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Cricket has been played on the same ground in the Welsh town of Cowbridge since 1895. Mike Bird visited the Vale of Glamorgan to learn how groundsman, Tim Williams, prepares virtually single-handed for Cowbridge Cricket Club’s three senior and four junior teams

Cowbridge CC Cometh the man! Summer Sports - Cricket “Having spent my early working life stuck in an office, I got the urge to work outdoors. I've always been keen on sport and reckoned that you can't be much further outdoors than working as a groundsman”

owbridge Cricket Club enjoys a cricket club. successfully to join the South long and proud history which The first known groundsman Cricket Association and remains the only dates back to the final years of employed to look after the cricket club’s club to have played in all five of the Queen Victoria’s reign, when two ground was former Middlesex and Association’s leagues, being represented Clocal cricket teams amalgamated Norfolk all-rounder, William Russell, today by 1st and 2nd XIs. and took up residence at Cae Wyndham, brought in by Mr Ebsworth in the early A third Cowbridge team - known as the a field provided for the purpose by local 1900s to maintain a that had been West Wales XI - competes in the West landowner, Mr E H Ebsworth, an laid by Alex Hearne from Kent. Whilst Wales Cricket Association, whilst the enthusiastic follower of the game. residing and working in Cowbridge, club’s four junior teams play in the Located close to Cowbridge’s busy high William Russell also played cricket for and Vale of Glamorgan Junior street, the ground hosted its first match Glamorgan as a professional. Cricket Leagues. in 1895 when Mr Ebsworth captained a Over the years, Cowbridge Cricket When one adds cup, fund-raising and Cowbridge XI against nearby Bridgend Club has produced its fair share of first- friendly games to eighteen adult home Cricket Club, appropriately hitting the class cricketers, among them J C league match commitments, it becomes first-ever runs scored on the new pitch. (Johnnie) Clay, a right-arm spin bowler clear that groundsman, Tim Williams, More than a century later, the club who played for Glamorgan has his work cut out to prepare, repair, continues to play on the very same from 1921 to 1949, four of those matches renovate and present top-class wickets ground, which has been owned since being staged at Cowbridge Athletic week in, week out throughout the season. 1913 by the Cowbridge and District Ground in 1931 and 1932. That said, Tim manages to find time Athletic Club, this club having been More recent graduates of Cowbridge also to produce wickets for nearby Vale formed specifically to take over and Cricket Club who have gone on to Cricket Club, which plays in the manage the ground. represent Glamorgan are Ben Wright, Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Cricket Having paid Mr Ebsworth 500 guineas Alex Jones and Hugh Morris, the latter League. (£525) for the land, Cowbridge and being selected to play for England in “It takes me less than ten minutes to District Athletic Club quickly established three Test Matches in 1991. reach Vale’s ground on the outskirts of tennis, bowls, croquet and hockey Cowbridge also boasts a succession of Bridgend,” pointed out Tim. “The club sections to complement the resident dedicated groundsmen who have keeps the outfield mown, so I only have cricket club. Renamed the Athletic prepared fine wickets over the past to prepare a good wicket and mark out Ground, the former Cae Wyndham field century leading, ultimately, to the club’s the boundary before heading back to hosted all of the additional sports on decision to enter the sphere of Cowbridge where I look after the entire dedicated areas laid out by the club. competitive league cricket. Having joined ground.” A rugby pitch followed in the late the Welsh Club Cricket Conference in For that task, Tim is supported by an 1940s when Cowbridge Rugby Football 1971, Cowbridge won the league title enthusiastic band of club members whose Club moved permanently to the Athletic three times in its first four seasons. maintenance duties lie mainly around Ground, sharing the clubhouse with the In 1993, Cowbridge applied the clubhouse and ground surrounds,

Groundsman, Tim Williams, cuts the outfield at Cowbridge Cricket Club using the club's Allett Regal 42 mower, purchased new in 2008

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Specialist sports turf contractor, Wayne Duggan, was engaged to spread and dragmat topdressings across the square following end-of-season scarification and overseeding by Tim

