ACO NEWSLETTER - Ecb - England and Wales Cricket Board

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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
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Page 5: ALL SESSIONSYou vs Hawkeyewritten b
Page 8: Awards and RecognitionHonorary Life
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Page 28: ScorersECB ACO Conference: Scorers
Page 31 and 32: Christmas ChallengeThe Scratchers h

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