Cricket World Groundcare Awards 2020-2021 - Winners Announced

Cricket World is delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 - 2021 Cricket World Groundcare Awards .

The Cricket World Groundcare Awards were introduced to recognise the dedication and hard work that Groundcare individuals put into maintaining and producing cricket squares and outfields, for reactional clubs, schools and universities in the UK and Ireland.

The Awards help to raise the profile and awareness of Groundcare staff (without whom there would be no cricket) and also, encourage and promote the Groundcare industry.

Alastair Symondson, Head of Media, Cricket World said: “It has been a difficult couple of years for everyone involved in cricket and not least the groundcare staff up and down the country that have, under difficult circumstances, managed to keep cricket being played through the pandemic and it has also proved a challenge in being able to get around the country to do all the judging as well!

Many congratulations to all the winners, who were proudly nominated by their clubs for these Awards. and we are delighted to be running these Awards again this year, with the support and assistance from our sponsors and partners. We also understand the dedication and hard work that goes into preparing cricket playing facilities and it is nice that we can recognize their hard work and endeavours in some small way.”

 

We are delighted to announce the following winners –

 

Philip Carter Cirencester CC – Lifetime Achievement Award

He is a club legend, life member, treasurer, groundsman and Chairman of the Cotswold District Cricket Association since 1996. He has looked after the ground at Cirencester since the early 2000's. Tending 2 squares, one 15 wicket monster and one 6 strip top square. The cricket played at the club has doubled in the last ten years, offering structured sport to over 300 players from 7 upwards. He has worked miracles and continues to deliver a huge amount without complaint and even does the unusual thing of smiling occasionally. This seems like a groundsman lot, but Phil is a bit special. In winter 2018/19 he underwent major surgery for bowel and bladder cancer, resulting in the removal of most of his internal plumbing (his words). To come through this and then to be confronted with Covid he rose to the occasion. Instead of fully shielding he made the club part of his bubble. In the early days of lockdown maintaining the squares in good order and as lockdown eased he accelerated prep to ensure the club could play within days of the return to cricket protocols being agreed. He is continuing to prepare countless wickets on both squares in this truncated but busy period. All whilst effectively shielding and performing tasks whilst distanced and when the ground is empty. He has given a lifetime to Cirencester, the Cotswolds and local cricket.

Steve Redwood – Valley End CC – Lifetime Achievement Award

Valley End CC has evolved in the last 20 years from a village club with two teams and one square, into a five Saturday XI outfit with three squares to maintain on our two adjacent grounds. For all that time, Steve Redwood has been the driving force behind the continuous improvement in all three playing surfaces. Two of these from inception and laying. In 2019 he prepared surfaces for 192 fixtures through all levels and age groups. His dedication & skill has ensured VECC pitches have been rated, by visiting umpires, either first or second in Div 1 or the Premiership of the Surrey Championship every year since at least 2015. An outstanding achievement for any groundsman, but in 2019 Steve also took on the role of Onsite Liaison to ensure the building of a new pavilion caused minimal damage to the playing surfaces and his daily presence gave the club an identity to the trades at work. The resulting facility owes much to Steve's hard graft and skill and the fantastic playing surfaces will ensure generations of cricketers enjoy visiting VECC.

 

Clive Brown and Ian Greenfield - Bourne CC – Special Achievement

Clive and Ian have now been looking after the ground at Bourne CC for the past 5 seasons and there has been a huge improvement in the square and the outfield – the Lincolnshire umpires marked the pitches and ground the best in the Lincolnshire Premier League but what tipped the Award was their commitment to maintain the facilities during the first pandemic outbreak in 2020 , detailing an online blog with Cricket World for the members that were unable to see what was going on at the Club and also for a wider groundcare community audience. To cap it all, one of their initiatives was also to adopt a local village and support their team with their knowledge and expertise to ensure that cricket was able to be played there as well.

 

Andy Cartwright – West Bromwich Dartmouth CC – Special Achievement Award

During the winter the ground became totally flooded - both the square and the outfield. Situated near to the West Bromwich Albion Football Ground (the highest football league ground in England) Andy set about the mammoth task of restoring the ground to its former glory (I wish I could send you photos). In the space of a month (thanks to the March sun and winds) and incredibly had we been allowed to play (Covid-19) we would have started on April 4th! In the meantime ,and not to be beaten by the weather Andy managed to see a total overhaul of the clubhouse changing rooms and scorebox ready for a possible start. An incredible feat to juggle both in such difficult circumstances. Adhering to the ECB/IOG advice of Groundcare Andy had been at the ground 7 Days a week, operating in social isolation such was his dedication. In addition, he prepared the neighbouring Sandwell Academy Ground ready for the school and to ensure the mental well being for local people, he also created with others in the community, a special garden area during the pandemic.

 

Tom Gailey – Collingbourne CC – Special Achievement Award

From the moment we went into lockdown Tom led his team into action to maintain the ground and square in readiness for the chance that cricket could resume. Pitches were prepared so that we would be ready to go. When the time to play came Tom completed extensive COVID risk assessments to ensure we could be secure. On match days he has taken on the responsibility for gathering data needed for eventuality of having to use track and trace and places the necessary sanitising equipment around the boundary. Tom is new to groundsmanship and enrolled on courses to improve his knowledge. He takes a pro active role as in maintaining equipment and keeping us fully supplied with the necessary seed, fertilisers etc. Our ground may be only a humble village recreation ground, which is open to all the community for exercise, but we are proud of the way in which Tom responded to the current crisis and led the club to make sure the ground is in such top shape.

Peter Caines – Bentworth CC – Lifetime Achievement Award

Peter has been Groundsman for Bentworth over 60 years, having been a handy cricketer also for the club in his younger days. Now into his 80s he still regularly comes to the ground to prepare the square, which in-spite of the attempts of crows and rabbits remains a very decent cricket wicket. Peter had been caring for his terminally ill wife, who sadly passed away and he has remained a true servant to the club and cricket, continuing to work at the ground throughout this difficult period.

Nominate your Groundcare staff/individual here -  Cricket Groundcare Award Nomination 2022

 

Messages from our Sponsors

 

"ISEKI are proud supporters of these Awards.  We are committed to recognising the dedication of the groundcare individuals who ensure cricket pitches everywhere are maintained to the highest possible standard whilst taking great pride in their work."

Iseki - Cricket World Groundcare Awards 2020/21 – Sponsors

 

“We are very happy to support this grassroots initiative”

Boughton Loam - Cricket World Groundcare Awards 2020/21 – Sponsors

 

“Dennis and SISIS are delighted to be part of these Awards. Raising the profile of the grassroots volunteer and professional groundcare individuals, and the fantastic work that they do to ensure the game of cricket is played, will also help to attract the next generation of groundcare people.”

Dennis and SISIS - Cricket World Groundcare Awards 2020/21 – Sponsors

 

 

©Cricket World 2022