Dave Smith (Head Groundsman)

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What does a typical week look like during the season?

There is no typical week during the season, everything depends on weather and games to be played. Constantly looking for windows to roll wickets which takes 30 to 40 minutes per strip, normally four per week with youth games. We also have a wicket in pre preparation (we work on starting prep 10 days before use) and all this in amongst cutting the outfield and infrastructure allying to the ground, re-mowing, cut wickets, tidying used wickets, watering and re marking wickets. 

I also umpire on Saturday sometimes travelling back to the Club to prepare the wicket for a Sunday match. At the end of the season there is repair of the square, top dressing and keeping an eye for disease or animal damage. Removal of lying leaves, controlling grass growth and general maintenance. 

We start preparing for the season in March when we roll the square in four directions  and start lowering the outfield grass length to its playing height of 10 mm

Repairing as many damaged areas as possible.

Once we are in the playing season getting the covers on when rain is forecast and making sure these are taken off properly to prevent water getting on the strip.  

All in all I (we) are kept busy and spend a considerable time actually at the ground