May Cricket Diary 2011

April has provided us with one of the driest months on record for 50 years, in some parts of the UK, promoting ideal conditions for pre season rolling, pitch preparations and out field maintenance. Ironically though, this unusually dry spell of weather does have cause for concerns.

The drying out of the square too quickly can lead to dry patch, leaving the grasses stressed and weak. Irrigating in some parts of the UK, where water shortage is a major issue, dry patch could have an impact later on in the season if not addressed early. Regular irrigation management should be considered while encountering such extreme conditions.

Diary compiled by Robert Stretton
Massey Ferguson Sports Club
Coventry

It is important to plan and programme your pitch requirements to ensure you maximise the square capacity to accommodate fixtures. By preparing two to three pitches at any one time, you will have the opportunity of moving fixtures in the event of severe damage due to wear and tear, vandalism or weather.

Try to take some pride in the way you present your facility; a well presented square and outfield will impress and encourage players to perform.

In the light of the recent drought around the country, you may experience the drying of the square. Irrigate regularly as moisture content is important to keying the surface as well as to consolidate the soils. Dry Patch is the development of localised and widespread harder dry spots on the square and out field, a condition that prevents water infiltration into the soil, thus forming areas of non-uniform turf quality.

This condition seriously weakens the turf, leaving a thinner sward prone to invasion by moss and free seeding grass species and, in several cases, leading to death of the grass plant.

Corrective measures based on regular watering by hand will help.

Useful Information for Planning your pitch requirements

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Soil temperatures should gradually beginning to rise in May, thus stimulating grass growth both on the square and outfields. There will be a need to increase the regularity of cutting to maintain designated cutting height.

The application of spring fertilisers will also increase the vigour and rate of sward growth. You can begin to apply some higher Nitrogen based fertilisers. Ideally, get your soils sampled for nutrients, organic matter content and soil pH. This information will help decide on the appropriate course of action with regard to applying the correct NPK balance for your ground.

Liquid fertilisers are becoming popular again. Modern products have been refined to act more efficiently, their mode of action allows the active nutrient ingredients to get into the plant tissue more quickly, and thus you tend to see a faster response to plant growth.

Granular products have to rely on the granule breaking down, becoming mobile in the soil and then taken into the plant via the root system.

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Mowing heights for the cricket square during the playing season should be:-
8-12mm - April-September (playing season)
5-6mm - Wicket preparation
3-4mm - Final cut for match ( avoid scalping the surface)

A simple method for testing the ground for rolling is to insert a knife or slit tine into the soil profile and see if it comes out clean. If it does, it's the right time to roll.

If you find you may not have completed your pre season rolling, don't despair, rolling of the entire square can still be carried out on separate occasions during May, spaced out between one another with a roller weight between 1000-2500 kg. The first pass should be across the line of play, returning along the same path until the whole square is rolled. Choosing and using the correct weight of roller is also critical for preparing cricket surfaces.

Continue to verticut, training the grass to grow vertically to produce a cleaner cut. Do not disturb the surface profile!! If you don't have a verticut option, then use a drag brush or rake to help stand the grass up prior to mowing. If using verticutting units, be very careful not to mark/scar the soil surface as these scars will be hard to remove as the square dries out.

A spring/summer fertiliser should now be applied to encourage top growth, using manufacturer's recommended rates. Rye grasses are more wear tolerant when fed correctly. Fertiliser treatment and turf tonic can be continued in accordance with your annual maintenance programme. If you haven't got a fertiliser programme, have your soil tested; try an independent soil analysis company for an impartial set of results.

It is essential to have water available for irrigation purposes. Irrigation is required for pitch preparation, repairs and the health of the plant. Irrigate uniformly and ensure the right amount is applied. It's important to ensure that the water penetrates into the rootzone to a minimum of 100- 150mm to encourage deep rooting. Check with a probe. Allow to dry and repeat irrigation process. Allowing surfaces to remain dry can lead to problems such as dry patch, scorching and death of the plant.

Pitch preparation should start 10-14 days prior to the match. Following the guidelines below will help you achieve a good standard of pitch. Marking out the crease should be done with care, using frames or string to help achieve clear, straight lines.

