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[no1northernbloke]

Ok, so we all look forward to our cricket every week - it comes to Saturday, nice day, sun shining, track looks like a road...... and then you notice which two umpires you've been allocated for the day.

Your heart sinks as you know one of them is dreadful - he may have passed the exam, but in reality knows nowt about the game. You know there's going to be two or three decisions go against each team which makes a lottery of the game.

You know this umpire isn't biased, genuinely wants to do the best he can, but has failed to realise that he's absolutely rubbish. All the players know that the louder they shout, the more the umpire will give. If you happen to survive the first shout, you might as well not even bother to wait for the decision on the second as you know what it's going to be.

We've had the same umpire for three games this year and he's casually dismissed two out of our top five every time. None of which according to the batsmen and the oppo have been close. You could blame the players for appealing when they know it's not out.... but when it's the overseas or pro you try and get what you can. It's up to the umpire to have the balls or knowledge to make the right decision. This weekend he gave 7 decisions....

Two teams at the top of the table, maybe 100ish people at the ground to watch and he ruins the game. Suffice to say that enough is enough. Report going into the league and both teams have requested that he be removed from the panel.

Ok rant over

[123*]

No umpires = no proper game of cricket, we played in the 2nd division umpiring ourselves and it was a farce, continuous blatant cheating and on occasions ending in a 22 man riot, at least with umpires they control the game and you know they're not gonna cheat anyone! As (No Swearing Please) as they might seem without them you might as well just have a net!

[RossViper]

In our prem the standard of the vampires is very good. The leauge has worked hard to ensure the best umpires get to the top and the poorer ones get cut.

The captains of eavh team, in the prem and  first dev have to score the umpiers after each game on some pre set items,

Works well, id suggest something like this for most leagues.

[Buzz]

I got the worst decision of my batting career today. I missed the ball by a foot, no one appeals and the umpire sticks his finger up because square leg went hooowwwwoooooo...
he wouldn't even apologise after the game either.

[tim2000s]

In our prem the standard of the vampires is very good. The leauge has worked hard to ensure the best umpires get to the top and the poorer ones get

How do the vampires cope with the sun?

[RossViper]

How do the vampires cope with the sun?

Often effects eye sight and judgement.

[no1northernbloke]

No umpires = no proper game of cricket,

Very very true - it's just so annoying when they get it wrong so often. There are some excellent umpires in our league, but then there is some absolute rubbish as well. Case in point against an excellent leggie this weekend, went to sweep a ball pitching 18 inches outside leg stump, big stride in, leg outside the line of leg stump, hit on pad, yep given out. Fielders just laugh at how bad it was.

We too mark the umpires 0-5, but everyone marks them 2 if they are poor as otherwise reports have to be given into the league. Plus captains know that if they mark them low there's the possibilities of 'grudges' being held over for the next match.... We all try and be the umpires mate for obvious reasons...

[mike1989]

Very very true - it's just so annoying when they get it wrong so often. There are some excellent umpires in our league, but then there is some absolute rubbish as well. Case in point against an excellent leggie this weekend, went to sweep a ball pitching 18 inches outside leg stump, big stride in, leg outside the line of leg stump, hit on pad, yep given out. Fielders just laugh at how bad it was.

We too mark the umpires 0-5, but everyone marks them 2 if they are poor as otherwise reports have to be given into the league. Plus captains know that if they mark them low there's the possibilities of 'grudges' being held over for the next match.... We all try and be the umpires mate for obvious reasons...

Similar situation two weeks running for me with LBWs. First week I edged onto my pad, even the keeper heard it, yet the bowler appealed and the trigger happy umpire raised his finger. The wicket keeper said to me, "you hit that first, ah well see ya" and laughed - I did retort with something I won't post on the board. Anyway, last week took a few strides forwards, hit me on the upper thigh, the umpire gave me out. Was fuming on both occasions, and this week gone the umpire came to me at the end of the match and apologised for the decision as he saw my reaction as I was walking off.

Bad umpiring decisions are a pain in the neck, but I guess you've got respect the fact they are there to do a job and bad decisions can happen at any level of the game. Even the top umpires make howlers from time to time. The worst time is when they change a game, where you can be running away with it, looking ready to chase down your target, and then you're given out and a collapse happens. But I'll be honest, despite having a few bad umpiring decisions this year given against me, I'd rather play with qualified umpires than not.

[johan95]

Similar situation two weeks running for me with LBWs. First week I edged onto my pad, even the keeper heard it, yet the bowler appealed and the trigger happy umpire raised his finger. The wicket keeper said to me, "you hit that first, ah well see ya" and laughed - I did retort with something I won't post on the board. Anyway, last week took a few strides forwards, hit me on the upper thigh, the umpire gave me out. Was fuming on both occasions, and this week gone the umpire came to me at the end of the match and apologised for the decision as he saw my reaction as I was walking off.

Bad umpiring decisions are a pain in the neck, but I guess you've got respect the fact they are there to do a job and bad decisions can happen at any level of the game. Even the top umpires make howlers from time to time. The worst time is when they change a game, where you can be running away with it, looking ready to chase down your target, and then you're given out and a collapse happens. But I'll be honest, despite having a few bad umpiring decisions this year given against me, I'd rather play with qualified umpires than not.

I think that is 100% correct...
At the moment I play 3rd XI cricket, and we umpire our own games. There are so many howlers, and blatant cheating from the oppos at times. The appointed umpires at 3rd team level cheat as well which isn't ideal.

At least at the 2nd team level you get better umpires, and I'd much rather play with them umpiring as less arguments happen (you have to respect that umpire's decision and can't dispute it as much...).

I've heard stories of absolute shockers in the MCCL 1s Divs 1-3 and know one umpire (at Wembley) who is a panel umpire and pretty poor. But bad decisions are part of the game, they always have been, at least with a panel umpire if he's consistently bad that's better than a biased cheat.

But indeed, bad umpiring ruins the game, and there aren't retractions of appeals due to the competitiveness. I got triggered by my fellow player when I inside edged the ball onto my pad above the knee roll, and the oppo all knew it but they didn't say anything.

One of those things. Without umpires, the game of cricket isn't what it is though...

[peplow]

Our league umpires are awful i find, we often perfer doing it ourselves like we had to last year, causes far less grief and usually a fairer better game we find. although its always nice not having to worry aobut it!