WICKET PREPARATION AND MAINTENANCE |
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(09/04/2008) Many Thanks to Colin for compiling this
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JANUARY |
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| The soil will be too wet and unsuitable for working on the square. Maintain any perimeter fencing as required |
| and keep off the square. Machinery maintenance can be undertaken during this cold, snowy period. |
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FEBRUARY |
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| Most likely the square will be too wet to carry out much work. However, drag brushing should be a priority, |
| especially if earthworm activity is significant. |
| A light topping of the sward may be required, especially following the recent mild spell which may have |
| encouraged a perennial ryegrass sward to produce some leaf growth. |
| Maintain the perimeter fencing if this is erected. |
| Towards the end of the month it might be possible to start rolling, but this will depend upon soil moisture content. |
| Try and plan wicket usage for the coming season and the sequence of use. This way the centre wickets will be |
| available for use during high profile games if required. |
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MARCH |
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| Rolling and consolidation of the square should be priority for this month. |
| Start with a relatively light roller, say 5cwt, and gradually move up to a medium-heavy, say 30cwt by end of the month. |
| The square should be regularly drag brushed and the height of cut should be reduced to about 18mm or so. |
| A light scarification may be possible if growth is reasonable but be careful not to overdo this operation too early |
| in the month. |
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| Check for any small undulations in the outfield and top dress them out. |
| Make sure the square is correctly set out with the corners being at exact right angles. |
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APRIL |
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| Continue to increase the frequency of mowing throughout the month. |
| Scarification will be increased to remove all the surface debris within the base of the sward. |
| Rolling should be continued to provide a solid base for the playing season. |
| Additional rolling will be carried out for pitch preparation. However the fundamental groundwork for the season is carried |
| out prior to the first ball being delivered. |
| Make sure the square is properly 'squared up' with the correct number of wickets being spot marked at the ends. |
| Ensure each wicket is correctly squared. |
| A spring fertiliser will probably be applied this month, although be careful not to apply too much nitrogen as the |
| aim is to ensure strong root development and not excessive leaf growth. |
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MAY |
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| Scarification of the square and during wicket preparation is an important operation for reducing undesirable thatch |
| and this will help to improve bounce and pace although wickets will probably still be on the slow side at present |
| as the ground will not have been able to dry out adequately yet. |
| Wicket preparation will be 7 to 10 days before a game with this time period going up to 14 days for top class cricket. |
| A spring, mainly nitrogen fertiliser should have been applied to the square. However beware of leaching due to wet |
| weather as this may reduce the anticipated time for the next application. |
| Early use of the outfield should provide feedback of any slight depressions which may need attention to maintain |
| an even and safe playing surface. |
| Aeration of the outfield can also be considered before the soil dries out too much. |
| Scarification to reduce and control undesirable thatch build-up is also ideally undertaken now. |
| A light fertiliser (low in nitrogen) application for the outfield can also be given if needed especially after aeration |
| and scarification work. |
| The end of May is also usually a good time to apply a selective herbicide to the outfield. |
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JUNE |
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| Use the verticutter and scarifier to continue in thatch removal and prevention of thatch build-up. |
| Weed growth may be a problem due to the weather in May, so consider a selective herbicide application. |
| A light nitrogen fertiliser application may be required towards the end of the month. |
| Basically though it is making sure the wickets are prepared well in advance and that the wickets are used in the |
| sequence that was planned before the start of the season - or at least fairly close to the sequence. |
| Immediately a game is finished try and carry out any minor repairs as this may enable the wicket to be used |
| again, straight away - depending on the level of cricket and the length of the match - or at least provide the groundwork |
| for re-using the wicket later in the season if need be. |
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JULY |
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| Continue preparation of wickets as required, the square is typically mown twice a week and the outfield once. |
| Wickets used and renovated earlier in the season might be able to be re-used again if they have recovered adequately. |