Wicket Preparations

The 12 day prep shown below is only a guide; most groundsmen will have their own interpretation of these activities

DAY 1 String out pitch lines to ensure correct width, 10 ft; Mow out at 8mm. Always double mow (up and down the same line), using an 8 bladed pedestrian cylinder mower for maintaining the square. Test the pitch with a key or knife for moisture. Water the pitch thoroughly in the event that the pitch has dried out through pre season rolling.
DAY 2 Brush / light rake, mow at 8 mm, light roll to consolidate surface levels.
DAY 3 Power scarify or Verti cut to remove lateral growth and surface thatch avoiding deep surface disturbance. Mow at 7 mm. Remove biomass, continue medium light rolling 1000 kg 10-15 minutes.
DAY 4 Test for moisture. Roll pitch increasing to consolidate surface with 1000 kg roller if available.
DAY 5 Scarify with hand rake to remove any sueface thatch build up. Set and mow at 6 mm. roll.
DAY 6 Light scarify (lawn rake) to lift sward, mow, roll 20-30 minutes.
DAY 7 DAY OFF
DAY 8 Light scarify by hand, mow at 6 mm, increase weight of roller to 1500- 1700 kg, continue rolling 30 minutes reducing speed to consolidate surface. Test for consolidation with key or knife for placidity.
DAY 9 Continue to mow and rolling at slow speed to achieve consolidation. Cover pitch overnight to encourage moisture to rise to surface.
DAY 10 Brush / rake lifting any lateral grasses, reduce mower (with a shaver blade) to 4mm, try to avoid scalping. Roll using heavy roller slow speed (crawling) morning and again late afternoon where possible. Cover pitch overnight.
DAY 11 Brush and mow pitch, roll morning and afternoon slow as possible (crawling).
DAY 12 Brush, mow and roll to polish surface, test bounce with an old ball along edge of pitch. Continue rolling to consolidate surface. Cover pitch overnight.
DAY 13 Brush, mow and roll polish up pitch. Your pitch should effectively have take on a straw like colouration, a sign that preparation has been achieved. String and mark out as in accordance to E.C.B guidelines.

Rolling - The purpose of rolling is to squeeze any remaining air out of the pore spaces and to consolidate the surface up to 100mm. Rolling is best performed when there is sufficient moisture in the pitch before the ground dries out. In the event of drought, syringing is advisable to assist keying the surface and helps polish the pitch.

Rolling should start and finish in line with the direction of play. After match pitch repairs begin with the brushing and sweeping up of any surface debris. Soak the wicket, scarify and spike, top-dress foot holes and overseed. Additional work may be required to repair foot-hole damage.

Seeding of the ends where the grass is weak, sparse or bare can be continued, as the rise in temperature will help germination. Use germination sheets to aid this process but remove the sheets regularly to check for diseases. Remember that without good seed to soil contact the operation is useless. Ensure you use new seed as old material may not give you the required germination rates.

Useful Information for Square

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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, carrying out regular mowing, raking or verticutting, aerating and feeding programmes to maintain a healthy sward.

Try and get on and give it a uniformed cut followed by some aeration and feed. Some cricket outfields are often maintained as winter pitches so the amount of work required to be carried out may be determined by whether the outfield has been used for other sports (football/rugby). If not, a light harrowing/raking helps restore levels and keep surfaces open. Apply balanced fertilisers such as a 9-7-7 as part of your annual maintenance programme to help stimulate growth and recovery.

Aerating the outfield will help to increase aerobic activity and get some much needed oxygen around the grass plants root system. Regular spiking and, if possible, an application of sand dressings to the profile will definitely improve soil water movement in the top 100mm.

You may wish to hollow core your outfields and then brush the cores back into the surface (recycling the existing material) this helps to restore levels, reduce thatch and helps speed up the surface. However, ideally maintaining a cutting height of between 10-14 mm, many outfields tend to be undulating and uneven preventing close mowing at these heights and in reality most are probably mown at a height between 12-25 mm.

Also, the type of mower used will dictate what height of cut can be achieved. Rotary mowers tend to scalp undulating ground where as boxing off with a cylinder or a hydraulic gang mower with floating heads can give a better finish. The outfield should be reduced to around 15-18mm.

Outfields which have been predominantly over seeded with rye grasses are subject to stress if mown to short. Fescues and smooth stalked meadow grasses are quite tolerant to close mowing and are less likely to be stressed out.

Useful Information for Outfield

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