rarely straying inside the boundary ropes “Although there is an overlap between “We are where Tim’s skills and dedication have cricket and rugby in April and August, I been given virtually free rein since he could see no problem in taking on added took up his post in the autumn of 2009. responsibility for a winter sport. I was fortunate to Recalling the events that led to his glad also to have the work through the appointment, Tim explained that he first winter.” have a heard about the job when attending a Tim explained that pitch set-up and groundsman’s training course being white-lining takes him between two and committee that given by Len Smith, former head three hours a week, his spray-type marker groundsman at Glamorgan County also being used in the summer around understands the Cricket Club. the cricket ground’s boundary. “Len mentioned, after class, that Mowing is currently outside Tim’s importance of Cowbridge was looking for a cricket remit as the rugby club does not own a groundsman to take over from Bernard suitable machine, preferring to employ a Cooke who had been doing a sterling job local contractor to trim the pitch, as and maintaining for many years but was wanting to take when required. life a bit easier,” said Tim. “I made “I would love to have a ride-on rotary top-class contact with the club the following day, mower for the rugby pitch which could was interviewed within a week and was be used out of season on the cricket presentation delighted to be given the job, helped by outfield,” commented Tim. “It would a good reference from Len Smith.” allow me to keep the grass at an of the square Tim explained that he had entered the optimum length for rugby and not rely turf maintenance profession rather late, on a contractor who is not always being in his mid thirties when he left the available at exactly the time that the and outfield building supplies trade to embark on a grass needs attention.” totally new career. “However, I do understand that the throughout “You could describe me as a mature, two clubs have to prioritise their available yet keen student of the art of funds, and a ride-on mower for use the playing groundsmanship,” he said. “Having primarily on the rugby pitch is not a spent my early working life stuck in an priority at the moment.” office, I got the urge to work outdoors. Tim has fared rather better when it season” I’ve always been keen on sport and comes to keeping the cricket outfield in reckoned that you can’t be much further trim following the club’s purchase, in outdoors than working as a groundsman, 2008, of an Allett Regal 42 cylinder so I set about training for my new mower with trailing seat. career.” “We are fortunate to have a committee Starting work at Cowbridge Cricket that understands the importance of Club in October 2009, Tim was maintaining top-class presentation of the responsible for preparing the square for square and outfield throughout the the 2010 season, producing all of the playing season,” commented Tim. “The wickets used by the club’s teams that year, Allett is ideal for the job, producing a before embarking on autumn good cut and clear stripes whilst also renovations. beneficially rolling the turf. Cutting In 2011, Tim was asked by the height is set between 12mm and 15mm committee of Cowbridge Rugby Football during the season and 18mm to 25mm Club if he would be willing to repair, set out of season, depending on the weather out and line-mark the rugby pitch ahead and weekly grass growth.” of matches, becoming, in effect, For overall mowing of the square, Tim groundsman for both cricket and rugby uses a 60cm Ransomes Matador, keeping clubs based at the ground. his Ransomes Super Bowl 51 for “The pitches are adjacent to each preparing individual wickets, cutting no other, with the groundsman’s shed lower than 4mm ahead of a game. Morning of a match sees the creases positioned strategically between the two “When it comes to first team wicket being neatly marked out playing surfaces,” pointed out Tim. preparations, I start work around ten

44 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 Summer Sports - Cricket “The equipment is mostly pre- owned, obtained over a number of years from a variety of reliable sources, near Out-of-season introductory sessions for youngsters ensure that Cowbridge Cricket Club maintains a constant flow of new players for its four junior teams and far” days before an upcoming game, cutting producing nine top-class wickets with and filling in bowlers’ footmarks using out, rolling and verti-cutting the wicket sufficient boundary distance for all of the damp Ongar loam,” pointed out Tim. “I initially to get the pitch into the club’s senior league fixtures. The result is will then be brushing, cutting, rolling condition that I want,” explained Tim. that the best wickets may have to be used and white-lining the strip ready for the “We have covers at Cowbridge, so I able two or three times during the season for following weekend’s game." to protect the wicket from the weather to games involving the second and west One consequence of playing on a maintain the ideal moisture content as Wales elevens, plus some of the junior ground that has hosted cricket for almost preparations proceed.” sides. 120 years is a build-up of compaction, “I will normally be brushing, cutting To help spread the load across the caused by a succession of booted feet and and rolling the wicket every other day in square, the club has installed a synthetic the sustained use of a heavy roller in an the immediate lead up to the game, pitch alongside the outermost edge effort to improve pitch performance, finishing off with marking-out the ends nearest the clubhouse for use in consistency and safety. on the morning of the match.” friendlies and by juniors. Add to these physical inputs the fact Tim pointed out that the club’s “My first job on a Monday, following a that Cowbridge’s ground sits on low-lying thirteen wicket square is capable of first team game, is tidying-up the wicket land with an alluvial sub-base, and the Ecosol Turfcare Sports pitch renovation and construction specialists

