ECB ACO Newsletter - Spring 2012

ASSOCIATION OF CRICKET OFFICIALS
NEWSLETTER – Issue 12 – Spring 2012

Team Sheet
The Board
Roger Knight – Chairman
Nick Cousins – ACO SEO
Peter Mitchell – Midlands (& Dep Chairman)
Roy Fountain – Acting London & East
Tony Hemmings – South & West
Philip Radcliffe – North
Dave Carter – Wales
Nick Pink – ICC/Europe
Fraser Stewart – Laws & Universities
Manager, MCC
Paul Bedford – Head of non first-class
cricket
Chris Kelly – ECB Umpires’ Manager
Neil Bainton – 1st-class Umpires
Alan West – 1st-class Scorers
Janie Frampton – Independent Member
The ECB ACO Executive
Nick Cousins – Senior Executive Officer
Ben Francis – Finance & Project Officer
Saira Baker – Executive Administrator
Eddie Lunn – Executive Officer (South)
Glyn Pearson – Executive (North)
Martin Williams – Project Support Officer
ACO Board
Sub-Committees
Education
Membership Services
Scorers
Performance
Appointments and Grading
ACO Membership and
Education
Phone – 0121 446 2710
E-mail – ecbaco@ecb.co.uk
Addresses
ECB ACO, Lord’s Cricket Ground,
London, NW8 8QZ.
ECB Membership and
Education Office:
Warwickshire CC Ground, Edgbaston,
Birmingham, B5 7QX
Newsletter Editor
Ben Francis
editor.aco@ecb.co.uk
E D I T O R I A L
Cricket in March
ECB is committed to raising the profile of officiating
It is March and we have arrived at the start of
the cricket season 2012 –only just, but the fact is
that Oxford University is playing Glamorgan in
a three day game in the Parks starting on March
31 st and Yorkshire and Derbyshire are both playing
friendly games the previous week. Given the
recent variation in the seasonal weather conditions,
it is difficult to predict whether shirt
sleeves or three jumpers will be the order of the
day, but we send best wishes to the umpires involved
and trust that they will stay warm.
A lot has happened over the last few months;
international, national and local. Some things
were positive, some not. We have had more
controversy over the Spirit of Cricket; DRS and
cricket in the desert (which combined to facilitate
a world record 43 lbws in the UAE Test series);
another spot fixing trial in the UK; the
Morgan Review; ECB’s initiative on pitch
marking and managing inappropriate behaviour
and fair play –and of course the main ACO
training season and the introduction of Level 3.
The 2011/12 training season has been one of
continued growth and development for the ACO
and I thank everybody who has worked to promote
officiating in the recreational game – particularly
in respect of Level 1. The recruitment
campaign has not quite finished, we have some
courses still to be concluded, but the early signs
are excellent and I am pleased to report that we
have again sent out in excess of 2,000 packs on
request from our County ACOs.
This is particularly good news because ECB
ACO is committed to raising its membership,
supported and encouraged by ECB. An increased
membership will give an increased income
to ECB ACO which will enable ECB to
reduce its level of grant support and ECB ACO
to move steadily towards a cost neutral position
with ECB. This does not imply that we are intending
to become a totally independent organisation;
it is right and proper that officiating in
general remains under the aegis of the governing
body and that the governing body assumes
responsibility for ensuring that those officials
are supported and valued in the game.
ECB is committed to raising the profile of officiating
and has made this one of the priority
areas of the cricket partnerships strategy. This is
a laudable aim in its own right, but because the
player satisfaction survey has the provision of
two umpires very high on its list of priorities,
the commitment to provide umpires wider and
deeper into recreational cricket is an important
part of this strategy.
If you put all this together in some joined up
thinking, then it is absolutely clear that this cannot
happen without the direct support of County
Cricket Boards and Leagues.
ECB ACO does not operate in a vacuum
and I am critically aware of the overall financial
situation and that there is not an infinite
money supply to do everything that we want
to do in cricket. But neither will I accept that
change is not possible because of the financial
situation –or certainly not without a robust
discussion about priorities and the possibility
of redirecting the existing budget if new
money is not available.
Of course there will be counter-arguments
that other parts of the game are as important or
more important than raising the profile of officiating
and providing umpires at more games,
but the bottom line is that the finance needed
to support officiating at all levels of the game
must be set into the context of how and where
the total amount of money available to the
recreational game is allocated and distributed
locally.
We have 40 candidates embarked on the
Level 3 and the first umpire education and tutor
training and familiarisation courses were both
well received. The Level 3 courses are the last
components in the total ECB ACO education
package which will soon be available as a complete
boxed set of resources.
A presentation has been put together that
aims to get more consistency in the marking of
pitches and the way that inappropriate behaviour
is managed and reported. Thirty tutors from
the ECB ACO and the Institute of Groundsmen
attended a familiarisation course at Loughborough
and are together responsible for delivering
the message to all Premier League Umpire panels.
You will find a full report on this –and a list
of the League seminars elsewhere in the
newsletter. We look forward to receiving feedback
and reporting outcomes in the next edition.
The Morgan Review is similarly covered
elsewhere but I am both proud and delighted
that it referenced ECB ACO specifically and in
such a positive way. Such national publicity can
only help the drive to raise the profile of officiating.
It may be that the spot fixing trial of Mervyn
Westfield has no relevance to recreational
cricket but it would be incongruous to ignore
such a high profile event. As it happens, Chris
Watts, the ECB DACO (Designated Anti-Corruption
Official, not Devon Association of
Cricket Officials) sits in the office next to my
desk at Lord’s and I asked him if he thought his
work impacted on the recreational game generally
or its umpires specifically. His response was
that anybody in the cricket fraternity who mixes
in professional cricket circles needs to be aware
of the potential use of their knowledge of the
game. He is currently developing an education
programme that will reach into schools and
cricket academies and it may be that in due
course it will filter into our programmes. In the
meantime I am delighted that Chris has agreed
to present a seminar at our National Conference
in October.
There can be little doubt that the DRS system
has led to a rethink in the way that the professional
game is officiated. To put it simply, umpires
are more willing to give decisions in the
affirmative and Captains are savvier now in
their use of the review system. I am not sure if
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 2 contact us on 0121 446 2710

there are any statistics to support this view
but the outcome would appear to be that more
batsmen are given out and certainly 43 lbws
in the last series would tend to support this
view. Bowlers of all generations in all levels
of the game have always felt that more appeals
for LBW should have been upheld than
were actually given; perhaps the introduction
of Hawkeye has showed that they were
right… Of course at the recreational level,
umpires still cannot be ‘proved’ wrong by the
inglorious intervention of a TV camera or a
third official and we are spared that moment
of judgement for a batsman similar to days of
old when a Roman crowd in the Coliseum
looked to the Senator for a thumbs up or a
thumbs down to seal the fate of some poor
gladiator. In the recreational game the umpire
can give a decision in the secure knowledge
that he is backed up by the Laws of Cricket
which pronounce that the outcome of any appeal
depends solely on his opinion –and long
may that continue.
However it just might be that more LBWs
are given this summer……
It is not for me to act as a book reviewer,
but anybody interested in a more thorough
and academic scrutiny of the issues facing
sport today would do well to read the recently
published “Spirit of the Game” by Mihir
Bose and particularly the last chapter entitled
“What shall we do with sport”. This newsletter
has had discussions about what is meant
by the Spirit of Cricket running as a thread
through many editions, most notably pitching
the contrasting views of Michael Atherton
“Isn’t it time that Spirit of Cricket itself as encapsulated
in the preamble to the Laws of the
game, was given out?” against those of our
Chairman Roger Knight, “The Spirit of
Cricket stands for an ideal, if not easily defined,
way of playing the game.” In dealing
with this subject, Bose quotes extensively
from the 2011 Cowdrey lecture delivered by
Kumar Sangakarra which began with a salutary
warning: “I strongly believe that we have
reached a critical juncture in the game’s history
and unless we better sustain Test cricket,
embrace technology enthusiastically, protect
the game’s governance from narrow self-interest
and more aggressively root out corruption,
then cricket will face an uncertain
future” - but ended on a note of extraordinary
poignancy and optimism: “My loyalty will be
to the ordinary (Sri Lankan) fan with an
undying and ever loyal love for our game.
Fans of different races, castes, ethnicities and
religions who together celebrate their diversity
by uniting for a common national cause.
Their spirit is the true spirit of cricket” Bose
suggests that the fact that the spirit of sport
can mean so much to a modern professional
cricketer is testimony to its enduring value - I
cannot disagree.
‘Beyond the Boundary’
Former editor Pierre Tartari gives a personal view from
his position… ‘Beyond the Boundary’
It is match day. And apart from checking so good – and obvious – that most league
their stud length, absorbing the captain’s urging
for effort and a good result, and be-
rub-off on them in anticipation that looking
teams we will assist will be happy to let this
moaning the officials chosen for the match, to be ‘good’ will bring a reward..
what else is identical between football and And what does it all mean and signify to us
cricket teams as they go out to the pitch? as we prepare to go out to the pitch? May I
The handshake, of course. Except, footballers
do it first, cricketers last; or some-
feel they wish to play fair, given the checks
suggest that it empowers us? If the players
times they don’t – which is the point, and and balances of the game they expect, then
where our old friend ‘Spirit-of-the-Game’ we have the key to open the door to that happening.
We should seek to be more positive
smiles and nods hello.
The sense of the gesture is understandable; in our communication. We should be verbal
shaking hands with each opponent before the in dispelling doubt. And we should smile
start is meant to focus on respect and the more.
hope of fair play, particularly true in the Naturally enough, this still might have a
gutsy studs-showing environment of masscontact
football. And anyway, both teams are enough. Take the 10 th CB match between
purely cosmetic effect. One little incident is
out there pitch-side at the start – cricketers Australia and India; should David Hussey
are not, which is why they do it after the have been given out by the 3 rd umpire ‘obstructing’
when he handed-off the fielder’s
match. The other variance – for us – is that
cricketers shake our hands too. Very positive fast and hard shy at the stumps, and might
when noticing the ‘secure’ shuffling off of Tendulkar’s run-out have been ruled not-out
the football three after most matches. by the fielder’s obstruction when he had to
So what are we to draw from this greeting?
Disappointingly, only confusion. The onds of apparent contradiction hung the
deviate to reach the line? In those few sec-
talk is now that football might cease this gesture,
a thought aided by the recent high-oc-
overs, and, even possibly, the ultimate result
goodwill and fair-play of the entire 100
tane examples of ‘refusing to shake’. Cricket of the competition.
clearly is in two minds… the difference This, of course, opens up the new bag of
showing is almost between the ‘pro’ and the worms. Do we now need to codify the elements
of ‘fair-play’ even further, and not just
‘recreational’ levels, but possibly this discipline
is likely to do better this season because leave it to each of us to interpret? That David
of the questionning atmosphere from the Hussey ‘hand-ball’ could well become the
footballing fraternity. For us, Team England’s
overall behaviour and attitude is now field umpires agree that they thought it
classic definition short-term; did both on-
selfprotective
rather than deliberate, and if they
did not agree, why would the 3 rd umpire’s decision
be more valid? That answer lies in the
‘truth’ that video is expected to give us. It
can, and does for a ‘snick’ and a front-foot
‘no-ball’ decision, but they are facts. It cannot
judge on intent or what the player
thought – which is where we are meant to
supply the human dimension which no
amount of techno-referrals can provide.
This is the good news – we are needed
more now, not less. But we must stand proud
for our skill, positive judgement, and intolerance
of unfair play. So, no silent thoughts
of… ‘I will let that one go’ this year. Have a
bonza season guys!
Report on Allowances from the ECB Recreational Cricket Group
At the request of ECB ACO, the ECB Recreational Cricket Group (RCG) at their meeting on 7th March 2012 debated the appropriateness and format
of the current allowances paid to Umpires appointed to stand in ECB recreational competitions.
Whilst the RCG noted the views expressed by ECBACO that there should be an increase in allowances the RCG was not able to support that
proposition as any general increase was a budgetary issue for the ECB Board, who had already fixed the budget for the current year. The RCG did,
however support a proposal from the ECB Cricket department to increase allowances for ECB Under 17 Competition matches as this extra cost could
be met from within the existing budget.
For information: The Recreational Cricket Group shall be responsible for monitoring the development and delivery of non-first class cricket and shall
provide policy recommendations to the ECB Executive Committee if necessary under the Terms of Reference
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 3 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Umpire duo honoured
Last year was a brilliant year for English cricket and 2012 has begun in a similar manner; there has
been much reason to celebrate.
As reported in issue 11, both Jeff Levick and Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird were included within the New
Year’s honours lists for their services to both cricket and charity, with the pair receiving an MBE and
an OBE respectively.
Between them, their services to the game, albeit at different levels, have been of the highest order
and they fully deserve their accolades.
Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird
Arguably the best umpire of his generation,
Dickie received his OBE for services to both
cricket and charity. Throughout his life,
Dickie has inspired those around him and
that continues still.
On the back of being named in the New
Year’s honours lists, ECB ACO awarded
Dickie honorary life membership - which he
was happy to accept - for all that he has accomplished
both on and off the field of play.
Regarding umpiring, he set a precedent for
how it should be done.
On receiving the honorary life membership,
which will be formerly presented at the
National Conference later this year, he said:
“It’s very kind of the ECB ACO to make me
an honorary life member. I am delighted to
accept it.”
With an early love for the sport, Dickie
went on to play professionally for both
Yorkshire and Leicestershire as a batsman,
hitting two centuries, including a career best
181 not out, and 14 half-centuries, in a relatively
short career spanning ten years, between
1956 and 1966, before retiring early at
the age of 32.
Four years later though, he returned to the
game; Dickie was back in the middle at the
start of the 1970 season, as he donned the
white cap - now famous all around the world
- and stood in his first county game.
Throughout his umpiring career his infectious
humour meant that he gained complete
respect from all of the players he umpired
and this was evident from that very first
game.
Much is now made of ‘man-management’
of players and Dickie was the very best at it.
When asked if playing professionally helped
when umpiring, Dickie believed it did, especially
with man-management: “You know,
I’d already been in the dressing rooms myself
as a professional. I treated them like professional
men and in return they treated me
in the same way and I think that’s how it
helped me most. They respected me.
“I think it’s my nature. I talk to everybody
and it doesn’t matter who it is. I’ll shake
their hand.”
Three years on from that and Dickie was
standing in his first test match – the pinnacle
for all aspiring umpires – in a game between
England and New Zealand at Headingly. A
further 65 Test Matches followed where his
standards of umpiring were incomparable.
Known for his attention to detail and
preparation, many stories have been told of
how he would get to the ground hours before
play began, just to make sure he didn’t miss
the game. One incident that has been well
documented was when he arrived five hours
early to the Oval,
just to make sure he
didn’t miss the start
of play.
“It was the rugby
league final and I
couldn’t get in anywhere
to stay close
to the ground because
all of the hotels
were booked.
So I was staying at
Swiss Cottage and it’s miles from the Oval
so I thought I’d better be early. So I said to
the night porter, can you give me a call at 4
o’clock in the morning. He said, ‘what?’ I
Dickie meets with Prince Charles by his own statue in Barnsley
Dickie on… being
accepted abroad
“All the Indians and Pakistanis, when I
used to go over there, they came out in
the streets to see me. They were
inviting me inside their houses in
Bombay, Calcutta, Lahore and Karachi.”
said ‘well I’ve got to get to the Oval, I’m
umpiring a match.’
“He put me an early call in around 4
o’clock and I was at the Oval at half past 6.
I couldn’t get in as all of the gates were
locked and none of the ground staff were
there so I climbed over. I
just didn’t want to be late
for the game.”
Having stood in 66
Test Matches and at the
World Cup Finals, you
would be forgiven for
thinking that Dickie had
given his absolute everything
to sport. But in
2004, the man from Barnsley
was back, delving further
into sport in order to help others less
privileged than himself. He set up the Dickie
Bird Foundation with a vision “to assist
young people under 18 years of age to par-
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 4 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Dickie on… overseas umpiring
“You see it was special to do them in your own country. It was very special to umpire Test
Matches at Lord’s which is the finest cricket ground in the world. There is none to touch it.
And to me Lord’s will always be special. It’s the home of legends, it’s steeped in history and
as soon as you walk through those gates you get the buzz. The English umpires today, like
Ian Gould and Richard Kettleborough, won’t get the chance to do that.”
Dickie on… scorers
“Scorers are important people to the game. When I was umpiring, if there wasn’t a scorer
there I used to go berserk. Scorers, well they are as important as the umpire. If you’ve got no
scorer then there’s nothing worse.”
ticipate, to the best of their ability, in the sport
of their choice, irrespective of their social circumstances,
culture or ethnicity and to ensure
that, in doing so, they improve their chances
both inside and outside sport.” A huge success
since its inception, the Foundation continues
to help numerous youngsters get
involved in their sport.
For many sportsmen and women, the transition
from professional to retiree is something
hard to deal with, but Dickie has found
plenty to keep himself occupied with thanks
to the foundation: “You can’t stop time so it’s
no good thinking about it. There are
lots of people who have been in sport
who can’t live with retirement once
they’ve finished. But the foundation
keeps me going. It helps to occupy my
mind.”
Alongside his work with the Foundation,
he has written six books, including
his autobiography which currently
stands as the biggest selling sports book of all
time, ahead of the likes of David Beckham.
The following book, titled ‘White Cap and
Bails’, was also a best seller.
Since retiring from umpiring nearly 14
years ago, much has changed, such as the introduction
of technology in the form of the
decision review system; something that
Dickie isn’t too fond of: “I feel very sad that
all the authority has been taken away from
the umpire. The umpire’s been part of the
game going right back in history. If an umpire
made a mistake, the press talked about it but
it was part of the game.”
On CricInfo’s website, they say “Bird's
Dickie on… the transition from player to umpire
“I did a lot of umpiring at school-boy level because I was coaching in
South Africa when I finished playing, and I umpired the highest
standard there. I umpired in all matches, and I think that helped me a
lot. It was funny really; I just seemed to take to it straight away.”
Dickie umpired 66 test matches
during his career
real legacy will be top-quality umpiring.
Calm, consistent, and unimpeachably impartial
despite his obvious love for all things
Yorkshire and England, Bird added to the enjoyment
of the spectators without ever detracting
from the cricket,” and we thoroughly
agree with this statement.
The best umpires go unnoticed in their job.
The very best have both the
skill and personality that
commands respect. Dickie
had that in abundance. His
character and love for the
game shone through, both
on and off the field. A breath
of fresh air to cricket,
Dickie is an icon who continues
to give back to sport following the lifetime
of enjoyment he has taken from it.
Nick Cousins, Glyn Pearson and Martin Williams pictured with Dickie Bird at the Holiday Inn in Barnsley
Did you know…?
Dickie has appeared on A Question of Sport a total of six times. He has also appeared on TV shows that include: Ready Steady Cook, Songs
of Praise, They Think It’s All Over, This is your Life, Through the Keyhole and many many more.
Dickie has met the Queen 29 times. To receive his OBE, they are due to meet again later this year, which will be their 30th meeting.
Dickie was the first ever independently appointed, neutral umpire.
Dickie umpired in four World Cups and three World Cup Finals.
As well as playing and umpiring, Dickie is a fully qualified MCC Advanced cricket coach.
Dickie umpired all of the major cup finals in England, including Gillette, NatWest, Benson & Hedges and Refuge Assurance Cup Finals.
Dickie has received honorary life memberships from the MCC, Yorkshire CCC, Leicestershire CCC, Barnsley Football Club and Cambridge
University Cricket Club.
Dickie has received honorary doctorates from both Sheffield Hallam University and Leeds University.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 5 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Harold “Dickie” Bird
Honorary Life Membership is the highest award that ECB ACO – The
Association of Cricket Officials – can bestow, given to long serving members
who have made exceptional and outstanding contribution to the
cause of Umpiring or Scoring.
On entering into partnership with the ECB in 2009, the ACO, (formerly
the ACU&S) established two categories of award, a continuation of Honorary
Life Member, and Honorary Member, offered to colleagues who
achieve or had achieved First Class status, whilst still serving in that capacity.
At a meeting of the Board in January 12, a proposition was accepted,
unanimously, that Dickie should be offered an Honorary Life Membership,
to reflect the esteem of his fellow Umpires and Scorers, and as
recognition of his civic elevation to OBE.
Dickie has inspired recreational cricket umpires for 40 years with his
achievements, as the “ordinary” man operating at the highest level, by
being himself. His integrity, commitment and enthusiasm for the game,
earned him the respect of player and spectator alike, even when matters
beyond his control seemed to pick on Dickie, particularly with weather,
light and ground conditions. But Dickie always remained true to himself,
and the ethos of the game.
In retirement, his love of the game continues, as is reflected by the
Dickie Bird Foundation to help disadvantaged under 18’s achieve their
potential in sport
The ECB ACO is delighted to welcome “Dickie”, Harold Dennis Bird,
as an Honorary Life Member.
Peter Mitchell, Deputy Chairman
‘Jeff Levick’
Among the names announced on the New
Years Honours list last week was one which
will be particularly recognisable to nearly
anyone who has played, or been involved in,
disability cricket in Hampshire.
Jeff Levick was
awarded an
MBE for more
than 50 years’
service to grassroots
cricket in
the county and,
as Head of the
ECB’s Regional
Disability
Cricket
Development
Forum for the
MBE Jeff Levick
South and West
has been
instrumental in
developing disability cricket in the Hampshire
region.
A current member of ECB ACO, Jeff was an
umpire on the South Coast panel for many years
before recently retiring. Despite the umpiring
void, Jeff continues to work tirelessly within the
Association as a level two assessor and as the
current Hampshire Board representative in the
Hampshire ACO.
It was Jeff who, in 1997, set up the Disability
Cricket Programme in Hampshire which still runs
to this day. He sourced funding, recruited players,
set up and ran coaching sessions and trained new
coaches. He’s also responsible for establishing a
Special Schools Coaching Programme providing
opportunities for over 1,000 young people with
disabilities every year.
Working tirelessly, he has also, in his time,
established, coached and managed two Hampshire
representative teams for people with learning and
physical disabilities, managed the England Deaf
Cricket Squad and instigated the creation of
disability cricket programs across the area.
To say that he has made an impact on countless
thousands of peoples’ lives is an understatement
of the highest order.
Jeff was keen to talk to us about the need for a
bottom to top approach in the game of cricket, not
just in disability cricket or playing, but umpiring
and scoring as well.
“How to develop excellence and also ensure
a sound foundation has for many
years been one of the difficult questions
for sport and sports participants.
35 years of active involvement from
both participating and training aspects in
coaching, officiating and developing opportunities
for disabled people lead me to
the conclusion that “bottom up” is difficult
but the way that gives the most long lasting
results.
Without a doubt a successful team inspires
many to take part in a sport. In the
England Cricket case it also generates the
money to help the grass roots of the game.
However the extremely slim chances of
long term success switch many off when
they realise they will not reach the top
level.
Starting the other way round ensures
that all are involved firstly in enjoyment
and learn eventually that success is at their
own level. There is therefore a more
likely chance to continue participation at
that level.
My own experiences lead me to that
conclusion. Starting with a small village
team that set up its own junior section, we
enjoyed some victories but many heavy
defeats along the way. As the main aim
was enjoyment and fun we built numbers
from 10 to 80. We also started to enjoy
success. We managed to reach the last 8
of the National Club Championship after 8
years. We still had 80 juniors enjoying
their games for the club in other leagues
and friendly matches.
At a district level in Winchester we
started with 5 clubs playing an Under 16
holiday league. The players were mainly
public schoolboys on holiday. Starting
again from the bottom the local clubs
started to play at other age groups and during
the school term. As the numbers grew
so did the standards. Now 25 clubs field
99 teams at a number of age groups and
play over 1000 fixtures every summer.
This growth has been mirrored all over
Hampshire with almost 400 teams playing
every week in the summer. Is it a coincidence
that Hampshire is growing so many
of its own county players?
As far as Disability cricket is concerned
it was approached in much the same way.
We started at the bottom to try to enthuse
many disabled people. We entered the
County Championship and endured many
heavy defeats. We now coach over 1000
disabled people every year; we have more
than 20 active coaches working with disabled
people. We now regularly feature as
one of the top 4 counties. We supply more
than our fair share of England players in
their respective teams.
Can this be replicated in the officiating
world? I believe it can. Whilst maintaining
standards at the top end county, premier
league and national competitions,
emphasis needs to be placed on the enjoyment
and sense of belonging that umpiring
and scoring can provide for the many club
teams that do not have that regular resource.
How? In Hampshire there are
4000 junior matches every year that are
probably officiated by enthusiastic but coerced
parents. Can we tap into that with
the right introductory courses that will
provide umpires and scorers who:
1) Look like umpires and scorers
2) Brief captains and coaches on the
Spirit of Cricket
3) Have sufficient knowledge and confidence
to get most decisions right
4) Know where to go to develop their
skills.
It will take time but I believe it would
have a positive effect on numbers of officials
and importantly the standards of
player behaviour.”
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 6 contact us on 0121 446 2710

