Groundsman faces 'test' on home turf

Ground preparation is a labour of love and someone has to do it.
Whangarei's Simon Harvey and the Recreational Services crew have been putting in some long hours over the last month - working 13-14 hour days, including Christmas Day to prepare the pitch at Cobham Oval in time for the three-day match between Pakistan and a New Zealand XI.
It is the first international staged at the ground since 1994, and Harvey, who is in charge of preparing the wicket, is feeling the pressure.
"I've worked here for four years now and I have prepared the wicket for all of the first class games held here - but never an international game. It has involved more work as there is more pressure to get it right for the game," the 25-year-old said.
However, Harvey is a perfectionist and thanks to his toil over the summer, the pitch and practice strips are looking reasonable ahead of the first day of the international match, tomorrow.
"It always depends on the weather - so getting it right is always a challenge ... The pitch is still a touch damp at the moment but there's still time for it to dry out ... I think it will be average paced for the first part of the match, unless we get some really hot days before it starts - which we are supposed to.
"The density tests are good and the compaction of the ground is on target."
Harvey, along with Ross Hart and Moko Turner, look after the cricket grounds in Kamo, Kensington and Cobham Oval with Recreational Services who are contracted by the Whangarei District Council.
In total there is a team of 30 to care for the cricket grounds and their surrounds.
During winter the team move next door to Toll Stadium where they look after the rugby ground. Working outdoors was the biggest attraction for Harvey when he first became a groundsman as an 18-year-old.
"I could never work sitting at a desk," he said. "The most satisfying thing I get out of the job now, is watching games being played on my ground ... I know it's technically not 'my' ground, but it does feel like it considering how much time I pour into it."