ACO NEWSLETTER - Ecb - England and Wales Cricket Board

ASSOCIATION OF CRICKET OFFICIALSNEWSLETTER – Issue 15 – Winter 2012

Team SheetThe BoardRoger Knight – ChairmanNick Cousins – SEOPeter Mitchell – Midlands (& Dep Chairman)Barry Tombs – London & EastTony Hemmings – South & WestPhilip Radcliffe – NorthDave Carter – WalesNick Pink – ICC EuropeFraser Stewart – Laws & UniversitiesManager, MCCPaul Bedford – Head of non first-classcricketChris Kelly – ECB Umpires’ ManagerNeil Bainton – First Class UmpiresMike Charman – Chairman, ACCS(representing)Janie Frampton – Independent MemberThe ECB ACO ExecutiveNick Cousins – Senior Executive OfficerBen Francis – Finance & Project OfficerSaira Baker – Executive AdministratorEddie Lunn – Executive Officer (South)Glyn Pearson – Executive Officer (North)Martin Williams – Project Support OfficerACO BoardSub-CommitteesEducationMembership ServicesScorersPerformanceAppointments and GradingACO Membership andEducation FulfilmentPhone – 0121 446 2710E-mail – ecbaco@ecb.co.ukAddressesECB ACOLord’s Cricket GroundLondon, NW8 8QZECB Membership andEducation Office:Warwickshire CC Ground, Edgbaston,Birmingham, B5 7QXNewsletter EditorBen Franciseditor.aco@ecb.co.ukThe Cricket Umpiresand Scorers TrustAvailable to ECB ACO membersEnquiries/requests should beaddressed to: The Chairman, TheCricket Umpires and Scorers Trust,c/o JF Rushton Accountant, TheSaturn Centre, Spring Road,Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, WV46JX or acustrust@yahoo.co.ukThe Trustees cannot guarantee tomeet every request, but all will begiven due consideration.E D I T O R I A LFrom cow corner to fine leg,officiating hits the newsI have been gently taken to task by one of ourmembers for promoting “inappropriate non –cricketing terminology” such as ‘Mankading’and ‘Dilscoop’ and using terms borrowed fromthe sport of Baseball (Switch Hit) which my correspondentdescribes as neither fitting nor suitablefor cricket! Those of you who have heardme speak will know my penchant for referringto the ‘Ipswich Syndrome’ – that is saying thatjust because one person says it does not make itright…and I suspect that the Ipswich Syndromemay be apposite here, not least because over theyears, cricket has given so many mystifying idiomsto the English language that a couple morenow simply add to the sequence. Take the followingsentence for example:“Panesar is bowling to the night watchmanwith a short-leg and a silly-point, no doubt witha view to tossing it up and hoping for a bat padcatch or a heave to the man stationed on thedeep midwicket boundary”To the non –cricketing members of the communitythis is pure gobbledegook –to the rest ofus, it makes perfect sense. Indeed whilst thosespecialist cricketing terms such as ‘googly’ or‘chinaman’ will always confuse an American,the fact is that it is the more common place vocabularyimbued with special cricket meaningthat particularly mystifies the uninitiated.It is said that in its heyday, Test Match Specialattracted a considerable following of peoplewithout the slightest knowledge of cricket. Ioften wonder whether the many references tothird man led to an increased readership of GrahamGreene or whether Geoffrey Boycott’s constantreferences to the corridor of uncertaintywere always about a bowler’s finding a particularlygood line and length or whether it wasthought to be more of a reference to HogwartsCastle.When Geoffrey Howe resigned from MargaretThatcher’s government, he did so using astring of cricketing metaphors. Describing leadingthe British negotiations on EMU in Europe,he stated: “It is rather like sending your openingbatsmen to the crease, only for them to find, asthe first balls are being bowled, that their batshave been broken before the game by the teamcaptain”. It was reported that the Hon Memberfor Preseli did not have a clue what he was talkingabout!I think it is inevitable that as the gameevolves so the language follows. Terms such asdeath rattle or pinch hitting have quite recentorigins whereas describing a batsman as doing abit of gardening or slogging to cow corner reflectcricket’s social history as a more rustic pastime.Whatever your view of this idiosyncraticcricketing language, new or old, it is worth reflectingthat all is well as long as the best-knownand well used metaphor of all is still in commonusage – that is having something that is unjust orjust plain wrong described as being not cricket.This leads nicely to mention the quite enormouspost bag (another metaphor since nearlyall correspondence now comes by e mail…) onthe article in the last newsletter about the Kartik/ Barrow incident and whether this was notcricket or a perfectly legitimate dismissal? Ihope you will enjoy reading the selection of letterspublished -which incidentally were largelyin support of the latter view. I am hoping thatthis month’s view from Beyond the Boundaryon the entirely different topic of self-reflectionwill also get you thinking –and e mailing.If you were one of the 300 or so memberslucky enough to attend the National Conferencethan the review should bring back some goodmemories. For the majority reading this, who forwhatever reason were not able to attend, I hopeit will give you a flavour of what was a very rewardingand entertaining day.Officiating has been in the news recentlywith the extraordinary claims made againstMark Clattenburg following his handling of therecent Chelsea v Manchester United game. Itwas of course the issue of alleged racism thatmade headlines and following on from the unsavourybehaviour witnessed recently in Serbiaand the now infamous John Terry affair it was asalutary reminder that this issue is still a live onein football, if not in other sports –or is it a liveissue in other sports and particularly is it a liveissue in recreational cricket –and if so what lessonsare there for umpires? Recreational cricketis unique in so far as it is the sport of choice forthe majority of British Asian or South Asianyoung people living and working in the UnitedKingdom and perhaps because of this ECB triesto embrace these issues in a positive way rathercontinued on page 3Saeed Rehman (left) and Saad Bhatti (right) during a tournament this summer in Birminghame-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 2 contact us on 0121 446 2710

e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 3 contact us on 0121 446 2710Editors PicksBeyond the BoundaryNow that the close season is here, we will get our ACO annual grading in due coursewhich might cause us to grunt at the season’s marks from captains –that is if ourLeague is enlightened enough to let us see them! It might also cause us to lookback and decide whether or not we had a good season – or more importantly whatwe can do to improve, because believe me, we can all improve!PAGE 8-9: Awards and Recognitione-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 9 contact us on 0121 446 2710WINNERLorraine ElgarLo raine has been a club umpire and scorersince the 1970s. She umpires on the Kentpanel and ha served as local, county and regionalchair of the ACO, inspiring and enthusingmany to achieve their potential,helping o ficials to be recognised at a levels.She has umpired a the highest level in thewomen’s game and passes on her experiencewithout hesitation. She gives back to thegame at every opportunity, being heavily involvedin disability and Visua ly Impairedcricket, selflessly helping, advising andmentoring beyond the ca l of duty. She is themost successful female umpire in Kent andindeed perhaps the country, but is firs too fer to help when a game needs o ficials,continuing to o ficiate at al levels of thegame both indoor and out.Her dedication to training over the yearshas helped clubs in the Swale area recruitmuch needed o ficials, with on-going mentoring.There are few clubs in Swale thathave not benefi ted from Lo raine’s commitmento o ficiating.She has been rated as an exce lent umpireat a levels of the game, and her continuedintegrity and enthusiasm in a changing gamehelps her gain the respect of those who meether.“I wa so overwhelmed to win theNatWest OSCA for O ficiating; it wa suchan honour. The other two finalists for thisaward, Deborah Burns and Alan Englishwere just as deserving as me and I wouldlike to think that we were a l winners.“Most of us do not enter into o ficiating togain recognition and there are so few umpiresand scorers that are recognized. Iwould like to share this award with a l ofyou who also give of your time, energy andski ls as o ficials, commi tee members, mentors,tutors, assessors and representatives ofour Association who do not coun the hours,the travel and the e forts that you dedicate.“It was especia ly poignan to see two femalefinalists, together having given over 70years to o ficiating, advocating the enjoymentthat women can also get from a maledominatedgame.“The Latin word ‘volunteer’ origina ly refered to volunteers for the Roman army. Weneed to grow our own army of volunteers.There is a climate of respec towards whathas already been put in place, and there is adesire to make more room for the young.When I was 7 years old I started an interestin o ficiating that I never dreamed wouldlas this long. Cricket has enriched my life -wonderful friendships have formed, trust hasbeen built, and laughter shared. I would encourageyou all to convey your passion forcricke to the young in order to inspire themto become o ficials and share in our love forthe game.“I could not have contributed so much tocricket withou the support and encouragemento families and friends and I’m sure INatWest OSCAsThe NatWest OSCA for Services to O ficiating was awarded to Lo raine Elgar of Kent for her achievements and hard workboth on and o f the field. Alan English, Buckinghamshire, and Deborah Burns, Middlesex, were runners up. Congratulations toa l for continuing to represent umpires and scorers in the best possible light.gramme officia ly began,Chris has played a hugepart in its development,starting out as one of thefirst four young o ficials.Chris has helped tospread the word of ECBACO and in particularthe young o ficials,which has generated greater interest in theprogramme. From 2009 to now, Chris’ developmenthas continued on an upward path, andhe now officiates regularly in the West ofEngland Premier League.But it is for his work with the young o ficials– especia ly this year – that Chris deservesthe award. He has regularly gonebeyond the call of duty, often making himselfavailable a the last minute to fi l an emptyplace - most notably at Oakham and Bedford -and this wi lingness makes him a valuableasse to ECB ACO.At Bedford he acted as the Liaison O ficerfor all of the young o ficials, organising wherethey would be umpiring during the week-longtournament. Chris also managed to speak toSimon Taufel and a ranged a special sessionfor the young o ficials at Lord’s, where theAustralian spoke for an hour to 15 of those inthe young o ficials squads.Wi liam Morrison – Behind the ScenesWi liam first started scoring for WickfordCricket Club in 1961 and completed 50 yearsof continuous scoringin 2011. He scores onboth Saturday andSunday for Wickford1st XI, and is consideredone of the bestscorers in the ShepherdNeame Essex League.In addition, he becamethe Club Treasurer in 1977 and has been inthat role ever since.He is an active member of the bar committeeand makes a substantial contribution to theday to day running of the Club. Wi lie also attendsthe ECCB county indoor finals yearafter year, scoring for a l the sides participating;this is always on a voluntary basis.He is also on the ECCB Association ofCricket O ficials commi tee, and is the trainingo ficer for scorers throughou the county.He has recruited, trained and mentored manynew scorers, and is an integral part of thecommittee.Derek Shuttleworth – LifetimeAchieverDerek commenced umpiring in the BradfordLeague in 1964 when he gave up playing. Hecontinued to umpire in the League for 45years until his health prevented him fromstanding for long periods. Derek stood in over1000 games in the Bradford Cricket League.A the age of 80 he became a club scorer inthe league and then mastered the TCS scoringsystem which a l scorersin the league haveto use. He is sti l an activescorer in season2012. Derek was responsiblefor se ting upthe West YorkshireBranch of ACU around1970, a branch ofwhich he was Chairman for many, manyyears.He has been an umpire tutor for about 40years and served ACU&S as Regional TrainingO ficer for the North East Region andChairman of the ACU Training Commi tee.He is also a qualified Scorer Tutor. Derek wasChairman of the Bradford Cricket LeagueUmpires Association for over 20 years and isnow the Association’s President. A schoolteacherby profession, he put a l his educationski ls into delivering his courses. His methodof teaching was thorough and would alwayswork a the pace of the slowest candidate. Hewould tutor anywhere in our large county andhas also been known to go across to Lancashireto deliver both umpire and scorercourses. I cannot begin to guess the numberof candidates he has tutored over the yearsbut I am certain that a very high percentagewi l have passed their exams and Derek’sknowledge and professionalism wi l havehelped these recruits put into practice on thefield what Derek has taugh them in theclassroom.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 13 contact us on 0121 446 2710I believe this is a fairly easy Law to“fix”. The non-striker should be a lowed toleave his ground to back up, with nopenalty to the ba ting side until either thebatsman has played the ball, or attempted toplay it. This is then similar to the actions ofthe wicketkeeper - where the ‘keeper cannotake the ba l in front of the stumps if thebatsman hasn’ touched the ball. The samerisks apply to the non-striker as now, so ifhe is out of his ground when the ball is deflectedonto the stumps o f a member of thefielding side, he is out run out. Alternatively,if the striker elects no to run - or ifhe does! - there i still the potential for arun out a the non-striker’s end.However this simple reworking of theLaw would reduce the workload of the nonstriker’sumpire; at present, the umpire ischecking for no-balls, is the non-striker inhis ground, was the bowler in his deliverystride, is the batsman out? Instead, the umpirecan check the no-ba l, then immediatelyturn to the business end, where theimportant mechanics ma ter!Peter Woodman, Devon, wrote:Having read the Beyond the Boundarypiece in Edition 14, I found the conclusionboth i logically and unreasonably bias infavour of the batsman. There is nothing“fair” or “within the Spirit” for a nonstrikerto gain an unfair (in practice, “unreasonable”)advantage by advancing (orrepeatedly advancing) down the pitch beforea delivery is bowled. There is both alaw and a line – literally – why draw a different,moral, one? The “Spirit”, to mymind, is on the batsman to observe the law.The “put” should not even be on thebowler to remind the batsman, though, inpractice, most if not all, wi l give the “caution”first. The breach of either the law orthe warning wi l always be by the batsman,so why castigate the fielding side. If we areto penalise “one short”, for example, oftenby the very finest of margins, why shouldwe allow a batsman a yard or more advantageat the start of a potential run? What isa stumping, in essence, bu the same thingat the other end? A balanced view, surely,should not conclude bowler “abuse” andKartik, his captain and “Athers” have a lgot it spot on!Derek Rees, Wales, said:I am the Instructor and Chairman of theLlanelli Branch of ECB ACO and I have justread the above article and am, quite frankly,astounded that it suggests that the runningout of the non-striker who is trying to gainan unfair advantage is somehow unfair andagainst the “Spirit of the Game”Law 42.15 is quite specific. It permits thebowler to a temp to run ou the non-strikerbefore the bowler enters his delivery strudewhere the non-striker is a tempting to gainan advantage by starting to run early.If we, as umpires choose to ignore thisfac then I ask myself,where do wedraw the line. Dowe choose to ignorethe other penaltiesunder Law 42?I accep that, inthe “Spirit of theGame”, we as umpireswi l ask thecaptain if he wantsthe appeal to stand.This is traditionaland it is normal for abowler to warn thenon-striker on thefirst occu rence.But, if the captainrefuses then that isit, the non-strikermust be given outand the game continues.To suggest thatthis action is unfaircannot be acceptableunder the Laws. It isquite clear that it isnot a “grey” are buta clearly laid downrequiremen tha thenon-striker shouldbe a tempting togain an unfair advantage.ECB ACO were pleasedto receive John Holder’s thoughts and printthem below. We fully endorse his views.Murali Kartik following his ‘mankading’ of Alex Barrow a theend of the county seasonJohn Holder wrote:It is pure nonsense to accuse a bowler for unsporting behaviour when he runs out anon-striker who has left his ground early, especially when that batsman has previouslybeen warned for this act. The sole reason for a non-striker leaving his ground early isto increase his chances of ge ting to the other end as quickly as possible, thereby gainingan unfair advantage.Before the law was changed, abowler could get into his delivery strideand instead of releasing the ba l, stop,wai ti l the non-striker has left hisground and break the wicket. That wastota ly unsporting and could be regardedas bringing the game into disrepute. Thepowers that be rightly changed the lawso tha the runout could only be a fectedwhile the bowler was running up to thewicket. Once the bowler had reachedhis delivery stride he could not run thenon-striker out.For a non-striker to leave his groundwhile the bowler is running up is blatantcheating, doubly so when he has beenwarned previously. Gareth Batty wasco rect in upholding the appeal in thematch against Somerset and for Su reyto be accused of unsporting behaviour ispure hypocrisy. Only when non-strikerswho transgress are given out wi l thisact of cheating stop.Perhaps the biggest block to an unbiasedself-assessment is the belief that the commentsof captains bear little relation to thefacts of the appropriate afternoon! Whichbrings to memory the words of Steve Davisduring the Elite Umpires Q&A at Lord’s acouple of years ago…‘people will alwaystell you that you were wrong. If you were,examine it, then forget it, and move on.’OK, so let us spend a few minutes onthat first. Part of the job is to rememberwhat we each did (and didn’t do) but thiscannot be isolated from watching others -and especially those officiating televisedmatches - and making comparisons. Afterall, most of us do fancy that we could beout there working with any of the Elites in,for example, the current T20 ChampionsLeague don’t we?Strangely though, one key point not to beoverlooked is that, basically, they haveheaps more authority but fewer tasks thanmost colleagues on league panels – so it isinteresting to compare some of these differencesas you run down the list and answerto yourself…Did you always arrive an hour in advanceof the scheduled start time?Did you ever warm-up with a runaround the boundary?Were you always there in the middleat the toss?Did you speak to the captains about‘Spirit of Cricket’ and their responsibilities?What did you leave behind in thedressing-room more than once?That is, apart from ‘my sanity’ and ‘gsoh’!Did you always call ‘Play’ and ‘Time’at each interval?How many times did you call a ‘percentage’no-ball?Did you give any ‘percentage’ lbwappeals?Why did you not cross over regularlyfor the left-right batting combination?How many times did you answer thebowler’s query after saying ‘Not-Out’?How many times did you not observethe completion of the first runat the bowler’s end?How many times did you look toyour colleague each over?After; every ball, 4 th ball, 5 th ball, never?At the fall of a wicket, did you alwaystalk with your colleague – checkthe score and number of balls to come?How do you ‘check’ the score if you do notkeep it?After an appeal to you, did you everwalk to your colleague to discuss it?Can you tell from your match-card,which over was bowled at eachhour?Did you regularly advise captains ifthey were on time or late?This applies in non-league too as teamsmust understand that as they improve, somust their timings.How many ‘incidents’ did youchoose not to take further or report?Remember, this is not a public confessionbut just a personal hard-line judgement onyou to yourself; if you baulked at one thatyou shouldn’t have, now is the time to besure that you were right (and it did notmerit sanctions) or you were nervously hesitant– in which case, analyse the incidentagain, and re-judge your action – and learnfrom either decision.Overall, were you content with thecaptains you were dealing with?In your judgement for this season,was discipline worse or better?Did you enjoy your season?No matter on your answers to the otherquestions, this is the vital one. It is sometimesreported that umpires are giving upbecause they no longer enjoy being outthere amidst the arguments, noise, and lackof respect – or, if these do not occur, theever increasing possibility that they might.So those who continue need to be convincedthat they do indeed enjoy playingsuch a key role.than restrict itself to taking a reactive view toany incidents that occur. It is a real disappointmenttherefore that one of the initiativesin this area that directly concerns us - the aimto increase the number of ethnic minorities inthe membership of ECB ACO – has been farfrom successful.This is a sensitive area, but we have somegreat role models, in both the professionaland recreational game (John Holder andMansoor Qureshi to name but two) and theissue was raised and positively discussedwith colleagues from Pakistan and Sri Lankaduring the talks held with the ICC officials inthe summer. Nevertheless the truth is that ourfine words and aspirations have not beenmatched by any significant change in pragmaticterms so, along with a similar wish toraise the number and profile of our womenofficials, this will be a top priority in 2013and beyond. Your thoughts on any aspects ofthis issue would be much appreciated.One of my personal pet hates is the onsetof Christmas in November –but given thesignificant issue we are having with the post,despite this issue coming out a little earlierthis year, it will probably not reach you untilDecember – so as that is within the season ofgoodwill, I end by sending you all my verybest wishes for a Happy Christmas and asplendid 2013.continued from page 2e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 8 contact us on 0121 446 2710Awards and RecognitionHonorary Life Memberships are awarded by the ECB ACO Board to those nominated from the MembershipServices Commi tee. The Board was delighted to approve the nominations of Keith Sutherland (Durham) and DavidHeap (Lancashire) to join the existing list of Honorary Life Members.Below are the individual submissions that were approved by the Board. Congratulations to Keith and David.Bob McLeod – League Panels andAssociationsBob was one of thefounder members ofthe Su rey ChampionshipUmpiresPanel and is nowserving his 26th seasonon the Panel. Hehas always been regardedby playersand clubs alike asone of the top recreational umpires in Su rey.From 2001 to 2008 he served as Chairmanof the Panel and was responsible for the creationof a transparent list system, a lowing thebest umpires to develop and rise through thesystem, and the author of the Blue Book – aninvaluable umpire’s guide to navigating theChampionship’s playing conditions. ThePanel now uses Bob’s considerable mentoringtalents with those umpires considered to havethe most promise to stand in the top levels ofclub cricket.He is also a Boundary Assessor, and inthese roles is able to inspire and develop umpiresof the panel. For many yearshe organised the panel of umpires to standin Su rey CCC 2nd XI matches. Outside Surrey,he has been the Chairman of the ClubCricket Conference’s Umpires and ScorersCommi tee for some years and in that role heused his considerable organising ski ls to greate fect. You wi l not meet a nicer man. He hasbeen a model for promising o ficials in Su reyand beyond – both as an umpire and a man.Chris Fortune – Young O ficials AwardSince 2009, when the young o ficials pro-Keith SutherlandKeith has fi led many positions for both the ACU&S and ECB ACO sincejoining the former in 1987 when he started his umpiring career. He was aMinor County and Second XI umpire before he had to retire because of backproblems in 2000 but this did not stop his work for the ACU&S and ACOwhich continues to this day.Keith was secretary of the ACU&S Durham Branch and also secretary ofthe Durham Association of Umpires and Scorers and at present he i secretaryof the Durham ACO – a position he has held since its formation.At a regional and nationa level he has held many posts. He was the firstrepresentative of the North Region on the ACO Board and at present he isNorth Regional Secretary.As we l as fi ling these various other posts, Keith has run courses inDurham for many years. There is no-one in our organisation more deserving of the honour of Honorary Life Membership than Keith.David HeapWhen you look at some men there is a saying, find a busy man and givehim some more. That is David – a workaholic. He never stops up in theNorth.David began playing junior cricket at Li tle Lever before moving on toplay senior cricket in 1965 at Kearsley CC in the Bolton League, where heremained until 1972, becoming a very good left arm bowler. After one yearat St Andrews (1973) in the Bolton Association, he returned to the BoltonLeague to play for Westhoughton CC until 1983.He then took up the ca l of the men in the white coat and began umpiringin 1984, becoming a fu l member of the ACU in 1989. He became an instructorin 2001 and has run many courses throughout the Bolton and Manchesterarea. He became the North West Training O ficer taking over from IanBishop in 2007, where he helped many instructors on their courses, assessing and o fering advice. He became the Education O ficer for theLCB ACO in 2009 and his expertise in that field has been invaluable to the LCB ACO, a tending many national meetings of Education O ficersas we l as training courses in tutoring, assessing and scoring, organising courses not only for umpiring at a levels, but helping thecounty Scoring O ficer with her courses too. He has been dedicated to the role and it is with regret he steps down this year but wi l continueto tutor courses loca ly.There is no-one more dedicated than him to the cause and it has been pleasure to have worked with him. A truly great person.Shepherd-Frindall Award WinnersThe winners of the Shepherd-Frinda l awards are determined by the ECB ACO Board fo lowing the review of the nominations ineach category. This year the nominations were particularly strong and the fo lowing four were chosen as the 2012 winners.Congratulations to the nominees and winners.Ed: It’s easy to congratulate the winners, but we would also like to thank those who nominated someone for this year’sShepherd-Frinda l awards. Maybe it’s you who should be nominated next year…e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 12 contact us on 0121 446 2710Laws – queriesDonald A lan, Sussex, wrote:I read with respect your we l balanced articleon “Mankading” in the ACO Newsle terno 14, discussing the bowle running outthe non-striker.Why does law 42.15 exist at a l? Itseems tha the law explicitly always comeswithin the compass of “any action whichseems to abuse the spirit”, and so it cannotever apply. Someone has gone to the botherof describing exactly the situation in theLaw apparently in contravention of “thespirit”.The laws are terse and we l considered,but I think the very existence of this law isthe cause of a l the controversy as umpiresare directed no to apply it. I happen tothink tha the batsman is “sneaking a run”and should be out. Otherwise why notapply a simila relief to the striker too? Butlet’s have an unambiguou situation - Scrapthe law and I’ l be happy.Wi l Law 42.15 be scrapped once andfor a l? If not, why not?Ian Springer, Dorset, wrote:I found the article Beyond the Boundary inissue14 both interesting and a li tle annoying.I agree with a l the comments regardingthe Spirit of Cricket, but I cannotunderstand why this must only apply to thebowler. If the various commentators care totake a look beyond Law 42.15 to jus thenext point i.e. Law 42.16 “BATSMANSTEALING A RUN” which clearly statesthat “It is unfair for the batsman to a temptto steal a run during the bowlers run up”they might note that it is the actions of thebatsman that are unlawful and agains theSpirit of Cricket. It even says that if thebowler does not a temp to run out eitherbatsman then the umpire should take actiona soon as the batsmen cross in their attempto steal a run. It goes on to state thatthe fielding team be awarded 5 penalty runsand the incident reported. Surely it shouldbe argued that Kartik was being more thanfair to the batsman who obviously was notbeing fair. The Law say he is being unfair.If as the article states Kartik warned thebatsman of what he intended then surely theumpire should have been aware of the batsman’sunfair, and therefore unlawful, actions.This warning sounds entirely withinthe Spirit of Cricke though, as is often thecase, it is not required by the Laws. It couldbe argued tha the umpire was at fault here.I would sugges that a thi stage it wouldserve a l to point ou to the batsman that ifhe leaves his ground and does not keep atleast his bat grounded behind the poppingcrease then he wi l be seen to be trying tosteal a run and tha this is unfair and thereforeunlawful. It might further help to remindthe batsman what actions he, as theumpire, is required, by Law, to take if hesees further incidents.I admi that I am only a lowly Level 1umpire with only 5 years’ experiencewithin my sma l sphere of umpiring for thelocal Evening League and Dorset SundayLeague, but I have seen several cases ofthi sort of play by batsmen who know thatin tight running situations the ba l is mostlikely to be thrown to the wicketkeeper thusmaking them most at risk of being run out.Kartik, being an ex-Somerset player, wasprobably aware of the ba ting tactics of hisopponents and if these were within theSpirit of Cricket or the Laws of the game.Most see the Laws of Cricket giving thebenefi to the batsmen, maybe this is onearea that leans a li tle in the bowlers favour,and maybe they should be encouraged,rather than being admonished, in using it.And as a final comment, I should pointou that I am also a Somerset C.C.C. supporter,so wish my views to be seen as asupporter of the game of Cricket in generalrather than as a partisan.David Pie rie, Lancashire, wrote:Thank you for the interesting Beyond theBoundary article re the Mankading run-outissue (Issue 14) I though the article waswe l balanced, and it a lowed me to thinkabou the situation. The article showed howimportant it is to consider aspects of theLaws outside of a match environment,when emotion has ebbed away. I think whatis key, is tha the Laws are not fixed, butare a work in progress, with the Rule Bookshowing the lates thinking.In the Mankading scenario, I fu ly agreewith the article’s thinking that it’s importantto keep the Spirit of Cricket in mind. Iwould therefore sugges that we, as umpires,look a this issue and come up with adefinitive answer.If we look a the role of the non-striker,it has become custom and practice for him(or her) to back up a few paces as thebowle runs in. Do we as umpires, in factdoes anyone in the game - including thenon-striker - consider this action to be“stealing a run” or is it simply part of thegame? The Laws themselves leave it up tothe umpire to decide if this i so, even makingthe distinction of the striker being allowedto stand we l out of his ground toreceive the ba l, an action that is NOT consideredstealing a run! For a run to be completed,i takes BOTH batsmen to maketheir ground a the opposite ends, so the actionsof both batsman must be equated intothe Law.The ‘Mankading’incident involvingMurali Kartik dismissingSomerset’s AlexBarrow towards theend of the countyseason was raised inthe previous ‘Beyondthe Boundary’ (page11, Edition 14). Wehave receivednumerous responsesand thoughts on thetopic. We’ve included aselection below. Makading – Sehwag talks to umpires fo lowing the mankading incident which marred their game withSri Lanka earlier this yearPAGE12-13: Laws queriesLooking back to the lastissue, the highlighted‘naughtiness’ of the bowlershredding the ‘Spirit ofCricket’ definition because ofattempting to run-out the nonstriker,generally met with a ‘Hold-on, youhave the wrong target’ response. Themajority view was indeed that the bowlerwas using the law to react properly to theattempted mis-deed of the non-striker.Similarly echoed was the view that either theLaw be reworded or removed, or the ‘SoC’text be adjusted so that it is clearlyunderstood to be in addition to the Laws andnot a way of interpreting them.

