Cricket 1914

4 b THE WORLD OF CRICKET. M a r c h , 19x4. If L . H . W . T rou gh to n w ill b lu ff a t crick et as well as he does a t poker, he w ill be a cap tain indeed for K en t. H e h as a sound kn ow led ge o f th e gam e and K e n t w ill la ck n o th in g under his leadership. W e w ish him good luck, in w h ich I feel sure ou r readers w ill join us. The Use and Abuse of the Roller. B y B a l d w y n P u g h . Of all the various operations in the management and upkeep of a cricket ground, few are so little understood as that of rolling. Whilst many grounds show the good effect of judicious rolling, the customary practice is to use the heaviest possible roller on the ground or pitch with the sole idea of getting this flat somehow, without any regard being paid to the actual requirements of the soil or turf. Thus we see the local village cricket team toiling with a ton horse roller on the eve of a match, or the county club investing in a gaily painted motor roller, the consequences in each case being often disastrous to the turf, even if the batsmen experi­ ence a temporary joy. People responsible for the care of a cricket ground have certainly an unenviable position, being placed between the criticisms of those whose chief interest lies in the turf and the appearance of the ground and those of the cricketers who use the wickets. It must not be assumed that I am condemning rollers and Tolling. Far from it ! But in the course of my professional ■experiences I have seen so many grounds spoiled by injudicious rolling th at I purpose to offer a few general remarks as to how and when to roll, in the hope th at they will be of interest and assistance to cricketers in general. O b j e c t s o f R o l l in g . First and foremost it must be borne in mind that rolling is of equal, if not greater, consequence in the improvement of turf than manuring or mowing, and that the light roller almost invariably produces the best results in the end. T h e gen eral ru le is th a t a lig h t soil requires a h e a v y roller a n d vice versa, a lth o u g h th ere are so m an y e x cep tio n s th a t th e Tule m u st n o t be ta k e n to o lite ra lly . The object of rolling is to thicken the turf or “ sole ” of the grass, as well as to get a level flat surface. If the turf is thin and weak, with very little grass, the heavy roller makes it weaker still ; but frequent rolling with the light roller encourages the grass to tiller, thus thickening the turf. Where a heavy roller is used on heavy clay soil the clay is forced into a plastic mass through which the air cannot penetrate, and the wicket becomes dead ; the less rolling such soil receives the better will the turf thrive. On the other hand; a light soil requires constant rolling, in order to prevent it from crumbling. W h e n t o R o l l . Generally speaking, rolling may be done all the year round, excepting when the turf is too wet, when the weather is frosty, and when in summer the ground is too parched. Once a week is usually sufficient for the outfield on a light or medium soil, and once a fortnight or even once a month on heavy soils, unless worms are very troublesome, when it should be done more often. The pitch should, as a rule, be kept rolled twice a week in cross directions, excepting at the periods above mentioned. The most suitable time for rolling is directly the turf begins to dry after a shower of rain, or on the evening or very early in the morning before a match. Avoid rolling in the same direction throughout the season, but roll sometimes at right angles and sometimes diagonally across the pitch. Before rolling take care that the turf is swept, so th at worm casts are distributed, and, of course, the grass should be mown before it is rolled, especially if the “ flag ” is rather long. It is always undesirable to roll grass that is too long. In March and September too much rolling can scarcely be done, as the grass is* then growing strongly. This allows the heaviest roller to be used with advantage. But for the remainder of the year the light roller should be used. After the frosts are over it is imperative th at the lightest roller should be used first, followed b y the heavy one ; and it is a t this period of the year that the greatest necessity for rolling arises. Every stroke of the roller in spring helps to produce a firmer and truer surface in summer. Light rolling should also be done after turf is renovated or after sowing grass seeds, more especially if the grass is attacked by mildew, rust, or other fungoid disease. The heavy