Badly Let Down By Poor Umpiring Decisions

After not being able to get on the ground all day Friday. I got down there at 6-30am light rain was falling so I took a few photos straight away.

 I got some old foam out and started to mop up the ends.

Every where was under water even areas of the outfield.

I got the two "Magic Sponges" out and the blower, which I placed so the nozzle was blowing air under the sheets. I mopped the standing water off the square and got my groundsman spiking machine out and spiked over the top of all the drains in an effort to link the surface with the drains. It was still raining some times more heavily than others, then it stopped so I tried to get the sheets off. I had double sheeted and got the big green one pulled back over the single pitch size white one when it started to rain again, so back on they went. I repeated this on two occasion only for it to rain again. Without going into more boring detail I mopped the square with the Magic Sponge three times and had a coffee waiting for the players to arrive.

Players and umpires arrive and its still poring down. I continue to mop up and do what I can. We take the big green sheet off and wait for a break in the rain, when it came the white sheet was removed only to reveal that the water had run under at the bottom end leaving an area seven foot from the stumps wet through. Rain then started again so back on with the sheet. I had long discussions with the umpires telling them that it would take me an hour after it stopping raining to get a get prepared if I could at all. 

It just about stopped and the pitch was uncovered I scrapped off some mud from the surface and dug out and filled block holes and foot holes just to get some dry soil in there. The whole area was like a bar of soap that had been left in water for a day, just not fit.

Early tea was declared as 4-00 pm was the latest starting time to constitute a game of twenty overs a side.

I was told by the lead umpire at around 3-20 that they would start at 4-00 if I was in agreement.

I did my best cutting the pitch and trying to roll with the hand roller but it was full of water and it was running out of the split in the middle so I had to quickly take it off. I was getting no where a getting concerned so informed the umpire that it wasn't fit and I couldn't get it fit. They eventually came out had a walk around and said "They had seen worse" and asked me to mark the pitch when I said it wasn't fit I was instructed to mark it. So despite being told that play would start as long as I was happy it was fit, I was then told by the lead umpire that they were going back on their word and that play would start.

The whole thing was just a joke, our league is called the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League.

I looked up the word "senior"

Senior- Relating to or denoting competitors of above a certain age or of the highest status in a particular sport

I would like to ask our umpires to uphold the standards of a Senior League.

I was so very wound up and upset by the situation that I clean forgot to take any further photos, the above were taken Monday tea time two days after the event.

I don't know what groundsman have to do to gain respect.

Rant over.

Hodgy

More Poor Weather

Not much to new to post, on Monday/Tuesday I cut and raked out a pitch I intended to use for the first team on Saturday and got some rolling into it. Tuesday was also a practise day for the Leeds Met boys

-who played in the BUCS semi final at Kirkstall against Leeds Uni on Wednesday and managed to win the last pair putting on over 50 runs to win in the last over-

Tuesday night was also practise for our seniors they used the pitch the Met boys had, it was wet but did a job. I sheeted up Tuesday night and a good job I did because we had a fair amount of rain over night but the pitch was dry Wednesday morning. 

I am short of photos as I am getting very forgetful and keep forgetting to pick up my camera when I leave home.

 Rain clouds gathering over Pool

 Thursday saw me at Pool Cricket Club again, cutting and raking out a pitch for the 1st team a week on Saturday.

  The rain blew over and the sun made a brief appearance before I left.

The weather forecast is poor for Friday and right through the weekend, so I have today sheeted up in the hope that if it does stop raining we can get a game on.

I have just seen the Met Office have issued a wet weather warning for our region on Friday and Saturday.

Lets hope the sheets do the job and keep the pitch dry.

Hodgy

More Cancelled Games

Since my last post on Tuesday night I have had to cancel three games Thursday's T20, Fridays Leeds Met Ladies and Fridays Under 11and we are in what my Mother used to call "Flaming June". What going on with our weather? I spend more time looking up the forecast than working at the moment.

Wednesdays Leeds Met quarter final took place when  Northumberland were the opposition. The Met boys won that which mean I have a Semi final to stage next Wednesday when either Leeds University or Loughborough will be the visitors.    

A few shots from Wednesdays Met Game we had a shower in the morning after that it managed to stay fair for the rest of the day.

Thursday I went over to York to collect a Paladin I had bought at York sales or should I say my friend Jonathan Latham bought it on my behalf. When I arrived home he was gutted that I had forgot to take some photos of his place.

Sorry Jon! by way of an apology here his a link to his blog that he started shortly after this one.

 http://www.pitch.yorkcivilservicecc.com/

We had over 24 hours of rain between Thursday a Friday here in Leeds and as I cant pull the big sheet on by my self and no one from the second team contacted me to help the pitch for Saturday remained uncovered. This is a pain for me because a wet pitch will take indentations and will almost for certain have to be taken out of play, instead lasting a little longer for "Micky Mouse Games" .

