Birtwhistle Cup Final

Last Friday was spent preparing the ground for the Saturday second team game with an eye on the cup final on Sunday. So I cut the outfield in one direction the plan was to cut it in the other direction on Saturday night after the seconds had completed their game. The weather made that impossible though with a lot of rain falling on Saturday afternoon and night.

Friday afternoon and in to the night we assembled our benches newly acquired from the 

Caird Bardon Community Program. 

We had a host of guys down working on the assembly line thanks to all. The picture above was taken at about 8-00 at night with Steven our overseas looking rather tired -all that brain power working out the instructions.

Saturday morning shortly after arriving at the ground sheets off ready for a cut and a roll.

Saturday after cut and roll.

It has taken me almost a week to get this post together so it may be a little out of sequence.
On Friday I re painted the club logo on the outfield.

Above show the ground on my arrival Sunday at 6-00 am Paul one of the club members who had been responsible for the new electronic score board had put up a new club logo on the score box just to give it the finishing touch.
Well done Paul looks good.

This is what I found when I removed the sheets. The second team was at home on Saturday and I was assured that it was fine for me to go watch the ones which is what I normally do.
On reflection I should have stayed at Kirkstall.
Lesson learnt.

The rectangle shape you can see is where the carpet was covering the pitch to protect it while they played and as you can see it is very wet outside that area. I cant believe with a Cup Final the following day that the umpires couldn't be a bit more understanding.
My colleague Henry who is Farsley's Groundsman has got the whole of the day before the Priestley Cup Final -Bradford League Final- as the League has granted permission to rearrange the Saturday game.
At last some assistance given to the groundsman. 
Well done the Bradford League.
Rant over.
After rolling the sheet back I got the blower out and left it blowing away while I went off and got on with other tasks.

Typical best match day stumps left out under the sheets to get wet and muddy they had to be sanded down to make the respectable for the match.

Things being as wet as they were I brushed the square with the hand brush mounted the 6 foot brush to the tractor and double brushed the out field.
Sorry no picture too stressed at this time to think about the camera.

The sun came out and on time at 2-00pm the match started.
Just hope it plays well.

We had a good crowd two well supported teams I was happy with the presentation of the ground and the pitch which played well despite a low score by Otley  they posted only 133 and Guiseley knocked the off with easy.

 Game over, long shadows of the evening sun.

The pitch post match hardly a mark on it.
Long day time for a pint.

Chilling in the bar.
I must just say a very big thank you to all who helped on the day. We had a lot of key people away but those who were there on the day pulled off a minor miracle.
Thank you all and well done.
Wet Saturday morning off down to ground now to see what I can do.
Hodgy

Bertwhistle Cup Pitch

A wet morning so I though it would give me time to collect the new picnic benches we had purchased.

It took all morning and into the afternoon with taking sheets off then having to rush and get them back on again as we got an unexpected shower Boo!

so after lunch I took the sheets off again and got to work on the Bertwhistle Cup Final pitch for Sunday.

 After pulling the sheets off I brushed in the line of play with the Sisis Auto-Rota Rake I then mowed with the machine still set at 6 mm. Above you can on the left the part of the pitch I had mowed. 

 A closer view 

You can see the line the brush wheels leave along with the mowing imperfections that is why I overlap by about 3/4 of the mower width to try get rid of the lines.

You can also see in the grass box that I am actually taking some grass off it grows and turns green quickly under sheets.

 The clippings after the whole pitch was cut.

 I then got the roller out and gave it about an hour.

Above is the result.

And from the other end.

Look closely at the adjacent pitches, no stripes. 

 I am not sure how I want to present it on Sunday so I brushed the stripes into the two adjacent pitches

Is that better than just striping individual pitches as a block which is how I usually present it?

Not sure I will give it some thought.

From the opposite end.

Then it was re sheet and off home as I was making a trip to York for a mate.

Looking forward to tomorrow now.

