Premier Grade

During December I was able to umpire a few senior grade games, and I enjoyed them, though they were long days!

School cricket

I have now umpired a couple of cricket games and I have enjoyed the experience. The team has not won much, but it has been good.

We won the warm-up game against the school development team (ie the colts team), but then lost to OBHS and to KHS in the league. That was followed by another loss, this time to the school development team. Still, we have played quite well, we just need to put up more runs, catch a few more catches, and get a few more wickets!

Good news was that my son played one game. He was kind of bored, but at least he played a game.

Uni vs others

I have now umpired University Grange in two successive games; first against Albion at the Albion ground, then in Mosgiel where they played against Taieri. The composition of the side was quite different both times, with a team largely made of Otago Volts players one week, and Otago youth representative teams (eg younger age groups). The result was the same both times; a clear victory for the University.

I made a couple of mistakes, but they were not significant. In the first I called a wide for a ball that came dramatically back in; I justified it by pointing out that the bowler was in my line of sight and I saw it heading out wide. In the second game I was perhaps lax on some no-ball decisions, though I don't think anyone noticed. I also missed a ball that pitched and so, when it was at the batsman's chest I should have called it a no-ball, but as I thought it had pitched I didn't call it.

Rain

The first game of the season and I had been told that the team was to meet at 10.30am and the games usually started at 11am. I was little surprised thus to find that the players were already on the field. Still, I took over from Mr MMcK and umpired. It went well. I did not have too many tricky decisions, though I need to check how many bumpers per over at this level.
It was good to get my eye in and to see the wides and the no-balls. It was also good to be active and to move in to position correctly.

The the wind changed, it became colder and the rain set in. I called it off at 12.55, as the rain was hard and cold.

Vest

I attended the first umpire meeting of the year, and it was good to see people. I felt bad about picking up a vest (ie waistcoat) for umpiring because I don't know how much umpiring I will do this season, but I explained I had to look for jobs..
Still, another garment, and I think I will wear it today for school.

Season 2011 - 2012

Given that I want to coach cricket for the school, and so will umpire school games as well as coach, I will not have much oppportunity to umpire for the city in the senior grade games. I can see that I can umpire every Saturday from the 1st October till the 29th, when the school games start, but that is not much.

And then there is the issue of needing to get another job, most probably in another area of the country. Then I will have to join a new umpiring association. But of course I may be taken up with a different school's coaching.

Season 2011 - 2012

My first task this season is to do a training course at level one. I'll do this in the middle of September, but in order to gain my level one certificate I have to coach for 50 hours. That won't be easy, but I guess I add up match days, and so will get to 50 fairly soon.