No boundaries for Baroness: It’s a recognised fact in cricket that a good groundsman wins matches and is as much a part of the side as a pacy seam bowler or a gifted spinner. After more than 20 years in the game and winning a good few awards along the way, Simon Lee, for the past two years Head Groundsman at the Ageas Bowl home of Hampshire CC, knows his craft supremely well.

He also knows a thing or two about the equipment he needs to keep his wickets and wider grounds up to international standard. The arrival of Baroness mowers in the Ageas fleet on the outskirts of Southampton is, therefore, a significant accolade for a brand that has become a favourite on many golf courses across the UK.

No boundaries for Baroness

Now regarded as one of the best cricket grounds in the country, the Ageas Bowl has taken delivery of three Baroness machines from Lister Wilder in recent months. Simon and his team have a five-unit mid-weight LM551B for outfields and an LM56GC pedestrian cylinder mower for pitch preparation. Meanwhile, the Boundary Lakes golf course that is another key element of the wider Ageas leisure offering has a three-unit LM315 greens mower.

The decision to opt for Baroness against other big-name competition was one that Simon did not take lightly. “I spoke to other top-level groundsmen and it came highly recommended by others who have had experience of using them,” he says. “You can read all you like about grass cutting machinery but when the verdict comes from someone you trust then you know you are making a good decision.

“When we demoed the machines, we found the Baroness mowers were cutting tighter and neater than the competition and giving us better presentation at the same level of cut.”

The reality of living with the new machines has matched up to the promise from the demo. “It isn’t just the quality of the cut that everyone talks about and how long the cut lasts,” says Simon. “I really like the way the Baroness machines are engineered – the fact that they are very user-friendly puts a big tick in the box for me given that they are being operated and maintained by staff at different skill levels. That makes life a lot easier for me in managing the whole process.”

Common to all the Baroness machines is the approach to the cutting cylinders, which are individually balanced before being installed and with a heat treatment process ensuring that the cutting edges of both cutting cylinders and bed-knives stay sharp and true.

The LM551B with its 45hp Kubota engine is equipped with a 22-inch standard reel along with optional mower units and accessories, allowing users to create the best configuration to meet their own turf conditions. The forward and backward slide function of the rear cutting units increase contour following whilst minimising uncut turf.

The pedestrian LM56GC is amongst the lightest in its class, but is very solidly built, with high manoeuvrability and a solid 5-year warranty as standard. Like other Baroness mowers, it is completely gear-driven and hence much easer to maintain and more durable than competitors driven by belts or chains. Equipped with bi-directional front grooming reel, de-thatching reel or brush (all of which are changeable in five minutes), you effectively get a complete turf maintenance system for the price of one mower.

The LM315GC is available in 7, 9 or 11-blade reel options, with bed-knives from 1.5mm to 5mm thickness. Cable drive to the cutting units eliminates potential hydraulic oil leaks where they are most likely to occur.

Particularly important to Simon is the back-up he gets to ensure that each of his machines performs at is best and that any problems are quickly dealt with. He has been very impressed by the support he has received to date from Lister Wilder’s Area Sales Manager Graham Merritt and from his Baroness Area Manager Luke Collins.

“They have been fantastic and have helped us every step of the way,” says Simon. “If you call them with the very tiniest issue they are there straight away. It’s the first thing you want with a dealer that is new to you because it means you can build a relationship that works.”

To view the complete Baroness range and to find your local dealer please visit www.baronessuk.com

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