The greens at Birsa Munda Cricket Stadium in Chaibasa, the district headquarters of West Singhbhum, are ready to welcome willow-holders when the cricket season gets underway.
It is perhaps the first cricket venue in Jharkhand to be decked up well in advance.
The West Singhbhum District Cricket Association (WSDCA) has worked overtime to prepare the ground, which will host over 100 matches involving both local leagues, JSCA inter-district events and junior matches once the government sets guidelines for re-starting sports activities.
“The three centre wickets and two for practice are already prepared. We did regular rolling with a power roller provided by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association. The grass on the outfield was also regularly trimmed using power mowers,” said WSDCA secretary Aseem Kumar Singh.
Groundsmen Nandu Karwa and Shiva Lama worked in tandem to deck up the venue owned by the West Singhbhum district administration and leased out to WSDCA.
Singh also chipped in with his support by moving the power roller on the wickets.
According to Singh, they have laid a fresh layer of soil on the three centres and two practice wickets with grass cover by spending Rs 30,000. Heavy and dense grass on the outfield needs regular trimming.
“The grass needs trimming as it grows very quickly,” Singh explained.
“We also used the power roller on uneven patches of the ground. We had to sometimes stop ground maintenance due to the rain. It has poured heavily in Chaibasa but despite the hindrance, we have managed to prepare the ground for upcoming tournaments,” the WSDCA secretary added.
Players are already using the practice wickets.
Singh said that the ground is maintained throughout the year.
“We believe in proper maintenance since a host of tournaments are played at the venue. It is because of proper maintenance that we have been able to prepare the ground without any hassles whatsoever,” he added.
The stadium has been hosting BCCI under-16 over the years now.
Cricketers have often appreciated the condition of the ground and the wickets as well as the outfield.
Women’s tournaments are also played at the greens.
