Restricted to the boundary ropes of my own fence line, quarantine had opened up the time to pursue my virtual cricket career on my humble gaming console. Captaining my digital Northern Defenders side, I was given a visual of the pitch, won the toss and elected to bat on a “Green surface with moderate cracks”. Upon making my selection I was berated by the cartoon commentators, ridiculing me for such an awful read of the ground. Never had I been so humiliated. I needed to investigate further, I needed to find out about the grass and how I could read it better to avoid another bombardment of criticisms from Mike Howard and his virtual commentary crew.

I reached out to Shaun Davies, the Assistant Turf Manager for FMG Stadium Waikato. In the past, Shaun had worked on the pitches at Eden Park, Auckland for the 2015 World Cup, so I felt like he was the right man to go to with my queries.

Source: Shaun Davies; Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2014.

The Fundamentals

He told me the biggest elements to a pitch are the grass on top and the clay underneath. In New Zealand, we typically use ryegrass, it better suits our climate and offers a visually green wicket. When paired with a Patumahoe clay block, you get a typical New Zealand pitch. This may not seem like rocket science, but as I fell into the rabbit hole of pitch management it became clear it was not far off.  Moisture on the block and weather will also influence the performance of a pitch and how it can be maintained, so an eye to the sky is needed too, a wet week will delay pitch maintenance. Crafting the ideal pitch is a true balancing act, trying to find the appropriate amount of grass, how it is treated, rolled and so on. Too much grass? The ball will stick when it hits the turf. Too little grass? The ball will likely keep low and turn more. And… if your block has an uneven grass coverage, then you have a jack-in-the-box surface as unpredictable as a surprise visit from the in-laws.

Source: Shaun Davies; Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand v Australia CWC 2015 Pool Play.

Having no two blocks the same makes it impossible to have the perfect formula that will always create the ideal surface. I do not even mean across countries, I am referring to a local level. The basics are of course the same, but grass in one humid city will likely behave completely different to the grounds of say, sun-soaked Mount Maunganui. I asked Shaun what the criteria are for pitches in New Zealand, I wanted to see if these variables are encouraged. Shaun mentions that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) generally want groundsmen to produce surfaces with pace and bounce. That being the case, crews are free to achieve that goal by their own means, resulting in each ground having their own spin on the standard recipe for cooking up a quality pitch.

However, the product of New Zealand’s ground efforts has landed us in hot water in the past. Shaun described a period in the early 2000’s when India toured New Zealand and played on wickets that left India in tatters. The series he was referring to was India’s shocking 2002-03 tour that saw just two team scores of over 200 in 14 ODI innings, a small score in today’s standard of explosive cricket. New Zealand tried to craft wickets that India would struggle on,  wickets Stuff writer Ian Anderson described as “…towards a shade of green in which Kermit could have been camouflaged.” NZC paid a price for this series, with India not visiting our shores for six years. That left groundsmen scrambling to adjust their grounds, presenting wickets that swung to the other extreme, producing big scores with little to favour bowlers. Shaun now finds himself working on grounds that aim to find a balance between the two situations. 

As exciting as Watching Grass Grow…

Do not let the heading fool you, turf management is truly fascinating. There is so much to consider and maintain when working on cricket grounds. Shaun will begin work on a surface 20 days before it is played on! Each day maintaining and monitoring its progress and growth. 12 days out from gameday, Shaun begins rolling the block for two hours a day. It will take 2-5 minutes to reach the end of the pitch, a very slow process. This ensures the clay is compact. In the coming weeks, the grass is monitored, sprayed, groomed and trimmed to 10mm, any lower and the surface may be compromised. I like to think of this as the ultimate two-week hair cut. In the few days before match day, the colour of the grass is adjusted with techniques such as quick-rolling and brushing that leads to the tan-brown colour you see on game day. In some cases, crews will start their preparations four weeks in advance to gameday, pretty crazy to think of all the time and effort that goes into these grounds. Four weeks later, a pitch at club level has played its part and is not used again that season. Pitches used for higher level matches will only be used once or twice.

Source: Shaun Davies; Eden Park, Auckland. The coin toss New Zealand v South Africa CWC 2015 Semi-Final.

