Heatwaves and drought stretch county groundstaff as season resumes toward 27 September
Groundstaff across most of England say five heatwaves and almost no rainfall have left them exhausted as the County Championship resumes for its final six-week run on Thursday, with the season charging towards 27 September. The Spin spoke to three head groundsmen about the operational pressures created by prolonged heat and scarce water.
The division tables are tight: only 11 points separate first-placed Nottinghamshire and sixth-placed Essex in Division One, while Kent and Northants are preparing to contest the second Division Two promotion place alongside an almost-inked-in Durham. Players who have been on the treadmill since 3 April and have switched between competitions are facing a heavy playing schedule. Met Office scientist Mike Kendon said, "the climate of the 20th century has now gone", but the season is expected to continue as fixtures remain in place. The Spin asked three head groundsmen how they are coping with those conditions.
"It’s been incredibly hard for everyone with next to no rain since the middle of June," one head groundsman said, describing how professional venues with good irrigation can keep areas reasonably green while recreational clubs and some pro grounds without irrigation are seeing outfields so hard and bumpy they become dangerous. He added that, unlike most years, almost no games have been called off because of weather, which has increased demand on already stressed pitches. "There is a great deal of demand on pitches which are already almost at breaking point," he said, and groundstaff are "literally hunting for suitable areas of the ground to play the remaining fixtures on."
Another head groundsman said the usual planning for each fixture has been abandoned: instead they are searching for wickets "with a reasonable covering of grass which might hold together for four days." He outlined the remaining fixtures on the calendar as "three more Championship games, two women’s one-day matches and the very last game of season is the England v Sri Lanka ODI." He added, "I like to use a brand-new pitch for international cricket but this year it has not been possible," and warned that renovation work is hampered because seed is being sown but there is insufficient water for it to germinate, with irrigation "no substitute for proper rainfall."
A third head groundsman said organisations beyond the clubs — seed and fertiliser producers — may need to adapt to changing conditions and that different grass species more tolerant of warm weather might be required, saying: "These summers are becoming the norm which is a bit worrying if I’m honest." He described the workload as mentally draining even where the physical work can be easier without constant use of covers: "Physically it is slightly easier, you’re not pulling sheets on and off, constantly on duty with the covers, but mentally it is really tough." He outlined possible technical responses he has considered, including "rainwater harvesting, irrigating from underground and feeding the roots," and admitted he had "even thought about putting a brook into our practice ground – sometimes the stupider the idea, the better it is."
"We haven’t had rain for months," one head groundsman said when asked about staff welfare, noting crews are working in extreme heat and measures are being taken to protect them, such as adapting equipment and considering shade solutions. He stated plainly: "Climate change is there, evident for all to see, and if I didn’t try to protect my staff I wouldn’t be doing my job properly." He described match-specific demands, saying limited-over matches require pitches "basically they want pitches like the M6, but in four-day games they’re looking for a bit more balance between bat and ball," and reported his team have been doing "14- to 15-hour days." He also observed the pattern of peak heat has shifted from midday to the 2-6pm period, changing daily working rhythms.
Another head groundsman recalled changes in scheduling and workload since he began at Leicestershire in 1993, when there were about 20 games in a season that "started on 20 April and finished on 10 September." He said workload now includes "48 games at Edgbaston this year plus the 166 training days," calling the schedule "a killer," and described groundstaff operating split shifts and sometimes working in the dark. Discussing Worcestershire specifically, he said the county is not under a hosepipe ban but is being careful with water: "The square has to be watered, and we’re trying to keep the important bits alive – but the situation is far bigger than cricket." He warned that outfield perimeters and practice run-ups have become a "desert," that spin has grown into "a big deciding factor," and that New Road is an outlier because of flooding and the many variables involved.
The County Championship restart on Thursday kicks off a final six-week stretch that will run toward 27 September, with the calendar including the three remaining Championship fixtures, two women’s one-day matches and the season-ending England v Sri Lanka ODI — all requiring groundstaff to prepare wickets and outfields under prolonged dry and hot conditions.
