The past year has seen significant advancements re grounds in the Leinster region. In hosting three courses in 2012 the quality of club groundsmen has never been as high throughout the province. Under the guidance of Len Smith from the IOG the majority of clubs using grass wickets have been assessed and received recommendations to help improve the quality of their crease.To give some idea of the scale of work being done, in 2012, clubs received 47 tons of cricket loam, an essential ingredient in the provision of good wickets. This compares with 25 tons in 2011. With most clubs now having experienced groundsmen at the helm the next few years should see significant improvements at venues that have been criticized in the past. It is imperative that the relevant clubs management support these plans, and their groundsmen, as they carry out these renovations.
The Trailer Scheme has been central in allowing many clubs to undertake significant work on their squares and the LCU are to be congratulated for their support in this area. A proposal has been given to the LCU to further develop the scheme with regard to new machinery and we await their response
With the rapid increase in new clubs throughout the province we have seen artificial wickets become common place. It is essential they are laid correctly with particular attention being paid to the construction of the base. Also a maintenance programme will extend the life of the mat and give better performance results.
As regards new clubs/grounds, in what must be a record, league cricket will be played at 5 new venues on artificial mats this year.
Longford CC and Slieve Bloom CC extend the boundaries of Leinster cricket.
Greystones have relocated to the grounds of the local soccer club, which has excellent facilities and impressive sea views.
Cabinteely play on the open plains of Kilgobbet Pk , next door to Seapoint Rugby Club, but also have hopes of moving to nearby picturesque Cabinteely Pk.
Lucan CC take up residence in St Catherine's Pk , a relatively new Pk in Lucan with huge potential . Also home to the Garda CC .
During visits to many clubs it became evident how important the provision of training facilities are to new clubs. Not just to improve skills, but to provide a focal point for clubs during the season. Public parks in particular, can have issues with security, but one option, as used by Greystones CC and being considered by Adamstown CC is to establish training facilities away from the main ground, possibly at a more convenient and/or secure location.
The newly formed LCU Grounds Committee is now well established under the chairmanship of Justin Rodgers. In addition to visiting grounds and implementing LCU policy a new computerized grading system for grounds will be in place for the 2013 season. Paul Reynolds is handling the techy side of things. As part of their match day routine umpires will assess the standard of facilities provided and input the information online to build up a data base of each club. This will allow the Grounds Committee to monitor clubs on an ongoing basis. We are grateful to the umpires for their assistance in this matter.
Finally, Malahide and Trinity face significant challenges this year in providing grounds for Internationals and Interpros respectively. Good luck to all concerned in these exciting fixtures and the development of Leinster and Irish cricket grounds.