The irony with cricket grounds is despite that the game is generally only played in specific circumstances over the three months of summer, the grounds require year-round maintenance. Throughout winter the block will be monitored so it survives the harsh rains and then spring is used to roll out the block to trap moisture and level the surface before the summer heat rolls around again. Despite all these preparations, if the weather is not good enough, the game will not go ahead. The weather can also hinder or eliminate any work done to the ground if it is not managed appropriately. Imagine this, you wake up each day and go about your groundskeeping duties. You measure the grass to the millimetre and spend hours rolling the surface in peak heat as the sun helps your outcome. However humid conditions soon take effect and you notice disease has started to spread on your surface. One week passes and all your hard work has been in vain, the pitch is ruined. 

The ongoing maintenance of the ground is clearly hard work and with so many influences and variables, it is a craft that needs constant reflection. Shaun will often watch matches played on his grounds and talk with players and take notes to find ways to fine-tune his procedures. Like motorsport where each race is a chance to fine-tune a car, managing a cricket ground is a never-ending effort to produce the best possible ‘stage’ for the players. 

How’s it Looking, Captain?

With my new knowledge of pitch management, it was important I understood how to implement it into reading the pitch as a player. Every team is different, so every captain should have a certain approach to different surfaces. Generally speaking, here are a few things to look at when analysing a pitch:

1. Grass – Look at the colour but be aware, ryegrass surfaces can be slightly greener than other surfaces. Also, look at how thick the surface is. If the base of the grass is exposed it could mean the ball will stick in the wicket instead of kissing through smoothly. 
2. Moisture – Feel if the surface is dry or holding moisture. If it is, it is important to be aware of what the weather is doing over the course of the match, a hot day may dry the surface out. A surface that is either too wet or too dry can result in slow and low deliveries which neither players or spectators enjoy. 
3. Surface Hardness – A pitch that is too soft can lead to inconsistent bounce and pace. Think ahead to if this will change as the game progresses, you may want to bat when the pitch has improved.

Source: Shaun Davies; Owen Delany Park, Taupo. Northern Districts v Central Stags T20, 2019.

These Unsung Heroes

I have learnt that managing a turf is a constant juggling act, balancing expectations and limitations to your ground. My journey to better my own knowledge of pitches has shown me just how dedicated groundsmen are to deliver the best surfaces for us to play on. Shaun Davies has admitted cricket grounds are the biggest challenge both physically and mentally, and considering he has worked on grounds for All Black tests, football matches, the NRL Nines, Rugby World Sevens and of course Cricket World Cup 2015, I do not take his statement lightly. I think we can all learn from the efforts of our groundsmen. As players and fans of the game, we can often lose sight of these unsung heroes who truly take pride in producing a pitch that makes our Saturdays that much better. So next time you see someone maintaining your club’s ground, give them a wave because even in these uncertain times, those men and women are out there making sure the grounds we play on are fighting fit for when next season rolls around…

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As a batter, cricket is a game of practising for countless hours to react appropriately in a single moment. Do it, and you can find yourself sticking around for at least one more delivery. Misjudge the length or line of a ball and the only other delivery you will be seeing is the UberEats you order to eat away the pain of scoring an average total for yet another week. Cricket is often unforgiving to even its most passionate participants. 

With this in mind, it truly is remarkable when players can achieve heroic innings and score big totals. Ricky Ponting once said that the most important ball any batter will face is the next one. It’s the mindset of taking each moment as it comes and looking to win each moment. But there are so many moments in scoring triple figures, so I wanted to look into what makes a historic innings, be it for country or club.  

The Long Walk Out 

0* (0)

This is where every innings starts, on the walk to the middle. Intentional nerves have kicked in as you go through your routine; three side steps, jog a few paces, shadow drives and defence shots. The previous batsmen have been dismissed early, so the field is rife with chatter. This is your first battle, putting up a mental wall and focusing on one thing: that shiny red Kookaburra ball about to come your way. The bowler is clearly confident and screams into the crease and throws down a late swinging delivery, hesitant hands fish for the ball and the slips cordon go up in a massive roar, they have heard something. Holding your breath, you look down at the pitch and shrug. The umpire remains static, nothing in it. “That’s your one life”, you say. “Time to make it count…”

The Settler (Michael) 

8* (6) 

The chatter from the fielders is still alive and well but you are too focused to take notice. You dispatch a few bad balls to the ropes in between observations. No two wickets will ever be exactly the same, so you cast your eyes along the grass, looking for rough patches that could add spice to an otherwise tame delivery. The opposition is mostly up in the circle, so anything played well will mean runs. Kevin Pieterson put emphasis on a good defensive stroke. In his mind, if he could keep out the bowler’s best delivery, anything less would be attacked. You have been patient, seen off the new ball and occupied the crease. Time to see how the bowlers will respond. 

