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.

Oamaru II

I have had some details about the Oamaru trip confirmed; we leave Dunedin at 08.15 on Sunday and then umpire all day. We stay in a motel, and a thermos is a good idea if we want some hot drinks inside us, and we get $25 for an evening meal, which is better than McDonald's but hardly luxury. We get lunch on both days.

The games are declaration, and so I need to wear white. Which was ironic because I had just put my blue kit in to wash...

Oamaru

The Under 18 tournament is on in Oamaru this long Labour weekend, and I will be umpiring on Sunday and Monday. As yet, I don't know any of the playing conditions of the game, but I will be able to look it up I hope.

So some progression in my umpiring. I will achieve a goal, that of umpiring different levels and outside Dunedin.

CD vs KCC

I did not have a great day today, and I feel like the good positive and confident impression that I have generated so far this season has taken a step back.

Things were going pretty well until a batsman, who'd been dominating proceedings, decided to take an aggressive offside line to bat from, and then the very next ball cut back and had him stuck in front. I gave him out LBW and the next couple of players were unimpressed with me since he'd got out at 99 runs. Well, it is not my business if a player is reckless when he has already accumulated a high score.

In a way this preyed on my mind, since I felt that side would give me a bad rating. THen I gave a narrow LBW, and with hindsight I should have only given plumb LBWs. The batting side lost too many quick wickets, and I think they blamed me, though my colleague gave out one LBW too, and most of the dismissals were catches.

Late on, I judged a that a wide ball was not, and the non-striking batsman complained that I gave that against his side, and so seemed to suggest some sort of favouritism. Then I missed a leg bye, in that I was answering a question and forgot to signal to the scorers, and while that bothered me, I was asked another question about the powerplay. I'd forgotten to note down when the powerplay was taken, and so did not know when it ended. Careless!

So I need to get on top of things next week.
It was also a cold day; I kept hoping the weather would warm up, but it stayed cold, and that affected my concentration.
Still, another game, more expereince, and more practice.

Regular meeting

The bi-weekly (every two weeks) meeting of umpires went well. I was a little late because I ate supper late, and leisurely and chatted to my beloved, then realised I had to be away.
The grading of umpires by captains came up, and it was almost amusing to see the look on one very experienced umpire's face when he got grades of five and six out of ten.
I was complimented that I did well by the observer, which was good to hear. We were also told that we are unlikely to get games outside Otago if we are over 45, which is me. Oh well.

Still, a game on Saturday and then on Sunday I will watch my son play. I guess I might as well watch from the middle.

Cancelled game

I forgot to post that the women's game I was supposed to umpire was cancelled. So when will I learn if I can make 23 women happy in one day?

Country vs Town

Were there any particular problems in this game? Well, I didn't think so. I was sure about the LBW that a player asked me about, and in other points I gave a caught behind that was pretty guaranteed. In the first innings I gave the LBW that I already mentioned, and which the player asked later, at the innings break, where I thought it had hit.
I was then very circumspect, as I thought that perhaps I was concentrating on line, but not paying enough attention to height. But the Otago Country innings opened with an LBW appeal early on, and it was so plumb I gave it. I wonder if Green Island thought I was an easy umpire, because they then appealed for half a dozen chances, which I gave not out. When I mentioned this to my other umpire, he said that it was perhaps a game, to see who could appeal the fastest and most enthusiastically. I did not mind it, as I was sure that the ball was going down leg side.
Funnily enough, at the end of the game, someone said, 'good decisions' to me, though I don't know if it was ironic, or a mickey-take, or to tease the guy who had complained...

2nd Senior Game

My second senior game of the season was between Otago Country and Green Island, and it ended with a fairly convincing victory for Green Island. One player said that I'd given him out LBW when it hit him on the thigh pad, but I am still sure, and my square leg umpire backed me up, that it was the right height.

I will add more to this, but I have to go and umpire another game. Unfortunately it is pouring with rain and a cold southerly is predicted to bring weather havoc to the South Island, so I don't think there will be a game!

Two senior games so far...

Country vs Island

I'll be umpiring Otago Country vs Green Island on Saturday, which should be interesting. I don't know if this is Otago Country's first game in the Dunedin league, since I did not see or hear of them playing last weekend. Still, I understand that a number of the players used to play in the Dunedin league so they should be familiar with the situation. The game will be played at Sunnyvale; I don't know if that will be on the artifical or the real grass. I can't actually remember if there is an artificial at Sunnyvale.

Then on Sunday I may umpire a woman's game; Aotea Electric Otago/Southland Womens Competition, and it seems it is a 40 over game starting at 11.30am. I put my hand up when it was offered, but have not heard back. This would hit one of my goals; umpiring different types of cricket.

Should be interesting.

UGCC vs Taieri

Curiously, the Taieri side decided that they would like to bowl, and so they put University Grange under the cosh early on. Taieri opened with Brad Frost and Callum Thompson who managed to contain runs but only managed to pick up one wicket. It was a pretty good day too, with the sun shining, and although the temperatures would have made many quail, sunshine and still air and 15 degree C is great for Dunedin, and especially for Ocean Grove ground which can be freezing!
The we had another Callum bowling, this time Callum Johnson, a dyed blond chap who normally plays in Southland but was looking for the greater professionalism and competence of Otago Cricket. He was variable, and even though I was at square leg, I could see he was left and right and up and down. Still, he managed ok, but will be hit around as better players come in later in the season. Ben Kidston, a name to remember as he is the captain of Taieri, bowled well and in fact bowled his ten overs consecutively (though there was a drinks break) and picked up a couple of wickets. Then a spin bowler did ok and then one rubbish bowler undid all the good work of the others by being bashed around and having a front-foot no-ball, which meant a free hit.

Still, the University Grange lost wickets regularly and were all out for the slightly low score of 168. For a 50-over game, that is not competitive.

In the first over, Taieri were clearly over-awed by speed, and lost a wicket. Then they struggled to put on any runs, but one of the batsmen, despite needing a runner, managed to last out quite well, though he will have a few bruises in the morning! There was another wicket in the 7th over, but it seemed to be going well and solidly, even though perhaps rather slowly. But Patel, who I'd last seen bowling in 2nd grade, bowled really well and picked up five wickets. He had two LBWs while I was bowling, and they were plumb in front, so though I know the Taieri players looked unhappy, they were pretty obvious decisions.
And so the game wound up. Some good play by the bowlers. A good day of weather, and enjoyable. I had problems with one decision, in which I called a deadball when a player tripped over at the wicket, but otherwise fine.

Taieri vs University Grange

My first umpiring at the senior grade is tomorrow, Saturday 2nd October. Originally the game was to be played at Taieri at Memorial Park, but a burst water main means a flooding in the outfield. So instead I will be umpiring at Ocean Grove, which is notorious as the coldest ground in Dunedin. It is located here;

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I do love the name "Tomahawk Drive"; how did it get that name?
Anyway, last year University Grange were about the best team, and I got on pretty well with them. Perhaps it is because they were good and young, they just got on and played the game.

Still, I suspect I will get quite a few games this summer as we seem to have one less umpire which is a problem.