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[uknsaunders]

Here's one to ponder. We (the players) umpire ourselves in our division and a few teams seem hell bent on not giving LBW in any shape of form. You can be stood french cricket style in front and it will never be out. We'd rather not just to tit or tat, but does anyone have any bright ideas to win games without the LBW law. Getting a neutral umpire in can't happen as the oppo have to agree to it btw :-(

[Maverick79]

It seems to be happening more frequently in the games I play in especially if we bat first. I gave one of our lads out lbw which was plumb on Sat. We were all out for 123 and they were chasing the win. One of their lads was plumb according to our bowler and keeper and wasn't given by one of their players but we bowled him a couple of overs later.

This has happened before in games and we try not to give decisions tit for tat but when it's happening regularly players do start getting annoyed and frustrated.

[Burdy]

If the batsman is plumb as you like in your ''french cricket'' style and their umpire is cheating beyond doubt, slip a beamer in, then tell the umpire that it was a yorker and could not be possibly a no ball as he cant see beyond his big nose.
Might end up in a mass brawl though.

[alexrickyponting]

If batting 2nd we let oppo set tone, if they umpire fairly we do too, if they give plumb lbw not out, then we do the same if situation arises normally.
If we bat first we're probably too bowler friendly unfortunately for our batsmen lol - our bowlers have given a couple of shockers against our top order this season aha

[roco]

The umps on a sat have to be league qualified so helps a little but some still cheat but there are ways to go about it if they do

When I ump on a Sunday I tend to go with how the oppo are if they are fair I am if not I am not maybe tit for tat but hey that's life if your unfair font expect others to be fair

[steiner]

Definitely becoming a real problem lately - we've found that square leg becomes the most important position. Get your most sociable/funniest player fielding there and get him to strike up a 'relationship' with that ump. They are definatleyore open to give a decision once they have a rapport very psychological thing IMO. Can even play one ump of against another of you get it working well.

[uknsaunders]

steiner, I do that job and sometimes it does pay off with the more friendly sides. The hard core cheaters talk but still don't give the plumb decisions.

Since we can start with an old ball in our league, I had the idea of getting the mr sheen out and a scouring pad. Bring the slips and bowl back into play if they can't hit it!

Apart from that, trying to recruit a good leggie always helps to the right handers.

[steiner]

Surely though once you get into doctoring the ball you give up the right to complain about the opposition cheating too? If everybody's gonna cheat on their own way why bother playing? If in doubt knock the stumps out the ground - it's a lot more difficult to turn down an appeal for bowled!

[johan95]

We got this on Saturday.
They (North London Frankie.... ) had an umpire for the first half of their innings. We had one hit Howard (their opener) square on the toe on the full, and it was in front of middle from a lefty swinging it a touch in.
It was plumb, I was at mid-off, and he gave it out as he said it pitched middle and leg and the swing would have taken it past the stumps.
But obviously if it hits on the full movement is irrelevant.
So that was a howler. Didn't help that when we batted he triggered two of our players unfairly on very doubtful decisions.
Obvious cheating but you cannot do anything about it.
Was made worse by the fact I told the captain he had only been on for 20 overs of the first innings so we could have told him to (No Swearing Please) off and we could have done the umpiring ourselves after his howlers to get rid of 2 and 3.
Local derby, hence bound to happen. But it really shouldn't.
There's nothing you can do really...

[jonwilson]

We umpire ourselves in the league we play in.  It is a problem both within the league and the team I play for.  Saw some shocking umpiring by my team mates last year.  LBW's and run outs.  Refreshing to see that this year is slightly better.  Saturday for example.  LBW decision given first ball of both innings.  Sad that game before, I snicked off against one of their bowlers and walked.  Umpire asked me after the game what I was doing walking  .

I umpire, I know I am going to get some right and some wrong.  Same as with every umpire.  When umpiring, all you can do is call the game as you see it.  Wish other players in my team would do the same. 

What does worry me is no real depth of knowledge that people have in terms of the laws and perhaps more importantly, the spirit of the game

[uknsaunders]

Surely though once you get into doctoring the ball you give up the right to complain about the opposition cheating too? If everybody's gonna cheat on their own way why bother playing? If in doubt knock the stumps out the ground - it's a lot more difficult to turn down an appeal for bowled!

Complain to who? I sit on the one of the committees for the league and apart from appointing umpires, which we don't have enough of in the higher divisions, we can't do much about it. You can't knock the stumps out of the ground, if somebody is determined to stick their pad down the track ball after ball. We like to play and umpire properly but when teams go all out to cheat their way to victory, why should you give them a helping hand?

[uknsaunders]

I did have one idea:-

All the LBW's given are recorded for each team and if a team or teams have a significantly lower total than the average, opposing captains are asked for their thoughts on teams within that league - they could get asked regularly to avoid them suspecting something. If a team is mentioned by captains and in the stats, they are then written too, asking to adhere to the spirit of the game and warning them that their umpiring will be monitored by the league. If they continue to "cheat", then the league takes written statements from other captains and conduct a hearing with a points deduction a possibility. Dish out a few points penalties and teams would soon raise their standards.

[steiner]

What I mean is you can't moan about People cheating if you're gonna tamper with the ball - 2 wrongs don't make it right. Don't think the reporting thing will ever work - just makes too much work for the league.
For me it's all part of the game at our level I enjoy the psychology of trying to work out a particular umpire and either charm or shame him into a decision. Appreciate it can be frustrating but personally don't play at a high enough level to let it effect me too much.

[SempreSami]

This is a problem even in friendly cricket. Yesterday we had someone from our club umpiring one end and an old fellow from the oppo at the other. When we fielded the git from the oppo was widing our bowlers when the ball passed leg stump by an iota of a mm, but when it came to their bunch of bent arm chuckers bowling proper leg side wides, he did nothing!

[richthekeeper]

we nearly always bowl first as we have a strong attack, so we usually get the benefit of umpiring second.

our league have introduced a match report which has to be completed separately from the scorecard, so you can make any complaints you like about the umpiring/spirit/ground/teas. i think this is a great idea and it'll soon show up the poor teams from the good ones.