As it was a double round robin we were each allocated four matches on the field and two off it . Starting off as ‘ thirders ’ it became immediately obvious to me the benefit of having an on-site referee . Although I ’ d performed the task before , Denavon talked me through the role meticulously with particular regard to keeping the on-field umpires up to date with over rates – good or bad .
The next day was my on-field bow at Belgrano and I was particularly looking forward to it , as one of the teams was Bermuda . It is only 11 years since they played in a World Cup , so I was expecting a high standard and I wasn ’ t disappointed . Man of the match was Kamau Leverock ; a former teammate of mine through his extensive experience of playing in England and Wales .
Day three was what had become the top-of-the table clash with the Cayman Islands pulling off a surprise win over Bermuda . The Caymans vice-captain Alessandro Morris bowled such a number of well-pitched googlies from my end that I was constantly in the game and obliged to raise the deadly digit on two occasions .
A feature of each day was not only the 7 – 8am team walk ( seven out of seven attendances from your correspondent ) but the post-match debrief chaired by Denavon . This provided fantastic insight into the performance of each of the three umpires and most of the criticism was constructive and positive . This certainly helped to ease me into my second stint as third umpire on day five , where I felt on top of my game thanks to the support provided .
Although by the time of the last match the two spots for the Americas qualifier next year had been claimed by Bermuda and the Cayman Islands , there was still a lot to play for on day six as the former looked to avenge their defeat three days earlier . At the beginning of the third over a previously substituted fielder came onto the field for the first time and I heard my colleague check the time with the third umpire ( eight minutes ’ absence is the cut-off point in ICC matches ). I presumed that all was well until the end of the fourth over when my colleague queried the fielder ’ s entry and was annoyed that he hadn ’ t been told by anyone . In the next innings he noticed a fielder , who had gone off to have a strained thigh treated , running the drinks to boundary fielders , so his substitute was immediately sent packing .
The match itself came down to the wire . With Bermuda needing 17 off the last over and 11 off three balls , Steven Bremar hit two sixes into the tower blocks surrounding Belgrano Athletic Club and Bermuda pinched first place on tournament net run rate .
With Bermuda ’ s attention turning to a 50-over tournament in Malaysia , the three teams then played a round robin of ODIs . These weren ’ t official ICC matches but Emmerson stayed on to umpire them with me followed , with a two-day break in between , by the traditional three-day annual match between the north and the south of Argentina , which has been played 119 times . I ’ ve stood in the last five of these , Emmerson in the last two , and they are always enjoyable but very competitive .
Cricket in Argentina has been going for longer than football , rugby union or tennis ; sports in which the locals challenge on the world ’ s biggest stages . Cricket is still a minority sport but those who play it do so with a passion and considerable talent . Tournaments like these help to showcase the sport . The crowds , especially at Belgrano , were of a good size .
From an umpiring view the biggest adjustment for me in ICC cricket is the amount of fielder traffic . Fourteen-man squads mean that three players with bibs are constantly on the move when their teammates are out in the field . Even in T20 , where there ’ s notionally only 90 seconds for the next batsman to be ready , there are drinks brought out at the fall of every wicket . This promotes extra awareness among the umpires and one often feels the need for eyes in the back of one ’ s head . The standard of play is high and no Level 1 offences or higher were committed in the entire fortnight of cricket . Emmerson and I both umpired 12 days out of 14 and were grateful for the hospitality afforded by the ICC and Cricket Argentina throughout .
The other Americas Sub Qualifier takes place in Los Angeles later in the year along with several others around the world , with all the associates and affiliates hoping for a shot at the tournament proper in Australia .
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