Getting Very Busy Now

Just to bring you up to date the scheduled game on Saturday fell fowl to the weather. I got up early on Sunday morning and got a game on but the square was very wet and suffered some scaring as a result.

On arrival Sunday morning.

Just about set up and ready for the start.

Getting the early start enabled me to get some rolling into the pitch that is in preparation for a weeks time when Leeds Met play Loughborough University -the roller is at the bottom of that pitch in the above photo.

 Matt Webster blowing a bit -time to work on the fitness!

 Gibbo with that mean look.

We had a hail shower at tea time and they were off for about 3/4 hour maybe.

The game was Leeds Met v Kirkstall. The met boys got 235 from 40 overs and Kirkstall didn't they were all out in the last over -so they all had a bat.

I make no apology for all these match photos as this is what it is all about playing.

It was a long day starting at 8-00am and I was on my way home at 8-00pm I did have a sneaky pint though.

 On Tuesday I have the IOG Foundation Course for Cricket Groundsman at Kirkstall so in an effort to tidy things up I mowed the outfield and the square. I also raked and power brushed the square as it is getting very dense now and I wanted to try thin it out a bit.

Above you can see the result of playing on a wet square these chunks are sizable, very fortunately they are at the edge of a pitch not in the middle on a length. I went home for an hour then came back at 5-30 just as the juniors were arriving for their first outdoor training session of the season about 50 turned up.

I concentrated on preparing a practise pitch for the boys on Tuesday night -weather permitting- cutting and rolling also rolling the Loughborough pitch some more.

Finally I covered a pitch that we can work on with the groundsmen and the Loughborough pitch and went home at about 8-00pm for the second night running.

Sorry I got busy and forgot to take many photos today -must improve!

I will take some photos of the groundsmen tomorrow I promise.

I hear the weather is to be changeable till the end of the month.

Keep those sheets at the ready.

Hodgy

Visit to Rawdon C C

Thursday I had a call from Lawrence Walker at Rawdon C C their Mastiff was poorly and in need of a new engine -which was on order- they needed the outfield cutting, so of I went this morning and did it for them. 

Rawdon C C the final photo has Mark Sutton -Sutty- their groundsman hard at work. When I arrived at Rawdon and unloaded and unhitched trailer I found to my shame that I had left the towing brackets for the gangs at Kirkstall so I had to go back for them -another senior moment Doh!

When I got back to Kirkstall  it was fair so I got the sheet off the pitch to get some air to it. They go green very quickly under sheeting. I then cut the outfield to tidy it up after the training that had been taking place on it.

I then started preparing a new pitch which is to be used a week on Sunday when Leeds Met play Loughborough University this pitch was very wet because of the water run off from the sheet so I did my best but it was too wet to roll.

I then cut the square apart from the pitch I had rolled the sheet on to. -The sheet had some water on it and it covers four pitches so is too heavy without the water on to move by myself so I have to roll it back making sure I don't spill any water onto the pitch in preparation.

The 11-5-5 fertiliser I applied early last week has now kicked in as you can see.

I have two games this weekend Saturday is the Leeds Met 2nds V Kirkstall 2nds and Sunday it is the two 1st elevens playing each other. As it is the two second teams Saturday and both games are on the one pitch I have left some grass on for Saturdays game in order to give it a little protection -I will take a little more off Sunday morning if I think it needs it.

Saturday morning I will take the sheet off give it another cut -because it will turn green over night under the sheet- roll it and mark it out. I will also give the pitch I was unable to mow today a cut maybe even all the square or at least the pitches that have been under the sheet cause they will be scuffed up a bit.

I wont need rocking to sleep tonight.

See you next post.

Hodgy

Leeds Met Boys on Grass and a Visit to Pool C C

When I arrived at the ground this morning the Met Boys were already there I thought they were down at

12-30 ...got that one wrong. So as quick as I could I got to work on the grass nets. Now as we had some heavy showers yesterday -with no covering- they were on the damp side. So I did not mow the pitch

-I wanted the grass to give a little protection- I just rolled and marked it out. I was a little concerned that the ball might take pieces out -so they used old balls with out much seam- I needn't have worried the surface held up..so that was a bonus.

From what I saw they were consistent -which is good- on the slow side with some lateral movement, which is exactly what I would expect ... No drama there, thank goodness. After I got these boys up and running it was off to Pool C C. as I am getting busier I am forgetting to take photos sorry I must get into more of a routine but I get my head down and just forget.

The square at Pool on my arrival you may remember this is the square that was Korroed at the end of last season. I had a good look over the square and it has a good cover of grass one or two weak areas -nothing to worry about- Clive has already over seeded them and rolled it in to the surface, which is good.

They purchased a new fertiliser spreader and I am not sure they have quite mastered its use yet. If you look over the square you can see areas with flush growth and areas a little on the yellow side you will be able to see -in the next few photos- on the pitch I was preparing that it as a very green strip down its length.

 I just want to remind you what this square was like third week of September last, the pictures below were taken on my mobile phone which is nearly as old as I am, so I apologise about the quality.

 

Korroed top dressed and seeded late September 2011

Why have these photos gone out of line very annoying as I cant get it right.

Here is the pitch I am preparing for a week on Saturday the 21st the first league game of the season when Pools 1st team are at home so there are another ten days to go. Top taken off brushed and cut twice.

Can you see the green line down the left hand side of the pitch where it has had more fertiliser than the rest?

General view of the square including the pitch under preparation.

The two photos above are from the opposite end you can see the green strip on the right. Because the square was Korrowed all thatch and rubbish was removed the pitch will take a lot less raking/brushing out than you would normally expect.

 Back to Kirkstall and the Met boys are still hard at it. I try to give them a fair deal and do what I can to help them they were grateful of the grass net today and i was grateful the they had covered my pitch which is being prepared on the square...Thank you boys. they have been down here now for a half day and a full one and it has an impact on the field so I will have to do some tidying up tomorrow. again I must say that they move around the field so as not to do too much damage to one particular spot.