Message Board - Cricket: Cranfield Report on Rolling
7 Mar 2009 by Four Oaks
Well, it's now official. You need only make 5/6 passes but you're wasting your time if the soil conditions are not right.
I think a lot of us were fairly sure of that from the outset. However, I thought that this research would show us how to quantatively measure when the soil conditions were right.
Perhaps that's in the small print in the forthcoming "Guidelines for Cricket Rolling" which, according to the IOG magazine is available from the Cranfield website, but according to Cranfield, will be available soon.
Incidently, in a later article in said magazine, it seems to imply that how your tracks play depends on whether they were laid during a wet or dry season???
Presentation is the name of the game.
7 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
The research paper from cranfield should be available next week from Cranfields' website as had an email from them if you are interested.
Think results are similar to what was known/done suspected nice to have evidence though.
7 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
Four Oaks,
I believe that said article mentions the amount of cracking that occurs is due to either a dry construction or a wet one. No suggestion that there is a difference in the way they play, although of course there could be.
You will be able to measure the soil moisture content, problem is the relevant piece of equipment costs a fortune.
Because of this and taking the report into account i will stick to my trusted judgement. If when pushing my thumb into the surface it gets wet then the soil is to wet to compact. Should my thumb be no more than barely damp or dry then i shall roll.
You will also be wasting your time and diesel/petrol money by rolling just for the fun of it. Time for us all to re-educate ourselves.
8 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
I looked at the article in the IOG mag and Mario if is right about the half a mile an hour equating to about 110 secs for one pass up the wicket, then we should not be rolling for more than about 10 minutes at a time depending on the weight of your roller?
Mine is only about 1.2 tonnes I think
Taking that conditions are right to roll of course.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
8 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
110 seconds up and back equates to 220 seconds for two passes on one width of the roller. Assuming that you need to do at least three roller widths to cover a pitch, then two complete passes of a pitch equates to 660 seconds. Four recommended passes at any one time eqautes 1320 seconds = 22minutes.
So depending on how far past each wicket you roll, rolling time will be anywhere between 22 to 30 minutes roughly for four recommended passes.
1/2 mile per hour equates to 14.66 yds per minute.
Barry, i believe i am right in saying that the only difference between using a light roller compared to a heavier one is that you will not be able to compact to the same depth, but even that is marginal Remember, most light rollers are narrower than wide ones, so the wieght ratio is very similar. The one other important point about rollers is the diameter of the roller. Again i believe that optimum is approx 36/40 inches. Now you are not easily going to alter the size of your roller but it is worth bearing in mind if you are ever in the market to buy another one.
8 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
Barry
I believe that yours is an autoroller which i believe from other posts if its 4ft when ballasted weigh 2.2t approx.
8 Mar 2009 by widdywoo Last edited 8 Mar 2009
Does anyone have any tips as to how to judge when conditions are at the optimum for effective rolling?
I'm sure most of us are aware of the "If the knife comes out clean" method, but what do most of you guys do? Is there a moisture meter that would work on a cricket pitch or do you just sort of use your judgement, prod the pitch with your fingers a bit and trust to luck? (as I do!)
Any ideas gratefully received.
"I'm cheap, and nought but fashion; fling me away."
8 Mar 2009 by Anthony Asquith Last edited 8 Mar 2009
The three KPI's I am looking for when measuring pitches Is
- Bulk Density
- Water Content
- Pore Saturation
I simply use a microwave, calipers and a spreadsheet to give me a set of numbers which gives me the optimum results when to roll. I have used this method with great success but you will need to play around with cores and measurements over quite a few weeks to give you an average. You simply remove and weigh, measure the cores a couple of times and throw the numbers at the spreadsheet. If anyone wants Instruction how to do this then send me a PM and I can instruct you what steps to follow and send you the spreadsheet I have developed.
Plus I have got a simple method how to do this If you are not keen on using the computer to do It which you can work out.
This Is the same process as the ASHES (Assessment of soil Hardness/Elasticity and the Degree of saturation) system developed by the STRI but costs nothing and Is much more practical.
