THE Brit Oval groundsman Bill Gordon has won the best four-day pitches award for the sixth year running and the best one-day pitches for fourth year, the ECB have announced.

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Half of the head groundsmen on the circuit received praise: Stuart Kerrison (Chelmsford) as four-day runner-up, Peter Marron (Old Trafford), Mick Hunt (Lord’s) and Paul Marshall (Northampton) for commendations, Mike Grantham (Canterbury) as one-day runner-up, Nigel Gray (Rose Bowl), Marron again, Philip Frost (Taunton) and David Measor (Riverside) for commendations.

The missing grounds are Cardiff, Headingley, Leicester, Worcester, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Hove, Derby, Bristol,

University Centre of Excellence Richard Sula (The Parks, Oxford); outground category joint winners Micky Stewart and Christian Dunkerley (Scarborough) and Vic Demain (Uxbridge). Commendations in the outground category went to Mark Wakefield (Kidderminster), Bob McInroy (Cheltenham) and Andy Peirson (Beckenham).

Alan Fordham, ECB head of first class operations, said: "Once again the nation’s groundsmen and their teams have worked incredibly hard to produce some excellent pitches during another wet season. Great matches happen on great pitches, and the tireless work that groundsmen do all year means that many thousands of spectators and players get maximum enjoyment from the game."

CHARLIE SAYS: The Oval seems to be going the featherbed way, from what I saw, though perhaps it was just the innocuous Surrey bowling that gave that made it seem that way in their 2008 relegation season. Fordham is right about the important role of groundsmen in the enjoyment of cricket.