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[Lumsden]

Perhaps I have just been very lucky but I can't remember the last I have played a "proper" match and left the ground thinking an opposition player who also did a spell umpiring was a cheat (maybe it's a Yorkshire thing?). In fact I feel some player/umpires go the other way and give very marginal decisions in the opposition team's favour.  I often find myself umpiring (while playing in a match) and what I find remarkable is number of times batsman are plumb LBW and the bowling team never appeal. Had it in our last league game of the season and the non-striker whispered to me afterwards was that plumb to which I replied yes. The batsman went on to get 90+ and we won with a couple of overs to spare.

[play-yourself-in]

It is a shame when poor umpiring ruins a game. It is a hard job though and to be fair without umpires we wouldn't get a game. That said, a Level 1 umpires course is really useful and insightful. Defo worth going on if you want to gain more knowledge or your club will pay. My club sent me so we had cover in case our 2nd team umpire couldn't do it (you lose points if you don't have a qualified umpire).

One thing that our course leader said was think how many times you've bowled (or seen it) when the batsman misses the ball and you can not believe the ball didn't hit the stumps. We've all been there, bowlers, keepers, slips even as batsmen. The ball doesn't hit the stumps that often, in fact at the standard i play i would be surprised if 5% of the deliveries bowled in the whole match would have hit the stumps.

It always has to be a case of not out unless you are totally plumb. I feel some umpires feel it makes them seem like a proper umpire to give an LBW.

[Warneymonster]

the quality of umpiring this year has been dogturd, I would argue mainly through incompetency than cheating (not always though). we have had lbw's given where its not even hit the bat, when stood a meter outside the crease to a round the wicket bowler, lbw when hit in the stomach playing off the backfoot - was amazed they even appealed. our chairman is a panel umpire and he has to be one of the most bowler friendly umpires ive seen, almost appeals with them sometimes.

only once did I really think the oppo umpire cheated and that was when we needed 20 to win in a relegation battle and the trigger finger came out 4 times in 8 balls, all lbw, all absolute shockers to the point they apologised afterwards. @felix knows all about their 2's umpire, has always been a cheat even when he umpired the 1's while I was there. could guarantee he would get you back into a game if it got close.

[SLA]

It is a shame when poor umpiring ruins a game. It is a hard job though and to be fair without umpires we wouldn't get a game. That said, a Level 1 umpires course is really useful and insightful. Defo worth going on if you want to gain more knowledge or your club will pay. My club sent me so we had cover in case our 2nd team umpire couldn't do it (you lose points if you don't have a qualified umpire).

One thing that our course leader said was think how many times you've bowled (or seen it) when the batsman misses the ball and you can not believe the ball didn't hit the stumps. We've all been there, bowlers, keepers, slips even as batsmen. The ball doesn't hit the stumps that often, in fact at the standard i play i would be surprised if 5% of the deliveries bowled in the whole match would have hit the stumps.

It always has to be a case of not out unless you are totally plumb. I feel some umpires feel it makes them seem like a proper umpire to give an LBW.

If I bowl at a set of stumps without a batsman there, on average about 50% of deliveries hits the stumps.

[SD]

If I bowl at a set of stumps without a batsman there, on average about 50% of deliveries hits the stumps.

Useful skill to practice in a game which involves having a batsmen there

[WalkingWicket37]

If I bowl at a set of stumps without a batsman there, on average about 50% of deliveries hits the stumps.

Do you find you bowl better with a batsman there than without?

Maybe it's just me here, but bowling at just a set of stumps in the warm up I can be a bit of a scattergun. Put a batsman there and something just clicks and I can pitch it where I want again.

Anyone else?

[FattusCattus]

Me too. I need a victim rather than 3 sticks

[SLA]

Do you find you bowl better with a batsman there than without?

Maybe it's just me here, but bowling at just a set of stumps in the warm up I can be a bit of a scattergun. Put a batsman there and something just clicks and I can pitch it where I want again.

Anyone else?

I find it helps to put something down just in front of the crease, like a cone, to mark where the batsman's front foot would be. That helps me calibrate my length.

[SLA]

Useful skill to practice in a game which involves having a batsmen there

If you can hit the stumps when the batsman isn't there, you should be able to hit the stumps when the batsman is there, so yeah, it is pretty useful.