Jayden Tohill: Hagley Oval Head Groundsman ahead of the test between the Black Caps and England

The much-anticipated series between the Black Caps and England gets underway this week at Hagley Oval. 

New Head Groundsman Jayden Tohill spoke with Lesley Murdoch about his role in the all-important pitch preparation. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We have a Test match starting next Thursday, twenty eighth
of November, scheduled to go through to December. The second
weather or not it does, it depends on a whole
lot of factors. But one of them, of course is
the ground and the wicket block that's used, and the
pitch and the preparation and the head groundsman at Hagleyoval
is Jaden Toehoal and he joins us, good morning, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
How are you.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Oh look, we're really good just in terms you're newbie
actually into Hagleyoval preparation. I guess the fact that you've
been down at University Oval of what for six years?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah? Yeah, I was down there seven years, one year
as Mike tay see and then when once he left
over took over from him. So yeah, it's now you've
been here since August up at Hagley.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
So how have you found that? I mean, we know
with technology, how pitches, especially around New Zealand just get
better and better every year. And for you, between now
and when the Test starts on Thursday the twenty eighth,
what do you have to do?

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, so we're just we're sort of I guess halfway
through the actual sort of rolling process. The actual work
on the wick and the wicket block starts way back
and when we do our spring and autumn renovation. So yeah,
the guys had already done the renovations obviously once before
I had arrived and done a great job. Yeah, the
process is pretty well drawn out, and then from now

(01:17):
it's just the finishing touches and trying to get the
wicket to where we want it. And it's sort of
all the finishing touches really, and it's.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
An exquisite mix, isn't it. Because clearly there's been matches
already played on it. We've had a Ford Trophy match,
We've had a Plunket Shield match, We've had a couple
of women A games on it too, and it seems
as though it's a beating paradise, especially after perhaps the
first down.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, it seems to have been runs this side of
the season. There's a lot of hard to always put
your finger on it. Sometimes. Yeah, you think you produce
good wickets for bedding and teams get rolled cheaply and
vice versa. That you think wickets might offer a bit
more assistance to the bowling and players seem to play
pretty well on it. So it's yeah, I guess we're
always altering our little tweaks to it and trying to

(02:03):
always find that perfect worket that probably seems non existent
really unattainable at times, but sort of like you say,
we've had white boomb rebull this season, so you're just
getting still still working out exactly where we're going to
get to.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
So for the block or the wicket that you're going
to use for the Test match between the black Caps
and England, will that be a brand new one or
will it have been used this year already?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
It's a yeah, fresh strip. Yeah, they've got we've got
to liven Cacinowi strips across the block, so yeah, plenty
of strips to use to make sure they're always at
their best.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
And just for the uninitiated, what does the Cacinoy clay content?
What does that give you? So?

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, it's from North Otago, so it's generally you'll find
it in the South Island sort of various high fifties
to low sixties in terms of clay content, and yeah,
it's the one that sort of has been at Heglar
for a long time now and also down in Dunedin,
so yeah, it's a pretty pretty good play to work
with in terms of it can get it get it

(03:03):
to where you want it, in terms of hardening it
off with mother nature and the weather planet's part, it's good.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, well that was the other variable that I was
going to talk about, is that you just can't predict.
And you do know what the forecasters, and you've got
some pretty accurate abilities to be able to forecast where
they say rain is going to come in, but because
the nature of being pre Christmas, it can be a
bit up and down.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, yeah, exactly right. You say, we sort of watched
the forecast as much as probably anyone does and make
it sort of or where it calls around that, you know,
mother nature sort of defines everything we do in terms
of workload and trying to adjust with that. And yeah,
I guess yeah, it's sort of New Zealand's two small
islands in the middle of the sea. So it's not

(03:46):
always one hundred percent. And I don't begrudge being a forecaster.
It's probably it's a pretty hard job.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Sure, as you know, you obviously have people looking over you,
But do you feel any extra pressure because it's your
debut as a test ground.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Preparer, not not this date, maybe close to the time.
I mean, yeah, ahead a few internationals, not Test, but
what all internationals in Dunedin? And yeah, I guess that
the hour or two before the game. Actually the first
ball's bold. It can seem pretty drawn out at times,
but yeah, once I guess the first ball's bowled, that's

(04:21):
in the umpire's hand. And yeah, me and the team
were just spectators like everyone else and just ride the
highs and lows of the game.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
So do you know when you think you've got people
like rupert ball and you've got Ash in there, and
do you all sit down like free the season at
the end of one summer and decide what you want
to do? You know? Because obviously each Test cricket venue
around New Zealand has its own characteristics.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, I guess, yeah, Like so very lucky with RUP
and the work they've done and the team that got
around us. They will been there for a number of years.
And yeah, we're constantly I guess, talking and looking at
the work at and chucking ideas out there to where

(05:05):
we want to what we want to achieve. And you know,
if everyone puts in there, there're ten cents we sort
of come out of the best idea and you're always
having conversations around that and you know there's no idea
is a really silly one and talk it over and
hopefully we come out with the right one.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
Oh, I'm sure you will. And in the end, you
just want it to be a fair pitch, right, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Exactly you want it, you know. I guess you want
good pace and bouncing it for the balls so they
feel like they're in the game. And then you're with
that the balls hopefully coming on well to the bat
that the betters can show off their skills as well.
So yeah, that's the ideal scenario for us, that constantly
that the bowlers and the betters feel in the game.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
Well, I wish you all the best for the next
week and as you get ready for what is a
much anticipated Test series between the Black Caps and England,
and know that you will have left no stone unturned
in order to get this picture looking the best it
ever can be. And it is such a picture down
at Hagley Oval. So Jade and Tohill, thank you so
much for joining us. You've done well and go well.

(06:09):
Really really pleased for.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
You, No, I appreciate it. Thanks very much for more
from News Talk sed B. Listen live on air or online,
and

Speaker 1 (06:17):
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