ECB ACO National ConferenceThe Nursery Pavilion at Lord’s again played host to ECB ACO’s fourth annual National Conference, on abeautiful sunny day at the Home of Cricket.More than 300 members turned out for what was a fantastic day enhanced by the number of highprofile guests who shared their own experiences with us, but also by those presentations and workshopsthat were more related to recreational cricket.People startedpouring infrom 9:00when the doorsto the NurseryPavilionopened. Tea,coffee and biscuitsweresupplied onarrival and itgave themembers anopportunityto catch upwith friends,and introduce themselves to their fellow officials.Those attending were provided with theirown name badge, which also stipulatedwhich sessions they would be attending, asthey checked in for the day.Sue Jones, Berkshire, was on the welcomedesk…"I was invited to assist with check-in atthe "meet and greet" front desk at this year'sconference. It was a pleasure to be involvedwith saying hello to so many oldfriends and colleagues from the past numberof years, plus welcoming new membersattending for the first time. There were occasionswhen a small queue formed (wefigured it must have been a coach partyfrom distance or an influx of folk from thetube station!) but it wasn’t a problem.It was fun working closely with RegionalOfficers, Phillip Radcliffe from Yorkshireand Dave Carter from Wales, plus StuartWheeldon from the Membership Servicesteam at Edgbaston, so we had most of thecountry covered on our side of the desk!It enabled Head Office to be ‘on the hoof’and therefore freed them up to deal withany technical hitches or anything else thatrequired instant attention, such as missingspeakers. So, thank you for the invitation tolend a hand; though occasionally hectic, Ihad a most enjoyable time and was awarethat everyone who attended did too.”Members were also able to have a lookaround the market place which housed scoringplatforms NXCricket, Total CricketScorer and CricHQ, along with ECB ACOclothing manufacturers Duncan Fearnley,with some fantastic one-off conferencedeals.With nearly all of the attendees having arrived,at 10:00am everyone was called in tothe main hall, where the Annual GeneralMeeting was to commence.THE AGMSenior Executive Officer Nick Cousins welcomed those present to the Annual General Meeting,saying that he hoped a fabulous day would ensue, before introducing ECB ACO ChairmanRoger Knight to give his report.Roger spoke refreshingly about the Association. He began by thanking Nick Cousins, BenFrancis and the executive team for their hard work over the past 12 months before mentioningthe problems with direct debits and membership renewal. He also thanked the core volunteerworkforce saying that they are a huge strength of the Association.Roger mentioned the ECB ACO newsletter, commenting that it continued to go fromstrength to strength, and that it is something that as an Association, we should be proud of.Roger then handed back to Nick Cousins for his report. Nick restated the value of the corevolunteer workforce, and said that the Association should be proud of the 300+ people thatplay a huge part in the training and development of officials throughout the country. He talkedof the Membership Services team at Edgbaston, mentioning particularly Dave Gallagher, WinnieCrooks and Stuart Wheeldon. They had also done a great deal of work and he was confidentthat we will not be beset by the problems we had last year.The four regional meetings that had taken place during the two weeks leading up to the conferencewere deemed a success. Nick revealed that feedback had been extremely positive andthat more than 200 people had attended across the four meetings.Nick explained about the Membership Services Committee and its future role, as well as theneed for each County ACO to have its own MSC representative.Scorers are a huge focal point for ECB ACO, and the question regarding increasing scorernumbers was posed to those present. Cricket apps and platforms NXCricket, CricHQ and TotalCricket Scorer were also mentioned, with Nick stating that we, as an Association, are in fullsupport of all scoring platforms, and that it was a matter of personal choice which platform wasopted for.Nick concluded by highlighting the pathways that are now in place for those aspiring to officiateat the higher levels of the recreational game, leading in to the professional game. He thenhanded over to Deputy Chairman, Peter Mitchell, for his report on all matters financial.Peter ran through the financial report from 2011; the budget that was put in place for 2012,and the end of year figure,before Nick returned to leada short Q&A session on allthree reports.The topic of CRB disclosureswas raised with thecontinuing stance that allECB ACO members must beCRB checked being aggressivelyquestioned from thefloor. Nick concluded theQ&A by stating that policyDeputy Chairman of the Board, Peter Mitchell, during the financialreportECB ACO Chairman, Roger Knight, speaks during the AGMin this respect was a matterfor ECB Safeguarding butthat he would discuss the situationwith them in the NewYear as and when the nextset of Government guidelineswas promulgated.Nick then welcomedeveryone to the fourth annualECB ACO NationalConference and explainedwhere all of the first sessionswould be taking placeand announced the overallarrangements for the day.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 4 contact us on 0121 446 2710

ALL SESSIONSYou vs Hawkeyewritten by Aviral Gupta (Oxfordshire)During this popular session at the indoor school, a batsman faced thebowling machine operated by a coach. The participating umpire tooktheir normal position just below the bowling machine to adjudicateLBWs. When the ball hit the batsman’s pads and the bowling machinecoach believed it to be a close LBW call, he appealed. The umpire thengave his decision (out or not out) and marked on a sheet of paper wherethe ball pitched and the point of impact when strikingthe batsman’s pad. Every umpire faced 6 suchLBW appeals.MCC’s Ashish Gusani then took all the participantsthrough each of their six appeals andshowed Hawkeye’s decision based on ball trackingand trajectory. All six participants then comparedtheir own decisions against Hawkeye.Our group had varied results with some umpiresgetting up to 6 out of 6 correct and somegetting 3 out of 6 correct. For the umpires, thesession tested their judgement of LBWs againsttechnology which instantly made this a challenging yet fascinatingexperience. One also appreciated the pressure faced by umpires atthe international level as each and every decision is scrutinised bytechnology!All Seminars – Tour of Lord’swritten by James O’Doherty (Wiltshire)We began in the Media Centre where the view was terrific. Therewere also lots of interesting facts about its design andawards that it has received since it was built in 1999.Next it was on to the away changing room, whereyou can see the honour’s board and stand in the sameroom as all those cricketing greats that have played atthe ground. The same can be said for the Long Roomwhich really brings home the sense of history of thisgreat sporting arena.Finally we are taken to the Museum where you’re allowedto browse around and see the original AshesUrn, which never leaves the grounds of Lord’s. Ourtour guide made the tour all the more enjoyable.SESSION 1The Sporting Edgewritten by Ray Allen (Devon)Attending for the first time I was keento be open to new ideas which wouldallow me to improve as an umpire. I attendedthe ses sion, Sporting Edge withJeremy Snape, who looked to highlightthe importance of preparing mentally aswell as physically.Jeremy discussed the following points;How during performance, pressure andstress can take hold making you rush adecision, completely out of character“Bank” in your mind great decisionsfrom past experiences, allowing you tobe confident in your decision makingAs you consider your next decision, bementally prepared to succeed and allowyourself to perform at your highest levelNever be rushed, prepare for everythingand arrive early for your game with a positivemind setWhat would “Balcony Boy” do? If youwere off the field watching, things can beviewed in a calm manner without anystress; every decision would seem easyThese points were backed up by videoclips of sport stars discussing their ownnerves leading up to events and performances.By the reaction of the delegateseveryone appeared to enjoy Jeremy’s session.I know I personally learnt a lot.Jeremy SnapeMalcolm Ashtonwritten by Stewart Orrock (Essex)When signing up for the 4 th ECB ACO NationalConference I was spoilt for choice inchoosing my seminars. I opted for MalcolmAshton’s talk in the first session afterthe AGM and before lunch. Malcolm, fortwelve years from 1995 to 2007 the Englandscorer, and more recently with TestMatch Special, gave an informative andentertaining account. He said that his systemwas similar, though not identical, tothat of the late Bill Frindall.He told how he cheekily obtained freepens by way of sponsorship, graphicallydescribed several “interesting” scoreboxesabroad and amused his audience of 40scorers and umpires with a few (edited)stories about recent Test players.Light years from the days of notchingand scratching, scorers now increasinglyuse computers, sometimes linked to websites,and Malcolm, or “Ashtray”, as Englandcricketers affectionately called him,would often produce an analysis for thecoach, with film of a player’s performance.The promised quiz was duly given with aquestion or two every ten minutes. Your correspondentmanaged 3 out of 10, with 5 thewinning score. One of Malcolm’s storiesconcerned a famous England player on tourin New Zealand. At breakfast one day hewas very disappointed to be told that thehotel could not provide any bacon to gowith his egg and tomato. He found this hardto believe in a land with five million sheep!”Umpire Zone with Rowley Williams& Nick Evanswritten by Mike Walker (Hertfordshire)“As I headed off to the ECB offices to attendthe ‘Umpire Zone’ I wondered if Iwould ever get to test my skills against‘Hawkeye’ – yet another conference andmy first choice had proven elusive –again!So what was this ‘Umpire Zone’ Ithought, as I sunk into the very comfortableleather seat in the ECB Boardroom.The packed room listened intently asTony Hemmings introduced RowleyWilliams and Nick Evans (a very goodDavid Beckham look-a-like I thought?)to present ‘Umpire Zone’.It soon became very clear – ‘UmpireZone’ is an obvious progression of the‘Ref- Zone’ that has proven to be so successfulwith Rugby Union and is also beingtrialled with football.As a training aid and skills developmenttool for referees (and hopefully soon, umpires)it is a web-based package that cancomplement training and self-developmentcourses by putting you, the umpire, intoreal match situations. With play backs anddiscussion analysing real match incidents,instantly challenging your knowledge ofthe laws, your man-management skills,dealing with pressure situations and comparingyour reactions/decisions with thoseof international umpires!The ‘motivational’ contribution by JohnNeal was also excellent and demonstratedhow powerful ‘professional standards’ oftraining and development techniques couldbe available even to the budding Level 1umpire – and indeed umpires at all levels.The reaction of the audience was enthusiastic–my earlier disappointment at‘missing out on Hawkeye again’ was forgotten– I could soon have access to a websiteskills and training package that I canutilise all year round.‘Umpire Zone’? – Excellent. Can I haveone for Christmas please?!!!e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 5 contact us on 0121 446 2710

