Les Burdett started work at the Adelaide Oval as a 18-year-old in 1969 and has remained ever since, taking over as curator in1978. His expertise is in demand overseas and he has helped in pitch preparation in several countries. He said that National Service in preparation for the Vietnam War taught him a lot. "It taught me some of life's values, it taught me to be a team player, it taught me respect for my own equipment, it taught me respect for other people's equipment. It also taught me the chain of command and how the pecking order works and with that, as I said earlier, I'm only as good as my staff, and we work as a team and we have a lot of fun doing it."
Martin Williamson

• Groundsman insists Adelaide 'will take turn' (Jan 22, 2008)
  
• Burdett's baby safely delivered (Aug 16, 2000)