Monday 5 April 2010

Cricket Tales (2) Pavilion punch up

I spent a few years umpiring in a Derbyshire cricket league. It was most enjoyable - you had the best view of the game, received a free tea and payment. In the event of your fellow umpire not turning up the fee was doubled as you had to officiate at 'both ends', rather than marching off to square leg alternate overs.

One match I stood at was a cup tie which brought together Hundall First XI against the same club's second XI. My fellow umpire that day was Cliff Gladwin who had been a fine bowler of cutters for Derbyshire CCC. Cliff eyed me up and said something along the lines of:

Now then lad, first team has a bowler called XXXX. Thinks he's good, but needs bringing down a peg or two. Make sure you no-ball him early in the first over.

Well, what could I say! Needless to say Cliff knew which end XXXX would bowl from and made sure I got that end. Third ball in XXXX oversteps the crease, out comes my arm and a shout of
no ball just as the ball hits the middle stump and sends it cartwheeling towards the pavilion.

At the end of the over Cliff saunters towards me and exclaims: well done lad. You learn fast.

XXXX went on to have a miserable game. However the fun was not over. A Second XI batsman was out of his crease tapping the wicket, when in comes the ball from a fielder who had been inspecting said object. Off come the bails. Decision had to be 'run out' as the ball was not dead.

The tea interval arrived and wily Cliff suggested we hang back. Good job we did. A fight erupted in the pavilion between the two teams. We never got our teas, but we had pocketed our fees before the match started!

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