social network where all stakeholders inthe game can have a unique profile tohouse their cricketing interests, not onlyfor players, but also umpires, scorers andfans.We also enjoyed the chance to meetvarious people from within the industryto share ideas and potentially forge newpartnerships. Special thanks to Nick,Ben and their team for delivering anothersuccessful conference. We lookforward to next year!TCSSESSION 3Rob Lynch of CricHQThe team from Total Cricket Scorer focussed on the eight year history of the application.This highlighted many of the features that TCS introduced to computerised cricket scoring.From controlling scoreboards and providing a live score service as early as 2006, throughthe integration with Play-Cricket, 3D wagon wheels, D/L, linear scoring, MVP and autotweeting.There was also a demonstration of their mobile and tablet versions of TCS which werereleased in 2010. Delegates saw how simple it was to score a match on an iPad andseamlessly transfer it to the PC version.Finally they thanked all the scorers who have supported the application throughout theyears. The inspiration for new features and the worldwide appeal of TCS has been broughtabout by the users of the system. TCS used the seminar to launch two new roles to recogniseall the cricket scorers who have become part of the Total Cricket Scorer family. Anyoneinterested in being a TCS approved seller or TCS support professional should contactthe team by emailing info@totalcricketscorer.com.An audience with Mike Gattingwritten by Stephen Lavis(Devon)“I’d like to introduce you to myboss” proclaimed Nick Cousins, andonto the stage came the former Englandcaptain. What did we knowabout the man? Only what we’dseen on the television and in themedia. What is under that hard exterior?Once he had finished talkingabout “that incident”, “that ball” and“that black and blue battered face”along with a few “Goochie impressions”and quotes thrown in forgood measure, then your whole perceptionof the man had totallychanged.Mike GattingHe explained how the ShakoorRana incident back in 1987 happened, what was said, and the knock-on effect it had onhim and the team. Onto 1993 and Shane Warne’s first Ashes ball which caught him andhis off stump by surprise. Then on the screen behind the stage came what can only be describedas “not his best portrait picture”. Back in 1986 a certain Malcolm Marshall, aidedby his pace and an uneven pitch, decided to rearrange his face. It can only be described ascolourful, if black, blue and purple are your favourite colours. Ouch.The “Goochie” impressions had the audience in hysterics. The stories behind them evenshow that the pros do count to six and turn down easy singles to keep off strike when abowler not to their taste is in full flow.All in all I left with a totally different impression of the man. Whilst approaching thegame in a professional manner he is still one of the boys just like you or I. By the way,don’t call him a cheat. Got that Shakoor?.Scorers ForumPlease see page 29 for a full, comprehensive report on the Scorers Forum which tookplace in the ECB Boardroom in session 3, by National Scorer Officer, Geoff TrettThe Conference– by numbers2009 – 300 attendees2010 – 364 attendees(max capacity)2011 – 309 attendees2012 – 304 attendeesCounty breakdown…Bedfordshire 6Berkshire 4Buckinghamshire 3Cambridgeshire 2Cheshire 7Cornwall 2Cumbria 1Derbyshire 6Devon 15Dorset 3Durham 4Essex 10Gloucestershire 8Hampshire 9Herefordshire 0Hertfordshire 9Huntingdonshire 0ICC Europe 13Isle of Wight 0Kent 11Lancashire 7Leicestershire and Rutland 6Lincolnshire 5Middlesex 13Norfolk 3Northamptonshire 1Northumberland 2Nottinghamshire 1Overseas 1Oxfordshire 2Shropshire 4Somerset 3Staffordshire 3Suffolk 6Surrey 22Sussex 9Wales 5Warwickshire 7Wiltshire 8Worcestershire 3Yorkshire 18Walk-ins 17Guests 25ECB Staff 18e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 7 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Awards and RecognitionHonorary Life Memberships are awarded by the ECB ACO Board to those nominated from the MembershipServices Committee. The Board was delighted to approve the nominations of Keith Sutherland (Durham) and DavidHeap (Lancashire) to join the existing list of Honorary Life Members.Below are the individual submissions that were approved by the Board. Congratulations to Keith and David.Keith SutherlandKeith has filled many positions for both the ACU&S and ECB ACO sincejoining the former in 1987 when he started his umpiring career. He was aMinor County and Second XI umpire before he had to retire because of backproblems in 2000 but this did not stop his work for the ACU&S and ACOwhich continues to this day.Keith was secretary of the ACU&S Durham Branch and also secretary ofthe Durham Association of Umpires and Scorers and at present he is secretaryof the Durham ACO – a position he has held since its formation.At a regional and national level he has held many posts. He was the firstrepresentative of the North Region on the ACO Board and at present he isNorth Regional Secretary.As well as filling these various other posts, Keith has run courses inDurham for many years. There is no-one in our organisation more deserving of the honour of Honorary Life Membership than Keith.David HeapWhen you look at some men there is a saying, find a busy man and givehim some more. That is David – a workaholic. He never stops up in theNorth.David began playing junior cricket at Little Lever before moving on toplay senior cricket in 1965 at Kearsley CC in the Bolton League, where heremained until 1972, becoming a very good left arm bowler. After one yearat St Andrews (1973) in the Bolton Association, he returned to the BoltonLeague to play for Westhoughton CC until 1983.He then took up the call of the men in the white coat and began umpiringin 1984, becoming a full member of the ACU in 1989. He became an instructorin 2001 and has run many courses throughout the Bolton and Manchesterarea. He became the North West Training Officer taking over from IanBishop in 2007, where he helped many instructors on their courses, assessing and offering advice. He became the Education Officer for theLCB ACO in 2009 and his expertise in that field has been invaluable to the LCB ACO, attending many national meetings of Education Officersas well as training courses in tutoring, assessing and scoring, organising courses not only for umpiring at all levels, but helping thecounty Scoring Officer with her courses too. He has been dedicated to the role and it is with regret he steps down this year but will continueto tutor courses locally.There is no-one more dedicated than him to the cause and it has been pleasure to have worked with him. A truly great person.Shepherd-Frindall Award WinnersThe winners of the Shepherd-Frindall awards are determined by the ECB ACO Board following the review of the nominations ineach category. This year the nominations were particularly strong and the following four were chosen as the 2012 winners.Congratulations to the nominees and winners.Ed: It’s easy to congratulate the winners, but we would also like to thank those who nominated someone for this year’sShepherd-Frindall awards. Maybe it’s you who should be nominated next year…Bob McLeod – League Panels andAssociationsBob was one of thefounder members ofthe Surrey ChampionshipUmpiresPanel and is nowserving his 26th seasonon the Panel. Hehas always been regardedby playersand clubs alike asone of the top recreational umpires in Surrey.From 2001 to 2008 he served as Chairmanof the Panel and was responsible for the creationof a transparent list system, allowing thebest umpires to develop and rise through thesystem, and the author of the Blue Book – aninvaluable umpire’s guide to navigating theChampionship’s playing conditions. ThePanel now uses Bob’s considerable mentoringtalents with those umpires considered to havethe most promise to stand in the top levels ofclub cricket.He is also a Boundary Assessor, and inthese roles is able to inspire and develop umpiresof the panel. For many yearshe organised the panel of umpires to standin Surrey CCC 2nd XI matches. Outside Surrey,he has been the Chairman of the ClubCricket Conference’s Umpires and ScorersCommittee for some years and in that role heused his considerable organising skills to greateffect. You will not meet a nicer man. He hasbeen a model for promising officials in Surreyand beyond – both as an umpire and a man.Chris Fortune – Young Officials AwardSince 2009, when the young officials pro-e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 8 contact us on 0121 446 2710

speak for most of us. I have learnt so muchfrom my colleagues and I am still on thatjourney. Cricket has provided me with a lifetimeof enjoyable experiences and I hopethat I will be able to continue to inspire,mentor, support and celebrate umpires andscorers.“I am so very grateful and privileged.Thank you.”RUNNERS-UPDeborah BurnsDeborah became aqualified memberof the Associationof Cricket Officialsin 1982 and sincethen has spentthousands of hourssupporting andchampioning the role of officials withinMiddlesex.She was appointed the Middlesex ACOEducation Officer in 1992 taking on the responsibilityof arranging, administering andrecruiting candidates for 100+ courses duringthis period. In addition to this role, shehas personally tutored and mentored the candidateson and off the field and has been thego to person for the Board.She is also a keen umpire, umpiring ladiesmatches at every opportunity and also assistingthe MCC in this role whenever required.She has been a favourite for many teams andis a true inspiration for others to take up umpiring,she has had an incredible influenceon ensuring men’s and women’s cricket isofficiated by qualified ACO umpires and alwaysadvocates the highest possible standards.Unfortunately Deborah has had to retirefrom her role within the ACO this year dueto the ill health of her husband. Despite this,she is still umpiring and playing a key rolein mentoring and assisting the new committeeto ensure her standards are maintained inthe future.Alan EnglishAlan has held the post of Education Officerfor the Bucks Association of Cricket Officials(formerly BACUS) for the last fifteenyears. Throughout this period, Alan has organisedall the Bucks winter courses for umpiresand scorersand has personallyinstructed atleast one courseevery year.Alan’s preparationis outstandingand the highstandard of his tutoringis reflectedin the above averagepassesachieved by Bucks umpires in the ECB examinations.Alan is often the one who volunteersto travel the longest distances to the farend of the County and this is typical of hisdedication to the role.During the summer season Alan spendsmuch of his time mentoring and assessingnewly-qualified umpires. Recently, thiswork has extended to working with youngofficials from other counties at regional andnational festivals. A large number of currentBucks ump ires and scorers who officiate inBucks matches at all levels are products ofBACO courses and all owe a debt of gratitudeto Alan and his team.Best Practice: An Insight intoLevel 3 UmpiringMatti Watton of Middlesex runs through his technical report titled‘Dealing with Unacceptable Behaviour in the Professional ArenaAt their October meeting, the Ealing & District ACU&S wasgiven the opportunity to observe two Level 3 researchprojects. ECB ACO was delighted to hear that Matti Wattonand Paul Nicholls were keen to share their knowledge withtheir local association. This is a great example of ContinuousProfessional Development in practice that we fully support andendorse more of.Matti Watton began by explaining the general principles of the Level3 Course, including the emphasis on personal development and learningfrom other sports. The Pilot had comprised 6 modules, completedover 18 months to two years, looking at self, match and conflict management,colleague co-operation, difficult decision making and limitedovers cricket. Assessment of candidates was based on a technicalreport in essay form and a presentation.The first of these technical reports entitled ‘Dealing with Pressure’was presented by Paul Nicholls who asked, “What if it all goeswrong?” “We’ve all been there, you’ve just given one LBW and thenext ball ploughs into the striker’s pads, there is an even louder appeal!Technically both balls look the same – can you easily give thesecond one out too? Under pressure do you ‘hold or fold?’ How doyou cope?”Everyone has their own ‘coping style’ Paul declared, with the emphasison style rather than strategy, a too rigid term. He put forwardthe idea of a ‘mental bin’ where any decision right or wrong shouldnot be dwelt upon; “Put it in the bin, forget about it for now, but revisitlater, at an appropriate time”.Looking to other sports Paul had collected evidence of how refereescope with pressure. It is important to cultivate a personal relaxationtechnique with each official building a model that suited him or her.Deep breathing techniques and positive body posture are important, asis having an effective concentration technique focused by positiveself-talk.Positive self-talk involves remaining focused and calm; if there is aproblem realise it, put it in the bin and work on it in the future. Avoidnegative self-talk – ‘What a stupid thing to do’ or ‘I’ve blown mychances now’!In summary Paul emphasised an umpire’s need to exhibit positivemindset and body language and to develop and maintain a consistentstyle.Matti Watton’s technical report was entitled ‘Dealing with UnacceptableBehaviour in the Professional Arena’ and was based on a DevelopmentPlan and information from other sports. Studying personalitytypes had helped him understand how he might deal with certainsituations and to realise how players with different profiles might seethings differently. The need to understand the perspective of professionalplayers was emphasised as well as the importance of not focusingon being popular, but on gaining respect.Matti then looked at the experience of football referees and strategiesthey used when controlling players and at rugby referees whowere ‘miked up’ during matches. He found that the good referees usedclear communication, effective body language and good positioningskills. Use of specific language aimed at inclusivity is important, such‘we’ not ‘I’ e.g. ‘we think’ or ‘we need’ where ‘we’ = ‘the game’ or‘all the people here’ and use of ‘be careful’ when not quite sure whathas happened – but you know it is not quite right!Matti concluded by highlighting ‘Preventative Officiating’ i.e. praisingplayers when appropriate and working to develop a rapport withplayers, including knowing who will be in a match and what issuesmight have arisen in the past so that they may be avoided. However inthe following Q&A he stressed the importance of not being too familiarwith players you know well, especially if you only know one side.Finally, Paul Nicholls’ single most important piece of advice was tokeep physical and mental control of yourself at all times, don’t seektrouble but deal with it when needs be.Ealing & District ACU&S, Oct 2012.Editor Note: Level 3 candidates are nominated by their ACO. It is theRegional Performance Officers responsibility to collate and presentthe case for the nominees to the national Performance Committeewho have the final say. It is hoped that County ACO’s and Leagueswill put on Level 3 modules locally to maintain ECB ACO’s desire tobe inclusive by providing ‘Education of all’.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 10 contact us on 0121 446 2710