Anyone want to know more just PM me with an email address.
In RE to your question Digger...A lot of research Is subjective at best and works well as just 'guidelines' as the 'art' of making wickets Is about gut feeling/Instinct, Touch and feel, Sight, experience and working with the elements as the wicket (Sorry pitch!) Is a natural Item and the vagaries of nature come to bare. The preperation of grass wickets Is mostly down to learning on the job and getting a 'feel' of the job...The KEY Is Is to try to meet somewhere In the middle beetween theory (Research etc) and practical.
For those that are Interested In such stuff, The use of Nuclear Densometres, Penetrometres etc can be used but the old basics of prodding with stick or knife and poking around can be as equaly effective as can sticking your thumb Into the soil or looking at the colour or even the sound of the pitch after a small tap Is effective so It all depends on the Individual. I use all of the above with the aid of more complicated and technical stuff.
Cheers
Ant
8 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Bath
Dont think my drums are that big, Ill have a look tommorrow.
Pacman,no way is my roller 2 tons, I will check though.I think it is an autoroller, sold by a company called J.W. White, quite a while ago.
This is all very interesting buy doesnt it all come down to rolling at the right time and having the right weather?
I was always told that waelt in the morning on a nice warm day is the best time to roll when there is a bit of dew around and then the sun hardens it up. If you dont get the sun, you are knackered anyway.
I reckon, conditions being ok, I will roll a wicket for half an hour , 3/4 times a week in the week of the match.
But it seems to me as a fairly inexperienced chap, that there are too many variables to be taken into account for this rolling lark, for any hard and fast rules to be adherred to.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
8 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
Barry can you fill the drums with water, if an autoroller drums have 2 bolts on each.
8 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
Does it look anything like this if so its an auto roller. This is 4 ft model but they also made a 3ft version.
8 Mar 2009 by jontaylor
There is another reason for pre-season rolling that may not have been fully addressed in the Cranfield work - closing the top of the spike holes from all that airation we do!
I've now completed 8 passes in 4 sessions, today's 2 passes with the roller (Poweroll Club) ballasted up to about 1.4T. The top of the spike holes are closing, but are still very visible.
Open holes may be detrimental only form a cosmetic POV, but none of us want them, do we?
The ciderman rolls
9 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
AA,
That was a very good post. In reality you are absolutely correct. The Cranfield report is science which will act as guidelines for all of us.
I know from my past actions, that i for one will have carried out far more rolling than has been required and i most certainly will have rolled when to wet, taking the view that i must get on and get it done.
Not any more though.
9 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Pacman
My one only has 3 foot wide drums and must be an older version. Vent at the side is circular and the top is not covered. Its a crank handle start.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
9 Mar 2009 by The Moose
Barry,
certainly sounds like the 3ft whites autoroller, as i prevously had the 4ft with crank start and circular vent, the vent on the picture covers the hole
Perfect Preperation Prevents P*** Poor Pitches
9 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Eccles, yep, thats the one. Can be a near heart attack cranking it up 
Anyway, i think its only about 1.2 tonnes. Cant fill the ballsts up, nuts are ceased and anyway not sure it would be good idea, cos of rusting. I put some paving slabs on the back and thats about it. Like to the scientists work that one out!
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
9 Mar 2009 by Vic Demain
Barry, we had a similar problem getting the nuts out last season. Try heating them first, suggest you then get new plugs from Autoguide (not too expensive), put a bit of grease around them before fitting. Remember to let the water out at the end of the season and the jobs a good one.
9 Mar 2009 by zoid
Hello bath. How are you?
"The Cranfield report is science which will act as guidelines for all of us."
I'm a tad concerned that in the hands of the ECB that that will be the message but let's be sure on one point; this research was conducted on a perfectly prepared profile with no layering, organic matter build up, root breaks, pans etc.
In other words, on profiles which are vastly different to those most clubs play their cricket on.
I like the work they've done but to be fair, most of it only really confirms what most of us do already?
