Behind the scenes at pitch perfect Hagley Oval

Days out from the first international game of the season, there’s an air of calm at Hagley Oval.

A ride-on mower trims the outfield while Head Groundsman Jayden Tohill walks purposefully behind a push mower, carefully maintaining the wicket block’s 12mm grass cover.  

On paper it sounds easy - Sow, mow, fertilise, water and roll.

But it’s a delicate and complex science, adjusting care for the grass depending on sun, rain, cloud or that piercing Christchurch easterly.

Attention to detail is key.

“Mother nature is our true boss,” Jayden said.

While the ground team is out putting the finishing touches on the field before first ball is bowled in the near sold-out test between the Black Caps and England, getting the Oval ready for the summer started back in autumn.

“Once the cricket season is finished, we renovate the block in the middle. All the organic matter is removed and reseeded in April,” he said. 

“From there it takes a lot of loving and nurturing,” Jayden said.

“The fields are mowed and rolled in – we roll it for eight to 12 hours over the week, about 90 mins a day.”

“Grass is a living and growing thing, so what you see one day can totally change over night depending on the weather,” he said.

“It’s a lot of work, especially in the two weeks before a big game but whatever effort you put in, you get out. It’s as simple as that.”

The Oval boasts 11 blocks of Kakanui clay and topped ryegrass – it’s known for pace and bounce.

“We also have four training strips we’re maintaining. People might not think it, but the job is just as big out there,” Jayden said.

“What we do in the Oval, we replicate on those strips and once the teams get here and start training, we’re working around that.”

The pressure of having millions of eyes on the pitch isn’t something Jayden thinks too much about.  

“At the end of the day every turf manager aims for the same thing, consistency. A competition between bat and ball,” he said.

“After the game gets underway, we’re sitting on the sidelines watching and it’s all out of our control. Unless it starts raining, then it’s all back on managing the covers.”  

But it’s not only the international games Jayden and his team focus on.

“We have Canterbury playing down here and try to get the Club out as much as possible. There are also kids that come out on a Friday,” he said.

“The more people that come out and play on the Oval, the more connected they are to the ground.”  

The summer of cricket has only just begun.

The Black Caps and White Ferns will be taking to the Oval against England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in a test and T20s while the Canterbury Kings and Magicians will be playing a number of games in all three formats of the game.

And there’s also the Betterman versus Movember Charity match on 8 December under lights and the T20 Blackclash with Team Rugby taking on Team Cricket in early 2025.