Berkshire Cricket Officials Association
Team Working Workshop
22nd March 2015, Henley Cricket Club
Berkshire Cricket Officials Association designed Team Working Workshop for Umpires & Scorers to help improve how we worked together. An invitation was extended to all Berkshire ACO & BCOA Umpire & Scorer members up to and including Level 2. As a Scorer, I welcomed this opportunity to prepare for the new season, meet with some old friends & acquaintances and hopefully make some new ones.
So a bright sunny morning and the scent of freshly cut grass greeted us at the picturesque pavilion of Henley CC – an inspiring start to the day and hopefully the season ahead. We had been asked to arrive ready to undertake our job; armed with all our equipment, rules, regulations and directives!
Approximately 20 of us were there, including, so we were told, almost 30% of the registered ACO Scorers in the County. After our brief self-introductions revealing our varied skills and experience and a glance at the extensive topics to be covered that day we were quickly set to work.
Refreshingly, we were asked to reflect on each other’s roles and the role of the captain. We saw our own roles from the other’s perspective and heard in a friendly environment things we may do or don’t do to the irritation of our colleagues. This may be an exercise I take on a little more often – not just during the cricket season! The importance of effective pre & post match meetings were scrutinised. Signalling – its correctness, sequences and protocols were examined. It’s difficult to replicate a live umpiring scoring situation, however we were given the opportunity to identify good practice and not so good practice with some recorded matches on screen. Outside with the grass under our feet gave us signalling, acknowledging and recording scenarios & an opportunity for just a little confusion!
During the afternoon, we covered topics that would help us all undertake our roles better including Laws, Regulations, Directives & Guidance, Dead Ball situations, the Result and End of Match scenarios, NRR & D-L-S.
I believe the main aim of the day that of increasing our understanding of each other’s duties had definitely been met. The Berkshire Cricket Officials Association hopes to run similar workshops and I shall look forward to more opportunities like this in the future. My thanks go to John Golding, our CEO & CSO, Carl Kneale, Mike Carter & Jon Simmons. May we all continue to appreciate the other’s good practice?
Gail Bonnell
Scorer