That in itself is a great benefit for those of us who have to liase or report to laymen who believe hours of rolling is the simple and only element of pitch prep. We can now refer to some science to show that it is the drying process, combined with the selective application of the roller that actually produces the maximum pace and bounce that the profile is capable of.
There is another element though which the research only touches on and that is grass rooting. I remember reading some research from the stri that found that grass cultivars which achieved strong, deep roots actually demonstrated slower paced surfaces. However, we know that through evapo-transpiration the drying process is accelerated by deep roots so should we be looking to achieve deep rooting or not? Does not aerating squares start to make sense especially if there is no layering present?
I know this was a study on rolling but should we be given guidelines on rolling in isolation or do these need to be combined with all the elements of profile management?
Whatever the research has done; it's got us talking about it and it makes a refreshing change from the mumbo jumbo on mollasses!
9 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
Barry my understanding is that 3ft autoroller would leave same footpint as the 4ft which is probably about the best roller you can get.
I recommend getting the nuts nuts off I have an old auto roller that i got a couple of years ago had to persevere using wd40 & some effort to get get those square nuts off 5/8 spanner needed if i remember right but will make a difference ballasting your roller.
9 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
Zoid,
Wellcome back, i for one have missed the banter.
You raise many valid points and yes the trials were carried out with perfect conditions. As you say, no thatch or layering. These probably being the two worst evils in the profile of a cricket square, niether are required and if present should be dealt with.
Hopefully it will be an insight to what is really required. Many leave me with the impression that rolling is the B all and End all of pitch maintenance. These trials have proved that is not the case and i for one will be pleased to have a reduced rolling programme.
However, i am very lucky because the whole of my square has now been relaid and i have a nice clean 100mm profile of clay loam. Believe me, it becomes another learning curve to what i have been used to in the past.
As i have mentioned in an earlier post, most will have to taylor there rolling programme to suit there situation, but i for one have found it very interesting and it should be an insight for most. Hopefully many chaps will learn to be more patient than they may have been in the past. Rolling when to moist is pointless and a waste of valuable time. It might even create problems by creating breaks.
Have a good summer and keep up the good work.
9 Mar 2009 by paul kelsey
Hi all
My roller is 3 wheel front roller was in two halves has been welded up when i run it across outfield i can see the difference in weight back being heavier if i put water in front roller will it make it too heavy on steering it is quite heavy on steering at moment, its aveling bayford.
Paul
9 Mar 2009 by jlawrence
If the bolts are fast borrow (or steal) a decent socket set and a scaffold bar - they'll come loose eventually.
If nothing else the rolling report is good for pinning up in the clubhouse to point out there is method in our madness - do things at the right time and you stand a chance of getting decent results. Do them at the wrong time and you might as well roll the garage floor for all the good it will do.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
9 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
Nicely put JL.
9 Mar 2009 by philipfish
Hi all
The Cranfield Report is now avaialble via their website:-
http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/naturalresources/research/projects/rolling.jsp?id=redirect
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the download option.
Phil Fish
10 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
All interesting stuff chaps. I will have a look at the nuts.
The biggest problem I reckon is our weather. Some weeks last year it was so wet, it was impossible to roll hardly at all, mind you, that doesnt stop some silly pr*ts from turning up on match days and asking why the wicket is so soft!
Or why the cover hasnt been on every second when it was raining and off every second the sun made a fleeting glimpse.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
10 Mar 2009 by Chris Thornton
We all have that sort of thing to cope with Barry.
The sun didn't appear much at all from 4Th August till mid Sept. If it did appear it was never for a whole day or even a whole hour yet the peckerheads still expect a firm dry pitch.
It seems that the more one does the more they expect. Just a pity I am not impervious to the barbs. They wind me up and I can't see me doing much more than two seasons more.
Found the website and will have a sken later.
Chris
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
10 Mar 2009 by wicketdevil
Gentlemen, having started to read the report i'm not looking forward to the clubs committee meeting tonight and try to explain to our volunteer groundsman that sitting on the roller all day because its sunny is no longer if it ever was a good use of time and would improve the playing qualities of our small square.
