Shouting from the Hop

I always did a fair stint as umpire during my playing days, but when my knees finally gave way about five years ago, any cricket activity was reduced to the spectator variety.  A couple of years ago, I felt relatively fit, and decided to try out for the Chislehurst club in pre-season. I turned up on a Tuesday evening in April and did some bowling and fielding practice, but didn't get a chance to bat.  Sadly, even this small amount of (slowly) running around caused my knee to swell and I could hardly walk for the next three weeks, so I made a decision to offer my services as either umpire or scorer, and next thing I know I'm the designated first team umpire!

My first game was hard, as I got called all sorts of unrepeatable names having given an opposition batsmen out LBW, and the next week it got worse as an onfield spat almost got out of hand and the game ended prematurely in an agreed draw to save any further physical conflict. Things settled down, and the season ended with relegation sadly. Last season, I returned to duties and we had a very up-and-down year with streaks of losing followed by winning runs; in the end we survived another drop in division by just one point thanks to some weird last day results.

This year, I am back in the white coat once more, confident in my abilities and happy to have a reputation as a fair umpire in a league where one or two definitely favour their own sides.

And this brings me to the point of this particular blog piece: 

On Saturday, in an away game, a couple of decision went against us when we batted, courtesy of the home umpire. I have no idea if these calls were correct or not, as standing at square leg it is impossible to see if a ball is straight enough to warrant an LBW decision.  We received two such decisions, one against our overseas professional at an important time of the innings. Toward the end of the innings (in the last over in fact), I had to make my first close call of the game; the ball went through to the 'keeper, and the batters tried to run a bye. It became a foot race, as the 'keeper ran toward the stumps with the ball in hand, and the batter scampered down the pitch stretching out his bat. It was a very close call when the bails came off and my opinion was that it was too close to give the batter out as I couldn't be absolutely sure he hadn't made his ground. A comment, from a fielder forty yards away I might add, suggested that he was at least a yard out but, when spoken to later, the batter thought he was in. It made little difference as just one further run was scored in the innings.

In the home teams innings, I again was asked to give a couple of close decisions; I actually had a similar run out call (which I again gave not out, favouring the home team), although one direct hit was out and I signalled this accordingly. But it was the other umpire who was possibly at fault elsewhere...

Our team had two major LBW calls at his end, the first against the home teams overseas player who was a very good batter. Our side were convinced that this player should have been out LBW when hit on the pads, but knowing the rules, I later mentioned to them that it can be tough to get LBW decisions against left handers, as the ball has to pitch in line, and usually straighten in order to convince the umpire it will hit the wicket. Another shout, against a player who got fifty runs, was also turned down when the fielding side were convinced it should have been given out. But the biggest call was a run out decision, from another throw that directly hit the stumps; even at square leg I was sure that the batter running to the bowlers end was out of his ground by at least a yard, yet the benefit of any doubt was given to the home team player by the home team umpire. Hmmm....

And all this led to a last over where my team required just one wicket, and the home team seven runs to win. With the last man at the crease, a youngster facing our fastest bowler (our overseas pro), the ball hit the pad and a massive shout for LBW went up for me to judge. I have to say it was close, the ball pitching on off stump and going on up the hill - it may have hit the outside of leg stump but I couldn't be sure. I pride myself on being fair and I gave a not out decision which was immediately accepted by my disappointed team and the grateful opposition. After a scampered single off the next ball, the penultimate ball of the match was smashed for six and the game lost by us and won by the home team.

My question is how many other umpires in this league, and other leagues, would have made that infavourable decision against their own team with the match to be won (or lost)? Certainly from what I saw that day, the other umpire (who was a nice chap) would have seen his team win and given the leg before call as out if faced with the same scenario and circumstances.

I felt quite bad about it even though we had seen a terrific game of cricket that day. One of our players asked later if integrity was a good thing sometimes, and I know what he meant. I admitted in the bar afterwards that I had cost the side 12 precious points, even though I stated that the decision I made was abjectly correct. 

The problem is that when we see umpires who do favour their own, and we have an umpire (me) who tries to be fair, the contest is not even, and that is not right. A couple of years back I was asked to umpire the second teams final fixture of the season, in which they had a chance to get promoted if other results were favourable.  I did so, and they won (but didn't get promotion), but afterwards I was accused of not giving them any favours; I wondered if I should? They know I have built my reputation on being straight down the line - if it's out, I give it, if not, I don't!

I have the issue of whether to continue to be correct and fair or whether to err on the side of my team in future, and it is a decision I have yet to decide upon.