Groundsmen At Work

This photograph captures the groundsmen hard at work on the eve of the Australia v Great Britain Rugby League Test match in July of 1950. After weeks of rain, with the ground still wet the Sydney Cricket Ground Trustees ordered the then curator, Bill Watt to lay sand over the surface of the ground in the hopes of drying the field. Watt objected to the course of action, stating that the sand would ruin the field in the long run. However, Watt was overruled and despite careful attempts by Watt and his groundsmen not to cover the pitch, the sand eventually found its way to the area and proved difficult in the following cricket season.