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[400notout]

Our home deck has previously been quick decent pace and carry wise with consistent bounce.

However the previous 2/3 season after a change in loam etc its become far more low and lost all the carry. As well as being left very bare.

As an opening bat this is probably perfect, plant the foot and hit straight through the line territory, but I much prefer the pace and bounce and prefer that for cricket all round.

Any groundsmen / knowledgeable folks got any thoughts on how to improve this.

We have a full time groundsman at the moment, but I wouldn't want to go suggesting things, although I'm convinced that leaving more grass on might improve the pace and carry? Even if it does make it nip around a bit more.

[Gurujames]

We use Ongar loam and get through around 60 bags a year. Our pitch has good pace and carry and is a pitch that produces runs and wickets and is well regarded in the league. however, what you put on will depend on what is underneath. I would ask clubs in your area, that have the kind of square you want, what they do.
We leave more grass on mainly as the wickets last better. We have 12 wickets in our square. We have 2 league teams, a Sunday side and mid week 20/20 so many wickets need to be used 2-3 times (if not more). We have found that a bare strip becomes unplayable for the remainder of the season after the first game as bowlers create large foot marks that cannot be filled and the pace and bounce disappear.

[Blank Bats]

Changing loams can be damagaing to the track (you need to check loam compatability), you need to ensure the layers "bind" together, this is usually done by spiking through the winter. This will also encourage grass root growth which helps keeping it all together.

[RF]

Changing which loam you use can cause problems, if you have 2 layers of different soil your pitch could become 2 paced as the ball breaks through the top layer and hits the second.

Mix them together as Blank Bats says if possible.

I'm sure someone on here will tell you how to make it quicker.  I'd suggest watering at start of the week then getting it as dry as possible from then onwards

[uknsaunders]

To me making the square bare has more to do with it than the loam. Loam by itself can't turn a square bare to my knowledge. Sounds like your groundsman is taking too much grass off. Leaving more grass on does help. A few years back we took the grass length down a mm or so and it looked whiter than ever, but also slowed up and helped the spinners. I've seen plenty of decks that look bare, everyone thinks it's a batsman's wicket and they just play slow & low. If you have a decent deck then leaving a bit of grass might help it zip off and bounce a bit, it certainly won't slow it down. You need good coverage and root growth as well. Aerate the square as well to promote root growth.

[123*]

Slow and low decks is probably (not definitely) due to the amount of thatch in your square, in reality in my opinion 2mm on your height of cut won't solve anything if you have deeper lying issues.

If you have 0 thatch and are rolling at the correct times with a good root system and still have slow and low decks then by all means give it a shot but I'd suggest you have other more pressing issues.

[400notout]

The loam was changed a few years ago, think the majority was pulled up (cant quote me on that at all)

Ground was used for the Scotland V England ODI and it looked to carry averagely but slow.

The only thing as a player I can get away with asking is regarding the grass coverage, anything else it's down to the groundsman really.

[simonmay5]

Have you taken samples off what's under the tracks if you get a old bit off copper pipe and knock it down and then remove push the loam out and make a motty a ball off loam try it on different areas and see if when the loam balls have dried out test their breaking strength this way will let you know if the loam has knitted together and if you have different coverage in the breaking point hope that helps 

[123*]

Aberdeenshire? Ask your groundsman his thoughts he seems like a top guy, regularly posts on pitch care!

[ProCricketer1982]

if you find an answer.. email our groundsman please.. ours is way way way too slow and low for my liking. Club wickets need spicing up, too many flat tracks and slow/low types.. get it zinging around, promote back foot play rather than front foot biffing

[uknsaunders]

Love tracks with bounce and carry, even if they are green and doing a bit. Marlow use to be one of the quickest and bounciest decks around. I saw a number of teams get sorted out by bounce. They would all prop forward and look on in horror as the thing passed them on the rise at waist height from a good length. No driving today lol

[ProCricketer1982]

Love tracks with bounce and carry, even if they are green and doing a bit. Marlow use to be one of the quickest and bounciest decks around. I saw a number of teams get sorted out by bounce. They would all prop forward and look on in horror as the thing passed them on the rise at waist height from a good length. No driving today lol

Exactly, it's really amusing when you watch players regarded as 'top notch' get completely ripped apart by faster and bouncier (not going to claim it's the WACA) wickets. Propping forward just doesn't cut it

[Northern monkey]

The wickets in Oxfordshire are flat and dead
The soil breaks up too easily, kills all the pace

The wickets are just as bad for bowlers as batters

[123*]

Exactly, it's really amusing when you watch players regarded as 'top notch' get completely ripped apart by faster and bouncier (not going to claim it's the WACA) wickets. Propping forward just doesn't cut it

Like you then 

[ProCricketer1982]

Like you then 

Yeah mate, always gettin torn apart on the back foot.