The Morgan Report
David Morgan has a wealth of experience as a former Chairman of ECB and President
of ICC. It was therefore no surprise that he was invited to provide a review of the business
of domestic cricket and make recommendations on the future structure of cricket
in England and Wales.
He researched thoroughly into all aspects
of the game and it was a great pleasure to
meet him to discuss the role and position of
the ECB Association of Cricket Officials in
the bigger picture. I outlined the responsibilities
of the Association, its executives
and its many volunteers in educating, qualifying,
training, assessing, appointing and
supporting umpires and scorers, predominantly
in the recreational game, but also
mentioned that first class umpires and
members of the Association of County
Cricket Scorers are members of the ACO.
There were two mentions of the ACO in
the final version of the Morgan Review and
we should all be delighted with the positive
comments, which give us confidence that
the Association is moving in the right direction.
There is a reference in the early part
of the review which states that “the Association
has made good progress”. However,
the most encouraging paragraph is that
“The ACO is a success story but consideration
should be given to providing it with
representation on an ECB committee –
probably the Recreational Assembly. And
there should be an acceptance that qualified
umpires and scorers should officiate at
as many levels of the game as possible.”
These two strong recommendations are
both vital to the future progress of officiating
in cricket in England and Wales. Although
qualifications alone do not
necessarily ensure quality, it should be a
basic requirement that umpires and scorers
at every level of the game have appropriate
qualifications. Further education, training
David Morgan (pictured) compiled a thorough
report of the English domestic game
and assessment with
an emphasis on fieldcraft
and man management
will follow
as part of the Association’s
responsibilities.
However,
surely the players,
whether at minor
county, premier
league, club, school
or village level,
should expect properly
qualified officials?
The
importance of good
umpires and scorers
cannot be underestimated.
Representation within ECB is also very
important to an Association that treads a
narrow path between independence and dependence
on the governing body. When
ECB ACO was started it was quite clear
that total independence was not possible
without subscriptions being increased substantially.
Equally there was no appetite
amongst members to become merely a department
of ECB. The constitution is an
important document, which guides the
ACO Board and recognises the assistance,
especially financial, of ECB towards the
Association. Our executive staff are all
employed by ECB and, over and above that
contribution, we are supported to an extent
in our membership, education and training
activities by ECB funding, for which we
are extremely grateful. There are ECB executives
who are, as of right, members of
the ACO Board, but there is not a forum
within the governing body on which a
Board member sits and can put a case, ask
a question or challenge any decision, which
might affect the Association. Whether the
Recreational Cricket Assembly, which is
suggested by David Morgan, is the correct
avenue for these representations, remains to
be seen. Others have suggested that the
Cricket Committee or the Recreational
Cricket Group might be preferable. It has
also been proposed that the ACO and the
Coaches Association might share one position
on one of these bodies. There are still
decisions to be made, but, as Chairman, I
believe that officials should have a position
on one of the ECB senior bodies. The role
of umpires and scorers in cricket deserves
that status.
Returning to the positive nature of the
comments about the ACO in the Morgan
Review leads me to conclude that we have
made very good headway since we set up
the Association in 2009. We should be
pleased and optimistic, but not in any way
complacent about the progress so far.
There is still a long way to go before all
cricket matches in England and Wales are
umpired and scored by qualified officials,
trained and supported by the Association.
Players do not always praise good officials,
but they do appreciate the fact that they can
get on with their game without worrying
about the manner in which umpires, in particular,
handle the decision-making and
calmly oversee fair and unfair play.
David Morgan with ECB Chief Executive David Collier
Roger Knight, Chairman, ECB ACO
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 7 contact us on 0121 446 2710

‘Ask the Sub-Committee…’
Regular readers of ‘The Cricketer’ magazine will have noticed their ‘Extras’ section. They have an
‘Ask the sub-committee’ feature where the MCC respond to law queries posed by their readers.
Here we review five of the questions that were submitted in 2011 to help blow the cobwebs prior to
the new season.
1During the IPL game between Mumbai and Delhi,
Ambati Rayudu was on strike. In playing a shot, he
trod on his stumps. But, he also hit the ball in the air and
was caught at extra cover. He was initially shown on the
scorecard as ‘hit wicket’ but this seems to have been
changed to being out ‘caught’. Why was this?
MCC says: An MCC Laws sub-committee member, Simon Taufel,
was umpiring in this game and correctly ensured that the scorers
changed the mode of dismissal to Caught. Law 32.2 states: “If the
criteria of (being caught) are met and the striker is not out Bowled,
then he is out Caught, even though a decision against either batsman
for another method of dismissal would be justified.”
2During a match between Kent Under-11s and Essex
Under-11s, a pull shot from the batsman went towards
the square-leg umpire, who took evasive action. The ball
disappeared from play. With everyone looking for the
ball, as if by magic, the umpire produced it from his
jacket pocket. Was dead ball the correct decision by the
umpire, who undoubtedly prevented a boundary being
scored?
MCC says: The umpire was correct in calling a dead ball. On
lodging in an umpire’s clothing, Law 23.1 (a) (v) decrees that the
ball automatically becomes dead. Although rare, it is not the first
time that this has happened. The ball would count as one in the over
and no runs would be scored unless the batsmen had crossed when
the ball became lodged, which seems impossible in this scenario.
3There was a stalemate at the start of an innings in a
T20 game between Somerset and Glamorgan. The
fielding team, Glamorgan, wanted to know which
Somerset batsman was going to take strike before
deciding which bowler would bowl the first over, while
Somerset’s batsmen claimed they wanted to know who
was bowling before deciding which of them would take
strike. Who gets priority in this situation?
MCC says: The Laws do not expressly state how such a stalemate
should be resolved. But MCC has discussed the issue and it was
agreed that the following procedure should be followed at the start
of an innings: 1 the umpires take to the field first and choose the end
from which each will officiate. 2 The fielding side take to the field
next and inform the umpires from which end they will be bowling
the first over and who that bowler would be. 3 The batsmen take to
the field last and, with the above information, decide who is going
to face the first ball. The Laws will not be amended in the short term
to reflect this interpretation but it may be added later.
4The striker plays the ball to a fielder standing at short
leg. The fielder takes it cleanly, so the batsman
immediately reaches back to ensure that he is in his
ground. Unfortunately he drops his bat, which falls on the
stumps. Is this hit wicket? Does it make any difference
whether the fielder actually makes a run-out attempt?
MCC says: No, the striker would not be out hit wicket. Law 35
should be read in full but, in short, the striker is liable to be out this
way while preparing to receive the delivery, while receiving the
delivery or while setting off for a run immediately after receiving
the delivery. In this example the wicket is put down while the
batsman is trying to avoid being run out. Law 35.2(c) expressly
caters for this, stating that the striker will not be out hit wicket “if it
occurs when he is trying to avoid being run out or stumped”. Even if
a run-out attempt is not actually made, the umpire would be able to
see that the chance of a run-out existed and so the striker would not
be protected.
5I was watching a match from square-on during the
season and noticed the following take place; a seamer
was bowling with the keeper standing back and both
batsmen taking guard outside the crease. The batsmen
ran a single but the now striking batsman did not ground
himself or his bat behind the crease before taking guard
for the next delivery, also outside the crease. The ball had
been returned directly to the bowler from the field and no
attempt was made to run out the batsman now on strike.
Should the square-leg umpire have called short run and
at what point should he have done so?
MCC says: No, it should not be called as a short run. Law 18.3
states: a) A run is short if a batsman fails to make good his ground
in turning for a further run. B) Although a short run shortens the
succeeding one, the latter if completed shall not be regarded as
short. A striker setting off for his first run from in front of his
popping crease may do so also without penalty. It is only in turning
for a further run that a run can be deemed to be short.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 8 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Laws – queries
Continuing our look into the MCC and ICC runners debate, Fraser Stewart, Cricket Academy
Manager at the MCC, clarifies the law on runners obstructing the field.
Those of you who have been watching or following
cricket during the winter months may
have seen that the ICC has banned runners in
all international cricket. MCC would like to
stress that this is simply an ICC Playing Regulation
– the Laws of Cricket have not
changed, and so runners will still be allowed
in all but international cricket. The ECB has
decided that they will not follow the ICC’s
ruling for County Cricket – a decision MCC
is pleased with. MCC’s opposition to the
ICC’s decision was stated clearly in the October
newsletter and the Club’s opinion has not
changed since that time.
MCC and ECB are not aware of any
leagues or competitions in the UK that have
followed ICC’s decision. However, many
people do not appreciate the difference between
Laws and Regulations, particularly as
some commentators unhelpfully say that the
‘Laws’ have changed. So, for umpires particularly,
you should be ready for some players
to try to tell you that runners are not allowed.
In the early part of the season, the meeting at
the toss with the captains might be a sensible
moment to clarify that runners will indeed be
allowed.
Another talking point in the ICC’s new regulations
concerns batsmen who deliberately
alter their running course to block a throw at
the stumps. The ICC has simply clarified a
point that MCC has tried to stress for a while
but the ICC’s regulation does not actually go
further than the intention of Law 37 (Obstructing
the field): it simply emphasises, in specific
detail, that such running does indeed breach the
Law. For years now, somewhat surprisingly,
the fielding side has tended not to appeal in
such circumstances, yet there is always the possibility
of the batsman being given out Obstructing
the field.
Law 37.1 states: “Either batsman is out Obstructing
the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts
the fielding side by word or action.”
Certainly a change of course, designed to block
a throw-in, is wilful and obstructs the fielding
side – the Law’s two crucial points. It should
be stressed that the batsman does not have a
duty to avoid a throw-in. He must, however,
not impede the bowler or other fielder and may
have to change course to avoid doing so, even
if that inadvertently blocks a throw in.
Under Law 37.2, the umpires are to decide
whether any obstruction is wilful or not. If an
umpire (whose attention, it should be remembered,
may mainly be focused elsewhere) feels
a batsman has significantly changed direction
without a discernible reason, and his body or
bat then blocks a run-out chance, he should, on
appeal, give the batsman out. It is not relevant
whether he felt a run-out would have occurred
or not. To rub salt into the wound, if the running
crosses the pitch, it should be considered
as avoidable damage, and so count as one of
the warnings to the batting side under Law
42.14.
David Hussey and Matthew Wade speak to
umpire Simon Taufel following the appeal
against Hussey for obstructing the field
In the recent ODI between Australia and
India, those of you watching would’ve
seen the Indian team appeal against David
Hussey subsequent to him intercepting a
throw or a run-out with his hand.
The umpires, Billy Bowden and Simon
Taufel, convened, and having consulted
with the third umpire decided that Hussey
should not be given out.
ECB ACO have asked MCC for their
view on this incident and we will publish
this in the next edition.
‘Let’s get it straight’ has been reproduced thanks to the kind permission
of ‘The Cricketer’ magazine. Also written by Fraser Stewart….
ONE OF the most emotive and controversial subjects in cricket is
a bowler who appears to throw the ball. Whether it is fast bowlers
straining for extra pace or spinners looking for turn or a ‘mystery
ball’, it is a matter that inspires forthright opinion. The action of
Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal recently raised eyebrows in some quarters,
particularly for his more unorthodox deliveries such as the
doosra, but he fell within the ICC’s tolerances when tested in
2009.
There is a great deal of confusion among the public as to what
the Laws state on bowling actions. Law 24.2 says: “For a delivery
to be fair in respect of the arm the ball must not be thrown.”
Law 24.3 continues: “A ball is fairly delivered in respect of the
arm if, once the bowler’s arm has reached the level of the shoulder
in the delivery swing, the elbow joint is not straightened partially
or completely from that point until the ball has left the hand. This
definition shall not debar a bowler from flexing or rotating the
wrist in the delivery swing.”
The crux is not that the arm must be straight throughout the delivery
swing, rather that it must not be straightened once the arm
is higher than the shoulder. The arm can be bent as long as it remains
bent to the same degree. If it becomes less bent, or is
wholly straightened, it is a no-ball.
MCC has deliberately kept the Law as simple as possible. The
vast majority of amateur cricketers do not have the resources to
offer laboratory testing of suspect actions and so the Law must
empower umpires to make a call based on whether they visibly
see that the arm has been straightened.
The situation was made more complicated in 2005 when the
ICC altered its playing regulations to allow a straightening of the
arm of up to 15 degrees. The ICC’s research showed that all bowling
actions involve a small degree of straightening, detectable on
sophisticated cameras. Fifteen degrees was chosen as the limit because
it is not until straightening reaches 15 degrees that it becomes
visible to the naked eye.
MCC has worked closely with Imperial College London in
search of a more accurate method of measuring and to see if the
wording of the Law needs amending. Furthermore MCC and ICC
are jointly funding a research project with Griffith University in
Australia into wearable technology which might enable players to
be tested in match conditions. It is hoped that this will quell the
oft-held view that players bowl differently under scrutiny in the
nets than when trying their hardest in a match.
That is for the future and for the elite only. For now umpires in
recreational cricket should call it as they see it. The 15-degree tolerance
level is not relevant to them. If the arm is visibly straightened,
it is a throw and therefore a no-ball.
Either umpire can make the call, which is followed by a warning
to the bowler. A bowler can receive two such warnings per innings.
A third infringement will see him removed from the attack
for the rest of the innings and the umpires are obliged to report the
matter to the appropriate authority – see Law 24.2.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 9 contact us on 0121 446 2710

