Association of Cricket Officials Issue 29 | Page 8

International Diary Champions Trophy 2017 tight direct hit run out appeal ‘not out’ correctly on the field. The truth is that I had only just received information that all the monitors in the TV umpires room had gone down and we would have to make those kind of decisions ourselves until they were up and running again. As umpires, I’m sure we would all agree that tight run outs are very tough decisions to make with the naked eye and I would never take a chance like that in normal circumstances when the TV replays are available. Richard Kettleborough Having been in the Caribbean for a month umpiring the Test series between West Indies and Pakistan it was a very quick visit home for two days to say hello to the family and then I had to travel down to London for the ICC Elite Panel pre-tournament workshop and the ICC Cricket Committee meeting, of which I have been a member for the past two years. These workshops are vital to making sure we are consistent in our application with regards to playing conditions, weather calculations, appointments, logistics, clothing, and other general matters that could potentially arise. All 12 umpires were appointed to four matches in the group stage. Two on-field, one as TV umpire and one as fourth umpire. This tournament gives the English contingent on the Elite Panel a rare chance to umpire in our own country. The workshops also give the Elite Panel members a chance to catch up, as we normally only see each other on appointments or at our annual seminar held every September in Dubai. After a couple of warm-up matches it was down to the serious business and my first match was between Australia and New Zealand at Edgbaston. The match was eventually abandoned due to heavy rain, but not before a heart-stopping moment. During the early stages of the match, I gave a very 8 A TV umpire appointment between India and Pakistan followed and then it was down to the Oval for what turned out to be an epic encounter between India and Sri Lanka, which Sri Lanka won in an outstanding run chase. Any match in which India play is a challenge because not only do they have some excellent spin bowlers, but the noise from their fanatical supporters makes hearing edges almost impossible. Umpiring is tough enough when we can rely on both our senses, sight and sound, but take away one of these and you are relying on body language and having to draw on all your experience in order to try and get the correct decision. The semi-finals followed and I was appointed to be on-field for the match between India and an ever-improving Bangladesh at Edgbaston. This was a one-sided affair with the brilliance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being too much for Bangladesh. It was announced later that evening who the referee and four umpires would be for the final, which was now between bitter rivals India and Pakistan at the Oval. All the umpires had had an excellent tournament, but thankfully I was appointed to be on-field with Marais Erasmus. This completed the full quota of ICC finals for me after the World T20 final in 2014 and the World Cup final in 2015. It is always a great honour to stand in these matches, but with it comes an extra sense of responsibility and added pressure because of what is at stake. Having stood in a number of matches between these two nations I know exactly how much winning means to the players and the people back in their respective countries. Pakistan played almost the perfect match and were worthy winners. Marais and myself both had a good match and then, as is traditional, we all shared a drink or two to celebrate and reflect on another good tournament. Richard Kettleborough email us at [email protected] contact us on 0121 446 2710 Redfern on the World Stage…Again! Sue Redfern The recent Women’s World Cup saw England’s Sue Redfern becoming the first woman to have played in a World Cup, and then stand as an umpire. Aged just 19, Redfern was a part of the England team that reached the 1997 semi-final, in which they fell 20 runs short of New Zealand. Twenty years on and Redfern has found herself back in the middle on the world stage, in an umpire panel that included three other female umpires. Huge congratulations to Sue for all her hard work. Here is what Sue had to say about the experience: ‘Being part of the ICC Women’s World Cup has been a fantastic experience for me. Firstly, to see the improvements of teams that were at the recent ICC World Cup Qualifier event in Sri Lanka has been pleasing from my perspective, seeing how the game is moving forward and gaining in reputation and awareness throughout the world. ‘The difference in my officiating has been the inclusion of matches which are being streamed and aired live on TV, and having to deal with decisions which can be analysed by viewers throughout the world. It has been important for me to ensure my routines are in place and my concentration remains throughout. Being away from home and moving around throughout the tournament has also meant I need to be disciplined and prepared to engage with new colleagues and build rapport with them quickly to aid teamwork on the field.’