roller in these cases often causes serious injury to the turf. K in d s o f R o l l e r s . As before mentioned, the light roller is in most cases prefer­ able to a heavy one, from 5 to 8 cwts. being found suitable for most grounds. The chief point in regard to weight is to see that this is in proper ratio to the area of the roller surface. Many existing rollers might be rendered more suitable by the removal of the counterweight inside the cylinder. Water ballast rollers, with few exceptions, are unsuitable as far as turf is concerned, being too heavy. Moreover, if it is forgotten to empty the water before frosty weather, they are liable to become cracked or damaged. The best rollers are those with the double or split cylinder, with well rounded edges to prevent the wicket being scored. All bearings must be well oiled so that the roller runs freely ; otherwise the user will dig his heels into the soft ground and form a “ pit,” which it will take a full season to eliminate, and which bowlers will by no means appreciate. Motor rollers and mowers combined are now on the market, and for large grounds may be used, as they are certainly economical. They should not be used, however, on a true playing pitch, because damage is often occasioned by their use. The “ feel ” of the ground cannot be judged as with a hand roller, and the level of the wicket may be waived and thrown out of the true. Rollers should be stored in a shed, that they m ay be kept dry, and should be brushed over after use to remove adhering mud and dirt. This will prevent, to a large extent, the soil sticking to the roller ; but where a roller has become worn and picks up badly, the rust should be brushed off before each rolling and the iron nibbed over with a paraffiny rag. TH E HAMPSTEAD C.C.’S D INNER . The annual dinner of the crack North London club took place at the Trocadero on Tuesday, February 22. The Mayor of Hampstead (Mr. E. A. O ’Bryen) took the chair, and had on his right the guest of the evening, Mr. A. C. MacLaren, Editor of T h e W o r l d o f C r ic k e t . Among the 13 0 or so present were Messrs. F. R. Eiloart (Hon. Secretary), F. R. D ’O. Monro (Hon Treasuier). W . S. Hale, T . M. Farmiloe, G. Hillyard Swinstead, C . H. Eiloart, R. E. Eiloart, A. C . Beaton, E. W . H. Beaton, G. S. Hickson, E. E. Barnett, G. G. Dumbelton, Norman Hill, A. J. Orr, R. G. D. Howell, W . T . H. Danby, J. T . Ash, S. H. Shoveller, R. A. Hill, E. C . K. Clarke, H. Greig, W . R. Moon, F. Danford Thomas, J. H. Tillett, W . C. Kislingbury, G. J. S. Pitts, J. Armitage, H. V . L. Stanton (“ W anderer” of The Sportsman ), R. Leigh-Ibbs, H. C. Allen, W . L. Marsdon, Dr. A. F. Morcom, and Dr. Scrace. Letters of regret were received from Sir A. Conan Doyle and Messrs. P. F. Warner and G. L. Jessop. There were four toasts only— “ The King,” “ The Chairman,’ * “ The Club,” and “ The Visitors.” The Chairman related some amusing reminiscences of the game in Burma, and Mr. E. E. Barnett gave a resume of the club’s doings in 1913, referring among other matters to the retirement of Mr. S. S. Pawling and the generosity of Sir Spencer Maryon-WTilson to the club. Mr. G. Hillyard Swinstead proposed “ The Visitors,” and the toast was replied to by Dr. A. F. Morcom and Mr. A. C. MacLaren. According to The Sportsman — and who would presume to contradict “ Wanderer ” ? — the Editor of T h e W o r l d o f C r ic k e t made a great speech. He referred to three old members of the club who had been among the world's greatest players— Messrs. F. R. Spofforth, A. E. Stoddart, and Gregor MacGregor— told the story of the test matches in Australia in 1894-5, when Stoddart led England to victory in the deciding game of five ; referred to baseball and the absurd statement that it would oust crick et; had a good deal to say about the googly ball, which had, to his mind, greatly harmed scientific batting ; dealt with the complaints frequently made as to the slowness of present-day cricket, and pointed out that much of this was due to the fact that professionals were fighting for their places, and knew how a big score influenced committees ; said that the spirit of county clubs to-day was too commercial, and the programmes were too lengthy ; paid a tribute to Hobbs ; and in conclusion expressed his opinion that cricket would never die while fostered by clubs like Hampstead, but th at parents ought to look to it that golf and motoring should not be allowed to kill the schoolboy’s keenness for the game. A capital musical programme was well rendered and duly enjoyed by all.