Sussex by the sea

Sussex County Cricket Club

Neville Johnson went to the seaside to cricket’s oldest first class county to talk to Ben Gibson, the youngest head groundsmen in the first class game.

Sussex County Cricket Club was formed in 1839. The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, the club’s headquarters since 1871, offers the perfect balance between all that’s traditional in cricket with the needs of the modern white ball game.

It was for instance the first ground to install permanent floodlights, yet many of its regulars watch the game from the comfort of a deckchair. Day-night matches have been on the fixture list since 1997, when the ground was then only the second - behind Edgbaston - to stage cricket under lights in this country.

As if to reflect Hove’s perfect balance, it has the youngest head groundsmen in the first class game. Ben Gibson is just 31 and has been in charge there for three years now.

All the usual optimism and joy at the prospect of bat on ball out in the middle was severely put to the test the day we were there because the spring equinox had served up a beast of a day. The covers were on and it was very much an indoor day. Sussex players were hard at it in the practice marquee.

Ben filled us in on his life as a cricket groundsman and his thoughts on the game generally.

How did he get started and why cricket?

“I’ve always liked cricket, still do, but it was at an open day when I was at Brinsbury College,

Pulborough that the idea of looking after cricket pitches first crossed my mind. I’d been chatting to David Horsman of Horsham Cricket Club, where I lived, and he suggested I went along to the ground and talk to groundsman Roger Ward about helping him. It was a ‘why not - give it a go’ moment, so I did and worked with Roger for two years, completing my apprenticeship. He taught me a lot.”

“I got to know Sussex head groundsman Andy Mackay from his involvement in the county’s outground matches played at Horsham. I came and helped at Hove during the winter months, then in January 2011 a chance to join Andy’s team full time came along. After working here for two or three months voluntarily, as an intern if you like, this was a big step up and a real start to my career, my first taste of being a real professional, my baptism into frontline cricket pitch care. Andy was the perfect mentor. I owe him so much.”

He went on to describe the set up at Hove.

“There are nine of us full-time all told. My deputy is Chris Deere and there are four other groundsmen based at the Hove ground. I also have three working at the club’s two academy grounds.”

“I’m big on a maintaining a proper work-home balance and everyone in the team can cover for anyone else during time off or sickness. It is important, especially during the summer, for everyone to get away from the pressure and