Sleep well 

Hodgy

Double Cut Outfield

Wednesday
After sorting out a few emails I got down to ground about 9-30 and started to cut the outfield. After looking at the weather forecast I was slightly worried that I may not have the time later in the week to complete this 5 hour task so I got on with the job.

First job was to clean the air filter all this dry weather creates a lot of dust and I don't want it getting into the engine. Look how much came out.

Job done I moved on to the pitch.

Pitch nothing had been done on it since Monday drying out and firming up nicely all on its own.

I mowed to 6 mm same as Monday, if you look closely you can see the mowing line I mover lapped the machine by about 3/4 Just to try keep a consistent even looking surface.
You can see in the box how much I took off.

Bobbys Job is this groundsmanship lark.
I rolled for around an 40 minutes.
Then cleaned the sheets up a bit as they are stored under tress and were a mess full of water, slugs, snails and puppy dog tails.

Dont think this boy will be pestering me any more, rolled in to the pitch.

A few small surface cracks beginning tom appear I pushed a screw driver in to surface and after a little resistance at surface went in quite readily. You may also notice that the cracks are in an area a little light on grass cover.

By 5-00 pm the clouds were gathering by that time our club chair Nick and Jos had arrived to help me put the big sheet on.
So it was off home quick shower and tee then off to the IOG branch committee meeting at Cleckheaton.
This morning -Thursday-we have had rain over night not as much as I thought from the forecast which I am happy about.

Not sure just what I will be up to today depends on conditions when I get down there adaptability is the name of the game when dealing with nature as we groundsmen have to.

Keep smiling and don't forget to wind your watch.
Hodgy

Black Tuesday

Well today I had big ideas of brushing and cutting the outfield then carrying out further work on the square but that was all put on hold while I dealt with the 5th yes 5th break in in 4 months.

Each time it is the same method of entry and as we clear away into a secure room all drinks and no cash is left at the club all they got away with was a small amount of change in a charity jar.

The damaged will total to between £300-00 and £400-00 and a full day for me sorting out with police, locksmiths, clearing and boarding up.

What a Ball Ache.

I started work on the outfield at 4-00 pm so all I got done was to sweep it with the power brush collecting leaves and other debris.

I have done nothing on the pitch today however it has firmed up a lot after mowing at 6 mm -allowing air to get to the surface- and yesterdays rolling.

Coming on fine.

Happy

Though I am not happy with the forecast looks like rain on Thursday and Saturday with showers Thursday Boo.

Keep smiling

Hodgy 

Cup Final Pitch Preparations

Arrived at ground about 11-00 am set up the irrigation then got to work clearing up in club car park, after a few hours I got fed up of that so started some work on the pitch.

As I said in previous post I fertilised the square last week but with little rain I felt it necessary

to water to wash it in so out came the hose pipe and travelling sprinkler.

The near pitch was the one I used for the first team on Saturday, not the best however we won so no complaints from our guys. I fact the spinner loved it, said it was the first he had played on at FoD that had turned.

One of our batters marked the crease for his guard  some 5 foot long. Why would you want to do that?

If you look closely you may be able to see it.

  The picture above shows the pitch after cutting and brushing for the first time.

It is cut at about 8 mm.

Then after a second cut at 8 mm.

I kept on brushing and cutting four times brushing and six cuts the last of which was down to around 6mm.

This is the stage at which I put the mowing machine and the brush away and got the roller out.

I am please with the grass cover even with not many, if any scars, a little but not much meadow grass and of an even colour with no crowning.

One thing I had done but not recorded was to take a couple of cores out to see the moisture content it was a little on the damp side that is why I took it down to 6 mm to allow the air to get to the surface which would assist evaporation.

After Rolling for an hour view from both ends.

Close up still a little green plenty of time between now and Sunday though some rain forecast on Thursday and Friday so I will need to have the sheets on I think and that will quickly green it up.

 I will keep you posted.

Keep you mower sharp!

Hodgy.