The Groundsman: Winter-ready

Cricket grounds may not have seen much action this season, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect critical pre-winter maintenance tasks. MD of total-play Ltd and former first-class groundsman David Bates shares his checklist of essential jobs

By now, you should have completed your end-of season works on your natural turf pitch – cutting the grass sward as short as possible, scarifying, removing debris, seeding and fertilising. This should see your square set fair for the winter and you can pretty much leave it until the grass plant starts growing again in spring, aside from removing any excess leaves and other organic matter from the surface.

There are, however, other jobs around the ground to get on with – taking care of covers and other equipment to make sure they’re in good order for what will hopefully be a busy playing season next year.

Mobile pitch covers should have any PVC cover tops and printed banners removed and stored away, then frames should be chained together to reduce the chance of them moving in high winds. Winds can also be problematic for sightscreens – position them in a sheltered area on site, away from prevailing winds and, if your model has removable mesh panels or planks it’s worth taking the time to take them off now, rather than regret a damaged screen later.

Netting should also be removed from mobile batting cages and the frames chained to prevent unwanted movement.

Flat sheet ground covers should be cleaned using a soft brush and water and examined for damage before being stored, ideally in a protection bag or sleeve, in a dry frost-free place, raised o  the ground and out of sunlight.

Non-turf facilities – whether match-play or practice – are low maintenance, but will still benefit from pre-winter attention.

Remove any batting curtains, advertising banners and anything else attached to netting and inspect it for damage before removing the nets themselves (if recommended by the manufacturer).

The surface itself should be lightly brushed on a weekly basis to remove debris and prevent a build-up of organic matter. If you spot any issues with surface levels or carpet damage seek professional advice and aim to get any repairs completed before winter so that you’ll be ready for action in spring.

Got a question for our expert groundsman? Let us know at magazine@thecricketer.com

During his residency at Northants CCC, David Bates gained a reputation for preparing some of the fi nest pitches in the country. Having worked as a pitch advisor and trainer for the IoG David now heads up totalplay Ltd where he has developed class-leading non-turf cricket pitch and pitch cover solutions

For more information, visit www.total-play.co.uk or call 01604 864 575