Sticky Wicket Newsletter of the South Australian Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association Established 1911
May 2014
Presentation Dinner Edition
Your Umpire’s Association SACUSA Committee—Main Contacts
SACA
President: Ted Branson - 0448 689 976
Neil Poulton (Umpiring Manager) - 0416 623 518
V. President: Craig Thomas - 0434 165 310 Secretary: Michial Farrow - 0435 872 215
8300 3211 Sarah Fry (Competitions Coordinator)-0418 674 106
secsacusa@hotmail.com
8300 3244
Treasurer: Lynton Donisthorpe - 0418 317 856
Amy White (Umpire Admin Officer) - 8300 3874
Patron: Neil Dansie
Inclement Weather Information Line - 1900 950 598
Sticky Wicket Editor Tim Pellew
0414 58 58 42
pellew@internode.on.net
Hall of Fame - 103 Years in the making The SACUSA Presentation Night of the 2013/14 season is very special in that it builds on the revelation of the centenary in 2011, while laying the foundation for the next significant step in Association history with the compilation of a book. Three gentlemen well-versed in knowledge of elite level cricket nationally and in South Australia were approached to sit on an independent selection panel to choose the inaugural inductees. Historian, Geoff Sando, cricket administrator, Harvey Jolly and former Test umpire, Ray Isherwood very kindly agreed to make the all-important decisions regarding the initial induction. They were supplied with heavily researched profiles on possible candidates and were required to study each one before discussing it within the group. SACUSA would like to extend its deep thanks and appreciation to these gentlemen for their willingness to take on a role which is challenging, but necessary in order for the wonderfully talented cricket officials of South Australia to be recognised for posterity.
Paddy texts his wife... "Mary, I’m just having one more pint with the lads. If I'm not home in 20 minutes, read this message again."
facebook.com/sacricketumpiresandscorers
The “other” Easter Match Easter Saturday was an important day for SACUSA in 2014 because it was the first time since 1982 that the ‘President’s vs Vice-President’s Match’ had been contested complete with the original 87-year-old silver cup present at the game for members of both teams to see what they were playing for. Resurrected in 2012, the competition itself is at least 92 years old, with the earliest evidence recovered showing that it was played at Summertown in 1922. Rediscovered by former President, Tom Ziniak, it was returned to SACUSA at the recent Former Umpires and Life Members Event held in the Phil Ridings Bar during the grand final of the West End One Day Cup and has been restored so it was shining brightly for its big day at Easter. The match was held at Mylor Oval and was combined with the annual Family Fun Day, with SACUSA hiring a giant bouncy castle to keep the kids exercised and amused for six hours. Magnificent catering by Graham and Desma MacTavish complimented the superb barbeque cookery skills of Brian Litchfield, ensuring a fantastic feast for everyone. This year’s captains were President Ted Branson and Vice-President Craig Thomas, culminating in a great win for Ted’s team. It looks like this could become a regular fixture on SACUSA’s calendar at Easter whenever the Crockett Shield isn’t played.
And the Moon shone all around We get it lucky in our local comps! How about this report from Sri Lanka: The annual "friendly" game between Mahinda College and Richmond College in Galle, Sri Lanka, in late March ended in mayhem. Allegations and video clips indicate that with eleven overs and forty-five minutes to play and Mahinda College trying to hold out for a draw, their spectators ran on to the ground, an action that in turn led to some fielders from the Richmond College side pulling up the stumps to defend themselves from "attack" and according to some observers, "assaulting" some of the invaders in the process. It was reported that no one was actually injured during the ground invasion but the match was abandoned (surprise, surprise!!!!!) and subsequently awarded to the Richmond side by match referee Basil Perera because of what the local newspaper claims he said was "the trend in the way wickets were falling regularly". (That’s a new one!!!!!!). During the post match awards ceremony, Richmond College vice captain and wicketkeeper, (who has played for Sri Lanka at Under-19 level), is said to have 'mooned' opposition players "in front of thousands of spectators", receiving "a standing ovation" for his act from his team's supporters. Any similar instances, if they occur here, are to be included in your match report!
Your Season Were you happy with your 2013/14 SACA season? It is hoped each and everyone of us is happy with their performance and looks forward to next season after a well earned rest over this coming winter. If you had problems or issues not to your liking, do not hang on to them. Talk them through with Neil, one of our coaches, or a trusted colleague. And it is hoped that we all front up next season with enthusiasm. Highlights How about these from one umpire from last season:
1st hat trick whilst at bowler’s end, hoping like hell that the 3rd ball was not an LBW decision: it was a c & b.
A missed c & b for the 3rd ball of a hat trick.
A run-out on the last ball of the match to give the fielding team victory.
A run-out on the last ball of the match for a tie result.
1st slip missing a catch on the 3rd ball of the match, to see 2nd slip dive for the ball and flip it up for 3rd slip to dive and complete the catch: a hat trick catch?
A wicket keeper suddenly taking ill and vomiting on the field (a call for sand!). With no 12th man, he remained a fielder, lying down on the field in the shade of a tree, at fine leg/ very deep long off (without moving unless a ball came somewhere near him when he would get up and retrieve the ball, under suffering!). Despite opposition from the batting side’s captain, we advised that we knew of no law of cricket being broken! (all in good spirit – of cricket!).
A skied ball with 2 fielders approaching it, for one to call out “Who’s?”
A second day pitch being 5 pitches away from the previous Saturday’s pitch! On being asked what we were going to do about it by the batting team’s manager, he was given as response “It will be noted on the umpires’ match report”. “But that boundary is now a lot further away” to which the response was, “well that one is a lot closer so let’s get on with it without further comment.”
A bowler who somehow in his delivery stride delivered the ball to 20 metres behind him rather than towards the striker.
