Albion & CD

Another game tomorrow, and it should be an easier one than last week. I should also check in my mind that I am ready for no-balls, for wides, leg-byes and so on.

So hoping for a good day. And the prediction is for sun...

Everyone has a bad day

We had a pretty good meeting in which we discussed various things. Once again, one who should not speak, spoke often and pointlessly. I spoke for the first time since joining, and it was to raise the point that the earlier Otago Cricket tell us of a game the better. I think people listened to my brief suggestion because I have spoken uselessly and at length.
At the end of the meeting I saw my evaluations by captains and they were ok. I told the president that I had a shocking game on Saturday and I made various mistakes. He was very understanding, which is good, and said that everyone has had a bad day and the good thing was being aware of the mistakes. I guess he takes the atttitude that being aware of mistakes helps to ensure they won't happen again. At the same sort of time, the overly chatty one was gabbling about the way he is always right despite their complaints. I can see issues with man-management.

At least I realised I had a bad day and so talked to the captain of one side. Oh well, Saturday is another game.

Lousy game

Aargh well, it had to happen. I had a pretty bad game on Saturday. I can't make too many excuses except to say that I got flustered, I felt under pressure, I did not take the right decisions quickly enough and made a couple of bad decisions.

I just have to grit my teeth and concentrate. Watch the small decisions, such as the byes, wides and leg-byes. Then think long and hard about the major ones, such as the LBWs and catches behind the wicket.

Unfortunately this means I will get a deserved stinker of an evaluation. perhaps I am not up to level four this year, but then if I get a job in the location where I went to an interview it won't really matter, as I will not do very much umpiring.

This evening we have a meeting, and I think I will mention to JH that I had a bad day, and so prepare him for the poor evaluation.

Games so far

I think it is six games for Dunedin CA, one game for my son's school, and the two games in Oamaru.

My objectives were 24...

Saturday 30 Oct

My mind has been on several things in the last week; firstly learning that our child will be a son, and secondly that I have a job interview in a small town at the north of the south island. A big move and a big change.

Still, a game to umpire at the second grade level between University Grange and Otago Boys' High School. The latter won, mostly because UG batted badly, seizing almost every opportunity to get out by slashing wildly at balls. One interesting aspect of the game was that there was a female player, and she was very good; a little slow at bowling, but had the wicket-keeper held on to a catch the OBHS score would have been a lot lower, and when batting she set an example, by being careful yet attacking at loose balls. I didn't think she was good enough for the senior level because her bowling was not quite sharp enough, and her batting needed strength, but I can see why the University 2nd XI is happy to have her!

Early on I missed a leg-bye, but otherwise I think the game went well and I was pleased. Another Dunedin game.

Oamaru

THe first day at Oamaru was good and the second better, so all in all it was a pleasing tournament to be involved in. I umpired North Otago on both days, so kind of got to see them too much, but I also umpired Southland and Otago Country. Southland, on the first day, had a great fast bowler and he had North Otago hopping around the crease. Southland put up a pretty good score in merely 37 overs, hitting quite hard and perhaps batting recklessly, and then North Otago tried to last out but didn't. I had a fairly easy game with no particular problems though I had to keep thinking of the intervals, as the game was time rather than overs, which is what we play all the time in Dunedin.

At the end of the day I went to the motel with my fellow umpire from Dunedin and we checked into our rooms, which were pretty nice. Then we went out for a pizza in town, and had a beer each.
I slept pretty well but woke up early and read. I was umpring with D.W., who is one of NZ's best umpires on the top panel and so it was a bit scary that I would have to umpire with him, but it worked out well. In about the 4th or 5th over a ball went down the leg side, the batsman touched it, and it was caught by the wicket-keeper. I gave it out on appeal and DW said "good work, he did touch that". So I relaxed, knowing that my first major decision was correct and approved.

The rest of the day was fine, though I forgot about the tea interval and did not call it on time. Still a satisfactory end to three days of cricket umpiring.

Another goal completed; umpiring outside Dunedin.

Uni Grange and NEV

An interesting day with at least five Otago Volts playing, presumably to gain practice before their season starts.
I'd hoped to see Aaron Redmond bat, since he is an international, but he gave a simple catch to the wicketkeeper on his fourth ball and so starts his season with a duck. I still need to work on my technique, and had difficult decisions to make in relation to run-outs.
It was suggested I need to display more confidence in order to sell the truth of my decision, rather than be nervous when giving someone out. It is just like teaching; the confidence is crucial!
Today I am umpiring in Oamaru, and it will be a two-day game with a stay in a motel.

Still, another of the Dunedin games, and more of my season objectives to come.