Groundos Gather in advance of busy renovation period
Friday 4th September 2026
The final face-to-face gathering of Kent Groundos took place at Sissinghurst CC this week. By request, the evening focused on the end of season renovations process – a phrase that continues to push back against the concept of ‘putting the square to bed’.
As per the extensive overview from The GMA (which isn’t behind a paywall):
“If a renovation is not carried out, then this is likely to result in more cost outlay in the future years to repair the damage created by not renovating the square.”
Furthermore, as many seasoned groundos will tell you, a good renovation is the biggest single factor in how your future pitches will play.
The British weather, flippant as ever, helped demonstrate why soil condition for scarification is not a binary question. The resident, lighter-weight pedestrian scarifier struggled to work through the unsurprisingly hardened surface, which contrastingly would have been ideal for tractor mounted machinery to get to work on. Three passes later, the rain descended and the remaining part of the evening took place indoors, accompanied by a plentiful buffet provided by the hosts.
Led by Regional Pitch Advisor for the South of England, Phil Jeggo, accompanied by two County Pitch Advisors, the evening followed the usual informal format with a near-even split of prepared material and questions from the floor.
Badged as opportunities for training or ‘CPD’, these sessions are as much about bringing like-minded groundos together to share their experience. Inevitably, problems are solved amongst the group rather than the advisors, from tips for crow-resilient hoses to suppliers and hire companies.
The next instalment is due to be a webinar during the off-season, likely the tackling key topics around winter maintenance.
If you’re involved in preparing pitches in Kent, please consider completing the form below. And if you’re a member of a cricket club, team or organisation that maintains their own pitch, then please share this with those on the ground.
Kent Cricket Foundation would like to again thank the host clubs from 2026, Hartley Country Club and Sissinghurst for their hospitality.