4 players in the same team and 2 in the other team with the same Christian/given name.
and all that from one umpire! It is great when a day has out of the ordinary things happen. Sticky Wicket has made the point on many occasions that surely we umpires, scorers, coaches etc all have “happenings” during a match that are humorous or out of the ordinary, or what-ever, that could tickle other readers’ fancy by having them included in Sticky Wicket. It’s up to you all!
What’s Going On? Low score Wirral, a team playing in the third division of the Cheshire League in north-west England, were bowled out for just three runs early in the 2014 season by opponents Hasslington, ten of their batsman recording 'ducks', the 'not out' batsman a single, while 'leg byes' topped the innings with two. The side, which was batting in reply to Hasslington's score of 108, was 8/0 after six overs, but the latter order batsmen managed to hold out to the tenth over, bowler Ben Istead taking 6/1 and his new ball partner Tom Gledhill 4/0 off 26 balls. Wirral captain Pete Clewes told BBC Radio that “It was just a freak performance. We bowled well. We fielded well. We bowled them out for 108, and we were feeling perfectly confident when we went into bat, but for some reason we all just batted atrociously. It was extraordinary". Number nine batsman Matt Garrett who went out to bat with the score at 7/0, said he "headed into the changing rooms to get my pads on when we were three down and got out to the middle just in time to take my guard when the seventh wicket fell. Six of the Wirral batsmen were bowled, two caught, and two given out LBW. As embarrassing as Wirral's loss was, it was not a world record lowest score says the BBC in a report, Somerset club Langport being dismissed for zero in a game against Glastonbury in 1913. The lowest score in a first-class match is six, made by "The B's" against England at the old Lord's ground in 1810, eight of their batsmen making 'ducks', while the figure in a Test match is the 26 New Zealand posted against England in Auckland in March 1955, five batsmen failing to score.. Dissent Occurs Everywhere Lancashire captain and coach Glen Chapple and Glamorgan’s Murray Goodwin have each received reprimands from the England and Wales Cricket Board for "showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or action" during separate County Championship games played over the last week. But luckily not confrontation like:Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc and West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard have both have been fined as a result of a significant on-field confrontation during their respective side's Indian Premier League match in Mumbai a few weeks ago. Match referee Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe fined Pollard and Starc seventy-five and fifty per cent of their match fees, but given the nature of the confrontation both appear to have been lucky to escape without a suspension being involved. The confrontation started after Starc peppered Pollard with short-pitched bowling that culminated with a bouncer that narrowly missed the Trinidadian’s head as he tried to hook. That prompted an exchange of words that ended with Pollard 'shooing' Starc back to his bowling mark, and as he was about to deliver the next ball, Pollard belatedly pulled away from his crease. The Australian responded by firing the ball at the retreating batsman after which Pollard shaped to throw his bat at the bowler and ended up hurling it into the turf. Both players were visibly angry and continued to exchange words and later in the innings Starc ran Pollard out, but before taking a bail off he taunted the hopelessly stranded batsman by asking him to try and make his crease. Pollard, who pleaded guilty, was charged with the Level 2 offence for “throwing his bat at or near a player”, while Starc also pleaded guilty to a Level 2 charge of "breaching the spirit of the game". IPL Level 2 offences can attract penalties that range from a fine of between half and the total of their match fees, and/or a suspension of up to two matches. Tuesday's match also saw fines handed out for slow overrates and a reprimand under the IPL's clothing policy.
What were you thinking? All golfers should live so long as to become this kind of old man! Toward the end of the Sunday service, the Minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?" 80% held up their hands. The Minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one man, Walter Barnes. "Mr. Barnes, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?" "I don't have any," he replied gruffly. "Mr. Barnes, that is very unusual. How old are you?" "Ninety-eight," he replied. The congregation stood up and clapped their hands. "Oh, Mr. Barnes, would you please come down in front and tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years and not have an enemy in the world?" The old golfer tottered down the aisle, stopped in front of the pulpit, turned around, faced the congregation, and said simply, "I outlived all them assholes" - and he calmly returned to his seat. Ying Tong Who are the powerhouses of world cricket? India, England and Australia, of course. But China wants a seat at the top table. After the cricketing wilderness years of Chairman Mao, who banned the game, it has set up a national side that is steadily climbing the lower levels of the ICC rankings in its quest for Test status. China looks forward to one day competing in the World Cup, a tournament the country hopes to host in the not too distant future, stealing the turn of its regional economic rival, India. As part of its masterplan, China has invested heavily in county cricket, introducing a tournament called Double Tops, comprising two 20-over innings per side. It is also planning to replace umpires entirely with technology. But the county circuit is not the limit of China's ambition. It has its eyes set on Lord's as a means to infiltrate the English political establishment en route to world domination. In its bid to secure international recognition, Chinese archaeologists are enlisted to prove that the game was first played there almost two thousand years before England, concocting evidence to show that the Terracotta Army originally bore weapons resembling cricket bats. And it’s a fair bet that not many readers of Sticky Wicket knew: South Korea only played in their first cricket tournament in 2012, in the ICC's East Asia-Pacific Division 2. With thanks to The Gardian’s “The Spin”. Six = Zero The Britwell Salome village club in south-east Oxfordshire has been has been forced to introduce a ban on hitting sixes and spend over £4,000 ($A7,000) to install a twenty metre high net after a neighbour, Diana Attenborough, complained that it was dangerous when balls fell within the grounds of her home adjacent of the club’s playing area. When it first received the complaint the club installed a five metre high net, however, balls continued to land in her garden, and Attenborough, whose son is a barrister, approached the club again, it responding with the higher net and a new a ‘local rule’ that means a player hitting a six at the ground will now score no runs.
Wonder if she is reading Poo Bear?