December Cricket Diary 2006

Laurence Gale MScin Cricket
december cricket square With your end of season renovations successfully completed you will hopefully be going into the winter period with some new growth on the square. Your main priorities will be to protect this growth and keep the surface clean and open. Many Groundsmen usually erect a protective fence around the square, this helps keep people and animals away..

Many grounds will by now be reaching field capacity, a condition that relates to the amount of water in the soil profile. After the recent heavy spells of rain, many squares will now be softened up enough to facilitate some deeper aeration. The moist conditions prevalent allow easier penetration of tines without causing to much disruption to the surface profile.

Try and aerate both your square and outfields to improve soil porosity. Choice of tines will be critical, however in most cases it will be down to what machinery the clubs have available and what they can afford to do. Ideally you want the tines penetrating down to a depth of between 100-150mm.

A general practice is to aerate the square with 6-10mm size tines in two directions once in December and maybe on one other occasion in January. In the main nobody deep aerates after January for fear of leaving a legacy that may come to haunt them in the summer months. Sarrel roller's are also used to keep the surface open and free draining.

As for the outfields, they will benefit from regular aeration throughout the winter months, ideally once a month at least. using a tractor mounted spiker or vertidrain type aerator.

The winter months are ideal for getting many repairs completed. Scoreboards, practice net posts and fences around thdecember cricket outfielde ground can be repaired, painted or stained. Depending on ground conditions, some clubs may be able to complete drainage or reconstruction works during the winter months. Existing drainage systems can be overhauled and cleaned out, and additional drainage systems may be added.

Soil and air temperatures are now dropping, early morning frosts are appearing on grass surfaces, so it is important not to walk across frozen ground as this will lead to turf damage.

Most of the tasks detailed below can be undertaken within a limited budget. Local conditions and circumstances will need to be evaluated.

If any members are undertaking any specific work not detailed, please let us know by adding a comment at the bottom of the diary.

December Maintenance Tasks for Cricket

Natural Grass

Task

Frequency

Reason

Aeration

As required

A sarrell roller during the winter months is useful for keeping the surface open.

The outfield can be aerated using solid or slit tines when conditions allow. (100-30mm deep tines).

Covers



Not required

All covers and portable covers should be inspected for damage/wear and tear. Organise appropriate repairs or replacement.

Covers and sheets can be stored away now the playing season is finished.

Diseases (square and outfield)

Daily/Weekly

Turf disease can become quite prevalent when soil moisture levels increase, coupled with the presence of early morning dews. The combination of moist soils and surface moisture on the leaf blade can increase the susceptibility of disease attack.

Regular brushing in the mornings to remove the dew off the playing surfaces will reduce the likelihood of disease outbreak. Many turf grass diseases can be active at this time of the year. Fairy rings, and red thread are the most commonly seen.

Drainage

Weekly

Inspect drainage outfalls, channels and ditches to ensure that they are working. Winter months are a good time for carrying out ditch clearing operations, blocked ditches may effect the performance of playing field drainage systems.

Fertiliser programme

If grass shows signs of stress (weak growth, discoloured)

Air and soil temperatures are dropping reducing the respiration rate of the grass plant. The grass plant is now entering its dormant stage. Applying fertilisers during December and through the winter months is not a viable option. The plant cannot and will not be able to make good use of the fertilisers. Any growth produced by the plant may be susceptible to disease attack.

Fencing off the cricket square


At the end of the playing season

Many Groundsmen fence off the cricket square at the end of the season to protect it from pests (rabbits, deer, foxes, football players), vehicles and vandals.

Harrowing/raking (outfield)

When conditions allow

Harrowing/raking helps to restore levels and keep surfaces open.

Inspect cricket structures



As required

Check and repair fences, scoreboards, covers and sightscreens. All structures should be stored away for the winter.

Litter/debris

Daily/Weekly

Wind blown debris needs to be cleared from playing surfaces. Inspect and remove debris from the playing surface - litter, twigs and leaves.

Machinery (Repairs & Maintenance)

Daily/Weekly

Ongoing inspection and cleaning of machinery after use. December is an ideal time to send any machinery away for repairs or servicing.

Materials

As required

Keep a good supply of materials such as loam and seed at hand for repairs and maintenance.

Mowing

As required

Mowing frequencies during the winter months are dependant on the need and condition of the facility. It is important to maintain a constant height of cut on both the square and outfield. The outfield should now be maintained at between 25-35mm. The square should be maintained between 12-20mm.

Outfield


Remember not to neglect the outfield; it too has a major effect on a game if unattended. The outfield should be treated the same as any other natural grass pitch (aeration and mowing).

Some cricket outfields are often maintained as winter pitches, however the amount of work carried out may be determined by whether the outfield is being used for other sports (football/rugby).


Pest control

As required

Worm activity can be quite prevalent during the winter months especially during periods of mild weather. Keep an eye on the square and treat accordingly. Worm treatments can be carried out if needed, but please remember to ask yourself why worms are present. Ph level, organic matter and your cultural practices on the square need to be assessed.

Carbendazim is now the only active ingredient available for controlling worms.

Project Planning

On going

The winter months enable you some time to evaluate how well this year's maintenance regime has gone, which in turn will help you plan the works for next season. You may need to seek quotations for machinery and materials. Be prepared for next season. It is important to keep records and diaries of the activities carried out, and how well the facility has performed. The advent of the digital camera is a great tool for recording information.

Soil tests

Ideally once or twice a year, or as required.

Soil sampling is an important part of grounds maintenance. The results will enable the manager to have a better understanding of the current status of his soil and turf. There are many tests that can be undertaken, but usually the main tests to consider are:

  • Particle Size Distribution (PSD) will give you accurate information on the soil type and it's particle make up, enabling you to match up with appropriate top dressing materials and ensuring you are able to maintain a consistent hydraulic conductivity (drainage rate) of your soil profile.

  • Soil pH, it is important to keep the soil at a pH of 5.5-6.5, a suitable level for most grass plants.

  • Organic matter content, it is important to keep a balanced level of organic matter content in the soil profile.

  • Nutrient Levels. Keeping a balance of N P K nutrients within the soil profile is essential for healthy plant growth.

Once you have this information you will be in a better position to plan next season's feeding and maintenance programmes.

Artificial wicket and net Facilities

Artificial Grass Systems



Surface treatments

Keep surface clean, regular sweeping and brushing. Remove any algae and moss from surface.

Sand filled systems require regular brushing to maintain manufacturer's recommendations for sand levels and pile heights.

Net facilities

post -season

Repair damaged structures and netting, order new if required. Strim and mow around structures.

All net and practice structures can be repaired and stored away for the winter.




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