Umpires and scorers, just like hard working groundsmen, are the unsung heroes - and heroines - of the game of cricket. Most started as players themselves and in many friendly matches it is still commonplace for some team members either to take a turn umpiring their own side batting for a few overs, or to sit outside the pavilion/score-box recording the score. As they reach retirement point in their playing careers - or simply discover they're not very good players many cricketers come to realise, perhaps to their surprise, that not only can they still enjoy the game by officiating in it, but also that they derive much pleasure from learning to do the job properly. Those who have a life-long passion for cricket, whether they can play the game well or not, find that umpiring or scoring gives them a chance to put something back into the game they love and have enjoyed playing for so many years. Another fertile recruiting ground is amongst the legions of dads and mums of clubs' junior and colts players who proudly follow/support their off-springs' cricket careers through school, club and county. How much more valuable would be their contribution to the game - and how much more interesting would it be for them - if they were take up umpiring and/or scoring the matches in which their children played, instead of simply watching idly from the boundary? For umpires and scorers the 'Bible' of Cricket is not the MCC's published 'Blue Book' of the Laws, but a much longer and more detailed explanation and commentary on those Laws called "Cricket Umpiring and Scoring" - known colloquially as 'Tom Smith's' - after the man who first wrote it. Tom Smith was both a player and an umpire who, on April 5 1953, founded the Association of Cricket umpires (the scorers were added in 1994). In 2003, fifty years on, the ACU&S is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. With over 8,000 members, it is the largest organisation in the world dedicated solely to the recruitment, training, examination, assessment, grading and development of umpires and scorers. It offers sophisticated training and examination programmes and an ACU&S qualification is now a mandatory requirement for umpires applying to the ECB for inclusion on their professional First Class and reserve lists. As has been emphasised above, for several years now the demand for qualified umpires and scorers has been steadily outstripping supply by a wide margin. Yet no special qualifications are needed when starting out - other than a love of cricket and wanting to do the job in the first place. Local Associations - affiliated to the national ACU&S - exist across the country and arrange local training courses for new umpires and scorers during the winter months. On its own, this classroom training is not enough for full qualification; which is why so much attention is paid to providing practical training and experience in not only the correct interpretation and application of the Laws of Cricket, but also man-management, communication and field-craft skills. The Association supports and nurtures its umpires and scorers at all levels. Not everyone wants to umpire or score a Test Match or a County game; most simply want to join in the fun and camaraderie of recreational cricket on the village green. Whatever level of achievement they seek, there's a warm welcome and a lot of fun to be had in joining the third team in the game! For details of training courses for umpires and scorers, call the ACU&S on 01276 27962, or fax 01276 62277, or email: admin@acus.org.uk. Local training under the Herts ACU&S is run by Barry Ironton. Tel: 0208 959 8869
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