| Correct watering to a suitable depth, combined with planned rolling will produce a really consolidated playing |
| wicket with excellent bounce. Be careful not to wet just the surface of the wicket and then roll, otherwise the shallow |
| layer that was watered can crack and crumble when rolled. |
| If not carried out at the end of June, then July is a good time for a light nitrogen only fertiliser application to the whole |
| square, as this will help maintain sward strength without encouraging unwanted excessive growth. |
| With some wickets not required for use in the remaining season, consider some end of season tasks. |
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AUGUST |
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| Make sure all materials are in stock for the end of season renovation in early September or after last match. |
| Wickets will be coming out of use for the season during August, so aeration and scarification can be carried out |
| on these wickets to get a head start on major renovation work later on. |
| The ends can be lightly forked over to a depth of 50mm or so to produce a fine seed bed and a suitable grass seed |
| applied. Typically this will be dominated by perennial rye grass. |
| The body of the renovated wicket can be scarified, aerated and spiked with a sarel spiked roller and then oversown |
| with a suitable grass seed mixture. The mixture content will depend on the level and standard of cricket being played. |
| At this time of year, perennial ryegrass should easily germinate within 7 days from sowing, with adequate irrigation. |
| Apply suitable fertiliser to wickets which have been taken out of use to aid seed germination and sward establishment. |
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SEPTEMBER |
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| With the season now closing or closed, a thorough renovation of the square will be required. Mow the whole square to |
| 5mm or so to produce a fairly clean top surface. |
| Scarify thoroughly. This could be from 3 occasions to 10 occasions. It all depends on the standard of the square |
| and available staffing. This will really clear out any undesirable vegetation. Scarify from corner to corner as this |
| will be a change from the end to end direction which is carried out during the playing season. |
| Mow afterwards to keep surface clean and ready to receive seed and top dressing. Aerate the square, ideally with a |
| punch action solid tine machine to 100-150mm depth. Irrigating the square before aeration may assist penetration. |
| Sarel spike the square and then overseed at 34-50g/m2. Typically a pure 100% perennial ryegrass mixture |
| is applied to the ends whilst the main body of the square may only contain 50% of this species. |
| Sometimes just fescue/bent is sown in the main body of a cricket square. It depends upon individual requirement. |
| A low nitrogen fertiliser can be applied, if an application has not already been given in August. |
| Apply and work in a top dressing material using a trulute and straight edge to ensure the square is even throughout. |
| Germination sheets can be applied especially at the ends which will invariably be almost bare. |
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OCTOBER |
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| If renovation has not been completed by now then make sure it is finished as soon as possible. |
| Germination sheets on the ends can aid any late germination and initial establishment of seed but watch |
| out for disease attack. |
| Drag brush on a regular basis especially if dew is present. |
| Earthworm activity can be very high this month so drag brush when dry and use chemical control if necessary. |
| Keep the square topped at a suitable height of cut, no more than 25mm to maintain a suitable sward density and |
| prevent the sward from thinning out if let to grow too long. If the sward is mostly composed of fescues and bents, the |
| height of cut will be lower than this. |
| Fence off the square to maintain its integrity, reduce the chance of animals straying onto square and walkers crossing. |
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NOVEMBER |
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| Regular drag brushing of the square to help disperse any worm casts and keep the grass upright. |
| Top the square at 18-25mm height of cut. |
| If any material in top dressed tine holes has sunk then carry out some additional top dressing although be |
| careful not to apply too much. |
| Maintain any perimeter fencing if it is erected. |
| Vertidrain or other deep spike of the outfield if ground conditions are suitable. |
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DECEMBER |
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| Drag brush at least every other day if not daily when ground conditions permit. |
| Maintain any perimeter fencing that may have been erected to protect the square from intruders. |
| Keep the grass topped, typically to 25mm or so. |
| Aerate using solid tines when ground conditions permit and when there is not too much moisture present |
| within the clay loam rootzone. |
| Keep the outfield at a suitable height of cut - the height will depend upon whether there is any other sport |
| taking place on it or whether the facility is fortunate enough to be just a cricket facility. |
| Aerate the outfield as required. |
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