GROUNDSKEEPERS are unsung heroes of the sporting world at the best of times.
When Mother Nature has been far less forgiving as in recent weeks and months, they can the main reason any game goes ahead.
Rain has already affected the early rounds of the Sunraysia Cricket Association and Red Cliffs Cricket Association seasons, and those in charge of curating playing surfaces have had their work cut out.
Mildura copped 64.6mm of rain last Wednesday and Thursday. While three of the four SCA First Division matches were able to go ahead, all of Friday’s Premier Women’s contests and Saturday morning’s junior games were cancelled. The second round of Red Cliffs Cricket Association matches, across both A and B grades were also cancelled for the second week running.
As much as another 54mm is tipped to hit Mildura across this week, with a high chance of rain and possible thunderstorms beginning Wednesday.
Leigh Penna, curator for Mildura Settlers Cricket Club, said the key to maintaining a playable surface is to be as prepared as possible.
“I suppose you’ve just got to look at the forecast and see what’s around and try and adjust your schedule accordingly,” he said.
“Last week you could see the rain was coming so we moved things forward to the start of the week. Generally I start Wednesday or Thursday, and then put covers on as needed. Last week, the covers were on since Wednesday which isn’t normally the case.
“Using covers to keep the square dry and using less water are probably the only two solutions you can use, the rest is in the hands of the gods.”
Outfields of grounds have been the worst hit with water pooling across the turf around Sunraysia.
Settlers were also hit by this, with Penna saying he and Chris Dingwall had to pump water from the outfield for a number of hours last Thursday and Friday night to give the surface a fighting chance.
“We’ve had downpours but not steady rain so from that perspective, it’s probably the worst we’ve seen it,” he said.
“Our outfield last week was completely underwater on Thursday night, so that steady rain of 68mm in a couple of days, we generally get 20mm max and you can usually cope with that if it’s earlier in the week.
“You can’t put them (outfields) under covers or anything. I know the groundsman at the Senior College hasn’t put water on the ground via sprinklers since June. I know myself out in the pitch area, I haven’t actually gone to the manual sprinklers which I would normally use by now. I haven’t touched the box yet, I can’t even find it, it’s still all under grass from the football season.
“By all accounts all the pitches around the grounds were good because we covered them early in the week, if you’re a bit late on that and the moisture gets in they don’t play too well. So this one was hard as a rock, I nearly had to put water on it Friday night, which was kind of ironic.”
With more rain on the way this week, Penna said preparations will be similar to last week.
“Looking at a Wednesday-Thursday forecast, you can handle that but if it’s Wednesday-Thursday-Friday you’re in a bit of trouble so you play it by ear,” he said. “Wednesday might be right, hopefully if it’s dried out a bit in the afternoon you can come down and roll it and get some hardness in to start the week.”
SCA First Division matches remain scheduled for one-day contests this week.
