Mr Davies has been preparing cricket pitches for six years, after previously preparing golfing greens. This is the first time he has prepared a pitch for an international game and said preparing a test match pitch was the "ultimate test and ultimate achievement'' for anyone in the turf industry. The number one pitch to be used for the test match was identified early on in the season and given special attention, he said. The intense preparation for a test match pitch typically began 14-16 days ahead of the first ball being bowled. Preparations involved compacting the ground on the pitch, mowing the grass and rolling the pitch, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 04, 2017 17:07 UTC