‘Best Practice’ in Northamptonshire…
The diagram (pictured below right) will be displayed in all clubhouses and changing
rooms in the hope that any indiscipline can be eradicated.
Northamptonshire ECB Premier League and
Northants ACO have worked together to come up
with an initiative for all clubs in the county to
endorse.
It was well publicised last season that indiscipline
towards umpires was generally on the increase, but
Northants ACO are hoping that these small steps will
be significant enough to see a shift in player
behaviour, and help to see a decline in such cases in
the upcoming season.
Northants ACO have also come up with a revised
Code of Conduct and Hearing Procedures for the
2012 season. It will incorporate Fair Play Marking
and Recording, with section five referring to this
specific aspect: “Clubs receiving repetitive poor Fair
Play Award marks will also fall into the Disciplinary
Process and will be required to act upon any
corrective advice given to them by the Chairman of
the Disciplinary Committee. Continued poor Fair Play
Award marks will then result in disciplinary action
being taken against the club and persons concerned.”
The diagram, which uses the slogan ‘Play Hard, Play
Fair, and within the Laws and Spirit of the Game’, will
hope to get cricketers throughout the county more
aware of their behaviour and their actions on the pitch.
Northamptonshire Cricket League and ACO
combine to come up with the above initiative
It’s Your Call – planning and preparation
How ready will you be for that first match of your new season at the call of, ’PLAY’ – when that first ball is delivered?
It is that time of year again when the weather turns and our thoughts turn towards the forthcoming season, our appointments, our fitness, our
eyesight and our hearing.
A number of things have changed during the close season – some cricket leagues may have changed their rules and regulations – Surrey
Championship has introduced Duckworth-Lewis for example. The ECB and many leagues have introduced a new, updated Code of Practice
– discipline and reporting – make sure you’re ready!
Here is a checklist for umpires that may help you to be as prepared and ready as you have ever been
1. Check, prepare your equipment (and spares) – replace any that need replacing
2. Prepare your clothing, footwear (and spares) – be smart and comfortable
3. Obtain latest copy of the rules and regulations for your main competition(s)
4. Review and confirm the relevant and up to date disciplinary code & report forms
5. Review and confirm the relevant pitch marking schedule
6. Confirm any post match reports and the reporting process
7. Review and diarise your appointments, dates, venues and times
8. Attend any local Association pre-season workshops
9. Make any checklists or aids that you want or need for the season
10. Plot and print route maps, and alternatives, if required
11. Review your personal development portfolio from 2010 and 2011
12. Outline your action plan / development plan for 2012
13. Test your current knowledge and understanding of the Laws, rules and regulations
We trust this helps to get you into the mindset ready for your best ever season out in the middle.
Scorers Count – Planning and Preparation can be found on page 29.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 10 contact us on 0121 446 2710

South & West Regional
Conference – Sunday
29th January
Urchfont Manor in Wiltshire was the venue for
the South & West Region Annual Conference.
50 members gave up much of their weekend to
attend. The representatives from Cornwall,
Devon, Somerset and Isle of Wight arrived on
Saturday evening. The others arrived in time for
the start on Sunday. Proceedings were opened
by Regional Chairman, Tony Hemmings and
SEO, Nick Cousins.
Nick outlined the current management structure
of the ACO and stressed the importance of
the work of the many volunteers. He asked that
members of ECB ACO should think in terms of
“We” and not “Us and Them”.
The first session gave Eddie Lunn a chance to
introduce everyone to the Team Performance
Exchange (TPE) website.
The members then broke up into five groups.
Appointments Officers stayed with Les
Clemenson for updating information on ‘Who’s
The Umpire’.
Gavin Lane, Performance, and Ian Royle, Education,
took their teams to the basement of the
Manor to bring them up to date with latest news
on Levels 1, 1A, 2C and 2.
Andy Scarlett withdrew to the Lecture Room
and covered a range of issues including the
Scorers Initiative, latest courses, tutor training
and certification.
Nick and Tony met with the chairmen, or
their deputies. Topics included the need for the
recruitment of new members and Nick suggested
a target of an annual 10% increase. The
use of ‘Who’s The Umpire’ is encouraged for all
ACOs and the chairmen were asked to lead on
EOs AOs and POs working as a team for the advancement
of their members.
After an excellent Urchfont lunch, the members
reconvened to hear Les Clemenson expound
on the appointments policy of an RAO.
The scorers then joined the umpires for a feedback
session and open forum. Discussed were
the following:
Dennis Prior (CEO, Berkshire) asked when
Membership Office will be able to produce the
list with scorers identified. Nick replied that this
is ‘work in progress’ stating that counties need
to identify their members.
Andy Scarlett (RSO) has begun a master list
of scorers within our Region, not only registered
ECB ACO members, but also others who are
known to us within the local leagues etc.
In preparation for the season, those
pictured attend a South and South West
Regional meeting at Urchfont
Tech-Tactic #006
Recording for Success
Umpires with a reasonable amount of experience
will be able to recall, with satisfaction,
occasions when their written notes from
a match were invaluable in securing a decision
or action later on in the same match.
This recording of information as the match
progresses should be habitual and on occasions
bordering on the addictive. A word in
the captain’s ear requesting an improvement
in the over rate is worthless if when you later
enforce the penalty you are unable to present
to the offending team the time, over and
warnings given with accuracy and authority.
No one needs to know it is being done and
in most cases at the end of the match the
notes can be discarded. It is however an essential
part of being an effective umpire at
all levels of the game.
In professions where accuracy of facts is
essential for successful outcomes, best practice
demonstrates that scribing notes of
events at the time of an event (or very
closely after) is the most effective method to
record information for formal and persuasive
reports. It is easy to see how such a record
would help a cricket umpire when having to
deal with behavioural matters. However, to
wait for a matter to reach the severity of reporting
might be too late to allow for recall
of key facts and what was said if no notes
were made at the time. In the early stages of
a process it is not known where things will
end up and in multiple day matches there
could be significant time between a series of
events.
Most of our time is spent umpiring one
day matches which are often limited to a
number of overs and can include restrictions
on fielders, bowlers and batsmen at different
times of an innings. It is no longer acceptable
to think that the scorers are going
to be able to keep all the essential records.
The details held by the scorers will be accurate
and always be available for referencing
but there will be times when information is
needed by either you or your colleague. It
has been known for some very thorough umpires
to be able to provide key information
for scorers to help resolve a potential discrepancy.
You may have noted that at the highest
level the officials can fail if their routines are
not as robust as they should be with a bowler
being allowed to bowl more than the quota
in the recent Australia, Sri Lanka, India Tri-
Series being played in Australia. If umpires
and scorers are working effectively together
and recording the right information effectively
this is something that should never
happen – there is no excuse!
It is not possible to make too many notes
at the time of an incident – discarding information
is preferable than to be left searching
for it!
Tech-Tactic Tips
Effective umpires ensure that:
➔ Details of incidents are recorded as they happen during the match
➔ Records are kept of all warnings made to members of either side.
➔ Relevant information is always available to be shared once recorded to
help the match run smoothly.
➔ Write down what is happening now to help contextualise what might
happen later…
Do you have a topic that Tech-Tactic can help you with? If so, let us know…
Geoff Trett (NSO) said that in Gloucestershire
they identified scorers locally and fed the
info back to Edgbaston who altered the list.
Mike Cornwall (Wiltshire) raised the issue
of conflict between officials and players regarding
regulations and the interpretation of
them. Ray Holyer commented that officers
needed to be pro-active regarding Rules &
Regulations. Eddie Lunn said that looking at
various League Rules; some are very much out
of date.
Nick Cousins also commented on the number
of regulations out there. Leagues should
ask the local umpires organisation to help
write them. He intends to oversee the production
of a book containing ECB Regulations. E
Stuart Brown, Chairman of the newlyformed
Combined Services ACO, said it supports
cricket in all three of the Armed Services
and operates like a county ACO. In addition it
has national, and in some instances, international
reach.
Stuart said that the CS ACO was pleased
and proud to be linked in to the ECB ACO at
the national level and in particular to the South
and West Region, where most of the membership
is based. He pointed out that a connection
with ECB ACO is important for the advancement
of its officials.
During the ‘break out’ meetings Gavin
Lane was confirmed as Regional Performance
Officer and Ian Royle, Regional Education Officer.
Andy Scarlett is the Regional Scorers’
Officer and Les Clemenson had already been
appointed by the Executive, so the Regional
Team is now in place for the next year.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 11 contact us on 0121 446 2710

