Just a quick question guys, have any of you ever offset your tracks by 1/2 a track year on year so for example one year you would have 13 tracks and the following only 12 with them starting half a track in?
Obviously could only be done if you can spare a track but I was just thinking about heavy wear area's and spreading it year on year.
Do any of you experienced guys know of a good reason not to do this?
Im thinking about going the other way and marking them out at 9ft 6inch to gain an extra 6ft so I can extend the practice strip at one end. It will mean a bit of overlap to get the full 10ft width.
Ive currently got 14 strips
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Yes we tried that at my club and it works during the season but can cause problems the next season when you go back to normal strips. Ian
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
Sorry Ian, do you mean what I am thinking about or what Steve is suggesting?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Steve,
In my experience, even after end of season renovations, there is often a difference in grass coverage between the last two or three tracks used in the previous season and the tracks to either side.
Therefore, if I were to try this idea there would be a half and half effect on the tracks.
Others may be better at end of season repairs than me of course.
The ciderman rolls
Yes your right Barry i didnt read it right. Ive not tried that and wouldnt. If you do end of season work correctly then it wont be a problem.
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
18 Mar 2010 by Charles Johnson
Maybe I'm not doing it properly then.
However carefully you repair the ends, you cannot dress and lute the fresh loam into deep footholes or crease marks other than perfectly level. As it gets wet and settles the fresh loam binds and packs into the existing consolidated loam. As it does so it slumps, and further contracts when it next dries out. By March there are periodic dips along the crease line, cross-mowing can be like riding a roller coaster.
Rolling can only correct around 5mm of local undulation, and it needs the big roller on it before the square has dried out too much.
To a lesser degree this "memory" of last years damage also happens to scrapes from bowler follow throughs, and in my case where the keeper digs his toes in.
Perhaps do it early enough to go back after it settles and top up?
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
Today I ve marked out my tracks at 9foot six. This has given me another 6 foot six inches to add onto my practice wicket area.
I have also marked out my baseline and popping creases completely along the square by initially stringing it out along the entire length of the square and marking it with a 10 foot straight edge, marking the track for middle of track for stumps and track width etc.
What was also a worthwhile result of string out along the entire length of the square was that it has shown me any low spots. Not too bad actually, 3 areas on the baseline that are about half to 3 quarters of an inch lower.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
I top up some of my footholes in the spring - once it's warm enough for the grass to grow.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
Yes Jon, I was thinking of doing that cos fortunately, the worst area is not on a track that I will be using early on, if i can stick to my pitch plan.
first time Ive marked out the entire square like this, if I can keep the lines there, not only does it look good imo, it will make marking out easier, quicker and more accurate.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Why not put a fork into any low area's, nice and deep and push/pull creating quite large holes that you can then fill with dry loam, some seed if you wish, that way you do dot have much in the way of loose soil smothering your grass lowlands.
If you repair your footholes well during the season, then they should not require much levelling during the autumn renovations. Should none at all or at the very least very little now.
Actually, they are not footholes. It is an area that was not done properly when koroed. I have been trying to build it up in the last 2 years but obviously have not done it enough. Yes so what you say would be better, Ill give that a go. Its quite amazing that painting a line down the whole square really shows any slight deviations in levels.
I do repair every foothole in season best I can
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
20 Mar 2010 by jlawrence Last edited 20 Mar 2010
What I do is similar to what Bath suggested.
Fork the area and put some loam down the holes - don't add see to this mix as it may result in the top blowing out.
I then put lots of shallow holes in the top and add seed then put a thin covering of loam over it (only enough for the seed to bind to).
Cover with a germination sheet, water and a week later it should be up and growing.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
Wicketdevil,
Can you share your secret?
If I have a ten track square and use tracks in the sequence 1,3,5,7,9,2,4,6,8,10, then track 8 is used in late August, next to tracks 7 and 9 that were used in May-June. 7 and 9 were repaired but 8 wasn't because no groundsman worth his salt and on a budget would do any repairs so close to end of season renovations.
So in mid to late September, 7 and 9 have had 3 to 4 months of growth and 8 is bare. If the groundsman doesn't have the budget to do a Koro strip back, then 8 is completely different to 7 and 9.
Please help me, how do I do my renovations properly so that in April the following year track 7.5 does not have two halves?
I'm NOT taking the P. I would really like to know how to do this. Please bear in mind that most readers are on a limited budget and play form April to mid September.
The ciderman rolls
I may be thick but having read the original post again, I have to say, what is the point in doing it anyway? I cant see any benefit.
I agree with Jon Taylor, surely there will be a difference caused by moving them over half a track.
If there are some slighhtly bare patches where the bowlers run off, they are off the line of the playing area anyway,so what the harm?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Back to Top - Go to Next Unread Message
This Message is closed, you may not post a reply at this time