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umpire
David Shepherd dies
By Will last year, at the end of October, No Comments; be the first!
We’d heard he was ill for quite some time, but it was still sad to hear that David Shepherd – Shep to friends and fans – died on Tuesday. It’s horribly cliched to say so, but he really was a character, an individual – aspects of the sport, if not society, which are dwindling remarkably quickly.
Shep attracted friends and fans for lots of reasons. He looked like a normal, approachable bloke. He grinned at curfuffles in the middle before quickly dissipating them, sometimes diplomatically, often with a stiff wag of his finger. Players would put their arms round him at the close of play, joke about a near lbw decision, but they knew he was boss. The balance between his professionalism and humanity was old-fashioned and correct, and the public loved him for that. He enjoyed his food. And no one with a thick Devonian accent can ever attract controversy or enemies.
My Dad had the massive fortune of spending a few hours with him years ago, when we were at The Oval watching West Indies. He seemed down to earth yet forthright and authoritarian; above all, he loved the game. I remember a few years ago, he flicked off the bails at the end of the second session of play and said to the stump mic: “That’s over, and time…for a devonshire clotted cream tea!”
There’s more on Shep here at his tag, most of which is dull. Cricinfo is not dull, and has a nice package, including the news piece, a tribute from Simon Taufel (who couldn’t be more different a character, frankly), an archive from David Foot that’s worth reading, and a cool gallery.
Patrick Kidd’s clearly been stealing my ideas again, and wonders why we don’t warm to umpires like we did with Shep (and lots of other former officials). Technology is the biggest culprit; the two on-field umpires no longer have the final say, and their authority is cut in half. They are human representatives, living in fear of public humiliation when the dreaded replays prove whether their decision was correct or not. But also, so much cricket is being played nowadays that matches, tournaments and series all roll in and out of one another. It’s hard enough keeping track of who’s playing, who’s injured, let alone who’s officiating.
But when you heard Shep bleat “Over – left hand” in his comfortably thick Devon accent, you knew the match was in safe hands.
No Comments »Just a few more moments
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-March, 2 Comments »
One moment towards the end of the second day of the South Africa vs Australia that raised a chuckle. Jacques Kallis, on 99 not out, tried to work a ball into the on side for a single to take him to a deserved hundred. He inside edged the ball onto his pads, watched it run away safely and then scampered through for the run and raised his bat to the adoring crowd.
The fans applauded and batting partner AB de Villiers warmly congratulated the elder statesmen. However, the general feel-good atmosphere was suddenly ruined when umpire Asad Rauf abruptly signalled the run as a leg-bye! It shocked pretty much everyone watching and even Sky Sports had to stop their flashy, ‘Kallis-hundred’ graphic. It all seemed like a bit of a joke but it got even funnier seconds later.
Rauf then checked with the third umpire, who informed him that it should have, in fact been given as a Kallis run. Rauf then reversed the decision yet again and Kallis, having had to sheepishly put his helmet back on, was finally through to his first Test hundred in almost a year.
Ricky Ponting was moved to question the decision briefly with the umpire, wondering why the third umpire was consulted on a matter as trivial as the difference between a run and a leg bye. Still, it must have brought a wry smile to some of the Australians in a day that saw their bowlers get marmalised all over the park by a rampant South African batting line-up.
I wonder if even Bryce McGain was moved to have a little giggle, having spent the day seeing his first 11 overs in Test cricket disappear for 106 runs?
2 Comments »Umpires are made of wood
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of March, 3 Comments »
It’s official: umpires are made out of wood after all. This genius shot of a dead tree carved into an umpire was found on Flickr:
When I eventually build my own house – one of my lifelong ambitions – I’d find it hard not to resist carving my own umpire. It’s a must-have for any cricket tragic and makes me wonder what else you might chisel out of an old tree…
3 Comments »Squash the umpire
By Will 4 years ago, at the start of May, 1 Comment »
Squash the umpire
Originally uploaded by Flickr user coda.
Goddim!
1 Comment »An insight into Australian club cricket
By Will 4 years ago, at the end of January, 4 Comments »
No, I’m not talking about the bloke who last week threatened to kill an umpire (true). This gem comes from Stu – whose blog is one of the many I don’t have time to read as often as I’d like – who was a regular here during the Ashes, when everyone went Kricket Krazy.
4 Comments »Here’s a copy of an email I received this afternoon from my cricket club, which I feel beautifully displays the nature of the majority of Australian Club Cricket (this is verbatim!):
Subject : Thursday Night Training
Watto wishes to let all players know there will be no Thursday night
training this week, due to Australia day Public Holiday and the expected heat
conditions.
However Browny has expressed his desire to open the bar. If
anyone if interested in training or attending the Bar can you give him a quick
ring.
Shep’s leaving at 8.55
By Will 5 years ago, mid-May, No Comments; be the first!
Great shame – David Shepherd, portly Devon umpire, is hanging up his white coat and flat cap.
No Comments »Shepherd’s last Test will be the second match between West Indies and Pakistan in Jamaica next month.
And his final international match will be a one-dayers between England and Australia at The Oval on 12 July.