New Bowler from the West End… (Michael)

29* (37)

Called it. The captain has whistled at the man at point, they are getting desperate to get you out. Knowing who you are coming up against is key. It means you can have a rough idea of what your opponent is trying to do, and more importantly, how you can continue to win each moment. You know the new bowler is their ace of spades, their best weapon. You meet with your batting partner, new plan. “The runs can wait, they want to get us out. Time to lockdown”. You play your defensive strokes with confidence. You know their bowlers are getting restless and the longer you stay there, the more they will try variations to claim your wicket. You are batting, but truly manipulating how the fielding side plans their attacks. 

Another One Bites the Dust 

36* (50) 

From the non-striker’s end you watch on as your teammate takes his mark. The bowler comes in with his slower delivery, it’s wide but your partner slashes at it towards point. The man takes the catch with ease. The moment is lost as is your partner, but you are still in. Seeing the ball hold like that shows anything can happen on this wicket. Best stay alert. Time to reset. 

Whoooooaaaa We’re Halfway There…

50* (65) 

Running between the wickets for a quick two you hear the claps and cheers from your team on the sideline. You have reached 50 runs. You give them a wave and shake hands with your new partner at the crease, but your job is not done. Nothing changes. Each and every ball must be watched with eagle eyes. It only takes one mistake to send you back to the pavilion. 

Je Suis Fatigue

76* (80)

With the field back on the boundary and plenty of space in between, working the singles comes easy. Soon though, you feel the fatigue kick in. Every time you play a good shot, you are rewarded with a 17m sprint in full gear in peak summer heat. Your mind starts to wander too. It becomes harder to focus on each ball as it comes. You throw your bat at a few loose deliveries barely missing them. You try to reel yourself in but soon you see the ball whizz off the toe of the bat flat but fast to the man at cover. Time slows down. You watch on with tension as the ball arcs and drops just short of the man. The fielders drop their heads and it becomes clear just how close you were to giving it all away. Thank the cricket gods, drinks are being run out. 

“DON’T GET OUT!” 

98* (119)

Cricket can often be riddled with superstitions. As a batter, following your own score is almost a certain jinx. As the overs tick over, a sixth sense, however, tells you that your score is nearing triple figures. Your batting partner is well aware but is not going to be the one to throw you off. You meet in the middle and he tells you,

“Carry on, do not change anything” 

If you had not been practically running shuttles for the last 30 mins you might have the mental energy to read between the lines. You nod and take your mark, scratch it out and hear a boisterous, 

“DON’T GET OUT!”

A million thoughts flow through your mind but with a heavy out-breath you are calm. The bowler jogs in. Watch the ball. Watch the ball. It’s straight, you lean forward and feel the ball race of the bat past the bowler. 

“RUN!”

You take off and slide your bat across the crease, look over your shoulder and launch back for two. Each pump of the legs adds another tonne of fatigue to your shoulders. The ball is thrown in but you make it. Your teammates erupt into cheers and whistles. Drenched in sweat, you hold your bat high. You have done it. Countless hours of training had led you to this exact moment. The moment the previous 120 moments of the day had built towards. Relief and pride wash over, but the game must go on. 

More time passes and with few deliveries left in the innings, you are settled but horrifically fatigued. The bowler pitches his next ball straight and a touch shorter than usual. You lean back and play a pull shot but the ball hits the deck and keeps low. You adjust but strike nothing but the stale air. You missed. The bowler did not. You. Are. Out. 

The Long Walk Back 

118 (124) 

Despite the applause welcoming you back to the pavilion you can not help but feel a little disappointed. You nod at your teammates but keep your head low. The walk back is always the longest. 

In hindsight, that innings saved your team the game. All the moments you overcame helped lead your team to a Saturday victory that will not soon be forgotten. But there is no end to cricket. The following week you train hard, polish those shots you felt needed improving because no matter how many runs you scatter around Smallbone Park in Rotorua, the next week you will put on your pads and run out again with a 0* (0) next to your name. Three side steps, jog a few paces, shadow drives and defence shots, your routine feels good. Another week, another chance to catch the Centurion ghost.

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