History of the Umpiring SignalSix months ago, we received an email from a curious member. “Do you know how the signalswere developed into those that we use today?”After a search of the internet it became apparent that we were going to struggle to find a suitableanswer, therefore we asked the MCC Laws department who pointed us to Neil Robinson, MCC’sResearch Officer, who has supplied us with the following information. A special vote of thanksgoes to him.How the library of umpire signals was determined appeared to be unknown, until now…it all beganin 1892…1892: The 1892 issue of the Laws in Wisden(1890 code) states: “An umpire has to count theballs delivered, signify to scorers whether any ofthem are wides, byes, leg-byes or no-balls.” Thismakes no mention of the nature of these signals,however. The ‘Instructions to Umpires’ issued bythe MCC Committee as an appendix to the Lawson June 20 th 1892 make no mention of signals atall.1899: The extension of these instructions issuedduring the 1899 season dealt with declarations andagain made no mention of signaling.1901: The minutes of the MCC Committee meetingheld on January 7 1901 include a call for thedrafting of a code of signaling to be appended tothe Instructions to Umpires.There is no further mention of the code within theminutes, but FS Ashley-Cooper in Feats, Factsand Figures of 1901 relates that “During the seasonof 1901 the committee of the M.C.C. alsodrew up a “Code of Signaling” for umpires.”1902: The 1902 issue of the Laws published inWisden included a revised and extended list of instructionsto the umpires, which included for thefirst time the “code of signaling”:➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔“Boundaries” shall be signaled by waving thehand from side to side“Byes” shall be signalled by raising the openhand above the head.“Leg byes” shall be signaled by raising theleg and touching it with the hand.“Wides” shall be signaled by extending botharms horizontally.“No-balls” shall be signaled by extending onearm horizontally.The decision “out” shall be signaled by raisingthe index finger above the head.Umpires should wait until a signal has beenanswered by the scorer before allowing thegame to proceed.Besides signaling the Umpire should “Call”distinctly for the information of the players.On giving a decision the Umpire should makesure that the batsmen understands [sic] whatthe decision is.There is no attribution or date attached to thiscode. Both the original instructions to umpires issuedin 1892 and all other subsequent amendmentsto these have the exact date they were passed bythe MCC Committee attached to them in Wisden.Part 2: Other sources1886: The Theory and Practice of Cricket byCharles Box (1868), contains extensivenotes on the Laws and their interpretation,but only one mention of signals:“The calling of a “leg-bye” is usuallyperformed by the umpire putting hishand to his leg, or lifting the leg up.”This suggests rather an informal practicethan anything else.1870-71: The Australian Cricketers’ Guide 1870-71 contains a section Hints to Umpires,which mentions only the following:“Leg-byes should be called aloud to thescorers, by the umpire at the bowler’swicket, as soon as the run is made. Thebowler’s umpire, also, is the properparty to give notice by byes to the scorers– best done by holding up the hand.”No other signals are mentioned in thisshort work. Again, the tone is one of advice,rather than injunction, and the implicationis that no formal code existedat this time.1897: Cricket by WJ Ford (1897) containsmore description of signals on p.74:“Umpires have a code of signals bywhich they communicate with the scorers.Thus, a bye is signaled by holdingup the hand; a leg-bye by touching orlifting the leg; a boundary hit by wavingone arm horizontally; and a wide bywaving both. A no-ball and a short run,being loudly called, require no signal.The scorer answers and acknowledgessignals by holding up his hand.”Conclusion:Comparing WJ Ford with the 1902 Code in Wisden,it seems apparent that before 1901 umpires hadevolved an informal code of signals among themselves,which was restricted to byes, leg-byes,boundaries and wides. When MCC first codifiedumpiring signals in 1901 it added signals for ‘noball’and ‘out’, although whether these were new inventionsor had become part of the informal codesince 1897 is open to speculation. No minutes existfor the Cricket sub-committee of this period, but itis possible that correspondence on the issue may berevealed during the further cataloguing of the MCCarchive in 2012-13.Dead Ball signalFour signalOut signalSix signale-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 11 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Laws – queriesThe ‘Mankading’incident involvingMurali Kartik dismissingSomerset’s AlexBarrow towards theend of the countyseason was raised inthe previous ‘Beyondthe Boundary’ (page11, Edition 14). Wehave receivednumerous responsesand thoughts on thetopic. We’ve included aselection below.Makading – Sehwag talks to umpires following the mankading incident which marred their game withSri Lanka earlier this yearDonald Allan, Sussex, wrote:I read with respect your well balanced articleon “Mankading” in the ACO Newsletterno 14, discussing the bowler running outthe non-striker.Why does law 42.15 exist at all? Itseems that the law explicitly always comeswithin the compass of “any action whichseems to abuse the spirit”, and so it cannotever apply. Someone has gone to the botherof describing exactly the situation in theLaw apparently in contravention of “thespirit”.The laws are terse and well considered,but I think the very existence of this law isthe cause of all the controversy as umpiresare directed not to apply it. I happen tothink that the batsman is “sneaking a run”and should be out. Otherwise why notapply a similar relief to the striker too? Butlet’s have an unambiguous situation - Scrapthe law and I’ll be happy.Will Law 42.15 be scrapped once andfor all? If not, why not?Ian Springer, Dorset, wrote:I found the article Beyond the Boundary inissue14 both interesting and a little annoying.I agree with all the comments regardingthe Spirit of Cricket, but I cannotunderstand why this must only apply to thebowler. If the various commentators care totake a look beyond Law 42.15 to just thenext point i.e. Law 42.16 “BATSMANSTEALING A RUN” which clearly statesthat “It is unfair for the batsman to attemptto steal a run during the bowlers run up”they might note that it is the actions of thebatsman that are unlawful and against theSpirit of Cricket. It even says that if thebowler does not attempt to run out eitherbatsman then the umpire should take actionas soon as the batsmen cross in their attemptto steal a run. It goes on to state thatthe fielding team be awarded 5 penalty runsand the incident reported. Surely it shouldbe argued that Kartik was being more thanfair to the batsman who obviously was notbeing fair. The Laws say he is being unfair.If as the article states Kartik warned thebatsman of what he intended then surely theumpire should have been aware of the batsman’sunfair, and therefore unlawful, actions.This warning sounds entirely withinthe Spirit of Cricket though, as is often thecase, it is not required by the Laws. It couldbe argued that the umpire was at fault here.I would suggest that at this stage it wouldserve all to point out to the batsman that ifhe leaves his ground and does not keep atleast his bat grounded behind the poppingcrease then he will be seen to be trying tosteal a run and that this is unfair and thereforeunlawful. It might further help to remindthe batsman what actions he, as theumpire, is required, by Law, to take if hesees further incidents.I admit that I am only a lowly Level 1umpire with only 5 years’ experiencewithin my small sphere of umpiring for thelocal Evening League and Dorset SundayLeague, but I have seen several cases ofthis sort of play by batsmen who know thatin tight running situations the ball is mostlikely to be thrown to the wicketkeeper thusmaking them most at risk of being run out.Kartik, being an ex-Somerset player, wasprobably aware of the batting tactics of hisopponents and if these were within theSpirit of Cricket or the Laws of the game.Most see the Laws of Cricket giving thebenefit to the batsmen, maybe this is onearea that leans a little in the bowlers favour,and maybe they should be encouraged,rather than being admonished, in using it.And as a final comment, I should pointout that I am also a Somerset C.C.C. supporter,so wish my views to be seen as asupporter of the game of Cricket in generalrather than as a partisan.David Pierrie, Lancashire, wrote:Thank you for the interesting Beyond theBoundary article re the Mankading run-outissue (Issue 14) I thought the article waswell balanced, and it allowed me to thinkabout the situation. The article showed howimportant it is to consider aspects of theLaws outside of a match environment,when emotion has ebbed away. I think whatis key, is that the Laws are not fixed, butare a work in progress, with the Rule Bookshowing the latest thinking.In the Mankading scenario, I fully agreewith the article’s thinking that it’s importantto keep the Spirit of Cricket in mind. Iwould therefore suggest that we, as umpires,look at this issue and come up with adefinitive answer.If we look at the role of the non-striker,it has become custom and practice for him(or her) to back up a few paces as thebowler runs in. Do we as umpires, in factdoes anyone in the game - including thenon-striker - consider this action to be“stealing a run” or is it simply part of thegame? The Laws themselves leave it up tothe umpire to decide if this is so, even makingthe distinction of the striker being allowedto stand well out of his ground toreceive the ball, an action that is NOT consideredstealing a run! For a run to be completed,it takes BOTH batsmen to maketheir ground at the opposite ends, so the actionsof both batsman must be equated intothe Law.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 12 contact us on 0121 446 2710

I believe this is a fairly easy Law to“fix”. The non-striker should be allowed toleave his ground to back up, with nopenalty to the batting side until either thebatsman has played the ball, or attempted toplay it. This is then similar to the actions ofthe wicketkeeper - where the ‘keeper cannottake the ball in front of the stumps if thebatsman hasn’t touched the ball. The samerisks apply to the non-striker as now, so ifhe is out of his ground when the ball is deflectedonto the stumps off a member of thefielding side, he is out run out. Alternatively,if the striker elects not to run - or ifhe does! - there is still the potential for arun out at the non-striker’s end.However this simple reworking of theLaw would reduce the workload of the nonstriker’sumpire; at present, the umpire ischecking for no-balls, is the non-striker inhis ground, was the bowler in his deliverystride, is the batsman out? Instead, the umpirecan check the no-ball, then immediatelyturn to the business end, where theimportant mechanics matter!Peter Woodman, Devon, wrote:Having read the Beyond the Boundarypiece in Edition 14, I found the conclusionboth illogically and unreasonably bias infavour of the batsman. There is nothing“fair” or “within the Spirit” for a nonstrikerto gain an unfair (in practice, “unreasonable”)advantage by advancing (orrepeatedly advancing) down the pitch beforea delivery is bowled. There is both alaw and a line – literally – why draw a different,moral, one? The “Spirit”, to mymind, is on the batsman to observe the law.The “put” should not even be on thebowler to remind the batsman, though, inpractice, most if not all, will give the “caution”first. The breach of either the law orthe warning will always be by the batsman,so why castigate the fielding side. If we areto penalise “one short”, for example, oftenby the very finest of margins, why shouldwe allow a batsman a yard or more advantageat the start of a potential run? What isa stumping, in essence, but the same thingat the other end? A balanced view, surely,should not conclude bowler “abuse” andKartik, his captain and “Athers” have allgot it spot on!Derek Rees, Wales, said:I am the Instructor and Chairman of theLlanelli Branch of ECB ACO and I have justread the above article and am, quite frankly,astounded that it suggests that the runningout of the non-striker who is trying to gainan unfair advantage is somehow unfair andagainst the “Spirit of the Game”Law 42.15 is quite specific. It permits thebowler to attempt to run out the non-strikerbefore the bowler enters his delivery strudewhere the non-striker is attempting to gainan advantage by starting to run early.If we, as umpires choose to ignore thisfact then I ask myself,where do wedraw the line. Dowe choose to ignorethe other penaltiesunder Law 42?I accept that, inthe “Spirit of theGame”, we as umpireswill ask thecaptain if he wantsthe appeal to stand.This is traditionaland it is normal for abowler to warn thenon-striker on thefirst occurrence.But, if the captainrefuses then that isit, the non-strikermust be given outand the game continues.To suggest thatthis action is unfaircannot be acceptableunder the Laws. It isquite clear that it isnot a “grey” are buta clearly laid downrequirement that thenon-striker shouldbe attempting togain an unfair advantage.Murali Kartik following his ‘mankading’ of Alex Barrow at theend of the county seasonECB ACO were pleased to receive John Holder’s thoughts and printthem below. We fully endorse his views.John Holder wrote:It is pure nonsense to accuse a bowler for unsporting behaviour when he runs out anon-striker who has left his ground early, especially when that batsman has previouslybeen warned for this act. The sole reason for a non-striker leaving his ground early isto increase his chances of getting to the other end as quickly as possible, thereby gainingan unfair advantage.Before the law was changed, abowler could get into his delivery strideand instead of releasing the ball, stop,wait till the non-striker has left hisground and break the wicket. That wastotally unsporting and could be regardedas bringing the game into disrepute. Thepowers that be rightly changed the lawso that the runout could only be affectedwhile the bowler was running up to thewicket. Once the bowler had reachedhis delivery stride he could not run thenon-striker out.For a non-striker to leave his groundwhile the bowler is running up is blatantcheating, doubly so when he has beenwarned previously. Gareth Batty wascorrect in upholding the appeal in thematch against Somerset and for Surreyto be accused of unsporting behaviour ispure hypocrisy. Only when non-strikerswho transgress are given out will thisact of cheating stop.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 13 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Friends AfarNow that this Newsletter reaches across the world by the electronic wizardry ofe-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 – sosend your club notes, personal stories, pictures of pavilions (and scoreboxes!), and anythingelse your colleagues would enjoy reading about.O M A NBy A. R. SrinivasanOman Cricket, also known as Oman CricketClub, founded in Oman 33 years ago by agroup of people of different nationalitieswith a high level of passion for the game,has seen a tremendous growth over the threedecades with high levels of achievements.Oman Cricket, an Associate member withthe Asian Cricket Council and an affiliatemember with the International CricketCouncil, has, ever since its inception, beenorganizing domestic tournaments annually atvarious levels in different formats of thegame. The premier tournament, the ‘A’ division50 overs a side tournament, consists ofnational players who have representedOman in the International Cricket Council’s(ICC) World Cricket League (WCL) andAsian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments.Oman Cricket’s achievements include theparticipation in the World Cup Qualifiers in2009 for the 50 overs a side tournament in2011 and in April 2012 for the T20 in Sept2012. Participation of Omani nationals, bothas players and umpires, has been very encouragingin the last few years. Oman hasthe largest number of nationals playing thegame among the entire cricket playing nationsin the Middle East.Overs the years, just as the Oman cricketteam has reached such high levels, so havethe Oman cricket umpires, some of whomhave been called upon to officiate in the ICCWCL and ACC tournaments. Saurabh Naikwas the first Oman resident umpire to becalled for the ICC World Cup qualifier inDublin in 2005. Later two senior Umpires,A. R. Srinivasan and Afzal Sher Khan haveofficiated in ICC WCL tournaments and alsoin the ACC tournaments. Ishtiaq AhmedAmjad and Mukund Mehta have also representedOman at the ACC tournaments.Oman Cricket has come a long way in thelast three decades in streamlining its developmentplans and executing them. Since2001, Oman Cricket has encouraged severalOmani nationals and expatriate residents inOman to take to umpiring and scoring. Aspart of its development process, OmanCricket has been organizing Level ‘0’courses (Introduction of the MCC Laws)every alternate year in which over 25 newaspiring umpires have been participatingregularly. This course has been conducted onLevel ‘0’ group photo with board membersThose present on one of our refresher coursesthe last two occasions by the local ACCtrained and certified Educator for Umpires,A. R. Srinivasan, who is also a senior umpirewith Oman Cricket and Head of theUmpiring Committee and Tournament Committees.Following this course, the Level ‘1’course for umpires would be conducted inOman by ACC. Those who successfullycomplete these courses are then included inthe different panels of umpires for the domestictournament. Every year, two of thebest performers in the Level ‘1’ course arecalled in to attend the Level ‘2’ course, conductedcentrally by ACC. Completion of thiscourse would entitle the umpires to be nominatedfor the ACC tournaments that are heldthroughout the year.In addition to the courses organized forand on behalf of the ACC, Oman Cricket organisesregular “refresher” courses whichare coordinated and led by the senior umpires.This is conducted over four days ofthree hour sessions and primarily focuses onthe domestic playing conditions, umpiringtechniques and issues that are faced on thefield by umpires.Various different scenariobasedinterpretations of the laws and playingconditions are discussed in detail.Oman Cricket has always emphasised toits umpires that they should display thehighest level of consistency in their decisionmaking and in the interpretation of the playingconditions while officiating throughoutthe season that last for over 8 months. Regularsessions that involve discussions of variousissues on and off the field and doubts onthe laws and playing conditions are held forumpires almost every month so that there isa pathway for umpires to have a constant development.This is also aimed at enablingthe new and less experienced umpires tomingle with the more senior umpires whoare encouraged to share their experiences.Regular assessment of umpires’ perforances on the field and self assessments ofumpires after a match are some of the toolsthat are used in order to develop the standardof umpiring. Oman Cricket has appointed agroup of senior umpires with over 15 yearsof experience to be part of the umpiringcommittee that has been entrusted with theresponsibility of developing umpires. At thee-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 14 contact us on 0121 446 2710

