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MJ Abbott bring international cricket to Somerset

February 2, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

MJ Abbott’s completed outfield drainage project has helped secure international cricket at Somerset’s County Ground, whilst contributing to the team’s excellent performance in the County Championship, according to head groundsman, Simon Lee. In order to bring international cricket to the Taunton based ground, upgrades were required on and off the pitch to take it from […]

First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

February 1, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Brian Martyn has a long-established association with GKB Machines, having sold them in the USA, and Martyn’s Turf Machinery are handling GKB as dealers for southern Ireland. They have recently delivered the first of the new generation of GKB Sandfillers to be sold in Ireland, the customer being Harris Turf Improvements of Dublin. The company […]

MJ Abbott bring international cricket to Somerset

February 2, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

February 1, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

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MJ Abbott bring international cricket to Somerset

February 2, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

In order to bring international cricket to the Taunton based ground, upgrades were required on and off the pitch to take it from a category C to B. These improvements included the stands and seating which were completed before attention turned to the outfield.

Only a small amount of improvements had been made since the club was founded in 1875, meaning the outfield didn’t come close to the ECB’s (English Cricket Board) required 30mm an hour infiltration rate.

The importance of this drainage, as Simon explains, is paramount to hosting international matches. And with the work successfully completed and a full season behind him, attention can now turn to their first T20 international between England and South Africa in June 2017 and the men’s World Cup in 2019.

“We knew the shortcomings of our outfield before the work took place, so once we had secured a grant from the ECB we set about really understanding what we needed to do to meet the infiltration rate,” Simon explains.

“The ECB wants all international pitches to have high draining outfields to ensure that matches go ahead for television and financial reasons. And if you’ve got a full ground it’s in everyone’s interest to get the game on, and having well-draining outfields really helps to do that.

“The work MJ Abbott did was fantastic, and we’ve been seeing the benefits of it all season. We had a situation at the end of this season where we previously would have struggled to get the game on, and other grounds on the day didn’t play any cricket. But we were able to remove the sheets and play straight away because the outfield was in great condition.

“Ultimately – despite not winning anything – I think it’s helped the team throughout the season because rain delays used to see them come off the field for a long time, whereas now we’re in a position to compete with other Test grounds around the country.”

The project involved removing the vegetation from the outfield and re-levelling the surface in selected areas. This was followed by the installation of a new outfall pumping chamber before a primary piped drainage system was installed along with secondary sand banding, with the work completed by seeding the outfield.

Over the course of the 2016 County Championship season Simon has seen the major difference he hoped the drainage would make, but as well as praising the results he was also very positive about the process that got it there.

“We haven’t carried out any major projects here, so working with MJ Abbott was my first experience of working with a contractor on something of this size,” he said.

“I can’t fault the planning or execution. The efficiency and quality of the work was a pleasure to watch, it was very neat and tidy for a fairly aggressive job, and it made my life a lot easier because I didn’t have to worry about the job.

“Doing the work helps us play cricket, and that can be the difference between drawing, winning and losing.”

MJ Abbott worked alongside Dr Iain James, Technical Director at TGMS Limited, who consulted and designed the project on behalf of Somerset CCC prior to MJ Abbott winning the contract to execute the plans.

“Working with MJ Abbott was a very good experience. The staff are highly skilled, the communication was good and the project went very smoothly,” Iain said.

“The pitch is performing well, Simon is happy, the Club is happy and we are delighted with how everything has gone.”

The quality to which this project has been completed can be seen in the ECB’s approval and the matches Somerset CCC has subsequently been given. This is not only of huge benefit to Somerset as a County team, but also boosts their international profile as a venue.

Simon and his team of four now have the opportunity to build on the fantastic surface they’ve produced this season, as they continue to look forward to the arrival of international cricket at The County Ground for the first time in June 2017.

First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

February 1, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

The GKB Sandfiller is built to tackle the problems of surface drainage and aeration, especially on golf course greens. In areas on the golf course where standing water and moss formation are a problem, the Sandfiller offers a fast solution for drainage and intensive aeration. Aeration of the top layer is economically and environmentally friendly, say GKB, while being cost-effective through the all-in-one combination of aeration and sand filling.

“There has been a great deal of interest in the Sandfiller”, says Mark Harris, “and we have already done several demonstrations. It’s a different approach from what has been used before and this is much quicker, cleaner and far less labour intensive. Everyone is very impressed with the machine and the first green treated has shown improvement within only a few days.”

Using the Sandfiller for intensive aeration of the grass leads to quicker recovery, greater green longevity and faster drainage of surface water, without the need for complete renovation. Because the Sandfiller simultaneously aerates and fills the root zone with sand, it creates the right conditions for excellent root growth. To allow the machine to properly follow the contours of the ground, three adjustable depth rollers are used while a slitting rotor, situated between conveyor rollers, operates the aerating and slitting actions. Material removed from the top layer by verticutting is immediately collected in a sideways tipping container, making the overall operation very quick and clean.

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MJ Abbott bring international cricket to Somerset

First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

MJ Abbott bring international cricket to Somerset

First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

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MJ Abbott bring international cricket to Somerset

First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

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