‘The Follow On’
In true cricketing form, we give you ‘The Follow On’. Although this feature doesn’t rely
on a team having a lead of 200 going into the second innings, we hope it will keep you
informed and updated on past events that are of interest to you.
1For the first ‘follow on’ of this
innings, we take you back to the last
edition where we mentioned a new
signal that was being trialed in New
Zealand.
A statement from the Black Caps website
regarding the signal says this:
“The new signal has been initiated to clarify
the difference between a referral, where the
third umpire is called upon to make a
decision, and a review, where the on-field
umpire does not transfer the decision but
requests assistance.
The NZC Playing Conditions 6.2 and 6.3
enable umpires in televised matches to use
their discretion in requesting a review before
making a decision.
To indicate a review has been requested
the on-field umpire will cross their wrists
with their hands above their head before
contacting the third umpire.”
Former ICC umpire John Holder will be
offering his services at Heywood CC in
Lancashire
2Following on from the NatWest
CricketForce article in the last
newsletter, here we tell you how you
can get involved on 30th-31st March and
1st April…
Calling all Officials… Would you like to see
improved umpires changing rooms and
showers on the club grounds you umpire on?
Would you like to see improved scoreboards
and more comfort for scorers? If the answer
is yes, then why not individually or with a
group of officials volunteer your help to participate
in NatWest CricketForce 2012 at a
community cricket club near you. In 2011,
1914 clubs participated and 85,000 volunteers
(just like you) helped to improve their
facilities. You can see what was achieved at
www.ecb.co.uk/natwestcricketforce. There
are many case studies on this website that
clubs have written to prove how successful
this programme is.
How can you become involved? What will
be achieved?
1. Contact a local club that is participating
in Natwest CricketForce 2012 to offer
your help to work with club members and
the community to improve the umpires
and scorers facilities. If you are unsure
how to find a participating club then
please contact
natwestcricketforce@ecb.co.uk or your
county Cricket Development Manager
for a list of local clubs.
2. Many of the facilities simply need a lick
of paint and general maintenance (you
may be a secret painter, joiner or a
plumber in your previous life!!) If not,
then others will assist you.
3. By offering your help the club will understand
the importance of improved umpires
and scorers facilities and work with
you to ensure improvements.
4. The whole cricket experience and satisfaction
will be better for all players and
supporters as the umpires and scorers will
be happier.
5. You will achieve a real sense of satisfaction
on a job well done and feel proud.
So come on... let’s make 2012 the year that
the biggest number of volunteer umpires
got involved in helping to improve club facilities
making a significant contribution to
the sustainability of community cricket
clubs. If Mike Gatting, David Collier (ECB
Chief Executive), and England and county
players can help then maybe we should all
have a go.
Heywood Cricket Club of Lancashire is one of
CricketForce’s showcase clubs for this year.
With around 30 days to go until the weekend
efforts begin at Heywood, they have confirmed
that former first-class and ICC umpire,
John Holder, will be offering a helping hand
on the day.
Subscribe today to
In the
slips…
In the last edition there was a piece entitled
“Don’t check the plug, it’s the satellite’.
The article was quite wrongly
attributed to John Brown and we apologise
unreservedly to him for this error –
and indeed any imprecation that this
incident occurred in a Derbyshire Premier
League game: which it did not.
In point of fact the article first appeared in
Notchers’ News, Issue 16 written under the
pen name Clericus. Similarly we apologise
unreservedly to both Clericus and Cathy
Rawson, the editor of Notchers’ news. We
would like to record our thanks to Cathy in
that she allows us to reprint any NN articles
and contributions in our newsletter.
We will endeavour not to make further errors
and we are pleased to include the NN
web address www.notchers.co.uk if anybody
wants to check the original entry or
read other articles of interest to the scoring
community in particular.
Whilst on the topic of Notchers’ News,
many of you would have noticed the date
for all entries to the John Brown
competition came and went before the
majority of you had received your copy
of the newsletter. Please see page 31 for a
full explanation and apology.
at the special ECB ACO reduced rate
of just £35 for 12 issues saving 26%
Follow all the year’s cricketing action through the world’s No.1 cricket
magazine with monthly columns from Mark Nicholas and Simon
Hughes – The Analyst – as well as features from Jonathan Agnew,
Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton.
There are also regular interviews with the game’s biggest names
including Graeme Swann, Sachin Tendulkar and Andrew Strauss PLUS
insight from the magazine’s own secret county cricketer: The Don.
To activate your subscription, call
0844 815 0864
or go to www.subscribeonline.co.uk/TCM
quoting reference ECBACO11
New name, same great magazine
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 12 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Duncan Fearnley Report
Special Offers Leaflet
The January 2012 Special Offers leaflet proved a great success with all of the
clothing items selling out within days of its release. Some fantastic bargains were
taken advantage of, apologies to those who missed out.
Pro
Championship
Jacket
NEW for 2012
Over the past 12 months Fearnley Cricket
has been working with the Membership
Services Committee and developed a range
of new improved products based on the
constructive feedback we have been
getting.
We are pleased to launch the NEW 2012
Catalogue enclosed with this edition.
Within the catalogue you will find the
following - lightweight pro championship
jacket, onfield polo shirts in white & navy,
onfield trousers, baseball cap, sun hat, full
zip micro-fleece jacket, striped polo shirt,
soft-shell jacket, complete women’s range
and traditional dress shirt.
For the first time we are delighted to be
able to offer a full range of Women’s fitted
garments including a soft-shell jacket,
fleece jacket, cardigan and polo shirt in
white and navy. The initial reaction has
been excellent and we hope the female
members are pleased with the range
available. All styles are available from size
10 through to 20.
The popular Multi-Packs have been
updated for 2012 with the new selection of
products available in three different
selections.
The NEW lightweight pro championship
jacket has been developed with the 1 st Class
Umpires and will be worn by them
throughout 2012. Therefore, members will
be able to wear the latest three layer
breathable water repellent soft-shell jacket
that weighs only 210g just like the pro
jacket.
The NEW onfield polo shirts are made
from the latest vap-air breathable interlock
performance polyester fabric. We hope you
will agree that the feel and weight is
absolutely superb. The NEW pro slit top
front breast pocket is neater and easier to
store the ECB directive cards. They are
available in white or navy in either long or
short sleeves. Look out for the multi-buy
offers for extra savings.
The NEW onfield trousers are a
traditional style made with comfortable
water repellent polyester/viscose fabric.
The NEW unique front pocket is excellent
for umpires with a front and back pocket to
separate counters and other items. The
trousers have 2 button back pockets and
belt loops and are available from size 28”
to 48”. Again look out for the multi-buy for
extra savings.
Three NEW products in the leisure wear
range are the full zip micro-fleece jacket,
striped polo shirt and soft-shell jacket. the
full zip micro-fleece is made with the latest
performance polymicro-fleece fabric. The
striped polo shirt is a lovely addition to the
range made from 100% combed pique
cotton. The soft-shell is made with the
latest 3 layered fabric with a water repellent
finish and wind resistant membrane making
it ideal for all conditions.
Finally, the traditional button front
dress shirt has been reintroduced into the
range made with a super polyester/cotton
mix fabric and traditional stand-up collar.
This is available in long sleeves with
button cuffs.
NEW League Panel &
Association Branding
We are also pleased to be able to offer
League Panel and Association branding on
onfield blousons & polo shirts. If your
Association or League are interested in
getting co-branded ACO products for the
2012 season please contact Paul Fearnley
on 01905 743384 or
paul@fearnleycricket.co.uk.
NEW Production Factories
The NEW range of clothing is now being
made in two highly developed factories that
work with international sports brands such
as Puma and Umbro meaning they work to
the international brands’ high working
standard which ensures sustainability and
superb quality. The two factories producing
the NEW garments are situated in Southern
Turkey and Northern China and have both
been visited for quality assurance. I am sure
you will be delighted with the new quality.
2013 Developments
We are working together with the MSC on
the 2013 range, with the focus on new
equipment and accessories for all officials.
The next MSC meeting is in April. If you
have any ideas or improvements please
notify your regional representatives who
will raise it on behalf at the meeting. We
will look at all proposals and, where
demand levels enable us, we will develop
ideas for future products.
We hope you enjoy the new range of
products available for 2012 and wish you
well in your season ahead.
Navy Onfield
L-Sl Polo shirt
Baseball Cap
Soft-Shell
Jacket
Full-Zip Fleece
Onfield
S\Sl Polo shirt
Striped Polo
2012
White
Traditional
Dress Shirt
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 13 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Young Officials
Developing cricket officials under the age of 25
This feature of the ACO Newsletter is part of the ECB’s drive to improve the opportunities available to young
officials. If you have any suggestions or anything you would like to be included then we would love to hear from you!
LYG Young Officials Course
On February 11 th , ECB ACO teamed up with
the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games to
run a one-off Young Officials course in the
boardroom of Lord’s cricket ground.
Tutored by current level two umpire and
member of the Young Officials squads, Alasdair
Shaikh, 16 aspiring young officials between
the ages of 15 and 32 (admittedly
there was one very young looking 64 year
old!!) were in attendance to learn the main
skills and principles of umpiring.
Firstly the group looked at umpire signals,
before covering umpire roles and responsibilities,
positioning, preparation,
methods of dismissal and extras to give them
the basic skill-sets in order to step out to the
middle in full confidence during future
games.
Feedback since the course took place has been
extremely positive with one attendee saying: “I
found it very exciting and knowledgeable. The course was very
interactive and I enjoyed all aspects of the training. I look forward
to putting into practice what I have learnt,” whilst another
said: “The course helped cement my current knowledge on
some of the laws of cricket, but also expanded my knowledge
of others.”
The London Youth Games events have since been staged at
Lord’s. The first events took place on the 25th and 26th of February
and the 3rd and 4th of March, with the finals taking place
on the 11th. England pace bowler Chris Tremlett was there to
give words of advice to budding cricketers present. Most importantly
for ECB ACO the games enabled those in attendance
to put their new skills in to practice directly after the course.
As an umpire, gaining experience in the middle is the most
important part, but it is often the most difficult area to get involved
in. With the help of the London Youth Games, ECB
ACO has been able to add 16 new, young (one slightly older)
and enthusiastic members to the Association with a guarantee
of gaining experience of officiating within weeks of sitting the
course.
16 Young Officials in the ECB Boardroom
ready to learn the fundamentals of umpiring
In its 34 year history, last year was the most successful
London Youth Games yet as it saw over 70,000 young people
from 33 London boroughs competing in over 30 different
sports. The 30 different sports require a high volume of volunteers
in order for the games to run well, and cricket is no different.
What the attendees learned will hold them in good stead
when involved in the events that will follow.
London Youth Games course co-ordinator Faye Dixey was
delighted with what the course gave those who attended and
says there is now a pathway in place to help the Young Officials
moving forward: “We will look to give them one-to-one
mentoring by qualified officials throughout the cricket qualifiers
and they will be invited to watch the finals at Lord’s.
Through the pathway we now have, these Young Officials will
go on to be the backbone of London community sport for generations
to come.”
Faye was also delighted with the way ECB ACO and LYG
had been able to work together through the process of organising
the course: “It was great to have the support from the ECB
ACO in the delivery of the training at such an iconic venue.”
Gough’s Top Tip
The youngest umpire on the ECB Full List
General fitness is often overlooked by Umpires when preparing
for the season ahead. Having a basic level of fitness can increase
your concentration levels and improve your general health.
Activities to aid your fitness levels can include walking, jogging,
biking and swimming amongst others. Try and maintain this
throughout the season and you will feel the benefit. You will feel
more energetic, your general movement will feel sharper, for
example, when you have to move quickly into position and you
will be able to concentrate for longer periods during a match.
Even if you haven't started your preparations for the season
ahead, it’s never too late to look after your body. Good luck!
At the age of 31, Michael
Gough is the youngest ECB
umpire on the 2011 Full List.
Naturally the ACO decided he
was in the best position to
advise our budding young
umpires. Michael has kindly
agreed to provide us with a
‘top tip’ for each publication…
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 14 contact us on 0121 446 2710

ECB ACO’s drive to get more young people
scoring is paying off
Despite only having two Young Officials in our scoring team last season, by the beginning of the new season,
starting in April, it is hoped that there will be as many as 10 on board.
With ECB ACO hard at work to provide scorers with opportunities similar to those of umpires, this
comes as a welcome reminder that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still play a part in the
cricket.
Sam Griffin, at just 12 years of
age, is now a level two qualified
scorer; the youngest level two
scorer in the country. Sam, from Surrey,
passed his level one course when
he was just 11 before progressing to
take his level two a year later.
Sam, pictured above, always wanted to have some sort of
Sam Griffin, at just 12
years of age, is the
youngest level two
scorer in the country
involvement in cricket right from a young age: “I started playing
in the garden with my Dad, Grandad and Uncles and
wanted to be the next Shane Warne, so my dad and I both
joined Sutton CC. I would then go and watch him playing on
a Saturday and Sunday and take my own score book.”
“As I got older I thought (or at least my parents thought) instead
of sitting around on a Saturday afternoon watching TV I
could go out and enjoy the fresh air and a game of cricket, and
as my skill levels are not as good as others, this way I can still
get involved.”
But Sam’s aspirations of furthering himself as a cricket official
don’t stop at scoring. Having a vested interest in all facets
of the game, he wants to, when the time is right, sit courses that
focus solely on umpiring, whilst still continuing to keep score.
Speaking about ECB ACO, he said: “I feel honoured to have
60 seconds with
a Young Official
Name: Shaun Salisbury
Age: 24
Leagues:
Derbyshire County Cricket
League (DCCL)
How long have you been umpiring?
I passed the level 1 umpires exam in winter 2009, with
2010 being my first season on field. 2012 will be my
third season as an active umpire. I am currently assisting
with the delivery of a level 1 course in Derbyshire.
What qualifications have you taken?
I passed Level 1 in 2009, and then I passed the ECB ACO
Young Officials course. I spent 2011 working towards my
level 1A which I have recently achieved. I hope to
achieve level 2 in the future.
How has the ECB ACO helped you?
I have attended the last two national conferences at
Lord’s and taken useful tips away from the guest speakers
and applied them in my own matches. The Derbyshire
Cricket Board are also very supportive. Locally I belong
to the Burton And District Umpires And Scorers Association,
who are a great source of support and I wouldn’t
have made the progress that I have, without them.
Sam, pictured with Sutton CC at Windsor Castle
been given the chance to get involved with the Association at
my age and one day, once I’m that bit older and take my scoring
to the next level, I want to start umpiring too.”
It continues to be an exciting time for officiating in cricket
with both areas forming an integral part of the game. It too is an
exciting time for Sam and all of the young scorers who are set
to make their own individual marks on score sheets all around
the country this season.
A message to all
keen young officials from
‘Dickie’ Bird….
My advice to any one starting out umpiring would be:
number one, to enjoy it. Then being consistent is also
very important along with application and dedication.
That’s all you need starting out. Also, give your
decisions as you see them. If you make a mistake,
get that out of your mind, because the most
important thing is the next ball coming down. Never
try and even it up because if you do, that’s two
mistakes you’ve made.
What do you like about umpiring?
Firstly I like the social side, I have made many friends
since becoming involved, and they all have one thing in
common, the love of the game. On the field I like the fact
that whilst performing a vital role in the game, I get to
watch cricket from the best view in the house!
What challenges do you face when umpiring?
I guess it’s something that’s beyond any umpire’s control,
the dubious English weather! ground, weather and light
decisions are not always easy to make, and can often be
the most contentious issue in a match.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I hope I am a Premier League Umpire,
which is what I am aiming for at the moment. Anything
beyond that would be a nice bonus, but I always think
you should have ambition and aim high.
Any unusual umpiring experiences?
I was umpiring a match on an extremely windy day. As
the bowler was running in to bowl, the batsman stood up
and backed away. I called dead ball and turned around, to
see a fielder desperately trying to hold up the sightscreen
that had almost blown over on top of him, and other
fielders running to help!
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 15 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Classification, Grading and ECB
& MCCA Panel Appointments
Complete submissions have been received from every County ACO and each of the County Performance and
Appointments Officers has received a detailed analysis of his /her ACO returns with an overall summary from a
national perspective.
6,400 umpires have been graded, an increase of 25% on 2011 –so well done and thank you to all concerned. This
does mean that there are about 2,000 members who are not currently graded and with whom there seems to have
been little or no contact. We have asked ACOs to try to connect with these members and we would similarly ask
these members (and they will all have received this newsletter and will be reading this….) to connect with their ACO.
Members who want to know their individual grade should contact their ACO Performance Officer: anybody who
would like to see the detailed analysis and summary document is invited to write to Martin Williams at Lord’s -
Martin.Williams@ecb.co.uk –and it can be e-mailed back. Many thanks go to Les Clemenson, South & West RAO,
who completed the statistical analysis.
We are pleased to publish the complete lists of all Officials who perform in the top echelons of the game as follows:
There has been one solitary change to the ECB First-Class list for 2012, with former Durham and Kent paceman
Martin Saggers replacing John Steele who retired at the end of the 2011 season. In a career that spanned
13 years, Saggers represented England on three occasions before retiring to take up umpiring in 2010.
Speaking of the appointment, Chris Kelly, ECB Umpires’ Manager, said: “We would like to congratulate
Martin on his promotion to the Full List which has been the result of some outstanding performances in
matches over the last couple of seasons. His commitment and attitude on the Reserve List has been exemplary
and his promotion is thoroughly deserved.”
Martin
Saggers
ECB Full First-Class List 2012
Rob Bailey Jeff Evans Richard Illingworth David Millns
Neil Bainton Steve Gale Trevor Jesty Steve O’Shaughnessy
Mark Benson Steve Garratt Richard Kettleborough Tim Robinson
Martin Bodenham Michael Gough Nigel Llong Martin Saggers
Nick Cook Ian Gould Jeremy Lloyds George Sharp
Nigel Cowley Peter Hartley Neil Mallender Peter Willey
ECB Reserve List 2012
There have been three additions to the ECB Reserve list for the 2012 season. Mike Burns, formerly of Warwickshire and Somerset, is
joined by Ben Debenham of Essex and former Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire opening batsman Paul Pollard.
Paul Baldwin Ben Debenham Graham Lloyd Alex Wharf
Mike Burns Mark Eggleston Paul Pollard
Ismail Dawood Russell Evans Billy Taylor
Minor Counties Panel
John Attridge Trevor Cox Andy Hicks Robert Newham
Paul Baldwin Alistair Davies Michael Jones Garry Parker
Steve Bishopp Albert D’Leny Paul Joy John Reed
Andrew Bullock Ben Debenham Donovan Koch Bernard Reidy
Geoff Callaway Martin Dobbs Steve Malone Ian Royle
Alan Clarke Bob Eagleton Philip Matten Mick Southerton
Keith Coburn Mark Eggleston Stephen Nelson Chris Watts
Minor Counties Reserve Panel
The following umpires have been invited to join the MCCA Reserve Panel this year: Messers Fallows, Forward, Hampshire, Harris,
Nicholls, Price, Qureshi, Watton, Wheatley, Williams
Vernon Fallows Bob Hampshire Charlie Puckett Nick Wheatley
Andy Forward Anthony Harris Denis Pyke
Peter Gardner Chris Jones Mansoor Qureshi
David Gower Paul Nicholls Barry Toombs
Mark Gumbley Dean Price Matti Watton
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 16 contact us on 0121 446 2710