At work i beleive i roll close to reccomondations with the aside that every ground is different and only an experience groundsman knows what acheives the best results on his grounds i have 3 squares on two different sites about a mile apart and they have different playing qualities and rolling requirements because the sub soil and construction methods were different ( years before my arrival).
So yes a fine report and gives us a useful tool however it won't be the end of "this wicket needs more rolling" from the batsman who totally missed a straight one. WD
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
10 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Chris
I am just starting out in reality but understand how you feel. I have various groundsman over the years and as a cricketer too, have often winced at the tosh spoken by cricketers about wickets and how they will play and what the groundsman should be doing.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
11 Mar 2009 by Chris Thornton
Barry.
I have said this before and will no doubt say it again. Batsmen have a bat and bowlers have a seem.
It is up to them to work out the vagaries of the pitch and it is just that (the difference in pitches) that makes Cricket the best game it the world.
Refer them to the local swimming club if they want consistency!!!
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
11 Mar 2009 by jlawrence
Chris have you magically moved my outfield to your place - how the heck did you do that 
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
12 Mar 2009 by widdywoo
Wicketdevil - any batsman that tells me the wicket needs more rolling gets shown where the roller is!
That usually shuts them up.
"I'm cheap, and nought but fashion; fling me away."
12 Mar 2009 by wicketdevil
Very true i introduced my club to the rolling report on tuesday with a lot of blank faces and questions like dont we just roll before the season begins and doesnt the ground have to be bone dry. So i gave the secretary a copy and told the group read at your leisure.
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
12 Mar 2009 by Loammeister
Look on this as an opportunity to educate, and start becoming more inclusive like the sustainable golf movement.
Most cricketers and committee members have no direct involvement in grounds preparation so understandably have misconceptions about what is done and what is required. Much of what they say and think is owed to 'inherited knowledge' or misguided Sky TV punditry, so let's be more sympathetic and help educate the masses.
Golf greenkeepers promoting sustainable golf actually make presentations to their greens committees and membership alike, perhaps we should look upon committee meetings at cricket clubs as an opportunity to educate and promote understanding.
By using guidelines from the Cranfield research we can help reassure committees and members that cricket groundsmen are doing the 'right things', and with scientific backing. OK so they won't be applicable to every situation, but surely it's worth exploring the findings and seeing if they can help to improve things- or indeed make life easier. If it's not appropriate then at least it will have been tried. always pays to review your methods from time to time!
The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train
12 Mar 2009 by wicketdevil
We are talking a small village club and yes i've tried over the 30 years ive been a member to educate, run basic coarses on pitch prep done the work myself when time allows but members still bury there heads i am doing another teach in before the end of march and will use the data so fingers crossed now its in black and white and will be pinned up in our pavilion it may be read and we may move forward.
For my paid position it is a valuable tool for imformation and like a lot of us confirms what we have known for years.
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
12 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
If any of the experts see me only rolling the pitch half an hour at a time, do you think it will do me any good showing them the Cranfield report?
I think not.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
How many experts hang around long enough to know what you do at all then Barry ? Are they standing there for hours on end with there stop watch ?
13 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket Last edited 13 Mar 2009
Politely or not so politely tell them thats why your the groundsman, use your time as productively as possible to produce the best surfaces possible. I am sure there are lots of other things you could other than rolling to improve pitches early prep on others outfield the list goes on. as per report dont roll for rolling sake. make sure rolling in correct conditions irrigation will be important too.
13 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Bath
Read it again, I said "if"
But if they ask me how long, I tell them. No reason to lie is there?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
13 Mar 2009 by Vic Demain
Would be interested to hear if anyone actually spends more than half an hour at a time rolling their pitches? If so, how long?
13 Mar 2009 by jlawrence
Barry, it might do you some good or it might not.
If your experts are anything like mine then it wouldn't matter who the report was written by cos they'll pay no attention to it.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
13 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Jon
Funnily enough, I went on hols for a week last september and one bloke, quite kindly admittedly, said he would prepare the one wicket wwe needed that weekend for an end of season friendly, I was only away for one weekend. I had prepared the wicket before I went and showed him how to use the mower and the roller.
when I got back, I asked my son how it played and he said it was shooting along the floor half the time.
