THE groundsman for Melksham Cricket Club has won an award for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ for maintaining the town’s cricket pitch.
Tim Carpenter has won the award in the Cricket World Groundcare Awards, for his work transforming the town’s cricket pitch from being in ‘poor’ condition into an award-winning standard.
He was invited to Lord’s Cricket Ground last month to collect his award, along with groundsmen from three other clubs who were also recognised for their achievements.
“I didn’t know a thing about the nomination, but I was nominated back in April for it,” says Tim, who took on maintenance of Melksham’s pitch 12 years ago, “The editor of Cricket World rang me up in early September to let me know I’d been nominated and I’d made it to the last eight. He wanted to come down from Lincolnshire on the Wednesday and take a picture of the ground. On the Friday he rang to let me know I’d won an award and asked if I could attend Lord’s to receive it.
“Lord’s is the mecca of cricket. We were given our awards, had a meal, then the head groundsman at Lord’s, Karl McDermott, asked if we want to go and have a tour of his shed, which I wasn’t expecting, so we all spent a couple of hours looking around and looking at his tools.”
Alongside volunteering to maintain the pitch, Tim also runs Sparkles Window Cleaning Services in Melksham. He says when he is not working, he is at the club doing something to look after the pitch, along with the help of some volunteers.
“When I took the ground over 12 years ago, if it was a school, the Ofsted report would have been shocking,” says Tim. “We’ve just stuck with it and done the best we can with what we have to work with. Before, it was lack of maintenance and lack of love that were the problems.”
Following the transformation of the pitch, Tim said the club’s pitch and wicket are now on a par with ‘big’ clubs such as Royal Wootten Bassett and Potterne.
“I just love creating a pitch and getting the praise. It’s a fine art and you don’t always get it right,” says Tim. “A cricket player who played for Corsham last year and is an ex-South African International player had never played at our ground before but when he came and walked in, he went ‘wow, I never knew this existed.’ He shook my hand after the game and said what a fantastic achievement. He wouldn’t have done that 10 years ago.
“I couldn’t do what I do without my wife’s support. It takes around 16 hours to maintain a wicket, then you add on everything else and this is when trying to run my own business as well. When I’m not earning, I am maintaining the ground.
““The club has always said they do not know what they would do without me. I used to play cricket to a decent standard, but I’ve finished playing now. I’ve played a couple of times this year, but I know my playing days are behind me. I enjoy maintaining the ground, it’s my happy place.”
