allowed to grow to above 25mm tall. At times it is cut down to 3mm or less for two weeks or more. Just at this highest stress time we try to keep the grass starved of water and run up and down repeatedly on the same spot!. This is not an environment for your average grass plant. Many years ago any groundsman saying he was going to sow his square with rye grass would be scorned. Today, following selective breeding, dwarf ryegrasses have been developed that give hard-wearing properties even under stressful conditions. Now the majority of cricket squares in the UK, from test grounds to village green, are sown with 100% rye grass. A few suppliers still offer cricket mixes containing fescues and bents but these are much less common. At Hibaldstow we’ve been on 100% rye grass since I took over the square – though some of the tracks at the road end still have an uncomfortably high fescue content.

Now a word about loam. Cricket soil – better described as “loam” is a topic that whole books could be written on. Choice of soil is a compromise between playing qualities and drying properties. Ideally (in my opinion) a cricket surface should provide a balance between bat and ball that means a good batsman can score runs whilst a good bowler can take wickets. The soil should also provide a good substrate for the groundsman – both for preparing and repairing the track. At Hibaldstow we do not have ro-ro covers and so we are dependent on the weather. The highest clay loams, such as Surrey (used for the “clay wicket” at Heslam Park and also at Cleethorpes I think) and Kaloam (used at my previous club in the Midlands) can be difficult to manage and can also prove a nightmare for germinating seed in end repairs. I much prefer Ongar (also used I believe at Holton-le-Clay, Immingham, Sleaford and Grimsby). The Boughton loam used at Broughton is very similar to Ongar. Ongar provides me with a balance between good strength and relatively good seed establishment. It also dries pretty quickly without excessive cracking and can be played on in the wet without churning up too much.

A warning, though. Different loams expand and contract differently as they wet and dry. If you switch loams you run the risk of creating layers that separate as they dry. This will only lead one way – to low, slow wickets. If you do change, make sure you thoroughly key the two loams in to each other through deep slitting and spiking.

But back to the topic….seeding and top dressing.

Before seeding I applied a light feed (25kg) of autumn-winter feed high in potassium. This was followed by two 20kg bags of seed, one of Avanta MM50 (which I’ve been using for several years) and the other Techni-turf TT23. Both are 100% ryegrass but the latter has been recommended as a new improved mix. Both fertiliser and seed were spread with a small cyclone spreader. Applying at a low rate that meant many passes were necessary, ensuring good even coverage.



Top dressing with loam was achieved at a rate of 6 bags per track with the exception of the two newer tracks that I’m creating from the outfield. These had 7 and 8 bags as I’m slowly bringing their clay content up.
The loam was applied with a drop spreader (from the Groundsman’s Association trailer). This was then further levelled and worked in to the surface with two passes (at right angles to each other) over the square with a drag mat.

The finished result should be a level surface with most of the seed, but the grass not, covered. Now bring on the gentle rain and in a month I can show you a completely different surface!





CLICK ON THE PICTURES KINDLY SUPPLIED BY JON TO OPEN THEM UP AND GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FINE DETAIL.

Don't forget to read Part One of Jon's article on Lincs Cricket Latest, uploaded last week. If you don't want to go back - posting by posting - use the search box above and look for "Jon Taylor".