Trials of a groundsman

posted by John Winn

I dashed back from a couple of days in the Lake District on Thursday morning, dropped off the suitcases at home then straight to Headingley to meet up with my friends from Lewes, Barbara and Terry. Keen Sussex followers they were understandably chipper and returned south yesterday with a win almost in the bag. We will meet again at The Oval at the end of the month when Surrey take on Sussex, one of my 'listed matches' for this season.

Whilst in The Lakes my wife and I visited Cockermouth, one of our  favourite towns, the birth place of Wordsworth and a town that has gone a long way towards recovering from the disastrous floods of November 2009. We went our separate ways for half an hour and I took the opportunity to walk across the road bridge that crosses the River Cocker to visit the ground of Cockermouth CC where I fell into conversation with the president, groundsman and all other sorts of other things for the club, in short Mr Cockermouth Cricket, Ray Benham. Ray gave me some of the history of the 'Sandair' ground, how much of the spacious playing area had been allotments at one time, how cycle racing had been an attraction and how deep the water had been after the Cocker broke its banks in 2009. Look for  dramatic aerial views of the ground under water on the club's website.

Recovery from the floods did not mark  the end of the groundsman's travails for while walking down the high street I had spotted a placard for the local paper which referred to vandals causing damage to the cricket ground. The relevant article showed a picture of Ray pointing out the damage to the square done by some late night revellers who had driven a car back and forwards and which brainless activity has cost Ray the use of eight  wickets for the the next few weeks. On top of all this the absence of anything approaching spring has added to Ray's problems for the grass both on the outfield and the square stubbornly refuses to grow and the first match of the season against the Cumbria Cricket Board U17 XI is fixed for today.

Cockermouth are members of the North Lancashire and Cumbria Premier League and despite having two points deducted for a  slow over rate they topped the league by just one point from Furness CC in 2012. They begin the defence of the title at Workington a week today. Before then Ray needs some rain, but not too much and temperatures sufficient to make his beloved ground look green again. You and groundsmen up and down the country, Ray.

As I type this early morning mist is clearing from the Lower Ure Valley. I'm off to York to see some of their match against Didsbury but if you are based further west then Harrogate take on Alderley Edge from the Cheshire County Cricket League. 1:00 start at St George's Road.