Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Provides Sport for All with Duncan Ross Cricket and Drainage Project
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Provides Sport for All with Duncan Ross Cricket and Drainage Project
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (AGSB) has planned extensively to provide Sports for All. The latest development projects aimed at achieving this goal include cricket and drainage schemes, spanning 23000m2, successfully installed by contractor, Duncan Ross Ltd.
Launched in April 2022, the campaign aims to allow pupils at every level to take advantage of facilities in the school and after-school clubs, while community grass-roots sports clubs from across Altrincham and Trafford will be able to use the facilities in the evenings.
Completed by the Duncan Ross team in June 2023, the five-lane synthetic cricket wicket installation, including surrounds, cage, nets and batting screens, has provided the opportunity for more pupils to participate in the school’s most popular summer sport.
To address the problem of waterlogged fields during the winter, a significant lateral and sand slit drainage project was undertaken simultaneously to ensure year-round play and allow Hamblin Trust Head Groundsman Neil Brown to raise the quality of the pitches.
With timings tight for the work to take place and the grow-in period, pre-planning was a crucial aspect of the project, and Neil puts the success down to the work done by Duncan Ross Ltd in the build-up.
“In the months since June, we’ve had a lot of rain, so we’ve already seen how the drainage work has improved the area no end,” Neil said. “We’ve had no holding water at all on the main field, and by the time we’re into winter, the drains will have settled, and they will only be more effective, so we won’t have to worry about cancelling fixtures, training sessions or lessons.
“We decided to start work during the summer term because of the timings involved, which meant we needed a comprehensive plan, and that’s what Managing Director Duncan Ross, gave us. He investigates the area properly and gives you an honest opinion on what should be done and won’t do anything for the sake of it.
“He addressed all our issues, and now we can focus on improving the quality. Good drainage helps everything. The grass coverage will improve, we won’t be taking tractors or mowers onto boggy ground, and we can confidently implement a programme that will see continuous improvement over the coming years.”
AGSB aims to take the school’s tradition of sporting excellence to a new level, and a key part of that is consistency. With Phase 1 of drainage installation complete, Duncan Ross Ltd will return to mirror the work on the school’s second field, ensuring quality across the entire site.