I then asked my mate how long he had rolled it and he told me quite proudly he had rolled it for 6 hours And for 2 hours on the morning of the match!
But he was helping me out
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
13 Mar 2009 by Minormorris64
You sure he didn't think he was doing the pre season rolling for this season
What goes around, comes around
13 Mar 2009 by Vic Demain
Has anyone who has read the report in full noticed if any theories were given as to how different rollers affect the pitch during games? Whether we should go for the light or heavy roller on each morning and between innings?
13 Mar 2009 by seanmichaels
Did the report define what a good wicket was post rolling? For example the pitch at the Antigua Rec was unworthy of a test but within 2 days was a batsmens' paradise and from what i've heard was down to a bit of water and a lot of rolling. Would the cricket authorities consider this a success in comparison to say the Edgbaston Test in 2005 which had a bit of both for all?
Is there not an argument that science can get in the way of years of knowledge of a tried and trusted method? There are so many variables distinguishing the nature of squares 10 miles apart, let alone countrywide? I do what i do as a hobby but think i have a feel for what to do, when and as conditions allow.
13 Mar 2009 by Philmort
Of course all grounds are different and we need to adjust our activity accordingly but we should always be on the lookout for improvement and efficiency and in Amateur clubs to find ways of saving money and time. The Report seems to suggest a way forward for many, apart from the 'chosen few' who have been getting things right all along!
It does provide ammunition to help counteract the people who will be trying to tell us that the heavy roller is the panacea which does beneficial things for pitches in proportion to the hours spent using it. There will be some who may never find out how much better their pitches might be for less rolling, or at least that they will not be any worse, because they have 'always done it this way.' I would hope that they might at least give it a try.
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
13 Mar 2009 by Chris Thornton
I said in a post ages ago that one gets to know the square
one rolls and that once Friday comes around one gets to know how much more rolling Saturday's pitch needs.
We all know that in fine weather when it comes to Friday then Saturday, rolling is pointless as the surface is as hard and flat "as can be" so what is the point of going any further.
Sure I like to "polish" off the pitch on Friday pm and Saturday A/M but that's it. No one can tell me that it should be rolled for so long because it says it in a text book because it doesn't say it in any text book! How long and whenever we should roll is a matter of local knowledge and ones "feel" for what is going on under the roller.
I have not read the Cranfield report but will do but I am sure the thrust of it is to roll less than we do at the moment because rolling for rolling's sake, at certain times of the year, because it is "traditional that we do it then" is Boll%%%%%X and always has been.
I got a visit from someone from a different league from ours in Sept last year and during our chat he said he would be doing PSR in Jan and Feb!!!
Nuff said I think!
Chris
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
14 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
I ve read it, understood the written stuff but not the graphs. Basically it seemed to say:
dont roll when wet
use decent grass seed
develop decent root growth
use 30+ clay conntent loam if you have covers
keep thatch down to a minimum
a larger diameter drum is better
Dont bother having a 3 tonnne roller if you use low caly content loam and have no covers
No point rolling more than about 30 mins at a time
Interestinng stuff for me as a novice but isnt it stuff that you more experienced guys knew anyway?
I loved the picture of that huge roller they used at the Oval
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
14 Mar 2009 by EDS
I've read the report and the diameter of the drum, weight, time spent rolling etc etc are all things we should try [if not doing so already].
But for me... one [if not the] main "concern" is determining the "optimum moisture content".
Bath brought this matter up in an earlier post re the cost of the kit to measure it - AA has provided some invaluable assistance too through his posting, but if you simply cant afford the kit how do you arrive at this optimum point?
I feel it comes down to taking cores - inspecting them and doing the old finger nail test on them?
What do others think ?
Still Learning
14 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Didnt they glibly say you can buy a tool for measuring the moisture for a mere £800?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
14 Mar 2009 by Four Oaks
I think that was my point when making the original post. Perhaps it will be the subject of another 3/4/5 year study!!!
Presentation is the name of the game.
