After-care: Top tips for post-match pitch care

In his latest column David Bates – former first-class groundsman and MD of cricket pitch specialist total-play Ltd – outlines what club grounds teams should be doing after play to ensure long-term health of the cricket pitch…

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With the season getting underway, now’s the time to look at your post-match pitch care routine. 

End-of-season works and pre-season prep are all well and good – however, if you’re aiming for peak pitch performance a sound approach to post-match maintenance is key. 

It all starts with the planning. Ideally, you want to give your pitch at least eight weeks between matches, so will need to plan each game so that any pitches you want to keep dry for future matches won’t get affected by the recovery process. 

So, what to do at the end of each game? The basic principle is the same as at the end of the season, only not as vigorous. It might be necessary to repair the pitch by clearing off any dead leaves and debris, then add 2mm or 3mm of top dressing before levelling the pitch back out again, particularly around the bowling creases. 

Mix some loam and seed in a wheelbarrow, give it a light roll when it’s dry and level it out, ready for the seed to start germinating again as quickly as possible. The surface will already have been cut short for the match so, if you’ve got a scarification machine and a brush to hand, you’re looking at a morning’s work. 

The next part is key – and also where your match play planning as adjacent pitches will also get a soaking: Flood the surface to rehydrate those grass plants whose roots are still alive, then overseed it with a dimple seeder to get a good seed-soil connection. Follow this advice and you’ll have natural turf cricket pitches fit to see you though the season

Got a question for our expert groundsman? Let us know at magazine@thecricketer.com

During his residency at Northants CCC, David Bates gained a reputation for preparing some of the finest pitches in the country. Having worked as a pitch advisor and trainer for the IoG David now heads up totalplay Ltd where he has developed class-leading non-turf cricket pitch and pitch cover solutions

For more information, visit www.total-play.co.uk or call 01604 864 575