This is how wet the ground was just after the rain stopped on Friday lunch time. So out with the

"Magic Sponge" and mop up. I then -against my better judgement- cut two pitches out after lifting the height of cut so as not to scalp the surface, followed by rolling.

What a mess they look but what could I do? Rolled mud, after this I cut the square and turned parts of it very dark -what am I doing? I was thinking, yet if I didn't then there would be no chance of playing so I had no option but to have a go. I then came off the square with the hope that the warm breeze would help to dry thing out a little.

I then cut the outfield with the little gang mowers attached to the tractor, I was almost done when it came a sharp shower so at about 6-45 I called it a day leaving the final two strips uncut in one direction -they had been cut at right angles but not in line if you can understand what I mean.

Not the best job in the world but the very best I could achieve under the circumstances.

I will go down in the morning and finish off.

No more rain for a while now please!

Hodgy

Some better weather prospects for July and August

As I write this entry it is raining and I have a game tomorrow -Wednesday, a T20 Thursday night two games on Friday one on Saturday and one Sunday. The forecast for the rest of the week is mixed so it looks like I will be stressed out again, just when I thought we could expect a little better weather.

Today I have cut the outfield faced up and rolled tomorrows pitch and prepared a practise pitch for this evening, I have not taken any photos as I though they would be nothing more than repeats.

If you are a groundsman or weather watcher you may be interested in the following link it is an excellent site for getting the forecast it was passed on to me by ex Headingley groundsman Keith Boyce, who tells me that Jason Booth the Leeds Rugby Groundsman -at Headingley-  uses it.

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=summer-forecast-2012;sess=

This link is directly to the Summer forecast and is a little more encouraging for July and August. 

Lets hope they have got it right.

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At this time of year I cant find time to paint or draw but I think about it a lot, along with my artist friends who I miss in the summer time.

I complain about a little rain, this lady has to live out side in all weathers and on much higher ground than Leeds.

Hodgy

Bank Holiday Monday- A Good Day for Rolling

Bank holiday Sunday it rained just about all day in Leeds stopping over night the ground conditions were ideal for rolling. I rolled three pitches, Wednesdays Uni, a practise one and Saturday's 2nd team one all in all around two hours rolling. 

  On my arrival sunny but still cold.

After rolling I got the Sisis, Rota-Rake out and verti-groomed three pitches in the middle of the square it is a long while since I have had chance to do it so I took advantage of a dry day and got to work.

Above you can see the the Verti-Groom blades I had just fit ready for the job.

Look closely and the light areas are rye grass crowns which had survived from last season and were beginning to flower -seed- they look just awful. I had been cutting the square at 18mm through out the spring in order to give it some protection from all the traffic it has to cope with. I think that it has allowed the rye grass to mature and get course- it is a case of "not being right for being wrong".

Above is a patch of annual meadow grass -Poa Annua- which is a weed grass -very shallow rooted- and seeds 12 months a year

Above a Rye Grass crown.

Looking across the square at the three pitches I had groomed.

This is the end of the pitch I will use for the two's on Saturday I have some blocks to put in first -Why do cricketers dig such a deep block hole? and why do wicket keepers scratch a line back from off stump, anyone?

Bank holiday Monday and a lot of planes in and out of Leeds Bradford airport.

I completed my days work by applying a bag of 11-5-5 fertiliser and some "Greenmaster Blade" to 4 pitches I have not used this product before and wanted to try it, so I only treated the 4 then I can compare.

The forecast is for unsettled week so I think the fertiliser will was in OK.

Hodgy



  

Mixed Week

Thought it was time I posted before you started thinking I had lost interest or gone on holiday.

This last week was a mixed one in terms of weather and fortune. On Tuesday I was watering, on Wednesday I was sheeting our weather is so very changeable -I have seen that we could get a frost overnight tonight after rain the whole day long.

On Wednesday my pickup failed its MOT on the headlight motor that adjusts to suit different van loads and a steering arm so I was without it for two days and that's a real pain.

Tuesday senior practise night, above you can see the pitch which is well worn and I need to get a new one raked out and prepared but time has prevented so they had to manage. You can see the size of the cracks, it was very dry I didn't roll it for fear of it crumbling. It is amazing how much work is involved looking after just one small cricket club.

Wednesday I had a Leeds Met Uni game it is now the knock out competition they are now playing in and as the draw would have it the first team were playing against the second team. Above is the ground on Tuesday night just about ready.

As my van was at the garage for two day it upset my routine and I got no further photos taken, as a consequence this is a short post I will try to do better next week.

Hodgy

Reminder to me; fertilise the square when back at work.