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Well into my second match in the lower grades and all that I can say is ummmm?

Enjoy winter cricket here because 95% of teams play for pleasure's sake. There is the very occasional team, mostly very young players, who are a pain and the odd player who once, in his old mind was great, who now graces cricket and cricket is the better for his knowledge and banter that edges to sledging, lol.

There is an expectation that the best umpires are in the top grades and worst umpires in the lower grades. Well frankly most umpires are a cut above the players in lower grades and the game would be better if they understood that.

Yesterday the home team won the team and batted and were in more trouble than the early explorers from the first over. They made well less than a hundred. However of course there was the batsman who considered he got a dodgy decision. Like he has been beaten for pace every ball in his whole very short innings then plays at an off cutter that sneaks between bat and pad, gets a little glove on it, onto the thigh pad through to the keeper. Out. Oh he says he never touched it. Strange two noises, deviation then deviation off the thigh pad, hand off bat and wrung, but hey he got dudded.

The visitors came out and blasted the ball all over the park and after 8 dropped chances they declare a lot in front. Home team comes out to bat and they are in more trouble. Out comes our man who claims he got dudded in the first innings very early. We have changed ends and I have a very good left arm quick who can bend the ball back. Our dudded friend really hasn't got a clue and after a couple of LBW shouts that were close he gets an absolute beauty. His bat hasn't even got half way through the downswing, playing back hit on the pad ball curling back, hit him low in front of middle and off, it did more than hold its line and would have hit middle. Big appeal, well that's out. he claimed he hit it.

Sheesh, give umpire's an occasional break, the bat was no where near, huff's off.

Now my umpiring companion is a very competent umpire and played A grade for many years so he knows his way around the park. Then comes the comment from departing batsman about incompetent umpires in lower grades.

Well we will just let that pass because I will be off to do lower grades and any grades elsewhere very shortly after these allocations are completed. Unhappy umpires, obvious age discrimination in choosing grades for umpires, and the urge that 'new' umpires in a competition must prove themselves through the grades is an interesting mix especially when a competition is short of umpires. So very shortly it will be short one more. I umpire for relaxation and enjoyment, I don't umpire because I am some frustrated martinet who believes he will be the next great thing on the Test circuit and I know when I make a mistake. So for the first time in recent years i will be back to umpiring for fun in a competition that plays the game for fun. Should have done that when I came back to umpire here.

Oh and yes I have no ambition to get a contract in Australia as an umpire and follow the advice of most of the umpire trainers. They are only hacks and scramblers at best. The exception is one overseas umpire here in a training capacity. he has the same views as I have, it is sad that we are in the very, very small minority.