Mowing the Square

Why do we need to mow the square?

Regular mowing is important to provide the right length of grass for good ball roll off the bat, and to encourage good plant density.  Good presentation of the square is important because it gives a good first impression and enhances the enjoyment of participants and spectators.

What equipment is used?

A cricket square should be mowed with a properly adjusted pedestrian cylinder mower during the playing season.  Mower size is usually a question of work rate with larger 30-36” mowers allowing squares to be cut more quickly, but this can be done with 18-20” pitch mowers set to the correct height, particularly on smaller squares or where storage space and budgets are tight.

The cricket square does not need a mower with a particularly high clip frequency (as is required for pitch preparation), and a pedestrian cylinder mower with five or more blades, delivering a clip frequency of around 85 cuts per meter or more is sufficient to offer reasonable presentation and ball roll.

There are times when cutting the square with a sharp rotary mower with a rear roller can help to clean up debris (rotary mowers can hoover the surface) and remove ryegrass seed heads that sometimes ‘bolt’ upwards between cylinder cuts in dry conditions and can be difficult to remove with a cylinder mower.

The use of large ride on mowers, such as a triplex tees mower is not encouraged on cricket squares, because they may provide too much ground pressure and may disrupt the soil levels, although there is no reason why a ride on greens mower with suitable tyres could not be used, or indeed a trailed seat on a large cylinder mower, so long as conditions permit it to do so without deforming the soil and/or leaving wheel marks.

What is the right cut height and how frequently should I mow?

During the playing season, mowing heights on the square should be 12 to 18 mm. The aim is to choose a height that is manageable, promotes the health of the sward and the characteristics of the grass plant that are desirable for cricket, and of course provides a smooth ball roll during the season.

The height of cut should be a decision based on how the sward is growing (particularly in relation to soil moisture content), prevailing light levels and the time of year, the standard of play and the frequency of mowing.  

Summer mowing heights should aim to encourage a tighter sward but still leave enough leaf for good growth. If the sward is cut any lower than around 12 mm on a regular basis then it may prove difficult to get rid of the green colour during pitch preparation as the crown moves lower in the plant, and there may be excess seam movement, as well as making it harder for the grass to grow roots and recover as easily from stress. If the sward is left to grow higher than 18 mm in summer there is a risk of a thinner sward, overly large crowns which are high up in the plant and a sward which sits wet and is prone to disease. Lengths over 18 mm are perceived to be ‘long’ by players and may not provide good ball roll.

Mowing should take place as and when needed, making sure that never more than one third of the total length of grass is removed in any mowing session.  This typically varies between one and three cuts per week during the season, depending upon cut height, growing conditions and opportunities to cut.

Grass Clipping Removal

Grass clippings should always be collected on a cricket square to prevent the accumulation of thatch which reduces ball pace and bounce in pitches.

Presentation

A mower equipped with a rear roller will create a shade (light green when viewed in the direction of cut and dark green when viewed against the cut).  This effect can be used to stripe the square and create an appealing visual appearance.  Whilst not specified in the laws of the game like pitch presentation, squares are traditionally cut and presented in the direction of play.  Cutting across the line of play can risk ‘ghost stripes’ appearing across the line of play in prepared pitches. 

There are generally two methods of presenting the square with mowing:

1. Striping by mower width, whereby each adjacent cut is in the opposite direction so that each stripe is a mower width.  The advantage of this method is that it can be quicker, particularly with smaller width mowers.  The disadvantages are that the tight turn required can stress the grass at each end of the square and it requires practice and skill to keep each strip the same width and straight.
2. Striping by pitch (AKA cutting in blocks), whereby a whole pitch is cut in one direction and the adjacent pitch is cut in the opposite direction.  This has the advantage of reducing turning stress on the square and mower, reduces the risk of ghost striping (stripes appearing in prepared pitches) and is easier to cut straight.  It can also be aligned with stripes in the outfield when the outfield is cut in a checkerboard fashion (see Mowing the Outfield).  The disadvantage is that it can slow cutting with smaller width mowers and it can be a challenge when you have both ‘even number’ and ‘odd number’ pitches in preparation.

In both cases look to flip the direction of cut periodically so you don’t introduce a permanent ‘nap’ to the grass.  If you are striping by pitch you can align your cutting direction with the presentation of your pitch and change direction as you move from even numbered to odd numbered pitches.  It can take two or three cuts in a particular direction to get a good, bold stripe.

Avoid cutting at angles to the direction of play in-season as this can cause 'ghost stripes' that are difficult to remove from prepared pitches. Only cut in the line of play through the season.

Benefits

• Clean cutting of the grass plant results in a heathier sward
• Correct cutting height reduces the stress on the grass plant
• Regularly mowing at the right cut height assists with pitch preparation
• Improves presentation, which is the first thing players and officials see.
• Regular mowing helps to control some weeds which do not tolerate frequent close mowin

Practical tips

• Always perform pre-start checks on the mower, familiarise yourself with the user’s manual, follow all safety information and safe working practices.
• Check the cut on the mower before use and if necessary, adjust. A badly set mower will damage the grass plant, increase disease risk, increase the plant’s requirement for water and fertiliser, potentially damage the mower, or create excessive wear on parts.
• When mowing to the higher end of the height of cut (16-18mm), mowing on the day of the match will help in appearance and ball roll
• Reverse the direction of cut regularly to avoid creating too much of a nap.
• Clean the mower immediately after use.
• Lubricate and maintain the mower regularly to maintain optimum performance.
• Always collect clippings to avoid the accumulation of thatch.