ECB ACO Newsletter - Spring 2013

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Young OfficialsDeveloping cricket officials under the age of 25This feature of the ACO Newsletter is part of ECB’s drive to improve the opportunities available to young officials. Ifyou have any suggestions or anything you would like to be included then we would love to hear from you!A Tale of Two NewcomersECB ACO is delighted to congratulate all umpires who havebeen promoted to the D list or the MCCA panel – whatevertheir respective age or experience. But particularly we notewith great pleasure the promotion of Alasdair Shaikh fromSussex and John Wheeler from Gloucestershire who haveboth joined the MCCA panel at the respective ages of 25 and58 – and it is unashamedly because of their respective agesthat we highlight their achievement. ECB ACO is often accusedof ‘bias’ towards younger umpires and it is true thatNick was given a clear brief when he arrived to promoteYoung Officials and create a pathway for them to risethrough the ranks more quickly than had been possible in thepast. Therefore of course it is good to celebrate Alasdair’spromotion and it is hoped that this will be but the first ofmany such successful movements along that newly-createdpathway. But it is equally good to acknowledge that it isequally possible for more experienced (and older) colleaguesto achieve promotion to the D list and the MCCA panel andJohn in his fifteenth year of umpiring is a great example ofthis – so we salute them both and trust that their respectiveexamples show that it is not about age, it is about competenceand, as far as possible, appointing the best umpires tothe best games.Alasdair has come through the ECB ACO Young Officialsprogramme and, as the first Young Official to make itthrough to the top echelons of recreational cricket officiatingwe hope that he will serve as an inspiration and a role modelto others. He was a 4 th XI cricketer at Stowe School butscored for the 1st XI and was persuaded to think about umpiring.Back in his home county of Sussex he contacted alocal club in Eastbourne; took and passed the ACU&S GL6examination (one of the last cohort to so do), and started hisofficiating career under the tutelage of Terry Burstow, IanFarrell and Roger Garland. With their support and encouragementhe quickly moved into Sussex senior cricket and onto the Sussex Premier League Panel whilst continuing hisacademic studies by completing a law degree at Oxford.Aside from his officiating in Sussex, he joined the YoungOfficials Programme and among other appointments has officiatedat the MCCU T20 finals at Loughborough in each ofthe last two years and is working through the ECB ACOlevel 3 course.John lives near Bristol and is a member of GloucestershireACO and also Bristol & Western Counties ACU&S. 2013will be his 14th year of umpiring; having completed hisACU&S qualifications at the end of 2002, he is also workingthrough the Level 3 course. John has always loved cricket,but a promising playing career (he was school captain and selectedfor Wiltshire Schools) was effectively ended by a nastyback injury when he was only 18. After that it was alwayshis intention to take up umpiring, but family and church commitmentsmeant that for many years nothing happened. Thenin 1998 his son was playing in a Somerset Under-14s trial butonly one umpire showed up, and he stood at Striker’s Endthroughout the match. He told his colleague that he had alwayswanted to umpire - and discovered him to be the thenSomerset training officer. So he started his training a fewweeks later at the County Ground in Taunton, and the rest, asthey say, is history!Once qualified, he gradually found that he was being appointedto games at higher levels in the West of England PremierLeague pyramid, and was pleased to be asked to join thePremier League panel at its inception a few years ago .In2011 he was invited to join the D List and he has enjoyed afew appointments at MCC, University and County 2nd XIlevel. Like Alasdair he is thrilled to be a new member of theMinor Counties Panel for 2013, and is really looking forwardto the season.We wish them both well.Nick CousinsAlasdair ShaikhJohn Wheelere-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 16 contact us on 0121 446 2710
Gough’s Top TipThe youngest umpire on the ECB Full ListThe cricket season is nearly upon us and now is an important time toprepare and get yourself into good shape for a successful season.Now is a good time to have a read through of the Laws of Cricket andalso take time to familiarise yourself with the competition regulations.Don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice in the build-up to thesummer regarding Law and Regulations if you are unsure. It isimportant that you go into the summer with confidence knowing thatyou have prepared well. Set aside some time for your physical wellbeingalso whether it be cycling, walking, jogging or swimming. Theremay be (hopefully) some warm days ahead and being in goodphysical condition will help you to concentrate for longer periods.Good luck and enjoy!The following dates for Young Officialsappointments have been confirmed:Monday 8 th July – Friday 12 th JulySt Peters Festival, York MCC, Lancashire, Yorkshire,Durham +2Sunday 28 th July (6pm) –Friday 2 nd AugustLondon Schools Festival, Bedford (Under 15s)Sunday 4 th August – Thursday 8 th AugustLondon Schools Festival, Bedford (Under 12s)Monday 5 th August – Thursday 8 th AugustNotts Youth Festival (U12-U15s)Monday 12 August 2013Boys U15 National Club Championship – ShrewsburyTuesday & Wednesday 13 th &14 th AugustNotts Youth FestivalWednesday 14 – Friday 16 August 2013Boys U13 National Club Championship – ShrewsburyThursday 22 – Friday 23 August 2013Boys U15 County ‘A Division’ Cup – KibworthTuesday 27 August 2013Boys U15 County ‘B Division’ Cup – KibworthMessage to all keenYoung Officials….• If any young officials have any letters, opinions orinteresting stories they would like to share then do nothesitate to send them in and I will try to include them in thenext ‘Young Officials’ section.• If you are interested in joining the ECB ACO’s YoungOfficials project and having the chance to officiate atopportunities such as those above, then please email yourdetails, qualifications and experience toyodo.cricket@ecb.co.uk• Most of all… we wish you all the best and remember, theACO is here to support you!Email your details to yodo.cricket@ecb.co.uk60secondswitha YoungOfficialName: Jordan Montgomery-ElseAge: 16At the age of 31, Michael Goughis the youngest umpire on theECB 1st class list. At the NatWestPCA Awards Dinner beforeChristmas, Michael was namedas PCA umpire of the year.Somewhat belatedly, but no lesssincerely we are pleased to offerMichael our congratulations onthis excellent achievement.Leagues: Durham Cricket League, HettonLyons Sunday LeagueHow long have you been umpiring?I have been umpiring since the 2011 season.What qualifications have you taken?I have taken both ACO level 1 and level 1AcoursesHow has ECB ACO helped you?ECB ACO has helped by supporting me withmy umpiring and helping with any problemsI have come across in my time as an umpire.Also, being part of the young officials’programme has given me the chance toumpire at some great venues and make somegreat friends with similar interests.What do you like about umpiring?In every game I stand something differentalways happens and I like taking on thesechallenges. Also, the food at the tea breaks ispretty good.What challenges do you face whenumpiring?The main challenge for me is making suremy umpiring ability improves each game. IfI make a mistake I make sure that Iunderstand how or why and learn from it soas not to repeat the same mistake.Where do you see yourself in fiveyears?I would love to be an established umpire inthe North East Premier League who isrespected by my fellow colleagues and allcompeting teams.Any unusual umpiring experiences?I was once umpiring at a particularly smallground and we had to take a ten minutebreak in order to allow the fielding side tohop over the surrounding garden fences toretrieve the 7 match balls that had been hitout of bounds!e-mail us at ecbaco@ecb.co.uk 17 contact us on 0121 446 2710
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