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[imogzyboy]

after playing a game yesterday against a team which has a couple of juniors init we were very dissapointed that there umpiring was not too good as they had a batsman in who came down the track my keeper took the bails off we all went up for the shout for there umpire at square to say not out!
we were shocked by this decision but amazingly the batsman walked! i later found out this batsman was 13! it was just great to see the sportmanship of such a young player but i was very dissapointed with the umpiring i asked the umpire why he didnt give it out and all he said was i dont know and walked off!

just wondered if anyone else has been in similar situations?
and any good stories of great sportsmanship?

[jonpinson]

A similar thread has just started, but you raise and interesting point.

To me cricket has always been a game to be played with grace. A gentleman's game, if you will. Even in the most important international matches you see top sportsmanship all the time. Village cricket should be just the same. Interesting point about the 13 year old. I've seen it work both ways. You get some kids who show impecable sportsmanship, as in your case yesterday, but you do see the opposite too. I think it depends on the senior players in the team. Some are happy to see the kids doing the right thing, but others see your players as weak minded who can effectively be intimidated into not playing so fairly. 'Go out and umpire and give nothing out or you won't play next week' was actually something I heard at a match once. That sort of thing. Sad that grown adults take things so seriously that they will cheat in order to win an unimportant game.

[langer17]

I was playing Winter cricket overe here in Aus 2 years ago, so we don't always have umpires as it is more a fun comp for the off season. But I was at mid-off and the bloke hit it to me and he ran, I threw the ball and hit the stumps directly when the batsman was 2 metres out of his crease and their umpire said not out. Our captain/bowler proceded to swear at the bloke, which I think was dissapointing even though he gave the wrong decision, but the bloke then walked because I think he would have felt guilty staying. This is the only time it has happened to me as I generally play with official umpires.

To me, it will always happen when the batting team umpires and it is just something we have to live with, because without any sort of umpire, we could not play the game. It's dissapointing when it happens, but not much we can do.