D Grade List
The following umpires have been invited to join the D list this year: Messers Anning, Eagleton, Hicks, Johnson, Malone.
Jim Annings Martin Dobbs Bob Hampshire Gary Marshall Alan Salkeld
Ian Armitage Bob Eagleton John Harper Michael Martin Bill Smith
John Attridge Hugh Evans Anthony Harris Philip Matten Mick Southerton
Alan Bayley Vernon Fallows Andy Hicks Stephen Nelson Darren Thomas
Stephen Bishopp Kenneth Fergusson Keir Hopley Robert Newham Roger Tolchard
Peter Brown Harry Fidler John James Paul Nicholls Duncan Warburton
Terry Burstow Roy Froggatt Dean Johnson Robert Owen Ian Ward
John Carter Peter Gardner Christopher Jones Garry Parker Russell Warren
Alan Clarke Roger Garland Brian Jones Alan Payne Chris Watts
Keith Coburn Jonathon Glynn Paul Joy Dennis Pyke Nicholas Wheatley
Roy Collins David Gower Donavon Koch Mansoor Qureshi Andrew Wheeler
Jonathan Cousins Mark Gumbley Stephen Kuhlmann John Reed Mark Williams
Trevor Cox Graeme Hall Keith Little Trevor Riley George Wood
Christopher Dale Lyn Hall Mostyn Lovett Niven Roper
Alistair Davies Nick Hall Steve Malone Steve Ross
Please note, to find the First-Class and MCCA scorers lists see page 29.
2012 Blind Cricket England and Wales Umpires Panel
Pete Marshall… The number of applications for this seasons panel following the appeal in the ECB ACO
Magazine was truly amazing, with over 50 applications from new umpires from all over the country. My
sincere thanks to all who applied.
It has been a very hard job trying to decide on the final selection, but it is my great pleasure to announce the BCEW Umpires Panel for 2012.
Mike Apparicio (Yorkshire ACO)
Les Clemenson (Wiltshire)
Chris Dawe (Wiltshire, Secretary)
Yvonne Dolphin (Suffolk)
Ian Hopkins (Lincolnshire and RAF CU&SA)
John McClean (Cheshire)
Ansel Porter (Wiltshire, Appointments Secretary)
Paul Richardson (Essex),
Bob Southward (Essex)
Oliver Tobias (Middlesex)
Fred Wiles (Northumberland)
Kev Wilson (Lancashire)
Bryan Burns (Hampshire)
Michael Cornwell (Wiltshire, Training Officer)
Jeff Denton (Yorkshire)
Lorraine Elgar (Kent)
Pete Marshall (Wiltshire, Senior Umpire)
Darshak Patel (Middlesex)
Dennis Pyke (Worcestershire, reserve)
Shaun Salisbury (Derbyshire)
David “Dai” Stevens (Wales)
Stephen Trull (Kent)
Keith Williams (Hampshire, reserve)
C O M P E T I T I O N
WIN a year’s subscription to
‘The Cricketer’ magazine
How would you like to win yourself a free year’s subscription
to ‘The Cricketer’ magazine? ECB ACO are offering
all members the chance; all you have to do is send
in your answer to the following question – the closest
will win the prize.
With England becoming the world’s best in the test
match format, can you guess the weight of the ICC Test
Championship mace (pictured left, held by Andrew
Strauss) in the ECB offices?
Only one guess per member, the guess closest to the answer
will win the year’s subscription. In the event of a
tie, the name will be drawn out of an ACO panama hat.
E-mail editor.aco@ecb.co.uk with your answer and ACO
number before 17:00pm on Friday 27th April.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 17 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Friends Afar
Now that this Newsletter reaches across the world by the electronic wizardry of
e-mail, web pages, and links through other sites – we welcome contributions from our
‘European’ colleagues, and those ‘Overseas’ friends further afield in more tropical climes –
so send your club notes, personal stories, pictures of pavilions (and scoreboxes!), and
anything else your colleagues would enjoy reading about.
I N D I A
Umpiring in India
Bomi Jamula plays a big part in umpiring
in India. A former first-class official,
Bomi is a regular attendee of the National
Conference having flown over from India
especially for the event on each of the last
three occasions.
Here he gives us the run-down on how officials
are governed, and what his role is,
in India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) has 28 full associations and 6 associated
and affiliated members. At association
level, matches between clubs, schools
and colleges are conducted. Each of these
associations regularly offers courses and
seminars for the umpires on their individual
panels.
Two years ago, the National Umpires
Academy at Nagpur was established by the
BCCI which consists of an advisory committee,
two full-time educators, a full-time
office superintendent, two support staff and
a video analyst. At the academy, there are
two classrooms that are kitted out with projectors
and computers. Attached to the academy
are 12 residential rooms for the
trainees, a dining hall and a kitchen.
The BCCI has 15 trained educators who
help to conduct Level 1 courses, with content
including MCC Laws, umpire positioning
and communication. This is followed by
an exam. On passing the exam the umpires
will be assigned to matches by their respective
associations. Those who are successful
then return after six months for a five day
refresher course.
Along with the theory work, videos of
both domestic and international matches are
shown and candidates are asked to make decisions
after seeing the footage.
A game is organised and each trainee
stands at each end for two overs whilst
being filmed by four separate cameras. At
the end of the match a CD is given to the
candidate, reviewing areas of improvement.
Another exam follows, with 80% being the
pass percentage needed.
After another six months, this cycle is
replicated as those who were successful on
the Level 1 refresher are invited back to attend
a four day Level 2 preparatory course.
The BCCI Playing Conditions are explained
along with match management issues and a
passing grade of 90% is expected to be
achieved.
Those successful are then called for the
‘viva exam’ which consists of oral questions
and video analysis with the pass mark set at
90%. These successful umpires are then appointed
for 5 to 6 BCCI conducted matches
for associated and affiliated members. Each
match is covered by 4 to 6 static cameras
where all decisions are tagged. An Umpire
Coach watches the full match and reviews
the session with the umpires after the match
and gives a CD to them of their decisions.
If the umpire passes this process then they
will become a qualified Level 2 umpire and
are inducted onto the BCCI First-Class
panel. These umpires are then assigned to
BCCI junior and women’s matches.
The Umpire Coach’s role is to sit with the
video analyst and tag all appeals both out
and not out along with no balls and wide
balls. The Umpire Coach also acts as a third
umpire for stumpings, hit wicket and run
outs only, as the cameras are static. A thorough
review of all decisions is conducted
post-match and the umpire is given a CD of
his performance.
There is a three member Umpire Review
committee. After the start of the season the
review committee meets every two months
to go through the video recordings and the
Umpire Coach, as well as the Match Referee,
reports in order to grade the umpires.
Interestingly, BCCI have done away with
captains reports.
At the end of the season there are the final
gradings. The 12 ‘top’ umpires form one
panel, who take charge of the most important
games. Another 25-strong panel, along
with the other 12 umpires stand in all First-
Class matches, while the rest will do junior,
women and list A matches.
Bomi’s role in Indian cricket,
straight from the man himself
Having started first-class umpiring in
1981, after 25 years of umpiring, in which
he officiated in nearly 150 BCCI matches
and 5 ODI’s, when BCCI came out with the
concept of Umpire’s Coach, Bomi decided
to move into the new role as his interest was
already with umpire training.
Add to this his role as an Umpire Educator
and Bomi finds himself busy for much of
the year. He still has time to continue his
umpiring though, as he often stands in local
level matches just to keep his eye in and
keep in touch with the game. He is an examiner
for the BCCI and is on the Advisory
Council of the Academy, often conducting
seminars for Umpires and Match Referees.
Probably his most impressive work comes
in the form of the Playing Conditions and
Code of Conduct. Each year the BCCI conditions
are drafted by Bomi and all queries
regarding them are directed his way.
Two years ago Bomi was inducted by the
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) onto their Development
Team as a Resource Person. The
role for him here is to train umpires and
scorers in 22 associations of the ACC.
A U S T R A L I A
Australia gets all techno
Cricket Australia’s T20 ‘Big Bash’ has been
trial running a number of new methods to help
the viewer get even closer to the action - and
the umpire plays a big part.
Umpire-cam was trialed in the T20
Big Bash in Australia
The introduction of cameras into the
umpire’s sunglasses could change the future
of televised cricket, with the hope being that it
will also help with reviews and appeals;
coming as a further addition to the already
impressive ‘Hawkeye’.
The sunglasses, costing around 100
Australian dollars, will entertain a micro highdefinition
camera that is about the size of a
pea and will be fixed between the two lenses.
Also in the sunglasses is a small battery
and recorder that work in a similar way to a
USB stick. This is then wired to a bigger
battery, a transmitter and an aerial which is
kept in one of the umpire’s pockets. The plan
is for this to eventually go wireless.
The excitement for many will be to see
players such as Shane Warne releasing the
ball and appealing towards the umpire;
something that has never been seen so close
before. It will also help to show viewers the
best angles for LBW appeals and run-outs.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 18 contact us on 0121 446 2710

For those umpires interested in honing
their skills, seeing the umpires view live may
come as a good test of their skills.
Another technological area that Cricket
Australia is trying to exploit is to give the
viewers a closer view of play, whether it is of
the bowler, the batsman or of those in the
field. This comes in the form of the
‘Oktokopter’.
Looking very much like something from
Star-Trek, the Oktokopter is a helicopter with
eight arms, each with its own propeller and
The Octocopter was also
present at the Big Bash
electric motor in order to lift and carry a state
of the art camera.
Two years in the making, it is set to make
its debut during the ‘Big Bash’.
It is hoped that at some stage it will be
able to hover and follow the bowler in his
run up and also get a sweeping view of the
slips. Another flying object for the umpire to
be aware of!
If both are deemed successful it could
change the way cricket is viewed on
television screens throughout the world.
2012 National Conference
ECB ACO’s National Conference isn’t for another six months, but we wanted to keep
you updated with proceedings so far.
Dickie Bird will be one of
our ‘headliners’ in 2012,
agreeing to take part in a Q &
A session in the Nursery
Pavilion.
The popular ACO Scorers
Forum, ‘You vs. Hawkeye’,
and the presentation on Fair
Play and Pitch Marking featured
on page 21 will also be
available to view on the day.
Chris Watts, the ECB Designated
Anti-Corruption Official,
will be presenting a
seminar about his previous
experience, his current role
and the latest anti-corruption
policies and practices.
This year’s Conference
will take place on Saturday
the 6 th of October, at Lord’s,
with an arrival time of
9:30am for the AGM to begin
at 10:00am.
The reply form will be in
the next newsletter. The cut-off
date for replies will be Monday the 27 th of
August.
Cheshire umpires vs Hawkeye
Six Cheshire umpires visited Lord’s on the
26th February in preparation for the season.
Read Neville Kent’s report...
“The season started early for 6 Cheshire
County League umpires on Sunday 26th February
when they headed down to Lord’s to test
their skills against Hawkeye. Neville Kent,
Alistair Davies, Rick Davis, Tom Park, Sagir
Parkar and Glyn Roberts were accompanied
by top Nantwich batsmen Jonny Kettle and
Sam Hunt on the 3-hour trip.
The Indoor School at Lord’s has 8 bowling
lanes, all with different surfaces to replicate
different conditions. Lane 7 has permanent
Hawkeye cameras fixed and it is regularly
used by both batsmen and bowlers to tune
their performances. Umpires have also taken
advantage of the technology to judge LBW
decisions and improve their performance.
Six Cheshire umpires came to Lord’s to hone their skills on ‘You vs Hawkeye’
which will be making a return at this years conference
There are only 3 bowling lanes in the world
with permanent Hawkeye - the others are in
Loughborough and Hong Kong.
The 3-hour net session was run by former
Somerset and Barbados player Hallam Moseley.
Operating Hawkeye was Christian Mason
from the MCC. The instruction to both batsmen
was to treat it like a normal net session,
but to leave the odd straight ball so that we
could capture the evidence for Hawkeye.
Each umpire had a chart to record where
each referral pitched and whereabouts it was
striking or missing the stumps. They needed
to be more precise than ‘out’ or ‘not out’.
Each had around 10 decisions referred to
Hawkeye.
At the end of the net session, we all went
upstairs to review our decisions. The overall
percentage of correct decisions was pretty
high. There were several deliveries that would
have been appealed for in a real match, but
did not get referred as they were pretty obvious,
so including those, the performance by
all umpires was extremely impressive.
Umpire Alistair Davies found the session
extremely useful: “The day was a great experience
for all 6 of the Cheshire umpires who
attended the day. A great way to test yourself
against Hawkeye as well as ‘getting your eye
in’ in preparation for the upcoming season.”
Both Sam and Jonny also enjoyed the experience
and were given a DVD each of the net
session. Sam found the day useful for his own
game and said: “A really good day out, great
facilities and glad that I could help out with
the umpires as they are working on furthering
their careers. It also gave me an opportunity to
work on my own skills and enjoy a day out at
the home of cricket with fellow team mate
Jonny.”
Overall, an excellent day out that was thoroughly
enjoyed by all.
Umpires wishing to test their skills against
Hawkeye should contact their County ACO
who in turn will contact Martin Williams to
organise a session.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 19 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Hidden Talent
In the previous edition ECB ACO took a closer look at Mark Ennis from Berkshire.
In this edition, we look at two people within the Association who have a vested
interest in the world of football
Two umpire members of the Association,
Roger Wiseman and John Tythcott, have
been a part of both football and cricket for
numerous years, in similar footballing
roles, that correlate well to their officiating
and assessing of cricket.
Roger, having retired from cricket,
didn’t take up umpiring until 30 years later,
but retiring from work gave him the time to
pass his level 1 umpiring exam in February
2010: “Retiring from full-time employment
was a major impetus; some of the rest was
prompted by my friend, Martin Bodenham:
so this probably gives a big clue as to my
“other life” in sport.
“I was a Football League Referee for 8
years (1986-94) and, for the last 11 years,
have been assessing match officials in the
Premier and Football Leagues and senior
non-league competitions. I am well aware
that I am not unique in this respect; I certainly
know other ex-referees and referee
assessors who are active cricket umpires.”
John Tythcott is one of those umpire, exreferee
and current assessors that he talks
about. John’s sporting career has taken a
similar path to Roger’s. Despite playing
cricket at various levels growing up, as his
profession, football took precedent: “I was
coerced into refereeing in 1975, rising up
the ranks before finally arriving on The National
List of linesmen in 1983 together
with The Football League Panel of Referees,
which saw me referee in The National
Conference. I remained there until reaching
the then standard age of retirement in 1990.
“When I completely retired from refereeing
in 1994, I began Assessing in The
Contributory League system and was invited
to join The National List of Assessors
in 1999, a position that I continue to hold.
This requires me to assess Officials who
officiate in The Football League.”
With talk constantly, in cricket and football,
being about respect for the official,
this is one area that both have coped well
with, having being in the spotlight heavily
throughout the 80’s football scene.
Regarding their transition to wearing the
white coat rather than the black refereeing
attire, it has helped hugely.
Speaking on the matter, Roger says: “I
believe it (football refereeing) has helped
because the emphasis on “managing the
game and players” in the most effective
manner has been a focus in football for
some years at professional level and is
rightly becoming a more important issue in
cricket as player attitudes become more
challenging to officialdom. The importance
of body language and composure in decision-making,
whilst still exerting authority,
is a key area in effective game management.
“No surprises” is a commonly heard
statement in football refereeing but it can
equally apply to umpiring in cricket.
“Getting the decision right remains paramount
but getting it “credible” is very important
and affects the perception of
performance. I have already learned some
harsh lessons in umpiring and obviously
have a lot more to learn, but experience in
the Sussex League, where I was lucky
enough to be appointed to 10 Premier
League matches last season, has given me a
good insight and much pleasure.”
In big picture terms Roger is relatively
new to umpiring, whereas John has been
hugely involved with officiating in Norfolk
for many years, currently sitting as Chairman
of the Norfolk ACU&S. Following
John’s retirement from umpiring, he has
since become an umpire assessor which he
is enjoying much like he did standing in the
middle “The fundamentals of cricket assessing/observing
are basically the same as
the football counterpart in-as-much as contact
is made with the official before the
match and a debrief is conducted at the end
of the day’s play. A written report is prepared
by the assessor/observer and will be
received by the official within a few days.
“I am a great believer and advocate of
the ECB ACO and its inception upon the
demise of the ACU&S and I am firmly of
the opinion that the representation of umpires
and scorers in this country has never
been in a stronger position.”
So what for the future of cricket assessing?
Having assessed the top referees in the
English game over the last decade, Roger
believes it is an essential part to the improvement
of officials and is one way to
continue improving the standards of officials
country-wide: “Assessing is important;
referees are assessed on every
Roger Wiseman refereed at the highest
level for eight years
Football League/Premier League match
and I can envisage a greater use of boundary
assessors in cricket over time.
“It is interesting that the top officials in
football are invariably those who listen to
advice; I was on football duty and could
not get to the Conference but know those
who did would have appreciated Howard
Webb’s presentation. I have had the pleasure
of assessing Howard on many occasions,
including an FA Cup Semi-Final in
2010 at Wembley before he went off to the
World Cup. A friend said to me “shouldn’t
Howard be telling you how to assess?” The
answer is probably “yes” but it is a surprise
to officials sometimes that they are not necessarily
aware of their own idiosyncrasies
and Howard has always consistently listened
to advice and weighed it up in his
mind. So for those of you, who do not believe
that a boundary assessment can help
your future performances, think again.”
Cricket and football, although very different
aesthetically, require similar skill-sets
from the officials; the previously mentioned
Martin Bodenham being a fine example of
someone who has taken both and reached
the height of officialdom in both.
Have you got a ‘Hidden Talent’?
If so, let us know. E-mail
editoraco@ecb.co.uk with your tales.
The ‘Hidden Talent’ for the next
edition is rather crazy!!
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 20 contact us on 0121 446 2710

