Groundsman finds new home at the home of English cricket
A Palmerston North groundsman has landed a dream job, heading to work at the home of cricket in England.
Dylan Lynch had been worked as a groundsman for the Palmerston North City Council team that looks after first-class cricket venue Fitzherbert Park and club ground Manawaroa Park.
But he has left New Zealand this week to take up a job at Lord’s in London, the world’s most famous cricket venue and a mecca for many visiting cricket fans.
He applied for the job on a whim in January and a couple of weeks later got a reply asking if he was interested. He jumped at the chance and after an interview was offered the job. “[I expect it to be] very similar to here where you get a go on everything, working on the main block, the practice nets, the back field, the Nursery Ground.
“I never really thought I’d get to work at a place like that.”
He said on the council team they had six staff looking after 14 cricket pitches at Fitzherbert and Manawaroa parks, much more than the one ground at Lord’s.
“It will be quite different when I walk out there for the first time. The [Lord’s] grandstand is a little bit bigger than here.”
He said he had always dreamed of watching cricket at the ground.
Lord’s was the premier cricket venue for the England team and had a storied history since it opened in 1814. It was also the home of County side Middlesex and the Marylebone Cricket Club.
“It will be a great experience just working with like-minded people who are all very passionate about turf.”
Lynch had worked for the Palmerston North council for six years. As well as maintaining the two cricket grounds, they also looked after the sports fields at CET Arena, which mainly hosted rugby and football.
Lynch, also a handy club cricketer for Marist, said working with cricket fields was his number one passion. He previously spent a week working at Hagley Oval in Christchurch in the build-up to a Black Caps match and said he loved it.
The Lord’s job was seasonal in the English summer and he would find another job in the winter.