Brad Van Dam thought he'd need to find another job. Now he's arguably the busiest man in Canberra.
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It was May, the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing, and sport had ground to a complete halt. Groundsman was no longer a workable job title.
His mind had turned to mowing people's lawns as a way to make a living in a COVID-riddled world.
Fast forward eight months and Cricket ACT's head curator has never been busier.
Manuka Oval has gone from a once-a-season sojourn on the Big Bash calendar to the 'backbone' off the entire competition, as league boss Alistair Dobson said earlier this week.
The ground has hosted two internationals and 10 Big Bash fixtures in the space of eight weeks and two more BBL matches are still to come starting with Saturday's blockbuster between the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers.
Van Dam has gone from contemplating a possible retrenchment to being able to count recent days off on one hand, while in the process preparing a cricket ground that has become the envy of the game Australia-wide.
"We thought 'were we going to have jobs? Is sport ever going to be played again? What's going to happen in the future?" Van Dam said.
"We weren't even in the mix to have anything then suddenly we've had the two internationals and 10 Big Bash games plus the two finals to come this weekend, it's just been amazing. We've gone from nowhere to being the ones saving the Big Bash.
"We've always had to keep preparing things and so on and make sure everything was right on the surface both at Manuka and Phillip, making sure everything was ready to go just in case we were called up again.
"Even being called up again a day and a half or two days before for the Brisbane Heat game at Manuka with no crowds. 'Can you do it? Yeah we can'. Then bang there's another game."
The two Big Bash finals underpin the biggest weekend of cricket ever seen in the capital.
At Chisholm Oval on Saturday, the ACT Meteors host Queensland to kickstart the heavily delayed Women's National Cricket League season.
Then on Sunday the local one-day grand finals take centre stage, including the John Gallop Cup decider between Weston Creek Molonglo and Tuggeranong Valley.
As fate would have it, rain has threatened to intervene, particularly at the Meteors match on Saturday.
But, unsurprisingly, Van Dam is on top of it.
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He transported Manuka's supper sopper to Chisholm on Friday, and it will be tasked with mopping up all ground water around the field as soon as the rain breaks on Saturday morning.
It'll then be sent to Phillip Oval to prepare the wicket for Sunday's local one-day final.
"We're up and down the whole of Canberra as much as we can to get everything done, it's all about being prepared days and weeks in advance," Van Dam said.
"Let's hope it's going to start clearing some time tomorrow morning. That's what it's looking like for now with maybe a little shower passing through here and there.
"All we need is an hour or two of clear weather, it doesn't have to be sunny. As long as it's clear and we can get it ready to go."
Cricket ACT chief James Allsopp has praised his staff for their tireless efforts over the summer. Multiple staff members cancelled their leave over the festive period to help facilitate Canberra's summer of cricket.
"There's no doubt it's taken its toll on our people, there's been no break between the Christmas and New Year's period," Allsopp said.
"They've embraced it all with enthusiasm, but I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a bit of a break at the end of the summer and it'll be well earned."
By none more so than the indefatigable Van Dam.
"The boys have done very very well and a cold beer is getting closer and closer for us, hopefully on Sunday evening," he said.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