The ECB Initiative on Pitch Marking
and the Monitoring of Inappropriate
Behaviour and Fair Play
ECB, with the assistance of ECB ACO, is in the process of training all of its Premier League umpires in the hope of
ensuring that Premier League pitches that are not of a good enough standard are appropriately reported. In
addition to this, we will also be considering examples of inappropriate behaviour to ensure a more consistent
process of reporting individuals’ indiscipline and the team fair play form.
This initiative is aimed at getting a better understanding of pitch marking
and taking positive action to arrest what is perceived to be a general
decline in standards of behaviour and attitudes across the whole
of recreational cricket.
A small group led by Paul Bedford and including Martin Ford, the
Pitch Adviser, and Nick Cousins, met to consider how best this could
be achieved. As a result an interactive DVD presentation for all Premier
League Umpire Panels was created to address these issues and
facilitate discussion.
ECB ACO was pleased to be involved in this initiative from the
start and itself formed a small committee consisting of Nick Cousins,
Glyn Pearson and first-class umpire Jeff Evans, to put together the
presentation with technical support from Peter Robinson, who with
his experience as an umpire and a groundsman was also able to contribute
to both sections of the DVD.
Presenting to 26 different groups all over the country in a short
timespan gives some logistic difficulties, but prospective tutors from
both the worlds of umpiring and grounds were invited to help out and
all met for a familiarisation day at Loughborough in mid-February.
The meeting gave guidance to a cohort of 17 experienced umpires
(including several from the First Class list) and 12 senior groundsmen
who will deliver the two hour inter-active presentations throughout the
country, starting with all Premier Leagues prior to the start of the 2012
season.
Now that the DVD has been created, the tutor notes written and the
familiarisation completed, the 17 trained tutors have been allocated to
the various league meetings that will take place before play gets underway
this term.
The presentation contains one hour segments on each of the two
topics and is designed to be delivered in one evening, a morning or an
afternoon.
The pitch marking session includes guidance as to what umpires
should be looking for when marking a pitch; what constitutes a good
pitch and what constitutes a sub-standard pitch. It is designed to help
identify pitches which are not up to the standard expected in senior
leagues so that guidance and assistance can be given to the clubs to
improve them.
Tutors at the Familiarisation Seminar
Back Row – (L to R) Steve Massingham, Lincolnshire; Terry Dorr, Derbyshire; Paul Joy,
Northamptonshire; Keith Sutherland, Durham; Dave Burden, Berkshire.
Middle Row - (L-R) Mark Eggleston & Paul Baldwin (ECB 1st Class Reserve List)
Front Row –( L-R) Tim Robinson & Steve O’Shaughnessy (ECB 1st Class List)
The indiscipline session identifies areas of unacceptable behaviour
and asks participants to categorise them in order of seriousness. It
also gives guidance on how to write a report which is accurate, brief
and clear and gives participants the opportunity to write such a report
on an actual incident shown on video.
It will be interesting to see how this initiative is received; whether
the messages and advice can be cascaded successfully through further
ACO meetings to reach all levels of recreational cricket and whether
we are able to see a discernible difference as the summer progresses.
The hope is that incidents of indiscipline will be lessened and that
the overall standard of pitches throughout the country will improve.
With the most recent ‘extended pitch marking report form’ meaning
that the pitches are marked on a number of different areas, it is hoped
the overall quality of playing surfaces will get better.
A timetable of Premier League meetings is included below and
there will be some feedback and reports on the meetings in the summer
edition of the newsletter.
Whatever the outcome, this has been a real team effort with many
aspects of the recreational game and first class games coming together
for the good of the game overall.
See page 27 for the county schedule.
Peter Robinson, the man with three hats on; Umpire, Groundsman and technical support extraordinaire -
the editorial team saw Peter as the ideal man to comment on the initiative and the expected outcomes
for all parties…
As a cricket groundsman and an umpire, I was pleased when I heard a
whisper that the ECB were planning a course on how to mark pitches and
how to deal with disciplinary issues.
From a groundman’s point of view, I have always found it frustrating
knowing that if there is any spin or seam movement, even from a high
class professional, the umpires have no alternative but to mark the pitch
down, even if the carry and bounce is good. I don’t blame the umpires for
this; they are only following what it says on the form. I have always aimed
to make my pitches good to bat on but I know that the best bowlers will always
be able to get something out of them. Surely, this shouldn’t mean
the pitch is automatically marked down.
As an umpire, I have never been comfortable marking down pitches
that I knew were good, just because good spinners or seam bowlers were
able to get a bit of movement. However, in the absence of any training to
tell us otherwise, the marking form left us with no option. I know that
many other umpires are of the same opinion.
What is the point in coaches teaching young players how to spin and
seam the ball if groundsmen are expected to produce pitches that make it
impossible to extract any movement?
Now, following the introduction of the pitch marking presentation, umpires
will take into consideration the skill of the bowlers when making a
judgment on spin or seam movement. I can tell you that this will be welcomed
by groundsmen throughout the country.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 21 contact us on 0121 446 2710

‘By-the-Byes’
Mervyn Westfield
ECB
issued the
following
statement
in
response
to the
court case
brought
against
Mervyn
Westfield
at the Old
Bailey.
The former Essex bowler admitted a charge
of corruptly accepting or obtaining, or
agreeing to accept or obtain, corrupt
payments, and has since been sentenced to
four months in prison.
ECB said: “This case has clearly
demonstrated that there can be no
complacency with regard to the potential
threat posed to all areas and levels of sport
including our domestic game by corrupt
activities. It has also highlighted the need to
further enhance player education around this
issue and the ECB ACCESS Unit will be
working closely with all those involved in
the professional game and the PCA towards
this end. This case sends out a clear message
to all players and officials that spot or match
fixing is a criminal activity and punishable
in law. We will, of course, continue to do
our utmost to ensure that cricket is free from
any corrupt activity.”
Following the appointment of Chris
Watts as the ECB Information Manager to
the Anti-Corruption Unit, the ECB, at its
meeting on 12 January, determined that a
reporting window through April 2012
should be offered to players and officials to
report approaches or information related to
corrupt activities.
It is an offence under the ECB Regulations
not to report such activity and the Board
wished to provide an open opportunity for
players or officials who may not have
previously reported such activity to be
offered the opportunity to furnish information
without the threat of sanction concerning a
prior failure to report such activity.
ECB Information Manager Chris Watts
commented: “Information is critical in
addressing the threat posed by corruption in
sport. The decision of the Board to provide a
window for retrospective reporting of
alleged approaches will greatly assist the
ACCESS unit in compiling a more complete
picture of the source and focus of
approaches which may have taken place in
the past. Individuals may not have thought
these approaches were worthy of reporting
at the time and prior to the decision of the
Board may have been concerned that the
fact that they did not report such activity
may have put them at risk of disciplinary
action. I am working closely with the PCA
to provide players and officials with this
opportunity to work with our ACCESS unit
to ensure that we work together to address
the threat created by corruption in sport.”
2011/2012 Tutor Kit
As part of ECB ACO’s merchandise contract
with Duncan Fearnley, 200 new tutor kits
have been provided for members who deliver
courses throughout the country.
The kit distributed consisted of a Micro
Fleece Jacket, ACO Polo Shirt and ACO
Chinos from the new range which can be
seen in the Fearnley Catalogue insert (see
other by-the-byes for more details) that
comes with this edition.
As there
was no up to
date full list
of ACO
tutors, the
search for
the names
of all
those who
helped
out last
season began with an
email to the County
Education Officers
asking for a list of
their tutors and the
relevant clothing
sizes.
Once this list
had been collated it
was then sent to
the Regional
Educational
Officers for their
approval. This process took a
considerable amount of time and because of
this the deadline of the 1 st of October was
pushed back. Regardless of the delay the
tutor kit began to hit the doorsteps the week
prior to Christmas – perfect timing you
may say
25 and 40 years ties
Members of ECB ACO
will be rewarded, for both
25 and 40 years of
officiating, with ties, for
men, or silk scarves, for
women, as recognition
of their long-standing
services to Cricket
Officiating.
All members are
encouraged to get in contact with their
County ACO to inform them if
they have been involved with ECB
ACO and the ACU&S for more
than 25 years.
The 25 year ties and scarves are
available in navy or pale grey
with the 40 year ties and scarves
coming in mid navy, navy, red or
pale grey. The 25 year ties will
have to be purchased, of which
there will be more details at a
later date. The 40 year ties will
be free to those who have been with the
Association for that period of time.
Saved by the thickness of my
Law book…
A cricket umpire from
Pakistan had his life spared
thanks to Stuart Broad’s
Dad and a handily placed
ICC umpiring law book.
Ahsan Raza, one of the
umpires in England’s
warm up game against a
Pakistan Board XI at the
start of this year, was
travelling with Chris Broad
in 2009 on the way to umpire in his first test
match, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, when
the bus came under attack from terrorists.
Following that terrorist attack, Pakistan
have since been playing their games in the
UAE.
During the attack, Raza was struck by two
bullets and ended up in a coma for three days
and intensive care for 27 days.
Talking of the ordeal to the Guardian,
Ahsan wanted to thank his ICC handbook for
saving his life: “I was saved by two things.
One, I put an ICC handbook, with all the rules
and regulations, in front of my stomach.”
One of the bullets still penetrated and he
was left in terrible pain on the floor of the bus
before Chris Broad came to his rescue.
“I give credit to Chris Broad as well. He
was crying at first, everybody in the bus was
crying. But then there was a pin-drop silence
everywhere, and he suddenly realised that
someone – me – was on the floor dying and
my blood was pumping full speed. He lay
down on me to try to stop the flow,” he said.
The morals of this story being; keep your
friends close, but your umpiring law book
closer!!
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 22 contact us on 0121 446 2710