14 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
How have we changed our pre season rolling as about to commence as have first game 19 april.
14 Mar 2009 by jontaylor
Guys,
This was academic research. The ECB might have thought different, but how much experience do they have of comissioning University research? (Genuine question, I don't know the answer).
Don't, for one minute, think that this is an expert report on how to create good cricket wickets. It is theoretical R&D that provides several useful pointers.
We should read the Cranfield report and learn from what's in there and not be too critical of all the yawning gaps - and believe me, having read the report they are there.
Jon. PhD in Chemistry. Nobody ever used my PhD findings, no-one ever will. I learnt a lot doing my PhD and from being an industrial supervisor to several other PhD students..
The ciderman rolls
14 Mar 2009 by Mal
Admittidly I haven't yet read the report but will real soon. A question that I have often wondered about, springs to mind. Where it is agreed that a tandem roller should be counted as two passes up the wicket and two passes back down the wicket, I would guess equally that a tandum roller of say 2 ton weight should be counted as one ton on each roller when calculating the footprint of the roller. i.e. the footprint of each roller should be calculated seperately and based on half the weight of the roller?
Geography is everywhere
15 Mar 2009 by jlawrence
EDS, re-read AA's post again.
It's relatively simple to calculate the moisture content of the surface - takes about 10 minutes if that and uses equipment that almost everyone has at their disposal.
How many people can't get access to a microwave. After doing a few calculations you start to get a feel as to what the moisture content is - it's surprising how accurate your feel can be.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
16 Mar 2009 by Franco
Hi,
A while since I've been on here, but this report on rolling has rejuvenated my interest in groundsmanship.
Very much an amateur with basic knowledge, so please don't knock any outlandish questions. I want to learn from the learned.
1. "Never use a vibrating roller on a cricket pitch" - One of the first leasons I was taught. However, in light of this research, could using the vibrator to consolidate at depth outweigh the negative effects from doing so?
2. Letting the pitch dry. Does the act of rolling not also aid drying by drawing moisture up to the surface. Like 'tamping' concrete?
Tie Breaker. I have a Stothert & Pitt Vibroll 32rd Mark 1. From previous posts I estimate this will weigh 850kg? The front & rear rollers both measure 64cm diameter & 82cm in width. What is the mass/width factor (kg/m)?
Say I then water balast the front roller, but estimate I can only fill to 85%. I now chuck on 5 bags of loam at 20kg a piece. What it the total roller weight now?
Thanks for listening...
Franco
16 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
Never use vibrator, unless your at home and it is convenient.
Rolling closes down the space left in the soil by the departing/drying water.
Roots dry the soil underneath, dry soil is harder.
Cant answer your tie breaker, but your total wieght will not be excessive, so ballast up a little at atime and use it.
Good luck and happy rolling.
17 Mar 2009 by wicketdevil
All i know is when our old village groundsman used the vibrating roller we had no pace and bounce for years later and it took major works to get the pace back. So please gentlemen and ladies dont use the vibrating roller it may look good after but its the death of good cricket.
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
17 Mar 2009 by paul kelsey
What about vibrator on outfield any good ??
17 Mar 2009 by Barry Pace
NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!! pls dont they are made for making roads, keep them there.
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
17 Mar 2009 by Four Oaks
I could be corrected on this one Franco, but I think the compaction achieved is so sudden with a vibrator roller that it destroys the soil profile and damages the roots of the grass plants.
It's best left for levelling the car park.
Presentation is the name of the game.
18 Mar 2009 by Loammeister
Welcome back Franco, listen to bath's good advice on vibrators, wonder where he got that knowledge from?
The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train
19 Mar 2009 by Franco
http://www.ecb.co.uk/twelfthman/interactive/q-and-a/2794,2794,QA.html
Comments invited
19 Mar 2009 by jlawrence
I wouldn't use a vibrator function unless you're really in the sh1t. There's far too many problems that could be caused.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
20 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Just to go back to a point about cross rolling. I have done a certain amount and was intendinng to do a bit more this week but didnt do any early doors this week as I had overseeded some bits and bobs. Then today, I was going to do some more but it actually looks too dry ( I couldnt get down early this morning when some dew may have been about)
It just seems to bring home the point that whatever you may research in laboratory conditions, the weather always has the most important say.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
21 Mar 2009 by jlawrence
Barry, you're right. The weather has the final say - that's the most important thing that you can get from the report.
