Parking the stress, enjoying the moment
“It’s probably come a little earlier than expected. Everyone wants to prepare their own first-class wicket, but to have their own ground is a big achievement.”
Blake Tempero has had to remind himself to park the stress this week and enjoy the moment.
At 24, Tempero is young in terms of taking on a head groundsman role at a first-class cricketing venue in New Zealand.
He is in his second summer working for the Southland Cricket Association overseeing the Queens Park wicket block in Invercargill.
It coincides with the return of top-level domestic cricket to Invercargill.
On Saturday the Otago Volts will take on the Auckland Aces at Queens Park in what will be the first top-level white-ball domestic fixture played in Invercargill in five years.
For Tempero, taking charge of a first-class ground is a moment he has been working towards.
“It’s probably come a little earlier than expected. Everyone wants to prepare their own first-class wicket, but to have their own ground is a big achievement.”
His journey to head groundsman started in 2017 when after leaving Southland Boys’ High School Tempero attended the Otago Polytechnic’s Sports Turf Management course in Cromwell.
He then spent over a year in Wellington doing his practical component of the course working at Basin Reserve and Sky Stadium.
After a break, he then took on the job in Invercargill.
“We had test matches, ODIs, T20s [in Wellington]. It was good to soak it all in and I’ve definitely brought back a lot of stuff I’ve learned there.”
Tempero says he’s also had some good mentors to help him in his early days as a head groundsman.
Included is Peter Domigan, a longtime cricket pitch curator who is now based in Invercargill.
“He’s been in the industry for years, so it’s been good to chew his ear off and listen to what he has got to say, and I can bring that into what I am preparing.”
Former Southland Cricket Association groundsman Jason Osborne has also been on hand to offer up support where needed.
On top of that, Tempero adds there is a tight-knit cricketing groundsman network throughout the country where questions could be asked.
New Zealand Cricket’s Head of Turf Management Ian McKendry visited Queens Park on Wednesday to check in on how Queens Park was shaping up days out from the return of top-level domestic cricket.
“I’m pretty happy with where it is at the moment,” Tempero says.
“I’m just hoping we can get a good game on Saturday and there’s plenty of runs and plenty of wickets and there’s a good crowd.”
While Thursday was wet, Tempero gave himself 17 days to prepare the pitch for Saturday and he is thankful that throughout most of that time the weather had been good.
Tempero also praised the work the Invercargill City Council’s parks division has done in helping get the Queens Park outfield in good shape ahead of Saturday’s game.
“The drainage down the duckpond end, that’s all been repaired. We’ve passed all warrant of fitness requirements for that so we are in a good position to host many more games in the future if we can get past these next few weeks undisturbed by rain or any other things.”
It’s the start of a busy period for Tempero and the wicket block at Queens Park given the amount of cricket scheduled for the venue.
“We’ve got the Volts [on Saturday], Hawke Cup, two Sparks games, another Volts game, and an under-17s tournament all within two and half weeks. You’ve got to plan out [the wicket block] and schedule it ahead.”
Saturday’s Otago Volts-Auckland Aces fixture is scheduled to start at 10.30am.