County Rebates
On Friday 9 th December each County Cricket Board was given £4 per Full, Junior and
EU member as part of ACO’s rebate system.
A letter was sent to the County Board Treasurer and copied to the ACO County
Principal Contact of each of the 39 counties informing them of the payment and
advising them that this payment should be used for ‘the support and development’ of
their county officials.
A total of £32,640 was paid for a total of 8210 members.
Ashwin run out
In the recent ODI game between
Sri Lanka and India, Indian
bowler Ravi Ashwin ran out the
non-striker in his delivery stride,
as the batsman, Lahiru
Thirimanne, was out of his
ground.
Ashwin had warned
Thirimanne the over before about
being out of his ground, so
appealed when he knocked the
bails off. The umpires, Paul
Reiffel and Billy Bowden,
convened and called over stand-in
India captain Virenda Sehwag for
a chat.
Following the discussion
Sehwag withdrew the appeal.
Umpiring in
the snow?
It’s just not cricket springs to mind.
But the guys from Devon weren’t
going to let the elements get in the
way of their umpiring course. Conditions
were evidently not in favour
of the ‘umps’ present, but undeterred,
the group found their way to
the field of play. Here is the report…
Devon ACO ran its first Umpire Level 1A
course at Sandford CC over 2 Saturdays.
18 umpires participated and were taught
by a lead tutor, assistant tutor and two support
tutors.
Everyone played a full part and entered
into the spirit of sharing experiences and
learning from each other. Activity output
was recorded and passed back to the participants
in the form of ‘bullet points’.
Virender Sehwag and Sachin
Tendulkar withdraw the appeal
as they talk to umpires
Billy Bowden and Paul Reiffel
With Twitter very much the centre of all social media at the
moment, and with umpires and the DRS system in the
public eye, we thought we would put the two together and
keep you updated on David Lloyd’s thoughts as he tweeted
to the twitter-sphere during England’s disappointing test
series against Pakistan. As Bumble is well known for
championing umpires all around the world we tend to follow his musings.
David 'Bumble' Lloyd @BumbleCricket
Umpires having an excellent game - lots of appeals which is understandable on a 'Turner'.
Umps will be enjoying this (26th January – 1.04pm).
To stop the chatter and get the blood flowing,
some action took place on the cricket
field including positioning and, classically,
a signalling exercise in the snow!
David 'Bumble' Lloyd @BumbleCricket
Even if there is no 'mark' on hotspot, umpires can go on noise. People need to understand the
wordings of DRS. They clearly don’t (19th January – 8.04am).
This Edition of ECB ACO’s newsletter comes with a number of
inserts, all for your information before the season starts.
We have the NEW 2012 Duncan Fearnley catalogue with all of the latest offers and deals (see
page 13 for the Duncan Fearnley report)
Along with that we have the most up to date ECB ACO Directive Cards (five in total) that cover
areas such as ‘Pre-match ritual’, ‘Scorer’s briefing notes’, ‘Penalty-run’, ‘Safety Guidance’,
‘Fielding Regulations’, ‘Fast Bowling Match Directives’ and ‘Guidelines for Junior Players in Open
Age Cricket’.
Finally there is a Discipline Report Form inserted into this edition.
The participants now need to complete a
further 10 recorded matches, be observed
and have a final “Professional Discussion”
to achieve their Level 1A certification -
their all-weather qualification is a given!
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 23 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Your letters…
Wides, no balls and balls faced -
a query sent in by Stephen Gaymer
We are in the process of developing a
product for cricket scoring, but have
come to an issue we cannot find any firm
resolution on. Do no balls and wides count
towards the number of balls a batsman
faces in an innings, match, career? On the
face of it as they are illegal deliveries, the
answer should be ‘no’. On the other hand,
what if the batsman scores runs off a no
ball? Can you help me on this issue, or direct
me towards somebody who can?
Stephen, here lies the answer, as our
very own Andrew Scarlett and Geoff
Trett talk you through it…
Andrew Scarlett: “The ACS discussed it
at their committee meeting on Saturday and
agree with me. No balls count as a ball
faced. Wides do not count as a ball faced.
The Laws of Cricket do not require scorers
to count any balls. This question should be
directed at the Association of Cricket Statisticians
and Historians. However, ECB
ACO scorers will count no balls as a ball
faced. All, except 3 rather brilliant scorers,
might also count a wide as a ball faced.”
Geoff Trett: “My view of this is that no
balls do count towards the number of balls
that a batsman faces because he can score
runs off them. Wides do not count towards
this total because the batsman cannot, by
definition, score runs from a wide - although
he can be out to one! Wides do
count to the number of balls making up an
innings, since they contribute to the score.”
The importance of the
‘Team Card’
A point well made by Cyril Marshall
from Essex
“I believe there is a need, before the start of
the 2012 season, for ECB ACO to reiterate
the importance of the Team Card and the
requirement to obtain these before the commencement
of every match.
My reason for raising this particular
issue is the number of occasions where I
have stood with other qualified umpires
who upon being asked whether they had
been handed the
cards have responded
that they
don’t bother with
them, or there’s
no need because
they know the
teams involved
and there are
no age group
players.
I have
formed the
impression that there is
a mind-set that the cards are purely to be
used to identify young players rather than
acting as the formal nomination of players,
as required by the Laws of Cricket (Law
1.2). It would be interesting to know how
these umpires would deal with a complaint
that a side had altered their team after the
toss without recourse to a team card or how
they would stand both legally and with insurance
cover in the event that an ‘undeclared’
age group player was badly injured
because they weren’t wearing a helmet.
The ECB ACO’s own ‘Best Practice’
policy document states that as part of the
pre-match ritual that the umpires should receive
& check a completed, signed ‘team
card’.”
The festive period just got better
A thank you from Fred Godson of
Northumberland ACO just before
breaking up for Christmas.
“As a tutor, thank you very much for the
gift of ECB ACO clothing which has arrived
from Duncan Fearnley. The parcel
contained a micro-fleece jacket and a white
polo shirt, with a letter from Peter Fearnley
to say that a pair of on-field trousers would
be following in the New Year. The clothing
is good quality, and I like both the navy and
green colour scheme and the logos. Arriving
just before Christmas, it’s a very welcome
extra present.”
In edition 11, you may remember a letter
sent in by Margaret Hickman of Aston
CC in Staffordshire regarding the training
of Young Officials. Having had some time
to ponder our thoughts, here are Geoff
Trett’s views on the topic….
Much of the material used in the Young
Leaders course is duplicated by the Introduction
to Scoring Course and so it was felt
that there is no need to have separate
courses to teach essentially the same thing.
I have delivered an Introduction to Scoring
Course recently with a wide range of age
groups represented, including several
teenagers, and it worked very well.
The above is directed primarily at scoring
courses, but this is replicated for young
umpires. When enquiries are made from a
young person with regards to a young officials
course, they are put in contact with
their County Education Officer, so that they
can undertake an education course with
greater efficiency.
We have had a number of enquiries from
young officials regarding the courses,
which shows that it was extremely popular.
But all enquiries are coming directly to us,
so we are dealing with them and forwarding
them on to their counties as soon as is
possible. The key to this is that, yes, the
course is no longer running, but we are not
losing young officials because of it, as we
are able to deal with their enquiries quickly.
We are trying to encourage young officials
to sit a level one course sooner, and
with the help of the CEO’s, who are now
able to track their progress, the process of
getting them on to the ‘ladder’ is a lot
smoother.
A response from member James
Dykes to an article in ‘Laws –
queries’ of the previous ACO
newsletter
“Derek Laud writes in ‘Laws – Queries’
‘That's just unbelievable ump’ that he had
problems of credibility after giving a call
of “not out” on appeal for lbw followed by
a call of “out” on appeal for a catch at slip
off the same delivery.
As a level 1 qualified trainer I always
advise my students that an appeal is not
specific to a single event. After any appeal,
the umpires must consider all the facts up
to the ball becoming dead, and a single answer
(in this case "Out") suffices.
There is no need to state ‘not out’ for the
lbw if you are to follow it with ‘out’ for the
catch - indeed, as Derek noted, it simply
serves to confuse everyone. An appeal is a
request for a decision on whether a batsman
is out for any reason, and there is no
requirement for the player appealing to
specify under which law the appeal is
made, as it needs to be considered under
all relevant laws, and a single definitive
answer given.”
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 24 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Indiscipline and the umpiring pathway
Raised by David Marks from Lancashire ACO
Having read the winter 2011/2012 issue of
the newsletter I thought I would write to
you to express some thoughts that come to
mind.
The first point I would like to make regards
the continuing discussion about discipline
that has been in the newsletter for
the last three issues. As I am on the Disciplinary
Panel for the Greater Manchester
Amateur Cricket League (GMACL) I am
aware of anything that is brought up for
discussion and if we discount the lateness
of teams/lack of players/lack of equipment
and general tardiness of teams during a
game then I would have to say that we
would hardly ever meet. I believe the reason
for this is the very strong leadership we
are given by the GMACL Umpires Committee
and the fact that most of my umpiring
brethren are fairly robust in their
handling of games… I am certainly no exception
to that. If I believe that there is
ever the slightest chance of an incident getting
out of hand then a very loud ‘deadball’
followed by a few words and ‘the
look’ sorts things out.
Players are not robots. They have emotions
and sometimes emotions spill over. I
have heard on quite a few occasions a muttered
call of ‘that’s just unbelievable Ump’
or something similar and I find that a look
towards that player elicits a very quick (if
somewhat mumbled) apology. On the occasions
that I hear something like that I don’t
feel that my integrity is being undermined
or that I am ‘losing’ the players. Players
call what they think they see and it is up to
the umpire to diffuse any situation that
might arise. The thought of issuing a warning
would never enter my head over something
like that. True, if it happened again
then I would ramp up the warning but I
have never had to and of course there is always
the ‘5 penalty run’ Law to use. I believe
that not all County Associations use
the 5 run penalty and maybe this is where
the problem lies. The threat of using it usually
outweighs any ‘problems’ that might
arise. You may well feel that my idea of
man-management is wrong and that a
‘stronger more forceful’ hand is
needed…but I feel that I have the respect
of ALL players for the way I handle a
game. Issuing a code is not something to
take lightly. In my view they only inflame
a would be situation further which is why I
don’t want to go down the road of having
yellow and red cards either. I do however
like the idea of taking points off a team
when there is a breakdown of ‘serious’ discipline
by a single player. All players
would think twice about ‘trying something
on’ if his team was to be effected.
My second point concerns the courses
that are run for all umpires who wish to
reach higher levels. I am very pleased to
say that I have passed my Level 1 course
and will be doing the Level 1A during the
2012 season. However, the teaching officer
on the GMACL Umpires Committee has
had to spend far too much time in trying to
find courses for us to go on. I don’t know
where the fault with this lies though. The
article on Page 29 of the last newsletter
highlights the problem in a nutshell. It
seems that 14 counties were either doing
nothing or could not decide whether to run
courses. That is nearly 40% of all counties.
Surely the figure is way too high. It should
be ZERO.
Thirdly, the ACO National Conference
seems to have been a great success once
again. However, when looking at the table
showing how many people came, there is a
huge bias towards the counties in the south
of the country. Could you not arrange for
the conference to be held more centrally,
say in Birmingham? This would enable a
lot more of us from the north to attend. It is
just a thought.
Keep up the excellent work that you do.
I take a lot of enjoyment from reading the
newsletter and look forward to a time when
it appears monthly.
Response
As you point out David, discipline has
been the focus of much debate over the duration
of the last year. The number of
cases, by all accounts, are actually on the
decline, but there have been more ‘high
profile’ cases so to speak. We would welcome
any members’ thoughts on the matter
of discipline and we will be all too happy
to post their responses in the letters section
of the coming newsletters.
On page 29, Geoff Trett, National Scorers
Administration Officer, spoke of 14
counties who haven’t done anything. Since
December, when that report was made,
much has changed. Having received more
feedback from those counties, only seven
haven’t been able to run a course in their
area. Most importantly, this focusses on
scorers, which is something we are in the
process of improving and developing further
– the percentage of 40 is much lower
than it was at this stage last year. This figure
for umpires is also significantly lower,
and is as close to zero as it possibly can be.
Regarding the ACO National Conference,
we sympathise with your situation.
This is an issue that will be discussed further
in the coming months at the Membership
Services Committee meeting, who
will submit their recommendation to the
ECB ACO board. Please contact your regional
membership services representative
and your regional board member with your
views and thoughts that you may want to
be carried forward to this meeting. Although
the conference this year will be
held at Lord’s [see page 19 for details],
there are plans in place to review this decision
for future years.
‘Situation Vacant’ – Team Leader & ACO Specialist
A vacancy has arisen within the ECB Business and Membership team based at Edgbaston. The successful candidate will be expected to
expand their knowledge and understanding of the ACO to enable them to be thought of as the ACO ‘Guru’ within the Business &
Membership Team.
Principal Responsibilities:
✓ Ensuring the delivery of day to day business activity for education and membership
support
✓ Custodian of the Direct Debit
✓ Support the implementation of the lapsed members process
✓ Support the team by coaching them in the administration processes as and when required;
ensuring the team have all of the tools required to deliver the required outcomes
✓ Ensure that ACO business and administration processes are clearly documented and
agreed
✓ Be the main source of information relating to ACO business processes and administration
Applications close on 22nd March. Please visit the following web address for further details
http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/vacancies/
The successful candidate will work with the
Business and Membership team based at
Warwickshire County Cricket Ground’
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 25 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Leaving the Crease
Richard Hogben
Richard Hogben who has died aged 51 as a result of a motor
accident was a comparatively new recruit to the ranks of umpires.
Most of his cricket activity was devoted to playing. Indeed, at a
recent memorial service to celebrate his life, his son and
daughters all chose as their first adjective to describe him the
word “competitive”.
Richard played at Wembley Cricket Club for 15 years. At first
he played for the second team, some of the time as captain but
about halfway through that period his prolific record for bowling
accuracy and lengthy spell stamina got him into the first eleven.
He bowled seemingly lazy inswinging medium pacers. The
description “military medium” was invented for him. But there
was a bit more to his bowling than that, as his results testify.
And to underestimate him as either a bowler or team player was a
huge mistake. He was very rarely "collared" despite bowling at
many of the best batsmen in the Middlesex League and always
offered his captain control, accuracy and economy.
Highlights of his career include a 7 wicket haul, in the process
dismissing Ed Joyce against Brondesbury, then one of the
strongest teams in the League, for 50 on a wet pitch. He also
excelled with yet another economical opening spell bowled
straight off the reel in the 2003 Middx Federation Cup victory.
Richard was a great team man. Keen to do his part, and
always happy to bowl, but primarily concerned with victory and
the success of the club. An excellent jovial but calming influence
on the team he was a pleasure to play alongside.
Whilst his bowling was accurate and parsimonious his batting
was something else. He suffered an unprecedented career record
of LBW dismissals (all questionable in his eyes) and
demonstrated a unique skill in the accumulation of leg byes,
though his views on the LBW Law were to change a little later in
his life.
One incident serves to illustrate his perhaps misplaced
confidence in his own ability with the bat. Teddington had
amassed a small matter of 286 for 3 against Wembley’s finest.
Clear instructions had been issued. On no account were quick
singles to be taken to Danny Waugh
(brother of slightly better known twins)
in the Teddington cover field.
Richard came to the crease at 27 for
9 confident of victory. There was,
after all, plenty of time. He played his
first ball gently into the off side and
cried “Yes!”. Enter Danny Waugh
and the inevitable crash of stumps at
the bowler’s end. Wembley 27 all
out. To the end of his days he
maintained that there was an easy run.
After his playing career Richard took up umpiring. At first he
stuck to Second XI club cricket, but joined the Middlesex League
panel in 2008. In his first season his marks were among the best
in the League and a number of senior colleagues on the panel
recognised that his was a very promising career.
He was soon being given games for the County Development
teams playing two day cricket and this led to his recognition as
good enough to umpire in the County Second XI Championship.
Last season he divided his time between the Middlesex and
Home Counties Leagues. His rapid progress as an umpire led
him to the Final of the Cockspur T20 Competition at Chelmsford
which was televised by Sky. And he survived scrutiny by
Hawkeye.
Richard was a member of the Welcome Evangelical Church in
Witney, where he was also a lay preacher. Pastor Billy Doey
said, “Richard had a love of life. He was interested in what was
going on, always positive. He was intelligent and profoundly
thoughtful and above all he will be remembered in the church as a
man of integrity.”
Richard is survived by his three adult children Sarah, Alistair
and Rebecca, and his grandson, Zedekiah. He was a great friend
of many cricketers, a popular player, a very promising umpire
and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Peter Ray
We are sad to announce the death of Peter Ray following a long illness.
Those who knew Peter will be unsurprised to learn that he remained mentally alert to the end and his
last words to Keir Hopley were to berate Kevin Pietersen for his lack of technique against spin bowling -
particularly left arm spin bowling!
In the previous edition of the newsletter, we were delighted to award Peter with Honorary Life Membership
of ECB ACO, his picture accompanying the following text:
Peter has been involved in all aspects of cricket. Following an
extended playing career, he turned to umpiring quite late, but
soon found himself standing in Premier League fixtures and
earned universal respect as ‘one of the best’. He was passionate
about the role and place of ACU&S and led the campaign to save
it from self-destructing. Distraught when this failed, he then embarked
on a personal crusade to uncover what he saw as the ‘untold
truth’ about the demise. Nobody can doubt his commitment
to officiating and although it is his tenacious support for ACU&S
that most characterises him, it should be noted that he was entirely
supportive of the new methodology in education and became
one of the first qualified ECB ACO assessors.
A full tribute will be printed in the next newsletter.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 26 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Leaving the Crease
John Stokes
Following a life-time in sport, Martin Brown sent us this tribute about the late John Stokes.
John was a legendary
figure in
Lodway Cricket
Club and his contributions
as a
player, youth team
manager, groundsman,
umpire and
club President
from 1998-2005
were exceptional. As a player John was
firm but fair and always enjoyed a good
tussle with his opponents. He was very encouraging
and happy to pass on his knowledge
and skills to younger players as he
enjoyed good cricket wherever it was
played. He certainly brought this to his career
as an umpire where he rapidly won respect
for his good nature and sound
judgement.
He joined Lodway Cricket Club as a
youngster scoring for the second eleven and
apart from time spent in the RAF (war
years) played continuous cricket until the
ripe old age of 70. He was awarded the
coveted Lodway Gage Cup for clubman of
the year in 1972. John was a good bat who
scored a few tons, a splendid enthusiastic
fielder and part time bowler.
Away from cricket John was also a very
good free-scoring centre forward. He
played in Scottish Division 1 football
whilst in the RAF. On return to civvy street
John had trials with Bristol Rovers and Tottenham
Hotspur. For many years he played
for Clevedon Town where he was a prolific
scorer. He ended his footballing days playing
for his local team, St George Easton-in-
Gordano when he was well into his forties.
John was a fitness fanatic as he also
played badminton, squash and tennis with
great skill, and was no mean swimmer. In
later years he took up golf and was a member
at Tall Pines for many seasons. I had
the privilege of playing with John when he
had a hole in one.
He took up umpiring and gave devoted
service for over 20 years, passed his ACU
examinations and stood in county second
XI matches.
John and I travelled many miles as an
umpiring partnership for about 16 seasons.
We covered the outbacks of Somerset,
Gloucester, Wiltshire, Devon and Bristol.
John was a great talker and always knew
someone no matter where he travelled. We
would sometimes test ourselves on long
journeys on the laws of cricket, his knowledge
was excellent, and needless to say we
had many late but enjoyable return journeys.
Our umpiring highlight was officiating
the match between a West Indies
touring team and Club Cricket Conference
at Trowbridge (28-6-91), where the likes of
Viv Richards and a very young Brian Lara
were playing.
John passed away on the 18 th of January,
2012, in his 90 th year and is survived by his
wife Audrie and sons Michael and Tim. He
will be sorely missed at Lodway and I shall
always remember his loyal friendship and
commitment.
Pitchmarking & monitoring inappropriate behaviour – schedule
…Following on from page 21
League Day Date Time Venue
Birmingham and District Premier League Monday 26-Mar 20:00 Moseley CC
Cheshire County Cricket League Wednesday 28-Mar 20:00 Sale CC
Cornwall Cricket League Wednesday 14-Mar 19:30 Truro Cricket Centre
Derbyshire Premier League Wednesday 04-Apr 18:30 Derby Rugby Club
Devon Cricket League Tuesday 10-Apr 19:00 The Exeter Court Hotel,
East Anglian Premier Cricket League Wednesday 04-Apr 19:30 Cambridge Ex-Services club,
Essex Premier League Thursday 22-Mar 19:30 County Ground, Chelmsford
Home Counties Premier Cricket League Wednesday 18-Apr 19:30 High Wycombe CC
Kent Cricket League Sunday 15-Apr 10:00 Wateringbury Parish Hall
Leicestershire Premier Cricket League Tuesday 27-Mar 19:00 Kibworth CC
Lincolnshire Premier League Wednesday 21-Mar 19:30 Lincolnshire University
Liverpool Competition Sunday 25-Mar 11:45 Bootle CC
Middlesex County Cricket League Monday 19-Mar 20:00 Finchley CC
Northamptonshire Cricket League Tuesday 13-Mar 19:30 Irthlingborough CC
North East Premier League Thursday 29-Mar 19:30 Chester-le-Street CC
North Staffs and South Cheshire Premier League Monday 26-Mar 19:15 Hem Heath CC,
North Yorks South Durham Premier League Tuesday 20-Mar 18:30 Stokesley Sports Club
North Wales Cricket League Sunday 25-Mar 10:00 Mochdre CC, Colwyn Bay
Northern Premier Cricket League Saturday 31-Mar 14:30 Blackpool CC
Nottinghamshire Cricket Board Premier League Thursday 22-Mar 19:30 The Players Dining Room, Trent Bridge
South Wales Cricket League Sunday 18-Mar 14:00 SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff
Surrey Championship Sunday 15-Apr 11:00 Cheam CC
Sussex Cricket League Tuesday 27-Mar 18:30 County Ground, Hove
West of England Premier League Sunday 22-Apr 13:00 BWA Club, North Bristol - British Aerospace Ground
Yorkshire Cricket League Sunday 01-Apr 13:20 Barnsley CC
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 27 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Scorers
Welcome to the scorers’ pages of the spring newsletter. Apart from a general
wrap-up of news from me, there is a Q & A on insurance for scorers, following a
request at the national conference in November and some handy hints on
preparing for the new season which we hope you will find useful. I wish you all a
successful and very enjoyable start to the season.
As I write this article we are in the midst of the scorers’ training season
with the new introductory and Level 1 courses being rolled out
for the first time. I’ve helped deliver these courses myself locally
and feel that splitting the introductory element from Level 1 has
worked very well. I’m collating any improvements to the existing
material that can be introduced for next year, so if any tutors wish to
share their experiences with us, that would be very helpful. This
year we are using an assessment process based on a scoring narrative,
but we agreed at the Scorers Sub-Committee in January that we
will commission a new video, to be filmed during the coming season,
which will have a lot of “content” to keep scorers on their toes
and provide a more realistic challenge for assessment purposes and
this will be introduced next year.
In November the pilot one-day Level 2 course was successfully
carried out at Lord’s with positive feedback from the candidates
who took that course and regional courses are now being rolled out
in some parts of the country. A new Level 3 course is under development
and will be piloted this autumn with a view to being delivered
in time for the 2013 season.
Aside from formal courses we are also developing CPD modules
for linear scoring, computer scoring and Duckworth-Lewis. The
Surrey Championship will be using Duckworth-Lewis for the first
time this season and this may be the forerunner for others, so this is
a skill which more of
us will need to develop
in the years
ahead. This also applies
to computer
scoring, which is already
well established
in some parts of the
country and is a very
dynamic market. Our
initial CPD module
will focus on Total
Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis Cricket Scorer (TCS)
because this is the most common application in use across the country
but we will be monitoring developments in this sector and will
adapt our stance as the situation evolves.
On 17th March we are holding a national conference of County
and Regional Scorers Officers in Birmingham with a view to sharing
good practice, helping those counties who are not blessed with
tutors and working on plans for the future. We will share the outcomes
of this conference with you all in the next newsletter.
The deadline for applications for the scorer initiative is 31 March,
although the assessments themselves can take place during the season,
so if any of you wish to be assessed please contact your Regional
Scorers Officer, details of whom can be found elsewhere in
this newsletter. At the January SSC it was reported that over 200
scorers across the country have applied to be assessed under the initiative.
Development of young officials is a topical theme across most
sports including cricket. In my county of Gloucestershire we have
expanded the Cricket Young Leaders course to include a cricket
scoring element as a bolt-on to the existing curriculum. The young
cricketers are given a version of the Introductory Scorers course and
are expected to score 2 matches during the season with support from
experienced scorers within the local association to get their Young
Leaders certificate. The aim is to improve awareness and appreciation
of scoring amongst young players, equip them with the necessary
skills to take the book if necessary and possibly sow a seed for
the future in the hope that some of them might wish to become scorers
in the longer term. I am looking to expand this initiative across
the country.
Finally, congratulations are in order for Polly Rhodes, the Deputy
RSO for South & West, who has been appointed to score the England
v. Australia ODI at Lords on 29th June. Polly started scoring
20 years ago and this will be the pinnacle of her scoring career to
date. Polly has agreed to write an article for a future newsletter
which will show how it is possible for a scorer to progress from
grass roots cricket to the very top of the game as well as sharing her
impressions of the big day itself (praying for dry weather....!)
ACO Insurance
Q
Q
Q
Q
As a Scorer does the ECB ACO Insurance cover me for car
travel to and from matches?
Yes - Personal Accident cover applies*
As a Scorer does the ECB ACO Insurance cover me for
travel by public transport to and from matches?
Yes - Personal Accident cover applies*
As a Scorer does the ECB ACO Insurance cover me for
damage to my vehicle sustained during a match?
No - However, there may be a claim against the club, for
instance if car is hit by a ball, but this might be difficult to prove
liability wise.
As a Scorer does the ECB ACO Insurance cover me for
loss of, or damage to my personal belongings during a
match?
Q
Q
No - There may again be a claim against a club/venue but not
in all circumstances, ACO members should ensure that their
own household cover extends to include their belongings when
used/taken outside their house.
As a Scorer does the ECB ACO Insurance cover me for
losing or damaging someone else’s belongings during a
match?
Yes - Subject to legal liability being with you as the cause of
the loss
As a Scorer does the ECB ACO Insurance cover me for
personal injury sustained during a match?
Yes – Subject to the limitations of cover under the policy –
Depending on the circumstances however liability for an injury
may rest with another party
*Personal Accident cover is not included for ACO members over 80 years old but the PA cover does apply to them up to the age of 85
when at the match (ie whilst scoring). Cover excludes travel to and from matches for 80-85 year olds.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 28 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Scorers Count! – planning and preparation
How ready will you be for that first
match of your new season at the
call of, ’PLAY’ - when that first ball is
delivered and your pen is poised…
It is that time of year again when the weather
turns and our thoughts turn towards the
forthcoming season, our appointments, our
teams, our club, our scorebox…
A number of things have changed during the close season – some cricket
leagues may have changed their rules and regulations – Surrey Championship
has introduced Duckworth-Lewis for example. The ECB and many leagues
have introduced a new, updated Code of Practice – discipline and reporting –
be ready! Shock horror if the scorebox has been electrified for computer
scoring…
Here is a checklist for Scorers that may help you to be as prepared and ready
as you have ever been
1. Consider your plan for the season. How many games do you want to score? Who for? Where?
For many scorers this will simply involve scoring for your club at weekends and in midweek cup matches. But for those of you who
score for more than one team, you should consider how much scoring you want to do, where your priorities lie if there are fixtures
clashes, if you want to expand your portfolio of matches and how you might do that. Speaking with your County Scorers Officer might
be helpful in this regard.
2. Get a set of fixtures and plan your scoring diary.
Most leagues will have their fixtures in place by now, so start filling your diaries with what you know and this will help avoid any
accidental double-booking. Also if you know that you are not going to be available for a particular fixture, consider who is going to
cover for you.
3. Ensure that your scorebooks have enough space to cover the season.
It’s always good to have one season’s matches in one scorebook. If there isn’t enough space in your book, ask your club to buy you a
new one – or you may prefer to buy it yourself to ensure that it’s in the format that you like.
4. Purchase any additional clothing for the season.
The full range of clothing is available in the Fearnley catalogue inserted in to this edition.
5. Check your personal scoring equipment and update as necessary.
Do those coloured pens still work?!
6. Find out if any new players have joined your team during the winter.
Popping down to winter nets is a good way of meeting new players before the first match of the season, although it is often
accompanied by a request to collect fees for the hall hire!
7. Become familiar with any changes in laws or regulations that might affect you during the season.
The club game is always evolving and there seem to be changes in league regulations every year. So check on this before the start of
the season to see what impact it will have on your scoring
8. Attend any pre-season seminars with umpires.
It is quite common for County ACOs and local associations to hold pre-season seminars. Although these may appear to be directed at
umpires, it is good for scorers to attend as part of the officials team and get across any points about how you would like to work
together during the season.
9. Ensure that the scorebox is ready for use and that everything works.
If the score box hasn’t been used since September then, at the very least it will require a spring clean to remove the cobwebs and the
dust. You should also check that the mechanics or electronics are in good working order a week or two before the first match to give
you time to arrange repair or replacements if necessary.
10. Ensure that you re-joined ECB ACO!
Our year begins on 1 January and we are keen to keep growing and developing the Association – so, if you haven’t already rejoined,
please do so as soon as possible.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 29 contact us on 0121 446 2710

