Sorting the pitch out for the game was a real labour of love. the field had been roughly mown a few weeks before, and the grass was long and very uneven all over. Armed with a tape measure, some string, a petrol lawnmover and a bit of tape, I set to work...
It took me two full afternoons to sort the pitch out. I had to mow it backwards and forwards half a dozen times to get the grass short enough, and the grass was so long I had to empty the bucket on the back every few feet. Even so, I managed to mow us a full square and got the bowlers' run-ups cropped nice and low as well.
With the sun beginning to set on the day before the match, I finally had time to see how the pitch would play. The bounce was clearly going to be uneven, but a couple of cursory bowls also showed that bowlers from the Moretonhampstead end would get significant bounce, whereas a ball bowled from the Bovey end was likely to keep low and wouldn't come onto the bat very much. It wasn't going to be the best pitch in the world, but it promised an interesting match.
The finished pitch on the day of the match
