Manuka Oval to be resurfaced ahead of Prime Minister's XI, BBL games

Ground staff commenced the arduous task of ripping up the surface on Monday in the first stage of a major renovation of the field.

Staff will remove the top level of grass and all the sprinklers before excavating a layer of sand and digging down to the surface's foundation. From there, groundskeepers will put the jigsaw puzzle back together.

A new layer of sand will be deposited around the field and grass trucked in from Adelaide will be laid.

The entire process is expected to take around three-and-a-half weeks, however that's just the first step in preparing the ground for the Prime Minister's XI clash on December 6.

From there, officials require six weeks to allow the grass to grow and solidify in the ground. With some of Australia and Pakistan's best cricketers playing on the ground in a four-day match, there is no margin for error and every patch of turf must be perfectly laid.

MORE SPORT:

The unseasonably warm spring weather and recently declared El Nino are set to play into the ground's favour, with sunshine needed to expedite the process.

Andrew De Boni, a director in the ACT Government's Venue Infrastructure and Capital Works department, recognises staff are racing the clock, but remains confident the surface will be at its usual high standard for the Prime Minister's XI match.

"Once we've resurfaced the field we end up with six weeks of growing time between it being laid and used," De Boni said. "Ideally you'd leave it for as long as you could but we don't get that luxury.

"It will be tight but I think we'll be OK. The growing season this year has come early with the weather being warmer earlier. That's a good thing for the couch grass we're using."

It's the first time Manuka Oval has been relaid since 2018 and is the second stage in a major renovation to the city's elite sporting facilities carried out by Pitchcraft.

Canberra Stadium resurfaced at the conclusion of the 2022 football season as part of a $1.2 million project for the two venues.

Pitchcraft has a long history in the ACT and has resurfaced the two fields on multiple occasions. The company has experience working to firm deadlines, with the last Manuka revamp also conducted in a tight window.

The ground was resurfaced in late 2018 in preparation for the historic first Test against Sri Lanka in 2019, however they had just six weeks post-completion to prepare the field for a Big Bash game.

The Santa Ana Couch grass has been brought across from Adelaide in 20 metre by one metre rolls, which have been pre-washed and will be rolled straight on to the Manuka Oval surface.

De Boni's team is focused on the outfield, with Cricket ACT completing smaller renovations to the centre wicket to prepare the pitches for the upcoming summer.

A heavy duty grass will also be laid on the six metres around the square to ensure bowlers have a stable run up area and the turf does not fall victim to four-straight days of repetitive usage.

The entire process is a mammoth task, but De Boni is confident it will set Manuka Oval up for another five years of elite sport.

"The ideal time to resurface grounds is five to seven years," he said. "With the thatch levels in the grass it becomes more susceptible to diseases and other issues so doing it every five to seven years limits the possibility of that occurring."

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.