Getting your outfield ready (Winter/Pre-season)

The outfield should provide a fast and true surface for the ball to run without deviation and should be firm enough to provide a good and safe foot hold for the fielder. Some outfields perform a dual role and will be utilised for football or other winter sports after the cricket season.

Mowing is the main operation carried out on the cricket field, the standard and quality of the facility will determine the height of cut. A high-quality outfield should play true if maintained on a regular basis at 10-18mm. Any unevenness in the surface would prevent close mowing and a cutting height of up to 25mm will be required.

Winter months
• Maintain a grass height of 18 to 25mm in winter, unless being used for winter games, which would require a longer plant to help protect the surface and allow the grass to recover better. For winter pitches, a cutting height of over 25mm may be required, depending on the sport
• Aeration using solid or slit tines
• Treat moss before it becomes a problem and seek to deal with the causes of the moss such as low fertility or poor surface drainage.
• Brush if possible

Pre-season
• Have a walk over the outfield, fix any holes or damage, making the ground safe. Get ground equipment such as sight screens and covers ready.
• Ensure all maintenance equipment has been serviced and is ready for the season
• De-compact the outfield (Deep tine or linear)
• Start to reduce the grass height ready for play (This is typically 10-18mm)

For joint winter sports and cricket sites there are some common maintenance issues such as compaction of soil, uneven surfaces, and bare patches. To address these types of problems some key considerations are:

• Regular quality mowing with well-maintained machinery, applying a suitable fertiliser during the winter will greatly improve the quality of the surface (always follow the manufacturers guidelines when applying Fertishilers)
• Aeration using solid or slit tines
• Access to a water supply to provide irrigation whenever necessary.
• Weed control to ensure only grasses are present in the sward. Always follow the product label and conform to applicable pesticide legislation when using herbicides or other pesticides.
• The use of approved marking materials; users can be injured by
the use of inappropriate materials. The use of these inappropriate materials is often illegal.
• Pitch rotation where possible to allow high wear areas time to repair.

Conduct a full renovation for winter sport pitches on cricket outfields

• Deep tine aeration (De-Compaction)
• Overseeding with a desired ryegrass sports seed mix
• Top dressing with a minimum of 60 tons per full size football pitch and run offs, using a suitable sports sand dressing. An 80/20, 70/30 sports rootzone mix can be used within the goal month areas for added binding strength
• Also, as part of the renovation it will be important to eradicate any unwanted thatch layer through scarification to the appropriate depth