Cameron Billett loves green grass. His office is the hallowed turf of one of Australia's most famous fields and, unlike most turf-proud amateurs in the Illawarra, he gets paid to be there.

The former Dapto Canaries rugby league and cricket player says being given the job to prepare wickets at Reed Park was a dream come true.

Fast forward four years and the now Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) assistant curator is "pinching himself" that he prepares wickets for NSW's star-studded Shield team and the highly anticipated Ashes series, which starts on Friday.

The state of the pitch and the outfield is a lightning rod for criticism given almost every homeowner seems to care about the colour and thickness of their front and backyards.

But Billett has plenty of experience as he awaits the Test at t

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