Mark Boyns of www.openingupcricket.com – a website which promotes mental well-being & suicide prevention through cricket - talks to South Wilts young left-hand opening batsman Tom Cowley about his life as a groundsman at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl.
Cricketers, amateur or professional, can live by the weather. The sound or sight of rain on the morning of the game can cause despondency but waking up to blue skies and sunshine sets up the day ahead to be a good one. Then, arriving at a ground- home or away- seeing it look glorious really whets the appetite for what is to come.
We all play at venues we love, some we don't. There's many reasons for our judgements but the playing area itself is a key factor. Whilst there's not much that can be done to alter some surroundings of ground- one place can just happen to look nice because there's a castle overlooking it whilst another suffers from being adjacent to a busy A road- what is inside the boundary rope is impacted by the hours put in by those responsible for its upkeep.
The pride of being the curator, to borrow the Australian term for the role, of the ground is one that isn't just applicable at clubs. Those charged with preparing county and international grounds feel exactly the same. For South Wilts' Tom Cowley, groundsman at Hampshire's Ageas Bowl, there is great pleasure in seeing elite players make the best use of what he has prepared.
"It’s nice to sit back and watch an England game after weeks of hard work and to hear comments on social media and from players about how good the ground looks. It is very pleasing and rewarding to hear"
He says when asked about what is most satisfying in the role. What he identifies as the biggest challenge will ring true for his counterparts at any level- the weather.
"The start of this year we had covers all over the ground trying to keep stuff dry and keep the snow off. Recently we've had to keep moisture in everything as it’s so hot so we’re watering constantly to try and combat the weather conditions."
The benefits to mental health of exercise and time outdoors, getting regular vitamin D from sunshine, have the potential to be challenged by the pressures of the job and Tom recognises this.
"From my experience there is quite a bit that could go wrong and if it does it can affect the game being played as well as what people may think of a ground which has an international reputation."
However his outlook is focused on dealing with what comes.
"Any professional sports grounds team will have its own battles with what coaches want and how pitches perform"
Says Tom, something which reveals the delicate balance between the various voices and opinions that vie for attention in getting what they want.
It's nothing new for Tom though, ever since his youngest days he had the preparation of wickets in his mind.
"It all started when I was very young and I’d play cricket in the garden, but I wasn't just happy putting the stumps in and playing. I wanted a cut wicket crease marked and stripes on the rest of the garden. Then through my summer holidays around the age of 12 I’d go to work with my dad (Tim) who used to be the groundsman at South Wilts. I’d spend hours cutting the outfields making all different sorts of patterns. Then as I grew older I started taking on more responsibility at South Wilts then, all of a sudden, I was running the ground side of things and it all snowballed from there to where I am now at the Ageas Bowl."
Most of what goes on is rarely seen, similar to the club stalwarts who spend their spare time sitting on rollers or applying loam to squares. His own work in Southampton is busy and keeps him constantly active.
"On a normal day we will start at 8am and finish at 5pm. Some days we will work on later to cover the cricket being played and there is a few weekends, particularly in the Summer, when we are working either prepping for games or covering games being played.
We have two grounds and three net blocks so there is always something going on. The outfields will be cut every other day. We will be preparing pitches for upcoming games. We will also be repairing pitches once they are finished with so we can use them again later in the season. We pay a huge amount of attention to detail in everything we do so that when it all comes together the ground looks amazing."
Get the water on
All this time at cricket's coalface has equipped him with plenty of knowledge to pass on. For those preparing a wicket or ground for the first time he focuses on some basics.
"My main bit of advice would be get plenty of water into it at the start then roll it for 10-20 minutes a day and slowly take the grass out by brushing and cutting and taking the mower height down slowly every couple of days."
He also has some tips to pass on to player wanting to spot how a wicket might play just from the look of it. Aside from a green one being conducive to seam movement, he identifies the flattest wickets as "normally having a white look about it and feel very hard."
His 'office' is within a stadium that has all the modern features of international venues, looking particularly impressive under the lights during a T20 game. We all give ourselves time to daydream about our ideal circumstances and when asked "If you could work on any ground in the world, which would it be?" there are some interesting answers.
"I love Newlands in Cape Town with Table Mountain over looking the ground.... The MCG stands out but there is more than just cricket there so I’m not sure how I’d find preparing that for AFL."
The number one? "I’d have to say Lords would be the place I’d love to work. It’s the home of cricket and every player wants to play there, and for me to work there would be a dream come true."
Hearing Tom talk on the work of professional ground staff informs not only about the pace and demands of the post but also how it is more a vocation than a job. The gratification of the process, from start to finish, must be significant. Being close to nature, sport and working towards meaningful goals are all features of this area of life that can also be replicated by a few hours help at a local club. Yet another way cricket can contribute to positive mental health.