ECB Scorers Lists
As mentioned on page 17 we feature both first-class and MCCA scorers lists.
First Class Scorers Lists
County First XI Second XI
Derbyshire John M Brown Trevor Cottam (2nd XI).
Durham Brian Hunt Richard Hilton
Essex Tony Choat Paul Parkinson
Glamorgan Andrew Hignell Byron Jones/Gareth Watkins
Gloucestershire Adrian Bull Keith Gerrish
Hampshire Tony Weld Kevin Baker/Peter Danks
Kent Brian Rodwell Cliff Booth
Lancashire Alan West Darrin White
Leicestershire Paul Rogers Peter Johnson
Middlesex Don Shelley Martyn Fryer
Northamptonshire Tony Kingston Mick Woolley
Nottinghamshire Roger Marshall Anne Cusworth
Somerset Gerry Stickley Polly Rhodes
Surrey Keith Booth Jennifer Booth
Sussex Mike Charman Graham Irwin
Warwickshire David Wainwright Steve Smith
Worcestershire David Pugh Phil Mellish/Sue Drinkwater
Yorkshire John Potter Howard Clayton
MCCA Scorers List
Bedfordshire
Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Cambridgeshire
Cheshire
Cornwall
Cumberland
Devon
Dorset
Mark Wynn & Graeme Presswell
Sue Jones
John Goodman, Bob Lane &
Paul Dean
Chris Abbott
JW Law & Mrs J Herbert
Jim O’Brien
Geoff Minshaw
Harold Shaw, Rachel Tozer &
Peter Langford
Christine Drew
Herefordshire
Hertfordshire
Lincolnshire
Norfolk
Northumberland
Oxfordshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Suffolk
Wales
Wiltshire
Jim Morris
Brian Mulholland, Tony Gibbs &
Mike Arnold
Shelly Clayton
Ralph Grimes
Bobby Dodds & Keith Telford
Rodney Clarke & Chris Cox
Colin Barthorpe & Claire Green
Kevin O’Connell
Andy Broome
John Jones
Steve Rice
Dr. Samuel E. Ritchie of Clontarf Cricket Club, Dublin, recently
undertook ECB ACO’s Level 1 Scorers Course and provided us
with the following report…
I had returned to playing cricket in 2009 after 26 years of not
touching ball or bat and found myself enjoying all aspects of the
game, even the task of scoring. Just as I had taken lessons to
improve my batting, bowling and fielding; at the start of the 2010
season I took on the correspondence level 1 scoring course to
make sure my scoring skills were up to date.
One begins the course by submitting a scoring record of a 10
over game, a game without any particularly difficult or more
unusual occurrences. The idea appears to be to assess the scorer’s
level of ability at the start of the course and to assign an
appropriate mentor.
The course has five parts. Each part has a 10-20 page tutorial
explaining various laws of the game and how to score each
incident that may occur in relation to each of the laws. I soon
came to understand that I had a lot to learn especially in the area
of ball counting, getting the extras correctly accounted for and
ensuring the book balanced the first time, every time. Each part
ends with first the submission of written answers to a number of
questions and secondly the completion of a complete score sheet
of one-half of an innings containing elements of both the current
and previous studied tutorials. What I did appreciate is that this
second task is about building confidence in what one has learned
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 30 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Christmas Challenge – 2011 Results
When I submitted my latest challenge at the end of November I gave
a closing date of 15th January, and I hoped that my readers would be
able to spend Boxing Day, and perhaps a few days after that, doing
battle with the questions. When we realised that the newsletter
would not be published in time for this, the date was put back nine
days to 24th January. Sadly, problems with the distribution of the
newsletter meant that most members did not receive their copy in
time to be able to meet that deadline.
Happily there were enough readers who decided they were
not going to be denied their “fun”, and sent an entry anyway.
Since I was away watching England tackling a different challenge
in the desert when these entries arrived, it seemed only
sensible to accept all the entries which were waiting for me on
my return on 8th February. I offer my apologies to those readers
who would have sent a late entry if they had realised that
they would have been accepted.
Many readers will know that the Challenge appears in two
publications, Notchers News and the ACO newsletter. My review
of the competition will refer to entries sent for both
sources. In all I received 32 entries (twelve for NN and twenty
for ACO), and amongst these there were nine all correct. The
preferred solution follows here, but I did make allowances for
a couple of answers for which entrants made points which I
decided were valid (see below).
Solution
Scratchers Notchers
1 161 59
2 7 10
3 18 160
4 19 4
5 1 5
6 11 104
7 5 4
8 88 0
9 0 6
10 19 4
11 74 6
Extras 12 6
Total 415 368
Result: Scratchers won by 47 runs
The questions which caused the most problems related to the
number of overs in the last hour: this perhaps reflects the fact
that the majority of club cricket is played under limited overs
regulations with no requirement for the last hour to be considered.
The laws, however, refer to what I call “proper cricket”, so
I feel justified in including questions on this aspect of the game.
In Scratchers 11 (10 errors), when play restarts 26 minutes (26
divided by 3; ignore remainder 2) i.e. 8 overs, have been lost, so
12 overs plus the two balls remaining from the unfinished over
remain to be bowled.
In Notchers 1 (8 errors), 23 minutes are lost (23 divided by 3)
i.e. 7 overs, so 9.5 overs (59 balls) remain.
In Scratchers 3 (12 errors), the extras were made up as follows:
5nb, 4lb, 3w, 2nb, 5 pen = total 19.
Other questions which produced five or more errors were
Scratchers 1 (7), 4 (9), 6 (7); Notchers 2 (6), 5 (5), 7 (6). Perhaps
I should point out that questions Scratchers 9, Notchers 8
and 9 reflect recent changes in the law.
I decided to make allowances for Scratchers 6 – I realised that
I did not specify that the four overthrows were produced as a result
of the ball being thrown to the boundary and the batsmen
might have run the extra four (and no signal from the umpire),
so I did not penalise anyone who gave 10 as the answer to this
one. In addition I allowed a different answer for Scratchers 12
– some entrants pointed out that the umpires would be carrying
spare bails: even though the law does not say that this is a requirement
– and the rules state that “normal laws apply”, I decided
to give them the benefit of the doubt. I suspect that, if the
Decision Review System had been used, the “Umpire’s Call”
would have applied and they would have been given out!
Many thanks to all entrants for entering and for the kind
words from some. The correct entries came from John Betts,
Sheila Harding, Wendy Hardy, John Mountford, Nick Szkutko
(Brisbane) and Michael Turner (all Notchers News); and from
Mike Archer, M Elango (India) and Bob Jones (all ACO). The
two winners are Wendy Hardy (NN) and Bob Jones (ACO).
‘A £25 Duncan Fearnley voucher is in the post, congratulations
Bob.’
and not an attempt by the examiner to try and catch you out.
I did find that a copy of Tom Smith’s book of cricket umpiring
and scoring was essential and would recommend at least access to
a copy. The books also helped to pass the time while waiting for
rain interruptions in play to pass.
The distance education format of this course suited my
circumstances; firstly I was not living in the UK and secondly
needed to fit the course around all my other commitments. In
addition, the advantages of this particular course, in my opinion, are:
• That it happens at my pace of learning with no pressure to meet
deadlines;
• That it is methodical and systematic – as an engineer it suits my
way of learning;
• The material is clear, unambiguous and well explained;
• The tutor I was assigned was responsive to enquiries and gentle
in pointing out my repeat mistakes; and
• The questions were testing and each game to be scored was
interesting and challenging.
Completing the Level 1 course has, based on verbal comments
received in the 2011 season, turned me into a fairly competent
scorer and I now have a desire to try the level 2 course. I can
certainly recommend this course for new scorers as well as those
already perhaps scoring games but want to make sure they have
all the necessary skills.
e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 31 contact us on 0121 446 2710

The Ultimate Nelson
On the 11th of November
last year at Cape Town, in
the first test between Australia
and South Africa,
something quite astonishing
happened.
Cape Town was to see a
Nelson to end all Nelsons.
Made famous by umpire
David Shepherd, who would
raise one foot when the score
came to 111, the ‘Nelson’
was deemed unlucky for the
batsmen.
Prostate Cancer
supported by
Nick Cook
Nick Cook is the face of The
Prostate Cancer Charity’s
campaign to raise awareness
amongst cricket players,
officials and fans of the most
common cancer in men.
Urging men ‘Don’t get caught
out by prostate cancer’ the
poster has been in several
cricket publications as well as
online newsletters and
websites. The Prostate Cancer
Charity are keen to develop
their work in cricket and
through their partnership with
the Professional Cricketers
Association, they are planning
to launch a new fundraising
initiative in 2012.
If you want to get involved and
support their work, please email
cricket@prostate-cancer.org.uk
The ‘Ultimate Nelson’ – photographed at Lords behind the
Mound stand at Lords by the Grace Gate entrance
On 11/11/11 the ‘Nelson’
went in to overdrive.
At 11 minutes past 11 on
that day, South Africa needed
111 runs to win, and take an
early lead in the series.
English umpire, Ian Gould
was standing at the time and
proceeded to stand on one leg
for the entirety of that
minute. He was joined by the
thousands in attendance in a
tribute to David Shepherd,
one of the finest umpires of
his generation.
Ian Gould standing at Cape
Town, unfortunately we couldn’t
track down a picture of the
‘Ultimate Nelson’….
DIARY
This listing will appear here in every
issue – but we are entirely dependent
on you sending us the information.
(All meetings start 11.00 unless shown
otherwise)
London & East Region Annual
General Meeting – Sunday 25th
March, 2012 –– 11am at the Holiday
Inn, Brentwood, Essex. Contact
Jonathan Glynn if you are able to attend
at London.East.ACO@ecb.co.uk
Greater Manchester Umpires &
Scorers Association – Every 3rd
Tuesday of the Month, Moss Side
Leisure, Moss Lane West, Moss Side
Manchester – meeting commences at
7.45pm. All members welcome. For all
information contact Chairman John
Egan on 07901744210 or
egan_4@msn.com
National Meeting Dates – 2012
Tuesday 10th April –
Membership Services Committee
Wednesday 11th April –
Scorers Sub-Committee
Thursday 12th April –
Performance Committee
Friday 13th April –
Education Committee
Thursday 26th April –
ECB ACO Board
Tuesday 28th August –
Membership Services Committee
Wednesday 29th August –
Scorers Sub-Committee
Thursday 30th August –
Performance Committee
Friday 31st August –
Education Committee
Thursday 20th September –
ECB ACO Board
Tuesday 16th October –
Membership Services Committee
Wednesday 17th October –
Scorers Committee
Thursday 18th October –
Performance Committee
Friday 19th October –
Education Committee
Thursday 15th November –
ECB ACO Board
(PLEASE NOTE THAT ECB ACO
BOARD DATES ARE SUBJECT TO
FINAL CONFIRMATION)
REMINDER: PLEASE
SEND YOUR DATES TO
editor.aco@ecb.co.uk
Published by ECB © – Printed by Premier Print Group – G Photo courtesy of Getty Images