senior most level, Oman Cricket has nineumpires who officiate in the 50 overs aside league tournament. For the other divisionsconsisting of seventy teams, theU16 and U19 tournaments for boys andthe growing women’s cricket, there are 45umpires who officiate in the matches thatare always played at weekends.Oman Cricket sees a bright future forits umpires both at the domestic level andas well as in the Asian regional level asmore umpires are now qualified withACC Level 2 accreditations. It is hopedthat these umpires would get good exposuresin officiating in the internationaltournaments and their experiences abroadwould improve the standard of umpiringin Oman.Out in the middle: practical part of the umpiring course‘The Follow On’In true cricketing form, we give you ‘The Follow On’. Although this feature doesn’t rely on a teamhaving a lead of 200 going into the second innings, we hope it will keep you informed and updated onpast events that are of interest to you.Page 12 of issue 14 hosted an article titled ‘Ground,Weather and Light’ and looked in to difficulties umpirescan have when opting to play or not play. With the horrendousconditions that met many parts of the UKthroughout the season, Mike Hill wrote to ECB ACO onthe topic with a response from Executive Officer (North)Glyn Pearson.During a normal summer, I would have wholeheartedly concurredwith the thrust of the article, but this was not a normal summer, andI and some other umpires frequently did not err on the side of cautionbut invoked Law 43.As an ex-player, I know how important Saturday and/or Sunday’smatches are to players, and the relentless rain was hugely demoralizingand depressing. Sometimes leagues called off entire anentire weekend’s cricket in advance, and sometimes no play waspossible another weekend, or very little after a match had started,such that on occasions a month would go by without any meaningfulcricket.So, when I turned up at one ground at 12.30 on a sunny day aftera very wet week to find a pump in the middle of a small lake, andplayers from both sides forking and mopping and baling, we got amatch going at about 3pm. The square was fine (covers) but thatpart of the outfield was boggy (and probably didn’t fully dry out allsummer) but we played, fielded gingerly in that area, and a closeand enjoyable game was had by all.Your article presumes there are always two umpires, but frequentlythere is only one. This is when the umpire is under mostpressure, especially if one team is winning and knows full well thata rival teamelsewhere is playing/winning/losing (mobile phones and scorers!).A captain can change his mind about suitability in the blink ofa bad or good over, and will let you know! When there is no colleagueto confer with, my consistent line is again to draw upon mytime as a player, recall that we are here to play cricket, and thissummer I erred in favour of playing.Next summer, when the sun beats down and the only danger isfrom heat-stroke, I will return to erring on the side of caution whenit rains.ECB ACO response:This is a very good point. The role of all officials is to facilitate agame of cricket between two teams. As Mike says, the playerslook forward to their matches all week, as umpires and scorers do,and the last thing they want is for some officious little dictator tointerfere. The final sentence og Law 42,(2) clearly lays down whenumpires can and cannot “interfere” with play and Law 42,(1) definesthe responsibility of the captains.The changes to Law 3,(8) in 2010 were designed to increase theamount of play and prevent captains using Ground Weather andLight as a tactical weapon. It is now solely for the umpires - orumpire if there is only one - to decide whether conditions are dangerousor unreasonable. The word “suitable” has been completelyremoved from the Law. In addition, Law 3,(9),(c) states that whenthe umpire(s) are considering the conditions they shall do so “unaccompaniedby any players or officials” specifically to prevent pressurebeing put on them. Umpires must be strong and make alldecisions, including those concerning ground weather and light,without fear or favour and play should only be prevented if theconditions of Law 3,(8),(b) or (c) apply.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 15 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Young OfficialsDeveloping cricket officials under the age of 25This feature of the ACO Newsletter is part of ECB’s drive to improve the opportunities available to young officials. Ifyou have any suggestions or anything you would like to be included then we would love to hear from you!A year in the Premier League by Paddy BrownAlthough the 2012 season was my fourth as an umpire, it wasparticularly memorable as my first full season on the panel ofone of the premier leagues in Lancashire and it rained. A lot.I decided to give umpiringa try when it dawned on methat I was never going to playFirst Class Cricket. In my firstcouple of seasons, whilst Iwas still learning the ropes, itcame second to playing. However,over the past two years, Ihave taken it much more seriouslyand my own cricket hasbeen relegated to more of aback seat. I still enjoy playing,and play when I can, but I’mdefinitely an umpire whoplays a bit rather than theother way around.After sitting through localumpires’ training courses,three years ago I was added to the RibblesdaleLeague Umpires’ Panel and was given a few 2 nd team gameswhen not playing myself. I stayed on this panel for anotheryear and although I wanted to push myself I still harbouredambitions as a player, so I found my availability restricted.During 2011 an opportunity from ECB ACO came myway and I was invited to stand in a Nottinghamshire YouthFestival. I was observed and assessed and received some positivefeedback from experienced officials who had all stoodin County 2 nd XI, Minor Counties and some First Classcricket. I was advised to try and stand in a higher standard ofcricket, in a league where clubs employed professionals andcaptains routinely marked the umpires’ performance. Fortunatelyfor me, I was in the company of the venerable ThomasG Wilson, one of Lancashire’s most respected officials, whosuggested I apply to the Lancashire League. This was musicto my ears because I felt ready for the challenge of steppingup a level. The Lancashire League was one of the strongest inthe north of England with Viv Richards, Shane Warne, SteveWaugh, Kapil Dev, Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Allan Borderand international umpire Rod Tucker all having been professionalsthere in recent years.At the end of 2011 I was on trial as I stood in a few 2 ndteam games in the Lancashire League. I was marked andgiven feedback from the League Secretary and decided that Idefinitely wanted more of this. I was accepted on the panelfor the 2012 season, with playing ambitions firmly placed inthe background.During the winter, I signed up for a Level 1A course and Iassisted the tutors on a local Level 1 course. This was a greatway to refresh my knowledge and reinforced the mantra that‘you never stop learning’. Before I knew it, April had arrivedand I had two pre-season friendlies lined up in readiness forthe league games ahead. The rain put paid to that and signalledthe start of a frustrating season.My first game of the 2012 season was a Kingfisher Cup 1 stRound game. It was a cold Friday night and we only managed16 overs, due to theaway team turning up late.The game was a frantic affairand a good eye-opener forwhat was to come during theseason.The following Sundaymarked my LancashireLeague First Team debut.Nelson versus Enfield atNelson’s Seedhill Ground. Iwas nervous, really nervous,but I was standing with afantastic colleague in DuncanWarburton, and I had toremind myself that this isPicture Copyright Nigel Stockleywhat I’d pushed myself for,so I could hardly complain.The League had taken a bitof a gamble in appointing me, so it was time I repaid theirfaith by showing them what I could do. Once the game wasunderway, I could relax, remember my training, and do whatcame naturally.I had the best seat in the house and witnessed a quality unbeatenhundred from Enfield’s South African professional,Werner Coetsee. Most importantly, I had a really good onfieldrelationship with my colleague. It felt like we wereworking as a team throughout the game, which I’ve come torealise, is one of the most important aspects of the job.The season flew by, and before I knew it, September washere and I was coming to my final game of the season. I wasdisappointed that the season was about to end because I had enjoyedit so much. The wet days involved making some decisions,even if it was only, “What time shall we go home?” Nomore angry players, no more rain affected run-rate calculationsand no more shovelling down the steak pie, chips, peas andgravy at Ramsbottom!Looking back over 2012, I think the season has gonepretty well for me. I’ve learned lots, and with the help of mymentor I have been able to self-assess and look at my umpiringfrom a number of angles. Coupled with being assessed byothers and my own personal development as an umpire Ithink I have improved but see the need to keep developing.This year I have become aware that it’s not only the on-fieldbusiness which counts, it is also about the way I conduct myselfoff the field, such as ensuring my portfolio is up to date.As for the future, I will keep working and pushing myselfand through writing up a development plan for the next 5years, I have short term and long term goals to work towards.During the winter I am hoping to take a Level 2 course andwhen the time is right I hope to gain some multi-day cricketexperience.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 16 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Gough’s Top TipThe youngest umpire on the ECB Full ListMichael is taking a break for this issue and he too is taking a breakfrom all cricket umpiring. That doesn’t mean he has put officiatingcompletely to one side, as his winter is taken up by refereeing footballat amateur level which he sees as an ideal way to hone skills such asplayer management and positioning. Michael will be back on this pagewith another top tip in the New Year.Simon Taufel speaks to the Young OfficialsDays before Simon Taufel announced his retirement from International umpiringto take on a new role as the ICC’s Pereformance and Training Manager,ECB ACO’s Young Officials were given the rare opportunity to speak tothe man himself for an hour in the ECB Boardroom at Lord’s.Simon is well versed in ECB ACO’s Young Officials’ development projectand is a keen supporter, having officiated his first international test match atthe age of 29. He remains the youngest to date.Simon was more than willing to stop off at Lord’s on route to the Oval wherehe was to conduct a pitch inspection for the third ODI between England andSouth Africa.Hugo Blogg, 15, has been a part of the Young Officials squads for two yearsnow, and wrote this report about the meeting:Sometimes, an hour feels like a century, sometimes, an hour flies by. When youmeet Simon Taufel time just slips through your fingers as easily as air. That wascertainly the case when an invited panel of Young Officials had the opportunity tomeet and chat with him towards the end of the season at Lord’s. It was a wonderfulseminar cut short due to Simon having to leave to prepare for England vs. SouthAfrica 3rd ODI over the river at the Oval which was a reasonable get out clause…But seriously, for some, travelling over 3 hours in order to meet him, it wouldhave been worth it just to sit in the ECB Board Room and enjoy the comfort of theleather conference chairs - an experience in itself - not to mention the tea and biscuits!However, it would be inexcusable for me to not mention the real deal. It wasclear from the outset that this was to be no mere Q&A session or just a chance for aphoto opportunity.As one of the world’s premier officials Simon not only has considerable umpiringexperience, but he managed to convey his knowledge fluently, without falteringonce in the entire hour long session. His self-determination and motivation was evidentin his speech, and his eyes conveyed confidence. He freely offloaded hisknowledge to us as he clearly wanted us to become better officials. To tell you thetruth, he made me really think about my umpiring experiences and ways I can improve.He invited our group to suggest topics to be discussed, for example, preparationbefore the match and analysis after the game. He made sure he covered everysection of his match routine, even showing us the pages of notes he had for the ODI- quite a dossier! It was a real eye-opener into the amount of preparation it takes fora professional umpire.We went through other topics like self-analysis, and he explained to us that hebelieves in improving after every game, writing notes and setting targets for eachmatch. We even covered the crucial topic of cricket teas, where he said: ‘it’s hard tolook further than Lord’s’. But, on a more important note, we discussed the variousstages of umpiring a match from pre-match tasks to post-game reflection. In concluding,he said ‘if your inputs are right, then the output is going to be right’.It was a memorable and inspiring experience to have met him and as we know,Simon is stepping down from the ICC Umpires Panel and has taken on a new jobas Umpire Performance and Training Manager for the ICC. Now he has retiredfrom umpiring ‘in the middle’, I wouldn’t mind having him as my coach - and I’msure neither would you!60secondswitha YoungOfficialName: Nathan BradleyAge: 20At the age of 31, Michael Goughis the youngest umpire on theECB 1st class list. At the NatWestPCA Awards Dinner beforeChristmas, Michael was namedas PCA umpire of the year.Somewhat belatedly, but no lesssincerely we are pleased to offerMichael our congratulations onthis excellent achievement.Leagues: Devon League ‘B’ DivisionHow long have you been scoring?I haven’t been scoring all that long, so about6 monthsWhat qualifications have you taken?I haven’t done any yet, but I am expecting toenrol on a Level 1 correspondence coursewithin the next few weeks, so that I amready to go from the beginning of nextseason.How has ECB ACO helped you?My involvement with ACO has only beenshort but in that time they have given mesome useful contacts and I have met fellowscorers and made some good friends.What do you like about scoring?It appeals to both sides of me, the cricket fanand the person who loves data and statistics.What challenges do you face whenscoring?Access is sometimes difficult in mywheelchair, and keeping track of bowlers’overs.Where do you see yourself in fiveyears?I’d like to be scoring professionally (or atleast on the way) if I’m deemed to have theskill.Do you have any unusual scoringexperiences?My colleague and I both missed a no-ballsignal which caused a consternation whenwe thought it was an 8 ball over! And myexcellent trip to score a corporate day atLord’s.Any other comments…I said access is sometimes difficult, it is, butpeople do their best to help in any way theycan.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 17 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Hidden talents – London 2012 Experience by Colin BarthorpeFollowing on from Issue 14 which noted the efforts of volunteers throughout the Olympics,including our very own Lin Martin, we were made aware of Colin Barthorpe’s involvement as aHockey Statistics Team Leader. Therefore we had to ask Colin for a summary of his experience.The email arrived in mid-February. “Wewould like to invite you to become NationalTechnical Officer, Hockey Statistics TeamLeader”. I could hardly contain my joy; Iwas going to be closely involved in thegreatest sports event on earth. I already hada role as a Games Maker, ironically as oneof the team who would be supporting theTechnical Team from the Tournament Director,International Technical Officials,Umpires and NTO’s but now I was going toexperience being part of the TechnicalTeam at close hand.So what would I be doing? As TeamLeader I led a team of 5 NTO’s, includingmyself, and 20 Games Maker Statisticians.Initially I would have one NTO and 4 Statisticianscovering each game. We would bebased in the Timing and Scoring Room atthe very top of the main stand and our jobwas to capture all the statistics in real time.This information would be instantly availableto the 5000 journalists in the MediaCentre, and all round the world, and wasthe information used by the broadcasters aswell as providing copies to the competingteams at half time and full time. Three ofmy 4 NTO colleagues were InternationalTechnical Officials, all from Scotland whistthe fourth was an IT specialist who coachesStaines Ladies in the National League.Why did I get this appointment? Firstly Isuspect because of my extensive involvementin hockey administration and officiatingat domestic and international level overa period of 22 years, but also because I wasable to demonstrate my ability at inputtingstatistics on a computer, largely due to havingscored for Shropshire County CricketClub for 13 years, the last 5 using TCS. Iam sure that without that experience Iwould not have got the job.What training did we receive? Well nota lot really. The 5 of us were invited to ahalf days training at LOCOG’s base in CanaryWharf where we were introduced tothe procedures, protocols and technologywe would be using. As for our team of statisticians,we met them less than one hourbefore the Test Event dress rehearsal inMay, and they had not seen the ReferenceManual or had any real idea of what theywould be expected to do!! Not surprisinglywe made mistakes at the Test Event as wegot used to our role, but that is what theTest Event was all about. From our experiencesthere we made some changes, such ashaving a substitute caller situated directlybehind the team benches and adding a secondinput tablet just to cope with all thesubstitutions. The caller was in radio contactwith the inputter upstairs. It was vitalthat we logged every substitution on andoff very quickly. As an example of whatmight and did happen if a player went onand immediately scored a goal we couldnot log the scorer unless the system showedthey were actually on the pitch. Given thatTV required that we needed to identify theplayer’s number and log it into the systemwithin 10 seconds there was considerablepressure. The TV commentator and stadiumannouncer could not announce thescorer until we had completed that action.We were also in radio contact with theTechnical Table at pitchside, as it was vitalthat the information we logged matched theofficial match sheet produced at the end ofthe game.For the Olympic Games we made furtherchanges. We quickly found that weneeded 2 substitute spotters on each game,both in radio contact with the inputter upstairs.Some teams made as many as 75substitutions per match and when we had 2such teams it became hard. Often we wouldhave as many as 8 changes all being madeat the same time and one person was unableto cope. We got round that by usingone of my NTO colleagues as the secondspotter, meaning that we ended up with ateam of 7 covering each game. I think therecord number of substitutions we loggedin one match was 147!!We shared our room with the main scoreboardoperator and with Omega technicians.Fortunately they were able to amend informationinstantly. Apart from the substitutionswe logged every change of possession,every card issued, every circle penetrationand every shot. Each shot had as many as 8possible outcomes, such as goal, miss, save,block, post and if there was a flurry of activityit was hard to keep up.My NTOs worked in pairs. One pairwould leave the hotel at 0630, cover thefirst 3 matches of the day and the otherpair would leave the hotel at 1400, coverthe last 3 matches and return to the hotel at2330. Each of us had a day off in every 5and most of us kept away from the hockeyon those days. Our teams of statisticiansworked one session per day, covering 2matches, so we had 3 of the 4 teams workingeach day. These Games Makers wereall volunteers, some having to get up at0430 in the morning and others gettinghome at 0200 in the morning!!So what will I remember from my experience?Firstly, meeting and working againwith many old friends from around theworld whom I had met at previous tournaments,as well as meeting and making newfriends. Secondly, the extraordinary professionalismof those who had worked sohard over the past 2 or 3 years to put thehockey tournament together. Sue Catton,the Hockey Manager, must have felt veryproud at what she had achieved, togetherwith Sarah Capel from England Hockey,the Technology Manager. Sarah has beenrewarded by being appointed as HockeyManager for the Commonwealth Games inGlasgow in 2014 so she faces a furtherchallenge. Also Steve Brooks, an oldfriend who many of you will know whowas in charge of all the support staff lookingafter us.We were fortunate enough to be given aticket for the Opening Ceremony whichwas a great experience. Some of us managedto see the odd session of other sports,something I was unable to do but just towalk through the Park mingling with allthe crowds was a magic experience. Howevermy abiding memory, like so many ofus, was of the fantastic contribution madeby the vast army of Games Makers. Manye-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 18 contact us on 0121 446 2710