What makes the biggest difference in rolling terms is doing it in the perfect conditions.
For those that can't get to the ground whenever they want it may be necessary to rolling in non perfect conditions. BUT, I think it would be better for you to try and manipulate the conditions. If say you know you've only time for rolling at a weekend (evenings still draw in a little too quick at the moment) then why not water on the thursday evening with a view to rolling Sat or Sun - obviously check weather forecasts first.
You really will be amazed at the difference you get by rolling in the correct conditions - one day rolling in correct conditions is way better than 6 days in the wrong conditions.
Don't get hung up on the weather. We spend all summer manipulating the water content of our squares in order to produce the playing surfaces so why not manipulate it for PSR.
The golden rule I follow is to let the surface dry for the length of time you rolled. So If I roll for 1 hour I'll let the surface dry for a further hour before doing another pass. In reality other things get in the way so I rarely (if ever) manage more than 3 passes in a single day when doing PSR.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
21 Mar 2009 by pacman75cricket
Jon
Think you are absolutely spot on.
The hose pipe is another tool in the armoury just like the mower & the roller.
21 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Well, just rolled in normal direction my first wicket of the season and its now so dry, I would have to water if i want to do anymore in the next few days unless we get some rain. Its amazing to think we were under 2 foor of snow 6 weeks or so ago!
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
21 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
I would'nt bother to get the hosepipe out yet. This is England and we are bound to be looking at floods again before the season starts.
I cant understand this to dry bit. We have only had one dry sunny week and although it has been very welcome, it has hardly been a scorcher.
If to dry now, how will you cope when we get some warm/hot dry weather ?
21 Mar 2009 by Philmort
Having been rolling on 4 different squares in the last 3 days, there is a lot of variety in the amount of moisture but all had dried to the touch but still had a bit of give, certainly under the weight of a roller! A slight dampness afterwards showed they were not as dry as they 'looked' ! Not much rolling looks likely in the South after Tuesday for the rest of the week, unless covers in use !
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
21 Mar 2009 by paul kelsey
Barry
Have 2 strips which have been sarrell spiked and overseeded had to water them twice this week due to cracking, rolled square in playing direction yesterday not leaving any significant marks.
22 Mar 2009 by Grassman2011
Bare area's will appear to be hard on the surface and will crack, but my guess would be that there is still sufficient moisture in the profile overall to carry on rolling without watering. Water to keep the grass alive or when preparing a pitch, no need otherwise for most of us.
22 Mar 2009 by barry glynn
Had more than a week of dry weather down here but the forecast is for some dampness this week and cold too.
I have some re-seeded areas that I may have to wet a bit if the forecast proves wrong.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
23 Mar 2009 by Neil Dixon
Had to irrigate our first team square on Friday, will probably need to do them all this week if this weather continues.
23 Mar 2009 by jontaylor
Bath,
I'm with you. The squares are "surface dry", not dry to depth. We've had sun and wind, but not much grass growth yet. So I don't think squares are dry to depth.
Surface dry will lead to differential shrinkage and cracking (see the pictures I posted last week of a track on a ground local to mine). It can also, I'm sure, be used to our advantage in PSR as the hard surface should transmit more pressure to greater depth (less elastic loss in the top inch).
Cracking will occur first on bare areas - two reasons, less roots to bind the soil and faster surface evaporation.
The ciderman rolls
23 Mar 2009 by zoid
Quite right jon/bath.
Those little white dots in the profile tests showed how little compaction was acheived lower down the profile when the top was still compactable.
Surely a dry surface acts like an extention to the drum achieving compaction lower down the profile and it's the combination of progressive drying and rolling that really gets to depth.
If it didn't work like this we'd only need to roll once.
I wish.
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