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Early September and Tim Williams makes a start on autumn renovations with three-way scarification of the square

risk of water saturation is much higher variety of reliable sources, near and far,” “Each than it would be on a free-draining he said. “However, our Allett Regal limestone soil. mower was purchased new, as was the In 2012, prolonged periods of heavy Sisis Rotorake 600. The latter is probably association rain resulted in areas of standing water the most frequently used machine on the that delayed the start of games until Tim square as it can be fitted with scarifying owns a trailer had been able to “sponge away” the and brushing heads, both of which are in puddles using the club’s water remover. action several times each week ahead of and a useful “The build-up of compaction was also home matches.” having a detrimental effect on grass The Rotorake was the principle shoot and root growth, so we called-in a machine employed also within the club’s selection of contractor to deep aerate the square in 2013 autumn renovations programme. November last year, followed by 12mm Having cut the square in two specialist solid-tining,” said Tim. “The latter work directions using the Superbowl 51 set at was carried out by Keith Exton, head 3mm, Tim scarified the entire area in equipment that groundsman at Glamorgan’s SWALEC three different directions with the stadium, and is one of a range of Rotorake 600, going slightly deeper each services offered to local clubs by time; the final pass being in line with the is available to Glamorgan County Cricket Club.” direction of play. Tim pointed out that tine aeration With all debris swept up and barrowed member clubs used to be a normal part of Cowbridge’s off the square, the scarification grooves autumn renovations programme, but received a final brushing ready for that cannot had been deferred until the new grass overseeding. This year, Tim applied seed had become established on the Barenbrug’s Bar Extreme seed mix using afford nor advice of ECB pitch advisor, Gordon the club’s Allen pedestrian spreader, Gill. applying a total of 35gm/sq metre over As a result, solid tining was carried out three separate passes. justify owning a by Tim in late autumn this year using a Topdressing and levelling of the wicket Groundsman aerator borrowed from the ends of the square was carried out by specific South Wales Cricket Groundsmen’s specialist contractor, Wayne Duggan, Association (SWCGA), which Cowbridge using a tractor-trailed topdresser machine” Cricket Club joined in 2013. applying Binders Ongar Loam. Finally, “The association is one of four similar the ends were overseeded by Tim with volunteer-led organisations established his pedestrian spreader. by Cricket Wales throughout the country A 5:5:10+Fe winter fertiliser was to provide advice, guidance and support applied to the square in late November to groundsmen on cricket ground following solid tine aeration. maintenance, preparation and “One thing I’ve learned in my short improvement,” explained Tim. time as a cricket groundsman is that the “Each association owns a trailer and a care and improvement of quality sports useful selection of specialist equipment turf will never be an exact science,” that is available to member clubs that commented Tim. “This year, I solid cannot afford nor justify owning a tined the square in late autumn with the specific machine. The equipment we aim of encouraging root growth and borrow is kept at Neath Cricket Club moisture percolation. Next year, I may and is a most welcome asset for clubs try a combination of hollow tining and across south Wales.” topdressing as a means of reducing Tim points out that, for a town cricket organic matter and layering within the club playing local league cricket, soil profile.” Cowbridge has an excellent collection of Tim pointed out that wickets had machinery ranging from an Autoguide displayed good consistent bounce Players, umpires and spectators alike Auto-Roller to a CP10 knapsack sprayer. throughout last season and his next goal appreciate the fine wickets being “The equipment is mostly pre-owned, is to achieve and maintain pace of a prepared by Tim Williams obtained over a number of years from a similar quality. 46 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 Summer Sports - Cricket

What’s in the shed?

Rolling has become more of a science following the introduction of a water Allett Regal 42 cylinder mower c/w application - if needed - around ten days before use of the roller, designed to trailing seat promote a more consistent soil profile Sisis Rotorake 600 c/w scarifier and brush attachments Ransomes Super Bowl 51 fine turf “I’m always open to advice and shall helped draw moisture more evenly from cylinder mower keep on trying new ideas and different the wicket, enhancing pace and bounce techniques in order to improve our when match day arrived. It’s a fine Ransomes Matador 60 cylinder mower wickets,” he said. “One measure that I balance, but appears to work.” Autoguide Auto-Roller adopted last season, in an effort to In just four seasons, Tim Williams has Laser spray linemarker improve pace and bounce, resulted from made great progress in providing Sisis pedestrian wheeled scarifying rake a recommendation made by advisor, Cowbridge Cricket Club with wickets 90cm pedestrian sarrel roller Gordon Gill. He suggested that enjoyed and appreciated equally by Pedestrian drag lute additional water, if needed, should be players, umpires and Surface water remover applied to the wicket around ten days spectators. And that, says before rolling to ensure that the roller is Tim, is what being a Allen pedestrian spreader being used on a consistent soil profile, groundsman is all about. Cooper Pegler CP15 15 litre knapsack sprayer neither too dry nor too wet.” The author thanks Dr Jon “Rolling a pitch which is of a consistent Brazier and Tim Williams for Atco pedestrian rotary mower moisture content to depth definitely assistance with photographs

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