Line and Length
Cricketer Of The Year
Umpiring mistakes always have and always will occur in any level of cricket. Before relating some personal experiences I'll mention just a couple from Ashes Tests.
The 4th Test of the 1921 series at Old Trafford was reduced to a two day game. Lionel Tennyson declared England's innings closed but Australia's keeper, Sammy Carter pointed out that the declaration was illegal in that it was being made within 100 minutes of the close of play in a two day game. After a 25 minute break, England resumed its innings. Warwick Armstrong had bowled the over before the illegal declaration and, upon resumption, he bowled the next over becoming the first player to bowl consecutive overs in one innings in a Test match.
Moving to the 1st Test at Brisbane in the 70/71 series Keith Stackpole made a fine 207. However, on 18 he was clearly run out - photographs at the time show him out by well over a metre. Wikipedia notes: 'The Australian papers carried photographs the next day showing that Stackpole was clearly out and labelled the decision "one of the worst in cricket history"' The offending umpire was Lou Rowan who stood in a series when not one Australian batsman was given out lbw. John Snow, in his book, said of Rowan, "I have never come across another umpire so full of his own importance, so stubborn, lacking in humour, unreasonable and utterly unable to distinguish between a delivery short of a length which rises around the height of the rib cage and a genuine bouncer which goes through head high".
But I digress. I was intending to relate some "classic" stuff ups at club level.
A close friend of mine found it hard to break into the lower teams so he took up wicket keeping. It became standard practice, post game, for top side players wanting to know how many byes Jim had let through. Initially it would be 30+ but, to his credit, he gradually improved. After one game he proudly showed us their score book. The byes column was empty. After accepting much praise he said, but look at leg byes - there were a dozen or so. "That's not your doing!" we assured him. It was! Apparently the umpire called byes for a bye passing the off stump and leg byes when it passed down leg. WHen asked about balls coming off the batsman's pads he claimed they were runs to the batsman.
I captained our Club's 2nd XI for a couple of seasons later in my 'career'. On one occasion, while we were batting, an overly officious umpire signaled four runs with one arm and one short with the other. "That's three scorers!" he boomed loudly. I had to calm a number of my team who responded incredulously. "Just put a mark on the '3' and I'll have a word with him at tea?" The conversation went thus:
Me: Isn't a four a four if it crosses the boundary?
Ump: Not if the batsmen run one short.
Me: But how many times in Test cricket do you see batsmen running and then stopping short when they realise it's going to cross the boundary.
Ump: But they're not trying to cheat. Your player ran one short well before the ball crossed the boundary.
Me: I object to you calling my player a cheat!
Ump: If you don't stop questioning my authority I'll report you.
Me: Please do. Only one of us will look foolish and it won't be me.
He didn't report me!
Finally, I made my share of mistakes in 150 games of umpiring. Perhaps my worst was in a first grade game. There was a big appeal for a catch behind off a spinner. I'd heard a sound and looked back at my fellow umpire to see him give "Not out!" Meanwhile there was a secondary appeal while I was looking the wrong way - an appeal for a stumping. I had no option but to give "Not out" as I'd missed the action. The fielding side were understandably aggrieved and, to make matters worse, the batsman later admitted he was out twice. Never take your eye off the ball!
The 4th Test of the 1921 series at Old Trafford was reduced to a two day game. Lionel Tennyson declared England's innings closed but Australia's keeper, Sammy Carter pointed out that the declaration was illegal in that it was being made within 100 minutes of the close of play in a two day game. After a 25 minute break, England resumed its innings. Warwick Armstrong had bowled the over before the illegal declaration and, upon resumption, he bowled the next over becoming the first player to bowl consecutive overs in one innings in a Test match.
Moving to the 1st Test at Brisbane in the 70/71 series Keith Stackpole made a fine 207. However, on 18 he was clearly run out - photographs at the time show him out by well over a metre. Wikipedia notes: 'The Australian papers carried photographs the next day showing that Stackpole was clearly out and labelled the decision "one of the worst in cricket history"' The offending umpire was Lou Rowan who stood in a series when not one Australian batsman was given out lbw. John Snow, in his book, said of Rowan, "I have never come across another umpire so full of his own importance, so stubborn, lacking in humour, unreasonable and utterly unable to distinguish between a delivery short of a length which rises around the height of the rib cage and a genuine bouncer which goes through head high".
But I digress. I was intending to relate some "classic" stuff ups at club level.
A close friend of mine found it hard to break into the lower teams so he took up wicket keeping. It became standard practice, post game, for top side players wanting to know how many byes Jim had let through. Initially it would be 30+ but, to his credit, he gradually improved. After one game he proudly showed us their score book. The byes column was empty. After accepting much praise he said, but look at leg byes - there were a dozen or so. "That's not your doing!" we assured him. It was! Apparently the umpire called byes for a bye passing the off stump and leg byes when it passed down leg. WHen asked about balls coming off the batsman's pads he claimed they were runs to the batsman.
I captained our Club's 2nd XI for a couple of seasons later in my 'career'. On one occasion, while we were batting, an overly officious umpire signaled four runs with one arm and one short with the other. "That's three scorers!" he boomed loudly. I had to calm a number of my team who responded incredulously. "Just put a mark on the '3' and I'll have a word with him at tea?" The conversation went thus:
Me: Isn't a four a four if it crosses the boundary?
Ump: Not if the batsmen run one short.
Me: But how many times in Test cricket do you see batsmen running and then stopping short when they realise it's going to cross the boundary.
Ump: But they're not trying to cheat. Your player ran one short well before the ball crossed the boundary.
Me: I object to you calling my player a cheat!
Ump: If you don't stop questioning my authority I'll report you.
Me: Please do. Only one of us will look foolish and it won't be me.
He didn't report me!
Finally, I made my share of mistakes in 150 games of umpiring. Perhaps my worst was in a first grade game. There was a big appeal for a catch behind off a spinner. I'd heard a sound and looked back at my fellow umpire to see him give "Not out!" Meanwhile there was a secondary appeal while I was looking the wrong way - an appeal for a stumping. I had no option but to give "Not out" as I'd missed the action. The fielding side were understandably aggrieved and, to make matters worse, the batsman later admitted he was out twice. Never take your eye off the ball!
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