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“I couldn’t believe it when my name was called as a winner,” Bethuel Buthelezi told City Press this week.
The 52-year-old father of six walked away with the Groundsman of the Year accolade at the 2016 Cricket SA (CSA) Awards function held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday night.
“When I was told to present myself at the event as one of the nominees, I thought I should go so that I could cheer and congratulate whoever wins.”
Having only taken over from Chris Scott as head groundsman in October, some would regard Buthelezi as a novice. However, the man has been at it for more than 20 years.
Buthelezi arrived in Johannesburg from Msinga in KwaZulu-Natal in 1984 in search of greener pastures and a better life.
A trip to the Wanderers Club with one of his cousins who worked there led to a chance meeting with Scott, who happened to be looking for help.
Buthelezi landed a job of cleaning the tennis courts and swimming pool.
He would also sometimes help with the tending of the cricket ground across the road.
In 1992, he joined Scott full time as part of the team that looked after the cricket pitch. And, as the idiom goes, he took to this task like a fish to water.
While the humble Buthelezi attended to his new job with full gusto, the curator says he never dreamt that one day he would be heading the team, let alone win an award.
However, his work ethic and dedication have seen him rise to the top of his game.
“The year 2003 was a turning point in my life as I was told to prepare the pitch for the Cricket World Cup,” he says.
“Another highlight came in 2006 when South Africa scored a record 438 runs against Australia on the pitch that I had prepared. There was also another match against the West Indies that produced more than 400 runs.”
Buthelezi, who received a special 20-year service award from the Gauteng Cricket Board in May 2012 for his work at the Wanderers, did not receive any formal training, but learnt everything he knows on the field.
“It was only in 1999 that I went to Pietermaritzburg for a two-week course,” he says. “And then last year, when I was about to be promoted to head groundsman, I asked to go for a six-week course in Magaliesburg.”
Buthelezi passed this course with flying colours.
“When I showed my employers my certificate they said, ‘So you know what you are doing. Why did you want to attend this course?’”
The test against England in January was his first as head groundsman.
“I told the team exactly how I wanted the pitch prepared. Unfortunately, South Africa lost.”
Buthelezi says while the ground must be kept in a pristine condition, he needs seven days to properly prepare it for a test or a one-day international.
“On the first day, I cut the grass to the right size.
“On the second day, I water it and use a tester to see if there is enough water.
“On the third day, I start using rollers twice a day to flatten it,” he explains.
Each session of rolling the pitch lasts for an hour. According to Buthelezi, the pitch starts to harden on the third day and it needs to be watered once more.
All this is done to avoid cracks.
This week’s award affirms the diligence with which Buthelezi has gone about doing his job, earning the respect of players and umpires.
Buthelezi – who counts Hansie Cronje, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne among his favourite players – is South Africa’s second black head groundsman after Wilson Ngobese, who oversees Durban’s Kingsmead cricket stadium.
He hopes to see more emerge in the future.