of them endured long shifts, very earlymornings and late nights, and most of themnever got to see any event. Wherever youwent, both inside and outside the Park theywere everywhere, always polite, alwayswith a smile and it was they who really deservethe plaudits of the athletes, officialsand spectators.Having returned home I found it hard towind down, and I got very emotional justtalking about the two olympic weeks. Idon’t mind admitting that the tears flowedas I sat at home watching the Closing Ceremony.So many new friends, so manygreat memories and an unforgettable experiencethat I will remember for the rest ofmy life. It was a privilege to be involvedin London 2012.In other hidden talents…..Although not totally relevant to ECB ACO, wethought these may be of interest.Yohan BlakeFollowing the success of the Olympics, Yohan Blake, the secondfastest man on the planet, has declared his love for cricket.Speaking to Sky Sports after the Olympics, Blake went as far assaying: “I love cricket, more than I love athletics,” and he believeshe is actually a better cricketer than sprinter.Blake was present on the first morning of the first test match betweenEngland and South Africa at Lord’s, and rang the famousLord’s bell to signify the start of play. In doing so, he became thefirst non-cricketer to do so.Blake has even gone as far as to say he believes a contract playingfor a team in the Australian T20 Big Bash could happen in thefuture – watch this space!Andrew FlintoffFormer England all-rounder, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, has turned to boxing as he looks to fill thevoid that cricket has left.Flintoff announced his decision to pursue a career in professional boxing back in September andhas since been training hard, employing Barry McGuigan as his coach and mentor.Following Flintoff’s retirement from cricket two years ago due to numerous operations and injuries,Flintoff’s problems off the field have been well documented, and the big Lancashire lad ishoping boxing can give him something else to aim at.An avid boxing fan and a good friend of Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton, Flintoff’s first bout takesplace on November 30th. This publication went to print prior to that date, but we wish Freddiegood luck.Changes to BCEW PanelFollowing three successful seasons as Senior Umpire to the Panel for Blind Cricket England & Wales (BCEW), PeterMarshall has stepped down from his position. Lorraine Elgar of Kent will take over. Below we hear from Peter on histime at the helm, and Lorraine who has taken over the reins.Peter Marshall“After three seasons I have decided to stand down as Senior Umpireto the Panel. It has been a very rewarding three years that Ihave enjoyed tremendously. I believe that the Blind Cricket Panel isin a very strong and robust position. This is only the case becauseof the tireless commitment of the umpires that joined in with thisvaluable work. However, I feel that there is room for improvementand it is time for someone to look at the way we do things with afresh pair of eyes. Lorraine Elgar has kindly agreed to take on therole of Senior Umpire for the 2013 season, which means I can stepdown knowing that the panel will be in very good hands indeed. Alreadyone of the most respected umpires on the Blind cricket Circuit,her experience makes her the obvious replacement. I'm surethat she will get the same support and encouragement as I have enjoyedto take the panel on to new heights.“I would like to thank some individuals especially for their helpin getting the panel to where it is today. Michael Cornwell hasgiven invaluable help with developing the training material, AnselPorter and Les Clemenson with sage advice and help over the years,and of course Nick Cousins and Ben Francis for their support. Finally,I would like to thank my long suffering wife Val. Without herlove and support none of this would have been possible.“It only remains for me to wish you all the very best for the futureand to wish you a fond farewell.”Lorraine Elgar“Firstly, I should like to thank Pete Marshall so very much for thework he has done over the last three years establishing a panel ofumpires to support the Visually Impaired cricket. His endless dedicationis really appreciated.“It is with trepidation that I try to fill Pete’s shoes – his are 3sizes bigger than mine – but at the same time know that I have thesupport and input from experienced colleagues and friends to helpme in my task.“The BCEW works in partnership with British Blind Sport [BBS]and the England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] to deliver competitivecricket for those who are blind or partially sighted. BCEW appointsumpires and scorers to matches for domestic and internationalfixtures including league, cup and T20 formats of the game.”e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 19 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Where are they now?Michael CornwellAfter previously focussing on Geoff Lowden, former ACU&SChairman, we turn our focus to Michael Cornwell, former DeputyChairman of the ACU&S.I joined the ACU&S in 1995 through theArmy and took up membership with theNorth Wilts ACU&S, although took two attemptsto pass the written exam. Havingpassed the exam, I stood as an umpire withinthe Army and initially in Wiltshire beforeprogressing on to the West of England PremierLeague’s Feeder Divisions. In 1997 Imanaged to pass the oral exam and became afull member of the ACU&S in 1999. In thesame year I was asked by the Army to considerbecoming an ACU&S instructor. I attendeda probationary instructors’ coursewhere the tutors included Graham Cooperand Sally Pitman. Under the watchful eyesof John Dimery (Bristol) and Peter Beard(Royal Navy and Hampshire) I managed toprogress from a probationary instructor to asenior umpire instructor and enjoyed bringingon new talent in the Army and Wiltshire,having taken over in the county from the redoubtableteam of John Archer and AlanWarren.In 2000 I was asked to consider becomingthe Chairman of North Wilts ACU&S andwas duly elected at the AGM. In the sameyear I took over the instructional side forumpires in Wiltshire. In 2004 on the retirementof John Dimery I was electedDeputy Chairman of the South region ofthe ACU&S and managed to pass thescorers’ standard examination at the secondtime of asking (notice the themewith exams).The political infighting in 2005 withinthe ACU&S came to a head with a meetingbeing chaired by Lord Griffiths ofGovilon MC, at which Geoff Lowdenwas appointed Chairman of the ACU&S,Keith Say, the Treasurer and for reasonsbest known to the committee and I becamethe Deputy Chairman. Under GeoffLowden’s leadership the financial situationwas gradually made more settled andthen began the process to see how the Associationcould progress. To this day I donot think that Geoff has been given thecredit he deserves for his leadership inthose turbulent times; certainly few peoplerealise the strain the pressure of thepost placed on his health.Once it had been decided by theACU&S membership and ECB that anamalgamation would be good forcricket it was relatively easy within thecircles my umpiringwas involved with to getthe new structure set upwithin Wiltshire. Boththe North Wiltshire andSouth Wiltshire ACU&Swere associations decliningin number and relianton the same peopleeach year holding office.A year before the formationof ECB ACO bothNorth and South Wiltswere talking of merging,the formation of ECBACO merely acted as acatalyst and it enabled Wiltshireto start with a completely clean sheet. Ipersonally felt that as I had been part of theACU&S hierarchy structure it would be betterif I did not stand for office within thenew county set-up though I was happy tocontinue my role as a tutor.It was in 2007–08 I had decided to reducemy umpiring commitments. I had been fortunateto reach West Of England PremierLeague status, but with additional responsibilitiesas the village cricket club groundsmanI was now restricted to how far I couldtravel after I had finished the pitch preparations.Moving down to the lower echelons ofthe feeder leagues would also allow me touse the newly acquired skills of being an assessorby acting as a mentor to my colleague.I had been privileged to witness thescheme when Roy Kinner offered umpires tothe Army Inter-Corps matches, which benefittedthe Army by having sufficient umpiresand allowed Roy to mentor his Berkshireumpires. In Wiltshire, under Tony Hemmings’guidance, we have embraced the observation/assessmentprocess and we can seethe benefits to our colleagues, though IIt’s not only decisions we stretch outadmit sometimes from the captains reportsone could be forgiven for thinking we wereat different matches.What have I got out of all of this is simplybeing involved with cricket, a game I haveplayed and loved since the age of 8, but umpiringhas enabled me to enjoy the game to afar higher standard. I have the best seat inthe world to watch the battle of wits andskill between a bowler and a batsman.Whilst I obviously do not stand at such ahigh level now, the pleasure comes frombringing on the next generation, beit by tutoring, mentoring or conductingoff the field assessmentson level two umpire candidates.I have to thank the ACU&S forgetting me started as an umpire andsetting me off on the instructionalroute, Geoff Lowden for saving theACU&S from imploding and ECBACO for the modern structure wehave in the tutoring and observationroles to enable umpires toprogress as far as their talents willallow them.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 20 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Officiating Course ComparisonAn action from the last ECB ACO Board meeting was for Martin Williams to research and compile entry leveldetails for officiating courses across numerous sports. The research has been completed and in the spirit ofopenness and transparency we thought we would display our findings below.Football – Basic Referee CourseMinimum Age: 14Course Duration: 24 hours plus 6 gamesWho is it for? Ideally suited to those wanting to become a referee involved in the 11 a side game both in youth and adultfootballCourse aims and objectives: This course will provide an introduction to the laws of the game as well as developing thepractical skills required to be a football refereeThe course is run over 5 modules including the completion of 6 matches as a trainee referee, two of which should beobserved by a referee coach.Module 1 – Introduction (laws, role, skills needed)Module 2 – Practical Element (warm up, cool down, positions & movement, game management, signals & communication)Module 3 – Examination (written, theory & practical)Module 4 – Refereeing (6 games, 2 of which are observed)Module 5 – The Next Steps (3 hour workshop, re-assessment, refresher work)Rugby Union – Entry Level Referee AwardMinimum age: N/ACourse duration: 3 separate stages covered across a varying time scaleWho is it for? Ideally suited to those wanting to become a referee involved in the 15 a side game both in youth and adultrugbyCourse aims and objectives: There are theoretical and assessment activities in the course. Ideally, the laws applying to thedifferent phases of the game are delivered in a practical manner and this is reinforced through classroom presentation of thekey learning pointsStage 1 – 50% Practical (attitudes, judgement in context, health and safety assessment, materiality)Stage 2 – 50% Practical (child protection, identification of problems, management)Stage 3 – Referee 5 matches (one observation and complete self-reflection log)Hockey – Level 1 UmpiresMinimum age: N/ACourse duration: 3x3 hour session, ran over 3 weeksWho is it for? Those interested in becoming involved in hockey officiating at the earliest recreational stageCourse aims and objectives:Component 1 – Classroom based presentation (2 sessions including core skills, hockey rules and examination paper)Component 2 – Practical (a minimum of 3 practice games at any level)Component 3 – Assessment (on any 11 a side hockey game, within a competitive framework)Basketball - Level 1 (Apprentice)This award is an introduction to basketball and is aimed at the pure beginner. It gives an insight into the basic mechanics,violations and fouls that need to be administered when refereeing a basketball game. A Level 1 referee is qualified to officiateat school matches, central venue and local league (youth leagues) and recreational level.Boxing – Entry LevelCourses consist of:➔ A number of lectures (usually about four sessions at 2½ hours each).➔ A written examination➔ A practical test, where you will usually sit alongside an experienced judge and judge 10 bouts.➔ Time keeper and MC examinations involve attendance at a show with an experienced time keeper or MC for thepractical assessment.Cost of CoursesSport/CourseCostFootball/Basic Referee Course£85-£135 depending on locationRugby Union/Entry Level Referee Award £50Hockey/Level 1£50 depending on locationBasketball/Level 1 (Apprentice) £20Boxing/Entry Level £39Cricket/Level 1 course£40 including Tom SmithsCricket/Introduction to Umpiring £10Cricket/Level 1A £15e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 21 contact us on 0121 446 2710

‘By-the-Byes’One Aussie retires, one joins ICC EliteSix umpires in corruptionclaimsSix international umpires have been suspendedfollowing allegations made in asting operation by an Indian televisionnews channel.The ICC continues to investigate theclaims made against the six officials fromBangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.The six officials deny the allegations.Simon TaufelAustralian umpire Simon Taufel has retiredfrom the ICC Panel of Umpires followingthe World Twenty20 tournament in SriLanka.Taufel, who will leave the game with thereputation as one of the finest umpires of alltime, will now take up the newly-createdrole of ICC Umpire Performance and TrainingManager.Named as umpire of the year five times ina row between 2004 and 2008, Taufel, 41, ishoping to spend more time with his familyin his new job, as he looks to life off thefield rather than on it.In 2011, he stood in the World Cup Finaland has also been in the middle for the decidersof the World Twenty20 in 2007 and2009, as well as the Champions Trophy in2004.A promising fast bowler in his early days,Taufel represented New South Walesschoolboys with the likes of Adam Gilchristand Michael Slater, before a back injury cuthis career short.This turned his attention to umpiring, andhis rise to the top was a quick one, but fullyjustified. He stood in a fifth-grade game atthe age of 20, and by the age of 27 he hadstood in his first One-Day International.Two years later, he officiated his first testmatch between Australia and West Indies inthe Boxing Day test match at Melbourne.Known for his outstanding professionalismin the middle, thorough knowledge ofthe game and extraordinary ability to get thetightest of decisions right, Taufel has sinceofficiated 73 more test matches and has totalled174 ODIs.Speaking of his decision, Taufel said:“Following the 2012 ICC World Twenty20Bruce OxenfordShropshire’s Tom Kane picks up awardCounty Education Officer for Shropshire,Tom Kane, has received the Desmond WilcoxVolunteer of the Year award for his work withcharity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.Tom, and his hearing dog Nevis, werehanded the award by television presenter TimVincent at the event on the 18 th October.in Sri Lanka, I’m moving on from active internationalumpiring for personal and professionalreasons. My wife and childrenhave supported me immensely throughoutmy career and it is time for me to spendmore time with them.“My passion for cricket umpiring and personalprofessional development has shiftedfrom on the field to off the field. In my newposition as ICC Umpire Performance andTraining Manager, I look forward to helpcreate professional programmes and resourcesto support the current and futuregenerations of cricket match officials. Thenew role includes working closely with thenational cricket federations which is reallyexciting, as is continuing to work with theentire cricket community in helping the developmentof our cricket umpires.”Replacing Taufel on the ICC Elite Panelis fellow Australian Bruce Oxenford, whoofficially started in the role on 1 st Novemberfollowing his return from the WorldTwenty20 in Sri Lanka.Having already stood in eight testmatches and 39 ODIs, Oxenford has impressedover the last few years, resulting inhis call-up to replace Taufel.ICC’s Umpire and Referee Manager,Vince Van Der Bijl, congratulated Oxenfordon his appointment to the elite panel: “Bruceis a very experienced and respected umpire,and follows a long line of elite Australianumpires. He has been umpiring at the firstclasslevel for well over a decade and iscommitted and dedicated to officiating.“We are delighted to welcome Bruce, whowill add his own brand of professionalism,energy and love of umpiring to the elitepanel.”Tom continued to promote the good workthe charity do, and has been to more than 25events in 2012 spreading word of the charity.Speaking of the charity, Tom said: “Eversince I was lucky enough to take Nevis homewith me, he has changed my life in so manyways.”In a statement released by the ICC,they said that the umpires identified inthe sting are not contracted by the ICCand that the national boards who employthem had agreed not to appoint them toany matches whilst investigations continue.ICC has also reiterated its “zero-tolerancetoward corruption whether allegedagainst players or officials.”India TV said that a number of theofficials had agreed to give favorabledecisions, including in a warm-up gamefor the World T20. The ICC has sincesaid that none of the six umpiresofficiated in any official matches at theWorld T20.Chris Watts, ECB Anti-CorruptionOfficer said: “This is an on-goinginvestigation and, as such, it is notappropriate to make any comment aboutthese matters at this time.”No-balls checked for alldismissalsThird umpires will check for no-ballsfollowing all dismissals, it has beenannounced, as part of a number ofamendments made by the ICC.Previously no-balls would only bechecked if the on-field umpire asked, butnow the third umpire will checkimmediately if the delivery was legal.The ICC said in a statement: “If thedelivery was not a fair delivery, the thirdumpire shall advise the on-field umpireby two-way radio who should recall thedismissed batsman, indicate that thebatsman is not out and signal no-ball.”The ICC have also agreed thatday/night test matches can take place. Aslong as both participating nations agree,day/night test matches can now goahead.For a list of all other changes tointernational regulations visitwww.icc-cricket.com.e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 22 contact us on 0121 446 2710

ECB agrees to new county schedule from 2014England’s County Championship will benefitfrom Sunday starts after the ECB Boardagreed to a new domestic schedule for afour-year period from 2014.A new-look county programme will alsoinclude Twenty20 cricket played weeklyover much of the season, predominantly onFriday evenings, and the scrapping of 40-over cricket which will be replaced by the50-over format, replicating the internationalgame.With more than 25,000 respondents, theCounty Research Study conducted by ‘Populus’reinforced the key findings of the MorganReview, in particular the need toprovide regular scheduling for Countycricket.The ECB Board has therefore agreed thatfor the period 2014-2017 the format of thedomestic season should be as follows:LV= County Championship - retained astwo divisions of nine teams with two promotedand relegated each season with thefirst 14 slots commencing on Sundays.Friends Life t20 - 14 matches per county,mostly played on Friday evenings, with thetop eight counties progressing to a quarterfinalround and the retention of the popularFLt20 finals day format.Clydesdale Bank 50 - a total of eightgroup matches per county with eight teamsprogressing to a quarter-final round andplayed in a format consistent with ICC-approvedinternational cricket of 50 overs perteam.A rain-wrecked FLt20 last summer subduedcalls for the competition to be playedover a short, intense period in mid-summer.The FLt20 will therefore consist of 14matches per County, mostly played on Fridayevenings. The top eight counties willprogress to a quarter-final round and thepopular FLt20 Finals Day format is retained.In 2013, in order to avoid a repeat of theearliest starts in history in 2011 and 2012,the county season is likely to commenceon April 9 and finish in the third week ofSeptember.In the news… Charlie FentonYou may have noticed some newspaper articles about the Derbyshire andCheshire League umpire, Charlie Fenton from Hyde. He featured in the paperson October 25th, regarding his ‘enforced’ retirement from his league becauseof issues over insurance for someone of his age.The following article was published in the Daily Mail.One of Britain’s oldest umpires has beenforced to retire despite his perfect eyesightand good health because he is no longer coveredby insurance.Charlie Fenton, 92, was disappointed thathe had to step down from the Derbyshireand Cheshire Cricket League after more than61 years umpiring matches.The spritely pensioner is no longer coveredunder the league’s insurance whichonly insures umpires up to the age of 85-years-old.Mr Fenton, from Hyde, Tameside, said:‘I’m so lucky. I’m so fit, I don’t wearglasses, I don’t wear a hearing aid and I canstand for seven hours. I’m so happy I’ve hada great career but, of course, I’m disappointedit’s come to an end.‘I won’t get bored in the summer, though,as I’ve promised to help the boys comingthrough next season and pass on some of myknowledge.’The great-grandfather’s love of the gamebegan at school when he travelled to OldTrafford to watch Lancashire play.He said: ‘My mum would pack me off onthe train with a bottle of pop and send me towatch Lancashire. Cricket is a sport whichjust grows on you.’His passion for watching cricket was puton hold during World War Two, but by theearly 1950s he was spending his weekendsumpiring, combining it with his job as apartner in a firm of Manchester estateagents.He shared his love of cricket with latewife Jessie and their two daughters.Mr Fenton said: ‘I’ve never missed a singlematch.‘If I was ill, it was between Monday toFriday, I was always better by theweekends.‘I can honestly say I’ve never had a cigarette;I’ve always got out and about, so Ithink that might be why my health hasstayed the way it is.’Next month he will be presented with anaward from the league in honour of his longservice.The League’s honorary secretary, MikeBrown, said: ‘We hadn’t realised the agelimit on our insurance policy is 85.‘We said could he carry on if he found hisown insurance but that was a non-starter.‘It’s with great sadness that we’ve had tosay goodbye to Charlie.‘We have our annual dinner on November9 where we’ll present him with somethingsuitable to mark his many years of service.’The oldest umpire was Joe Filliston whowas still umpiring at 100-years-old. Heplayed for Staffordshire.Mr Fenton could be the longest-servingumpire. The title officially belongs to AustralianDean Groves who was in the job for55 years.ECB ACO emailed Mike Brown, theHonorary Secretary of the Derbyshire andCheshire Cricket League, who respondedwith the following:There is, in fact, no question of Mr Fentonbeing “forced” to retire. In 2012 welooked more closely at our policy at whichpoint it became clear that we had a problemin terms of the age restrictions. I supposethis is something that we should have beenaware of before. When all the publicity wasaired originally in the summer it focused onMr Fenton’s 61 years of umpiring and webecame concerned that he would be vulnerableshould he suffer an injury. At the age of92, we were naturally concerned for hiswelfare and after discussions, I was asked tospeak to Mr Fenton to explain the difficultieswe faced.At no point, was it ever suggested that heshould retire. I explained the problems wefaced and suggested that he may wish to explorethe possibility of obtaining his owncover. He then stated that he had decided toretire anyway at the end of the 2012 season.He then asked if we would allow him to seeout the season and I agreed. I understandfully his disappointment but I would stressthat retirement was his own decision andwas never suggested by the League. Therehas been another suggestion from an outsidesource that he could continue without personalaccident cover. However, this is notsomething that the League would wish toendorse.You will appreciate that there has beensomething of a media “frenzy” in the lastfew days which has become quite irritatingespecially when this League’s position hasbeen misrepresented. In my opinion, theLeague has dealt with this matter with sensitivityand a great deal of care. Our primeconcern is for the welfare of Mr Fenton.Editor note: Mr Fenton is not a member ofECB ACO. However if he were he would beautomatically covered by our liability insuranceas there is no age restriction in respectto liability. However, the personal accidentcover provided to ECB ACO members is restrictedto an age limit of 85 in line with normalinsurance practice. Regrettably, personalaccident cover for people over 85 is virtuallyimpossible to achieve.Kerry London is the broker for the Associationof Cricket Officials.Policy number: 11/SZ/15316801/01Lawphone Legal Helpline:0870 241 4140Website: www.mycricketcover.co.uke-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 23 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Your letters…Letters continued to flood in toECB ACO headquartersfollowing Edition 14. We aredelighted to publish thefollowing thoughts here. If youhave any views on any aspectof cricket or the Association,please emaileditor.aco@ecb.co.ukHugh Evans, Lancashire, wrote to us regardingthe Spirit of Cricket:All too often these days we are quick to reportindiscipline and player indiscretion whichsometimes gives a very negative feel to ourwonderful game. This is of course made easierwith the World Wide Web, Facebook, Twitterand the like.I would like to show a more positive sideto the game which gives rise to the fact thatthe Spirit of Cricket is very much alive andwell in the Liverpool Competition. The threeexamples I have outlined below involveSouthport and Birkdale CC.In the first incident, the batsman hit the ballhigh to the boundary where the ball wascaught by a fielder on the boundary edge. Allthought it was a fair catch and the batsmenprepared to leave the field but a quick shoutfrom the fielder indicated that he had stood onthe boundary line when taking the catch andthat it was a boundary six. In this instancehonesty and sportsmanship prevailed.In a match at Lytham, the Southport XIwere on the end of a drubbing from the eventualcompetition winners. Skipper Mulligan,who made good use of a swinging ball, endedthe day with eight wickets. Five of these wicketswere caught behind and what was veryspecial to me as the standing umpire was thatfour of his victims did not wait for the umpire’sdecision. The fifth only waited for confirmationfrom the wicket keeper and umpirethat the ball had carried. True sportsmanship,not by one batsman but five!The third incident occurred at Ormskirkwhere skipper Firth was operating with fieldersround the bat to left handed batsman Armstrong.The ball was played down onto thefoot, or so it appeared to both umpires, andwas caught by one of the close fielders. Theumpire, after consultation, duly raised the fingeronly for an immediate response from skipperand bowler of “I would like to withdrawthe appeal”. It appeared that there was somedoubt raised by the batsman as to a cleanbounce from the foot or possibly part foot/partground.I am sure that there have been other incidentsduring the summer which exemplifyhow many clubs in the Liverpool Competitionand probably other leagues play the game.Why do we only ask umpires to report incidentsof indiscipline and breaches of the Spiritof Cricket and ‘mark clubs down’ accordingly?Should we not report on the more positiveaspects of our game and reward clubswhere they show that they really do playwithin and value the Spirit of Cricket?Steve Barker, Durham, also mentioned theSpirit of Cricket:We have heard a lot recently from varioussporting bodies about the hope that the recentmagnificent Olympic Games and the spirit ofsportsmanship demonstrated would rub off onother sports and players.Whilst umpiring a recent match I wouldlike to recount how far in some cases we haveto travel.In the first innings two players were out,caught behind off big nicks however neitherchose to ‘walk’. I did my usual of giving themsufficient time before raising my finger. Whenthe opposition were batting there was a loudappeal for a caught behind which I answeredwith a not out. At this point both the bowlerand wicket keeper confronted the batsman anda few choice words were exchanged.After an instruction from me to get on withthe game the bowler marched back towardshis mark and among some other choice wordssaid loudly that the batsman was a cheat, forwhich the bowler received a caution.David Marks sent in this query regardingstrapping on a bowler’s hand:In the third test between England and the WestIndies during the summer, one of the West Indianbowlers looked to have strapping on hisbowling hand. I always thought that bowlerscould have nothing on their bowling hand(strapping, band aid, bandage etc.). As an umpirethis came up in a game that I was incharge of, resulting in a ‘but he was wearingit, so why can’t I’ conversation. I insisted thatit was removed or the player could not bowl.Can you please tell me what the laws ofcricket have to say about this?MCC Response: The most relevant Law forconsideration in this case is Law 41.1. Aplaster or bandage on the hand does needto be authorised by the umpires, whose permissionshould not be unreasonably withheld.Bowlers are treated the same asfielders, in this situation. The reality islikely to be that the strapping is there tostop an existing injury from being worsened.We’ve heard of families that all playcricket, but for Colin Muttitt’s family, fromOxfordshire, there is a slightly differenttwist:I am an umpire, working towards my level1A, and umpire the Cherwell League and Oxfordshirecolts fixtures up to U15’s.My wife, Sally, working towards her Level1A, is scorer for the Aston Rowant 1st team inthe Home Counties.My son, Adam, is playing for ARCC in theHome Counties as well as being captain of theU17 Oxfordshire county sideAnd my daughter, Gemma, who plays forChalbury women’s team, is also captain of theWomen’s Oxfordshire county side. So as yousee our weekends are full of cricket (weatherdepending!). We also have a little Norfolk terrier,Jarvie, who is the mascot for both teamstoo!David Allen, Kent, emailed us aboutSteven Finn and in particular the breakingof the bowlers’ end wicket in his deliverystride:It’s good to see a debate about the Steven Finnincident yet up until now it remains unresolvedas the response to an accidental breakingof the wicket by the bowler is still beingmet with a call of dead ball yet, bizarrely, noton the first occasion.The inadvertent error by Steve Davis hasdescended into farce as the current practice ofallowing the wicket to be broken without thecall of dead ball on a first, or even second occasionmight still disadvantage the batsmanwere he to be out from one of those deliveries.In most cases, as we have seen in the currenttournament, a call of dead ball usually disadvantagesthe batsman as his delightful shot forfour is nullified to maintain the illusion thatthe umpires are being consistent.It seems to be so difficult for the ICC to acknowledgean on-field clanger and draw a lineunder it so instead they mount an instant andill thought out defence. Subsequent attemptsto justify the decision as valid and proper haveonly muddled the issue.There are some very significant principlesinvolved in this issue which if considered independentlyand separately from the eventsmight lead to a resolution and sensible guidelinesfor the future.1. If a practice has occurred over a great dealof time that everyone in the game is familiarwith, then it is not the place of the onfieldumpire to set a new precedent in the‘heat of the action’. The on-field umpire isunder pressure, there is no time to fullyconsider the ramifications of a ‘left field’decision which, as happened in this case,has spawned the ludicrous situation wee-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 24 contact us on 0121 446 2710

