Lincolnshire County Cricket League Handbook 1983

i" "UMPIRES CORNER " Did you hear the one about the umpire who gave the batsman out L.B.W., the batsman was not too hap py about the decision, said 'Nay Umpi r e, that can't be out" . Whereupon the ump i re r e pl ied, "You leave your leg where it is, and come and have a look from this end . " While not wishing to encourage such actions, it does highlight the point tha t c r icket , at whatever level it is played, should be pl ayed in such a manner as it is enjoyable for all participants, players, umpires and of course specta tors, while still retaining that 'Play to win' attitude. In fact Law 42 Note 1 tells us "play should be con<lucted within the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws." On a more personal note, I have been interested in Umpiring since my school days at Drax, starting in 1946 and who would have dreamed of in those far away days, that I would have taken matches on such famous grounds as Old Trafford and Edgbaston, on such good a ground as Appleby-f' r odingham, on such a picturesque ground as Hibaldstow with its huge oak tree completely w,1thin the playing area. In more recent times having umpired in Bermuda and i n the Bahamas, has been my good fortune. I have been asked to m~ke a contribution to your handbook, so with this in mind, I would like to make an appeal to a11yone interested in cricket to seriously consider having a go at 'umpi ri ng'. I well r ecall Don Oslear making a start, and after a lot of hard work and dedication reaching the top. This is in itself a tribute to all concerned, from the Officers of the League down to the twelfth man of the bottom club in Div 3. So, if anyone gets the 'call from above' why not contact one of the Umpires Associations with the idea of helping this grea t game of cricket. Because let's be honest, wi thout playe rs we would not ha ve umpires, and without umpire s we could find our game degenerating. JOHN E. HARRISON Scunthorpe Cri cket Umpi res Assoc. -55-