Cricketers, amateur or professional, can live by the weather. The sound or sight of rain on the morning of the game can cause despondency but waking up to blue skies and sunshine sets up the day ahead to be a good one. Then, arriving at a ground- home or away- seeing it look glorious really whets the appetite for what is to come.
We all play at venues we love, some we don't. There's many reasons for our judgements but the playing area itself is a key factor. Whilst there's not much that can be done to alter some surroundings of ground- one place can just happen to look nice because there's a castle overlooking it whilst another suffers from being adjacent to a busy A road- what is inside the boundary rope is impacted by the hours put in by those responsible for its upkeep.
The pride of being the curator, to borrow the Australian term for the role, of the ground is one that isn't just applicable at clubs. Those charged with preparing county and international grounds feel exactly the same. For South Wilts' Tom Cowley, groundsman at Hampshire's Ageas Bowl, there is great pleasure in seeing elite players make the best use of what he has prepared.
"It’s nice to sit back and watch an England game after weeks of hard work and to hear comments on social media and from players about how good the ground looks. It is very pleasing and rewarding to hear"
He says when asked about what is most satisfying in the role. What he identifies as the biggest challenge will ring true for his counterparts at any level- the weather.
"The start of this year we had covers all over the ground trying to keep stuff dry and keep the snow off. Recently we've had to keep moisture in everything as it’s so hot so we’re watering constantly to try and combat the weather conditions."
The benefits to mental health of exercise and time outdoors, getting regular vitamin D from sunshine, have the potential to be challenged by the pressures of the job and Tom recognises this.
"From my experience there is quite a bit that could go wrong and if it does it can affect the game being played as well as what people may think of a ground which has an international reputation."
However his outlook is focused on dealing with what comes.
"Any professional sports grounds team will have its own battles with what coaches want and how pitches perform"
Says Tom, something which reveals the delicate balance between the various voices and opinions that vie for attention in getting what they want.
It's nothing new for Tom though, ever since his youngest days he had the preparation of wickets in his mind.
"It all started when I was very young and I’d play cricket in the garden, but I wasn't just happy putting the stumps in and playing. I wanted a cut wicket crease marked and stripes on the rest of the garden. Then through my summer holidays around the age of 12 I’d go to work with my dad (Tim) who used to be the groundsman at South Wilts. I’d spend hours cutting the outfields making all different sorts of patterns. Then as I grew older I started taking on more responsibility at South Wilts then, all of a sudden, I was running the ground side of things and it all snowballed from there to where I am now at the Ageas Bowl."
Most of what goes on is rarely seen, similar to the club stalwarts who spend their spare time sitting on rollers or applying loam to squares. His own work in Southampton is busy and keeps him constantly active.
"On a normal day we will start at 8am and finish at 5pm. Some days we will work on later to cover the cricket being played and there is a few weekends, particularly in the Summer, when we are working either prepping for games or covering games being played.
We have two grounds and three net blocks so there is always something going on. The outfields will be cut every other day. We will be preparing pitches for upcoming games. We will also be repairing pitches once they are finished with so we can use them again later in the season. We pay a huge amount of attention to detail in everything we do so that when it all comes together the ground looks amazing."
Get the water on
All this time at cricket's coalface has equipped him with plenty of knowledge to pass on. For those preparing a wicket or ground for the first time he focuses on some basics.
"My main bit of advice would be get plenty of water into it at the start then roll it for 10-20 minutes a day and slowly take the grass out by brushing and cutting and taking the mower height down slowly every couple of days."
He also has some tips to pass on to player wanting to spot how a wicket might play just from the look of it. Aside from a green one being conducive to seam movement, he identifies the flattest wickets as "normally having a white look about it and feel very hard."
His 'office' is within a stadium that has all the modern features of international venues, looking particularly impressive under the lights during a T20 game. We all give ourselves time to daydream about our ideal circumstances and when asked "If you could work on any ground in the world, which would it be?" there are some interesting answers.
"I love Newlands in Cape Town with Table Mountain over looking the ground.... The MCG stands out but there is more than just cricket there so I’m not sure how I’d find preparing that for AFL."
The number one? "I’d have to say Lords would be the place I’d love to work. It’s the home of cricket and every player wants to play there, and for me to work there would be a dream come true."
Hearing Tom talk on the work of professional ground staff informs not only about the pace and demands of the post but also how it is more a vocation than a job. The gratification of the process, from start to finish, must be significant. Being close to nature, sport and working towards meaningful goals are all features of this area of life that can also be replicated by a few hours help at a local club. Yet another way cricket can contribute to positive mental health.