Cricket Club Groundsman's Trials and Tribulations: Invaded by Cricketers

After working away all winter long and hardly seeing a soul, today for the first day this year I am invaded by cricketers. Some new guys and some established ones and I must say it is always nice to get the odd compliment as they get on to the ground for the first time of the season. Because of the rain yesterday it was decided that they would put up the nets around the two artificial pitches we have -it has to been done some time- and that they would not net on grass tonight.

I got to ground at 12-00 lunch time as I was getting a few orders out this morning, first job was to cut the outfield, it was about ten days since it was cut, I used my Dennis mini gangs for speed.

They don't make the very best job but they are OK for second team or a midweek cut and red diesel costs a lot less than petrol -it now costs me £27-00+ to fill up my Jerry can! (with petrol)

I can still keep the stripes but the line between the light and dark stripes is not quite as defined as with the Mastiff.

I also got the Mastiff out and cut the square.

I think the fertiliser I put on last week is kicking in.

Two jobs done, now time to work on the practise pitch and the one for the weekend -you will have seen on the previous post the start I made on these last Thursday or Friday.

The nets looking a little better now I am hoping to have them ready for Thursday this week just need a little more rolling now.

Then it was out to the middle to do some more on the weekend pitch I have got a new brush from my Sisis Lawnman so I started by mowing the pitch the brushing mowing twice and lowering the height of cut.

New brush fit to my Lawnman it made a fine job I must say.

{Jon Latham I now have your Lawnman brush in stock you will love it}

The first of the two brush mow process.

This is the second brush/mow I think. Suns gone how dull is this picture.

These two are after brush/mow but before rolling, I did roll both pitches for around half an hour each.

Oh look whats arrived a host of cricketers. I have to watch them as there are some new guys who may not know the rules,

Don't walk across the square.

Some of them don't understand but if every one who turned up to net throughout the season walked across it there would be a track through the middle of it. And do you know what? I am looking after it for them -but they, for some reason think I am looking after it for me- my playing days are done I am afraid.