Having completed the workshop I get an email from Dennis the following week, saying you have an appointment, I open the email to discover that I will be standing in three under 13 games 15 overs per side in one day at the Lambrook School Super 15 Cricket Festival, my colleagues will be Bill Green, Peter Henley and Errol Carrington.
In the week before the tournament we arrange a meeting time and dress code by email and hope for a good day.
On arrival at Lambrook School we find a very busy grounds man getting the two pitches ready, he did a great job as it had been a very wet week. We then meet the man in charge who gives us match regulations, we already have those because they come with the appointment via Who’s the Umpire, however we check that we are all singing from the same song sheet.
There will be power plays (no field restrictions each run will be worth double) and free hit from front foot no ball.
This is not only my first games but also for Peter and Bill. Roy is around to offer help and advice between innings. Lambrook School provided the best cricket lunch I have ever had, it was a great start and a lot of fun.
I then received two further emails from Dennis and giving me 3 Berkshire Cricket League (BCL) appointments.
Crown Wood vs Woodcote standing with Eddie Lunn
Grovsner BCS vs South East Reading with Clive Robinson
Crown Wood vs West Reading with Sam Peates
1st BCL game as panel umpire.
It has been another wet week but thankfully the game is on but the pitch damp, it would be a good toss to win, I ask Eddie to conduct captains meeting and supervise the toss will I watch on as I have never done this before, Eddie reminds the two captains of their responsibilities and runs through the playing regulations for the game, there are no scorers, the players will take turns so Eddie asks that even when it is obvious what has happen please acknowledge us.
It’s a low scoring game Crown Wood 133 all out and Woodcote only make 65, Eddie gives 3 LBW’s and 2 Stumping. I have a very uneventful afternoon with barely a shout at my end.
At the end of the game I ask Eddie to help me fill out a self-assessment form and he suggests that I use coins or marbles to count as I keep looking at the clicker after every ball to check it has clicked over he also suggests that there is no need to stand up to the stumps to give the batsman a guard.
I was pleased with my first BCL game and felt comfortable standing with Eddie; I can’t help thinking that he has forgotten more about umpiring than I know.
Other highlights for the 2012 season is my first County Age Group game, Berkshire u13 vs Wiltshire u13 at Hungerford standing with Guy Green.
On arrival to the ground I find the two teams warming up and practicing and a busy grounds man.
We meet the coaches, the two captains and the scorers, we go through the match regulations and toss the coin, and Wiltshire will bat first.
As Guy and I leave the pavilion someone rings a bell and the Berkshire team takes to the field. There are plenty of people here and there is a good round of applause in anticipation for the start of play, the sun is shining and there is a great atmosphere.
This game alone makes the time and effort put into umpiring worthwhile, everyone I have umpired with have all said you will enjoy the age group games and they are spot on.
Berkshire win the game, I hope to see a lot more of this type of cricket.
We move on to the 2nd Supported Development Workshop, this time we work on judging a wide, judging LBW, we take turns to umpire with colleagues getting up to naughty antics, we also role play captains meeting and correct filling in of team sheets.
In July whilst umpiring at Crown Wood Roy pops in and ask me if I would like to get my Level 1A completed, I agree and Roy says that there will be a work book to complete and a professional discussion with Roy and Dennis most probably in October.