have now. From the beginnings of internationalcricket the accidental breaking of thewicket has occurred from time to time withno action being taken. This clearly qualifiesas long term precedent and should notbe changed under match pressure.2. Progressively, match management aspectshave been removed from the players. Agood example is the way we now handleweather conditions. There is no longer anyinput from the players as the decisions restsolely with the umpire. This principle is agood one because players will, quite naturally,seek to influence decisions to theirbenefit which are not necessarily to thebenefit of the game or to any concept offairness. The incident that sparked the controversyseems to have been directly influencedby Graeme Smith suggesting toSteve Davis an element of distractionwhich he then cashed in, perhaps to hissurprise and delight, when caught at slip.Steve Davis got it wrong by allowing theplayer to ‘groom’ him into making a decisionthat has probably never been made before.These are two very simple principles, (a)don’t change long term precedent without dueconsideration and (b) don’t allow players toinfluence decisions.Whether or not one thinks that this accidentaldislodgement of the non-striker’s wicketcould be a distraction is quite irrelevant. Ithasn’t been considered so in the thousands ofgames played before and as such should notbe considered so now without some thought.If only we could approach the other bizarreinconsistencies in ICC ‘rules’ and the laws ofcricket the game might be a little easier forpeople to understand.Philip Willsher of Norfolk wrote in regardinga superb bit of fielding in England’sSuper 8 game against West Indies:I agree that it is rare to see such natural andamazing talent exhibited in the field at anylevel of the game but I have a technical pointto raise as it may one day come up when I amstanding.The player who made the fantastic save of asix hit was standing with one foot touchingthe boundary when he took off, therefore outof the field of play. At no other time did hetouch the ground throughout his fielding ofthe ball and the award of six runs was denied.My point is this, when I was a rugby refereethe Laws for this game stated that to keep aball within the playing area one had to startsuch an attempt from wholly within the playingarea or the ball when touched would beconsidered to be in touch. Does this apply tocricket also? Because if so it would have significantlyaltered the way in which the Englandbatsmen went about the remainingdeliveries.This is in no way sour grapes, I would wishfor the Law to reflect that the save were legitimate,I am only asking because what happenson telly today will happen on the green fieldsof England next season and I wish to be aheadof that.The following emails were exchanged betweenKeith Sutherland – Regional EducationOfficer for the North – and GlynPearson – Executive Officer for the Northand Midlands – regarding progressthrough training courses. We felt it was inthe membership interest to publish themhere.Colleagues, at the recent regional meeting atWakefield, I was asked to confirm the progressionprocess from one level to another,with regard to a person qualifying from Level1 to Level a & from Level 1a to Level 2.If a candidate completes a level 1 course inthe spring, umpires that summer & completes10 matches, weather permitting, can heprogress to a level 1a course in the autumn ofthe same year?If a candidate completes a level 1a course inthe spring, umpires that summer & completes10 matches, attends the professional discussion& is signed-off, can he progress to a level2 course in the Autumn of the same year?Although it has been difficult for some candidatesto achieve 10 completed matches , myunderstanding is that candidates must completea full season before progressing to thenext level & the query involves candidates attendingtraining courses in the same calendaryear & I would be grateful for a prompt responseto advise the CEO’s in our region.Kindest regards, KeithYes to both your questions providing the participantmeets the criteria for the next Level.Some people will always progress quickerthan others and it would be wrong to holdsuch people back. It is equally as wrong,however, to promote others unless or untilthey meet the criteria for progression. Movingfrom Level 1a to Level 2 would be unusual inthe same year but not impossible.I have tutored or observed on approximatelyten Level 2 courses and the best participantwas on a Level 2 Pilot course in 2009.He had never umpired a match in his life (Idon’t know how he got on the course) but hecame to it with an open mind and an eagernessto learn. Following injury he umpired ina feeder league for the second half of 2009;moved to a premier league in 2010; was acceptedon to the Second XI and MCCA panelsfor 2011 and also stood in the final of the NationalT20 on Sky Sports. He is currently umpiringin Australia. That is fast tracking and isbased purely on his ability and his attitude!The second best participant was on a coursein Dublin for ICC Europe and, again, he camewith an open mind and an eagerness to learn.The worst participants are those who comewith the attitude “I have umpired for 20years. You cannot teach me anything. I havenever done that and I am not going tochange”. They should not be on the course.With Level 2 being run on a regional basisall REOs, along with RPOs, have a tremendousresponsibility to ensure that the rightpeople are nominated for the right courses andothers are directed to 2C or even 3C.Glyn PearsonJohn Finch, Yorkshire, wrote to us abouttwo subjects close to ECB ACO. Firstlyexpenses, and secondly a standardisedmarking system:ACO provides members, both scorers andumpires, with insurance, education and trainingthrough its County Board and ACOBranches, refresher courses, a pathway tohigher levels of cricket and a body to representthe membership. However, there remain2 glaring weaknesses still to be addressedwhich seriously affect the recruitment and retentionof members.Firstly, it has long been regarded as a wayof “putting something back into the game” bymany former players but as much as this isgreatly appreciated by leagues and clubs, realitymust be recognised and acted upon if weare to create a more level playing field withregard to expenses which was first raised 2years ago by Nick Cousins.When you stop to consider the commitmentand personal cost of members in training, refreshercourses, attending ACO branch meetingsas well as league umpires associationsand clothing, cricket needs to move alongsideother sports with regard to match expenses.In my opinion the ACO must establish onbehalf of members, a minimum rate for matchfees and travel starting with “senior league100 overs”. Travel is becoming a bigger elementin certain leagues with large areas andmust be reimbursed on a standard basis forcalculating. There are many equalisationschemes that ensure each club pays the sameamount for umpires’ travel for the season.The variance for 100 overs (8 hours +travel time) at present is amazing, rangingfrom a match fee of £32.50 down to £25 withtravel ranging from 25p to 35+p per mile. TheECB Recreational Rate for 100 overs for thepast three years has been £30 + 30p per miletravel and Nick suggested that £30 + 30p permile would be reasonable for 2011 …….. Result- no significant movement by many seniorleagues for 2011. Yet I have evidence thata Ladies 100 overs game was “rewarded”with a £20 total inclusive match expenseswhilst expecting members to travel up to 150mile round trip. How can this be fair, travelcosts alone would use the entire amount?There is then, the timing of payment, manyfeeder leagues have a system where umpiresare paid in full at tea whereas some seniorleagues play on the generosity of membersand delay payment until September. Thise-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 25 contact us on 0121 446 2710

forces the umpire to fund his travel costsand match expense, in effect loaning theleagues money at zero interest rate. Thereasons (excuses) put forward are that it isinconvenient for clubs to pay on the dayand other such unbelievable reasons. It isquite possible for clubs to arrange to payumpires. After all, they do not have any difficultypaying players. Even if for simplicityclubs pay the match fee on the day at teaand then allow umpires to claim travel expensesup to end of June and then up toSeptember it would be fairer than at present.For the ACO to “kick the issue into thelong grass” and leave it to local leagues todecide cannot be acceptable to membersand particularly those who may not haveany alternative senior league to move to.The leagues can still reward members butwith the knowledge of the minimum laiddown by the ACO on behalf of its members.Qualified Scorer members should alsoexpect a minimum match expense for seniorgames in the region of £20.2 years is too long to wait for any actionand I call upon the ACO to grasp the nettleand establish a realistic and fair level of expensesfor 100 overs Senior Leaguematches for 2013 now!The other issue is for the ACO to create astandard detailed and easy to follow markingsystem for use in all leagues up to seniorleague level. One local senior leaguehas this but others have a less detailed systembased on the County version, whichfor the lower leagues is far too vague anddoes not provide any immediate feedbackto members. How can we expect captains,at senior league and below, to mark umpireswhen there is no consistency acrossthe leagues and the knowledge of manycaptains falls short of that required to providea meaningful mark and feedback. Theintroduction of mentors and assessors willcertainly help but there are insufficientnumbers to cover all games, not just seniorleagues. So the opportunity to introduce asimple yet easy to operate system is hereand it will not only provide a more consistentmark but provide invaluable feedbackto members and help them improve theirperformance. It will also alert captains tothe full duties of umpires and not justwhether an LBW decision was correct intheir mind.Umpires like all other match officials donot do the job for money but it is reasonableto expect leagues, clubs and playersto respect, value and reward us in a fairand comparative way. There is an opportunityfor the ACO to satisfy these pointsand at the same time encourage new membersand convince existing members toumpire as long as possible.Because ECB ACO can only advise: itcannot make any decisions in theseareas, we asked Paul Bedford, Head ofNon First Class cricket to respond to themain thrust of John’s letter. He respondedas follows:With regard to remuneration of officials:ECB are working with County Boards overthe next few months and asking them toconsult with players on the duration ofgame, start times and travel distance to enableas many players to continue playingas possible. A national standard rate is setfor all ECB games (usually all those appointedby the RAOs) but ECB does notdictate similarly to Counties or Leagues asto how much remuneration should be paidChanges to Vetting Checks –Update from the ECB Safeguarding Teamfor any particular League or Cup match asall are in receipt of different amounts ofsponsorship and support from local CountyBoards.With regard to a common marking systemECB would welcome the creation of an easyto follow common marking system and ifmembers want to send a template for ECBACO to test with leagues and membershipthen it would be most helpful.So there is a challenge.Do you belong to a League with a goodmarking system –send us the template; orif not send us your own template of what agood marking system looks like.You may be aware that there are going to be changes to the systems for Vetting Checks.This is to let you know of the significant changes in the immediate future. The Governmenthas said that further changes will happen in ‘Spring 2013’, so we will provide furtherinformation in the next newsletter.For now, the main changes are to do with terminology and with the application form itself.These are detailed below:• On 1 December 2012 the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent SafeguardingAuthority (ISA) will merge to form the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).• The current CRB application form will be replaced with a new ‘DBS’ application form.The new form will reflect the change of name from CRB to DBS and a new logo, togetherwith some wording and format changes. All key processes and information requiredto complete the application form remain unchanged.• DBS application forms will be available for use from 1 December• You can continue to use your current stock of CRB application forms until 31 January2013• From 1 February 2013 only DBS application forms should be used• Any ‘old style’ CRB application forms received by TMG CRB (who process the ECB’sapplications) after 1 February 2013 will be invalidWhat should you do now?Please communicate to relevant people the changes they need to noteEncourage colleagues to use the new forms as soon as they have themReturn any ‘stocks’ of ‘CRB’ forms to Lords, for the attention of Alison Faiers, by theend of December 2012If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact us at safeguarding@ecb.co.ukDuring the highly successful London & East ACO meeting whichbrought together the various County and Regional Officers, itbecame abundantly clear that scorers were looking for furtheravenues to show off their talents.One way that is possible is to enrol within the MCC ScorersRegister which enables you the opportunity to put your nameforward for any number of ‘Out Matches’ the MCC have during theseason.To do so, simply write a letter stating your scoring CV, along with your up to date CRBcertificate number and they will (should everything be okay) send you a fixture list ofliterally hundreds of fixtures for the forthcoming season.In there you will normally apply to wither the Match Manager, whose details areenclosed under the game or to the Secretary, whose address is at Lords c/o the MCC.When applying, again you state your scoring experience and wait to hear if you havebeen successful.As stated earlier, there are hundreds of different games from venues such as Lords’through to some of the top grounds and public schools in the UK.To apply to be on the MCC register, please send your details to theMCC, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London NW8 8QNe-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 26 contact us on 0121 446 2710

