Past the Don Bradman statue frozen in an evocative drive, the Adelaide Oval remains a hallowed territory. Inside the ground, there is a surface layered with history and perhaps fortified with the sweat of a quintessential Aussie hero.
Nathan Lyon, champion spinner, and naughty raconteur, knew the pitch in a rather intimate way, many years ago. This was back in 2010 when he was part of the ground staff here, and it is no surprise that the present head curator, Damian Hough, is all warmth and wonder about all things Lyon.
“He was the first employee I employed. He came from the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Had a bit of a chat with him, told him what the role was and soon he was playing for South Australia, Australia A, and the next minute he is playing for Australia in Sri Lanka,” Damian recalled.
Tending to the pitch and outfield while also finding time to sneak in a club game and some practice sessions, Lyon must have had his hands full.
“He would work hard but in the end, he had to choose between cricket and being a groundsman. Once Darren Berry found him, there was no turning back. Nathan was a good curator, he was just good energy, always a team member, quite cheeky, so good banter, good humour,” Damian said.
Adelaide Oval’s present head curator Damian Hough | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Did the cricket ever affect his duties allied with the surface? Damian was quick to react, “He was so professional. I knew he played cricket but I didn’t know how good he was. He looked after the ground on his own. Worked really hard. In fact, he cut the outfield during the 2010 Ashes Test. Back then he used to go to the Karen Rolton Oval, bowl in the nets.”
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Soon the transition to full-time playing happened and Damian recalled: “One day he came back and said ‘sorry I have been picked for the first squad for the South Australian team’. His parents are lovely countryside people and they brought him up well.”
Does knowing the pitch help Lyon in any way? Damian had his views, “I am not sure. He has an interest in surfaces, don’t know if it helps you in the way you play the game. But he has also been out of this for long.”
Lyon’s kinship with surfaces may have changed but his friendship with Damian is set in stone.
“We are pretty close, we don’t see each other a lot but we slip in a message from time to time. He has seen my kids grow up. We also have this professional equation between a curator and a player. His is an all-time great story and he has stayed really humble and down to earth,” he concluded.
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