I would like to begin with one of many huge votes of thanks . Well done to all the folk involved in not only making the 2018 scorer roadshows happen , but also in making them such a massive success . Without exception , the events were oversubscribed and extremely well received across all our regions .

Scorers everywhere are getting to grips with Play-Cricket Scorer Pro . We have been fortunate in having a very dedicated team of volunteer testers from the Scorer Sub-Committee ( SSC ) and some other knowledgeable ACO members , who for a number of months have worked tirelessly and very closely with the ECB IT production team , plus the parent company in New Zealand . We cannot thank them enough for the amount of hours put in when checking each update roll-out and also being involved with web / conference calls at some incredibly early hours , due to the time difference with New Zealand .

Much progress has been made on the scorer pathway regarding information about observations and assessments . A great deal of work has been done by the Education and Accreditation team led by Sue Drinkwater ( Scorer Education Manager ) in getting all the paperwork in perfect order and on to Who ’ s the Umpire ( WTU ) for access by tutors , Regional Scorer Officers ( RSOs ) and County Scorer Officers ( CSOs ). It is important to remember to do your self-observations and add them to your portfolio . Assessors are not trying to catch anybody out when they do their job ; they are looking for how a candidate has improved and how they might be helped with further workshops , courses and mentoring .

Our Young Officials scorers have made another excellent start in 2018 . Those who were part of the team for the early season corporate event at Lord ’ s were complimented on their attitude and abilities by management and players alike . Thanks also to the mentors , whose main task of the day was making sure there were enough spare balls – due to all the big hitting former pros and short boundaries !

Finally , I have made the decision to stand down and retire at the end of this season – the ECB ACO National Conference in October will be my last official event . This decision is mainly due to personal circumstances ; however , I do honestly believe that a new National Scorers ’ Officer ( NSO ), with a fresh approach , can only be good for our scorer members .

I have very much enjoyed the last three years and am glad to have contributed towards elevating the recognition of recreational scorers , plus awareness of the amount we contribute to the game of cricket . In particular , I am pleased with my part to play in the extra exposure we now get in the magazine . ( Rumour has it that the FAQs are enjoyed and eagerly awaited by umpires as much as us – ‘ result ’!) That ’ s so good to hear , another thing that brings us all closer under the officials ’ umbrella !

Keep the questions coming in . No matter how trivial you may think they are , someone out there may be querying the same thing and be too shy to ask . A huge thank you to everyone who has given me such great support , especially colleagues on the proactive SSC . I am truly grateful . ( I would not have managed without you – you know who you are !)

Sue Jones National Scorers ’ Officer

Let ’ s Get Quizzical – The Answers !

The answer to the question from Only Connect was , of course , they are all umpire signals !

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