ScorersECB ACO Conference: Scorers ForumThe forum began with me updating those inattendance on the progress made since thelast conference regarding education and appointments.Of the 38 counties, 30 deliveredthe new Level 1 course during the winter of2011-12 and Level 1A assessments werestarted during the summer. The new Level 2course has been successfully piloted and willbe rolled out by the regions this winter andthe new Level 3 course will be piloted thisautumn. Three new modules covering linearscoring, computer scoring using TotalCricket Scorer and Duckworth/Lewis arenow available on a regional basis. The ScorersInitiative, aimed at assessing existingscorers and recruiting them into the organisationhas been extended for a further year.Scorers wishing to progress along the pathwaywere encouraged to contact theirCounty or Regional Scorers’ Officers to findout about courses in their area and to encouragenon-member colleagues to comeOnce again, National Scorers Administration Officer, Geoff Trett, led theScorers’ Forum at the National Conference with 60-70 scorers from ECBACO’s membership in attendance. Geoff has written the following report.forward for assessment.Moving to appointments, I reported thatthe range of opportunities is gradually increasing.This year, in addition to the MCCcorporate sixes and MCC Universitiesteams which we have supported in the past,we have made appointments for the MCCYoung Cricketer Ladies team, a CricketerCup semi-final, have suppliedDuckworth/Lewis managers for the latterstages of the Kingfisher Cup and helpedCricHQ develop their software by findingscorers to help with testing in real game situations.For scorers looking for wider experienceor multi-day cricket, County age-groupyouth and academy matches were recommended,which are proliferating and oftenneed scorers – either contact your CSO orCounty Cricket Board for more information.We then widened the discussion to thefloor. With Duckworth/Lewis becoming increasinglyprevalent in league cricket, wewere fortunate to have scorers who haveused D/L in the Surrey Championship and inEurope and they shared their experienceswith us. Basically, these have been positive– it is important for scorers and umpires tobe trained in the use of the system in advance.Scorers had either deployed additionalscoreboards or had used fields onexisting scoreboards e.g. “last man” to showD/L targets at the end of each over. Clubsneed to have a printer available to print outthe relevant tables. The players had all welcomedthe innovation; in Northern IrelandDuckworth/Lewis is being cascaded downthe leagues in response to player request. Itwas encouraging to hear such positive reportsfrom scorers as I’m sure a lot more ofus will be using this system in the years tocome.We also had a debate about the paymentof scorers in league cricket. A straw poll indicatedthat a lot of scorers present do notreceive remuneration for league cricket andare quite content with that situation – althoughthey feel that payments for higherlevels of cricket are appropriate. There weresome scorers present who do receive someform of payment for league cricket – thisranged from travelling expenses to paymentsof up to £25-£30 per match. Practices clearlyvary in different parts of the country and itwas interesting to hear an update on thissubject from the good cross-section of scorersrepresented at the meeting.Earlier in the conference, Nick Cousinshad stated that retention of new membersafter their initial free year had been a problemand we briefly discussed the reasons behindthis for scorers. We are looking at waysto try and get leagues to help with scorer retentionand ECB ACO membership, but thiswork is still in its very early stages.Overall a very positive and constructivediscussion and I’d like to thank everyone forcoming along and taking an active part.Response to queries on the application of the D/L methodThe following discussion relates to points made in this email message.Recent rain-affected CB40 matches have revealeda critical weakness in the Duckworth-Lewis system which systematically favoursthe team batting second.The Derbyshire versus Nottinghamshiregame this season typifies the problem.Derbyshire lost 4 early wickets and hadclearly embarked on a re-building exercisewhen rain intervened after 13 overs of theirinnings with Derbyshire on a score of 48.When the game re-started it was reducedto a 14 over match, which left Derbyshirethrowing the bat for a mere 6 balls. Nottinghamshirewere then given a meagre 67 runsto win off their 14 overs by Duckworth-Lewis. The outcome was so certain that theyneedn’t have batted.This is typical of many early rain-affectedmatches in which the team batting second isalmost certain to be victorious.I would therefore propose an amendmentto the Duckworth-Lewis calculation in suchcircumstances, which links the target set forthe team batting second directly to the numberof wickets they lose in the chase.Take the match above to illustrate the proposedamendment:48 for 4 after 13 overs before the rain:• Assemble the matches (set A) in whichteams batting first passed through this exactsame score (48 for 4) in rain-unaffectedmatches• Calculate the average total runs at 40 oversof this set of scores – this would represent afair target for the team batting second ifthey were to have 40 overs to bat with 10wickets in hand.• Now take all matches unaffected by rain(set B) & assemble all first innings scoresafter 13 overs.• Take all matches with 0 wickets lost after13 overs & calculate the lowest score (s0)at 13 overs above which the 40-over targetwas exceeded more times than it was notachieved in these matches.• Repeat this for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 wicketsat 13 overs – to set s1, s2, …. to s9 respectively• The team batting second should then be issuedwith a Table of the 10 targets (s1 tos9) after 13 overs – one for each of 0, 1, 2,3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 wickets lost”This will have the effect of conditioning thetarget by the number of wickets lost, and willconstrain the team which currently is allowedall 10 wickets to achieve what is usually ameagre target.”Duckworth and Lewis responseA bias to Team 2?The first assertion by the correspondent relatesto an alleged bias to Team 2 in interruptedmatches.continued on page 30e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 28 contact us on 0121 446 2710

Scoring from playground to ODI arena (!) continued from page 29runs accrued by his favourites, Denis Compton and Bill Edrich.I didn’t have pictures of pop stars adorning the walls of my bedroomwhen I was a teenager, but cricketers. I used to know the namesof all the cricketers and for which county teams they played. (Ofcourse this was in the days when there was far less movement betweenthe teams and there were only 17 first class counties!)I was lucky enough to go to a girls’ school which actually playedcricket and I went around the north of England with the team on a regularbasis. However they soon found out that I was far more proficientwith the pencil than with either the bat or the ball, so it is to that PEmistress I am indebted for showing me how to score.My son’s cricket club,Liphook & Ripsley in Hampshire,soon found out that therewas a mother who, not onlyknew how to score, but actuallyenjoyed doing it, which was abonus for them, and within thefirst year of scoring for the colts,I was “discovered” by the then1 st team captain, who asked mewhether I would be interested inscoring for his team. Havingagreed to do the “odd” homegame, within two years not onlywas I doing every home game,but also every away game too!Fortunately I have a very forbearinghusband, who didn’t mind my being out each Saturday. Well itwas that or having to tag along to matches with me, which, for a noncricket-lover(gasp-shock-horror!!!), was an anathema! He has mellowedslightly some twenty-odd years later!Over the next few years I had several umpire and scorer colleagueswho nagged me to become qualified through the ACU&S, andI became ever more involved in several clubs and sides who wantedme to score for them including the Royal Marines (my father had beenin the RM during WWII) who took me with them on tour twice toSouth Africa.Eventually I was asked to score for Somerset U17s which I thoroughlyenjoyed. As a consequence of this I was asked to fill in for theSecond XI scorer when he became ill and when the post was advertisedthe following year I applied and was fortunate enough to be appointed.I now score mainly for Somerset Second XI but also for other teamswhen my schedule permits. This means that I score some hundred daysplus each year – if this wonderful British weather allows!!!I was also lucky enoughthis year to be invited by theACCS committee to scorealongside David Kendix atLord’s for the England v AustraliaODI on 29 th June. It was amarvellous experience and Ithoroughly enjoyed it althoughit was not the first time that Ihad scored at Lord’s. It wasgreat being able to show mypass which allowed me accessto the scorebox and the Players’Dining Room, and quite rightlythe reputation which it has forfine dining is richly deserved. Iwas also given complimentarytickets for two guests so my husband and a family friend were able tocome and enjoy the day too.I feel very lucky to do a job that I thoroughly enjoy, and where notwo days are the same. There are too many people whom I have metand who have encouraged me along the journey, but I thank each andevery one wholeheartedly. You know who you are!Response to queries on the application of the D/L method continued from page 28A proper approach to this assertion is toexamine the long-term proportion of matcheswon by Team 2, first in matches that have notbeen interrupted and then in those that have.About 52% of uninterrupted matches on averageare won by Team 1 and about 48% byTeam 2.Our extensive data base of D/L affectedmatches (in excess of 1,500, for which wedo not distinguish between 40 or 50-overmatches) shows that Team 1 and Team 2wins are almost in exactly the same proportions.Although for a particular match situationa win by Team 2 might well be easy,these statistics show that there is clearly noevidence for a systematic bias towardsTeam 2.Target too easy for Team 2?The match referred to by the correspondentwas in fact between Derbyshire and Kent.An extract from our database follows.Case 93/12 CB40 (40)Derbyshire v Kent, Derby31/7/12Derby 46/4 in 13; rain, 26 lost/side62/5 in 14Target 67 in 14Kent 68/1 in 10.5Kent won by 9 wktsThe fundamental principle of the D/L methodis that target setting is based upon the resourcesavailable to the two teams and theuse they have made of those resources todate, which may reflect to some extent theconditions at the match.At 46/4 in 13 overs, Derbys had not gotmuch return for the expenditure of their resourcesof 4 top-order wickets and 13 overs.At this point, even surviving to complete 40overs would have been a tough prospect.Consequently, a well below average finaltotal in 40 overs could have been expectedbased on current performance per unit of resourceconsumed (around 142 is an approximateprojection). As we know, much canhappen in cricket to turn a game around - ifthe weather permits - but in this case theweather didn’t give them much chance. Thatis not the fault of the D/L method! Whatmight otherwise have happened in the lostovers is only speculation.So based on this well-below-par performanceby Team 1 (even though scoring 16 inthat final over) they are not “let off the hook”by the D/L method and Team 2 are rewardedby having to score the only slightly enhancedtarget of 67 in 14.[It should be noted that had Derbys lostonly 3 wickets in the first 13 overs (i.e. lessresources consumed) then the target for Kentwould have been 80 in 14.]e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 30 contact us on 0121 446 2710Setting targets based on wickets lostThe correspondent is proposing a “moving”target in such a match. Whatever the proposedmechanism of doing this we believesuch a concept is contrary to the objectives ofthe game and would change its nature. Wehave always felt that the rain rule should fitwithin the nature of the game as it is andshould not change it.In an uninterrupted game, in order to winTeam 2 have to exceed whatever Team 1made in their overs quota (and the number ofwickets lost by Team 1 in achieving thisscore is irrelevant). Team 2 have the samenumber of overs and all their ten wickets (irrespectiveof the number of wickets lost byTeam 1).In an interrupted match, according to theD/L method, Team 2 are set a target and atthe start of their innings they have all theirwickets available to achieve it. This is consistentwith the nature of the game and theD/L method fits within this.The correspondent’s suggestion would bea substantial change in the way the one-daygame is played following interruptions andwe could not support it.Many other correspondents have suggestedadjusting wickets in the rain-rule calculation.See also our response to a FAQ onthis (FAQ10 athttp://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/page/581925.html)Frank Duckworth and Tony LewisNovember 2012

Christmas ChallengeThe Scratchers have challenged the Notchers to yet another fireside fixturethis year. Readers are invited to accept the Challenge by completing the scorecard andgiving the result of the following match. Please send your entry (limited to one per reader,please) to The Third Umpire, 60 The Lawns, Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffordshire, DE13 9DB toarrive by first post on 11th January 2013 (or email johnmbrown60@gmail.com): please markyour entry ACO. All entries will be examined and the names of all those whose entries are correct will beput into the Umpire’s hat, from which the winner of the prize will be drawn at random.You are invited to solve the clues in order to discover how many runs each player scores. You shouldrecord all these scores in batting order, and complete your solution by giving the result of thematch. Normal Laws of Cricket apply (no special regulations). There are no trick questions, and allrelevant information is provided in the clues.The Scratchers’ XI (batting first)1. The last hour is scheduled to start at 6.30pm. The players left thefield for rain at 6.12pm after four balls of an over had been bowled.Play resumes at 6.55pm: what is the minimum number of ballswhich remain to be bowled?2. The last hour starts at 6.30pm: it rains at 6.42pm after 4.3overshave been bowled, but the rain stops as soon as the players haveleft the field. The players return and the next ball is bowled at6.44pm. What is the minimum number of balls which remain to bebowled?3. … But play stops for rain again at 6.57pm after a total of 9 overshave been bowled in the last hour. Play starts again at 7.10pm -what is the minimum number of balls which remain to be bowlednow?4. A fielder leaves the field for treatment at 3.17pm and returns at3.56pm. At how many minutes after 4 o’clock will he be allowed tobowl?5. That same fielder leaves the field again at 4.12pm and returns at4.22pm. At how many minutes after 4 o’clock will he be allowed tobowl?6. The striker hits the second ball of an over, the batsmen run one andhad not crossed on their second run when a fielder deliberatelyobstructs the non-striker who falls to the ground. How many runsshould be added to the total?7. … And how many balls remain in the over?8. The toss is made at 2.10pm for a match which is scheduled to startat 2.30pm: how many minutes does the captain winning the tosshave before he must notify his decision whether to bat or to fieldfirst?9. The striker plays a second shot at the fifth ball of an over in orderto protect his wicket – the ball goes to third man and the batsmencomplete one run before the ball is returned to the wicket-keeper.How many runs should be added to the total?10. … In the same situation (i.e. after the striker has played a legitimatesecond stroke), after the batsmen have crossed on the first run, afielder throws the ball at the stumps, but misses and the batsmencomplete a further two runs. How many runs should be added to thetotal?11. … And which batsman would face the next ball – Striker (5) ornon-striker (10)?The Notchers’ XI1 The striker plays no stroke at a fair delivery and the ball runs off hispads to the gully fielder. The fielder sees the striker standing out ofhis ground, throws the ball at the stumps and hits them, but thestriker is back in his ground. The ball ricochets and the batsmen run2. How many runs should be added to the total?2. In a 3-day match Side A have made 347 in their first innings: howmany runs must Side B score in order to avoid the possibility ofbeing asked to follow on?3. What is the maximum number of minutes for which a pitch may berolled between innings?4. The striker plays no shot at a No Ball, and the ball goes off his padsto the boundary: how many runs should be added to the total?5. What is the maximum number of accidental high-pitched ballswhich a bowler may bowl in an innings before he is suspendedfrom bowling in that innings?6. The striker hits the ball, the batsmen run and have completed tworuns, but not crossed on the third when a wild throw hits thefielder’s helmet lying on the ground. How many runs should beadded to the total?7. The bowler delivers the ball, but, in doing so, breaks the wicket atthe bowler’s end. The striker hits the ball to the boundary - howmany runs should be added to the total?8. The striker plays a defensive shot, but misses the ball whichdeflects off his pads: he then plays a second stroke with his bat inorder to protect his wicket. A fielder overthrows the ball to theboundary - how many runs should be added to the total?9. … Would these runs be recorded as Extras (5) or credited to thestriker (10)?10. The striker hits the ball, the batsmen run 3, but both umpires signalShort Run. After consultation the umpires agree that they had bothsignalled for the first run: how many runs should be added to thetotal?11. The striker hits a No ball in the air towards the boundary, where afielder catches the ball, but touches the boundary rope with his footbefore throwing the ball back to the wicket-keeper. How many runsshould be added to the total?Extras: … How many inches wide is the protected area?Extras: The striker hits a ball towards the boundary, the batsmen run 3, afielder stops the ball just inside the boundary rope, goes to throw theball, but it slips out of his hand over the rope behind him withoutbouncing. How many runs should be added to the total?Result:e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 31 contact us on 0121 446 2710

ECB ACO on CountdownDIARYThis listing will appear here in everyissue – but we are entirely dependenton you sending us the information.Before printing the previousnewsletter, we received thefollowing letter from SimonCussons, Cheshire:“I attended the filming of twoCountdown programmes yesterday(30 th August, 2012) atMedia City in Manchester. I’m pleased to tell you that I succeeded as the only person in theaudience to solve the conundrum in the second programme.“The reason I am telling you this is that I attended the filming dressed in an ACO tie. OnChannel 4 on the 9 th October, you should be able to see an ACO tie being worn.”Having heard of such publicity, we kept a look out and managed to snap the above picture.Congratulations Simon.On the back of Simon’s achievements, we felt it would be a good ideato stick with the Countdown theme for our Christmas Competition.Look at ECB ACO’svery special CountdownConundrum andsee if you can get thenine letter word. We trust thatyou will only give yourself 30 seconds!In the likely event that more than oneperson gets the correct answer, wewill draw a winner from an ACO hat.Time is ticking…Eddie LunnEddie joined ECB ACO as one of the newly appointed part-time EducationOfficers just on three years ago. ‘Part-time’ is a somewhat misleading termand it would be a complete misrepresentation to use it in a description ofEddie’s commitment to ECB ACO during his time with us.As a former Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Cricket Board, a practicingumpire and scorer in recreational cricket and with a professional careerin strategic management behind him, Eddie brought considerable experienceto ECB ACO and used it to great effect.As one of the original education task force team, he had been instrumental in driving forwardthe new Level 2 programme and revelled in the chance to revamp the Level 1 and contribute tothe writing of a completely new Level 1A course. As his role evolved to Executive Officer heembraced the concept of observation and self-assessment as part of performance review and withTony Hemmings produced the first supported development handbook that is the basis for all continuingwork in this area. He also took the lead in bringing scorer education in line with umpireeducation and worked tirelessly to promote the role of the scorer as an equally important and valuedpart of cricket officiating.On a personal basis he wastrusted, loyal and conscientiousand always good company andgood value on the many coursesthat we have run together - Ishall miss his contribution onand off the field, particularly hiscontribution to the entertainmentat the Crowne Plaza in Birmingham!I am very sorry to lose himas a professional colleague althoughI know he will continueto contribute as a member of ourcore volunteer workforce, andremain a firm friend.(All meetings start 11.00 unless shownotherwise)National Meeting Dates – 2013Monday January 14th 2013 – ExecutiveTeam MeetingTuesday January 15th 2013 – MembershipServices CommitteeWednesday January 16th 2013 – ScorersCommitteeThursday January 17th 2013 –Performance and AppointmentsFriday January 18th 2013 – EducationCommitteeThursday January 31st 2013 – ECB ACOBoard MeetingMonday 8th April – Executive Team MeetingTuesday 9th April – Membership ServicesCommitteeWednesday 10th April – Scorers CommitteeThursday 11th April – Performance andAppointmentsFriday 12th April – Education CommitteeThursday 25th April – Board Meeting(PLEASE NOTE THAT ECB ACO BOARDDATES ARE SUBJECT TO FINALCONFIRMATION)REMINDER: PLEASESEND YOUR DATES TOeditor.aco@ecb.co.ukEXECUTIVE OFFICER(London & East and South & West)The role encompasses the leadership,management and administration of allofficiating programmes in the South ofEngland and South Wales. It involvesoverseeing the up-dating of educationresources and the delivery of allcourses. It also requires the develop -ment of effective strategies to build awidespread workforce of, tutors,observers and assessors to support theeducation programme. There is also anobligation to support the SubCommittees of the ECB ACO Board andto assist in the preparation of papers forthe ECB ACO Board.However, since Eddie’s appointment wehave created the core volunteerinfrastructure and the Senior Executiveand the ECB ACO Board are togetherconsidering how best to replace Eddiein the light of this significant change inour operating procedure.Nevertheless expressions of interest arewelcomed and anybody interestedshould write to Nick Cousins at Lord’s.Published by ECB © – Printed by Premier Print Group – G Photo courtesy of Getty Images