The Star: November 26, 2020

• By Chris Barclay
LONG-STANDING is an apt
means of describing veteran
cricket umpire David Stuthridge,
he has spent countless hours
positioned at the bowlers’ end or
square leg.
Stuthridge, who also represented
Canterbury
at hockey
between 1969
and 1987,
reached his
500-game
milestone
when he officiated
the
Gillette Cup
regional final
between the
triumphant
Christchurch Boys’ High School
and St Andrew’s College at
Hagley’s Nursery Ground earlier
this month.
The occasion was particularly
poignant for the 71-year-old,
given Stuthridge is an CBHS old
boy, although swimming was his
forte during secondary school.
Stuthridge started umpiring
first XI matches after he retired
from the banking industry
about a decade ago, a career
that maybe prevented him from
officiating at higher levels that
secondary school, senior club
and Hawke Cup cricket.
A lower tier batsman in
Christchurch, who advanced to
the senior grade during a fouryear
stint in Timaru, Stuthridge
switched focus to umpiring in
1986, after his brother Robert died
during a game they were playing
at Hoon Hay Park in 1985.
“He collapsed in the field and
died (aged 42). He had a heart attack
and that knocked me about
a bit,” Stuthridge said.
“Bobby wasn’t there playing and
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
the (Grosvenor) team was pretty
much coming to an end, most of
them were a lot older than me.”
A couple of friends encouraged
Stuthridge to take up umpiring,
which seemed like a logical move.
“I used to enjoy going out there
umpiring for your 10-over stint
in a third grade game. I thought
my biggest challenge is probably
going to be whether I can last a
day out there standing.”
Stuthridge’s feet could obviously
handle the workload, and
his reflexes have also stood the
test of time with his umpiring
VETERAN:
Christchurch
cricket
umpire
David
Stuthridge
recently
officiated
his 500th
match and
the 71-yearold
has no
plans to call
stumps on
his career.
PHOTO: THE
WILLOWS
CRICKET
CLUB
spanning senior suburban games
and the merged Canterbury
metro competition.
He often wondered if he could
have been promoted to the Plunket
Shield and beyond, but work
took precedence – and he at least
saw the likes of Craig McMillan,
Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming
starting out.
“I just couldn’t afford the
time away from my work. You
always wonder ‘what if?’, said
Stuthridge, who still has international
experience on his record.
In 2002 he umpired a warm-up
SPORT 43
Cricket still holds appeal for umpire
Stuthridge has
officiated more
than 500 times
FORMER Canterbury
representative Simon Mooney
has joined Waimairi’s stuttering
defence of Tennis Canterbury’s
premier men’s championship,
as a replacement for wellperformed
US College player
Connor Heap.
Although Waimairi notched
their first win of the interclub
competition over Elmwood,
Heap, who recorded two wins in
Saturday’s tie will be unavailable
to play again until next year.
The 23-year-old, who recently
completed a scholarship at the
University of California, Berkeley,
misses two rounds before
Christmas. The six-club tournament
then takes a break until
mid-February.
Mooney, an outstanding junior
who progressed to celebrate
97 premier grade singles wins,
trained with Waimairi earlier
this week and will be in the lineup
to host Country Ashburton
in the fifth round of competition
tomorrow night.
The veteran has links with
several Christchurch clubs, now
has strong ties with Waimairi
given his children are part of the
organisation’s junior development
programme.
Waimairi, who are still propping
up the competition in spite
of blitzing Elmwood six matches
to zero at Wilding Park, face a
tough encounter against Country
Ashburton line-up seeking
to rebound from a 4-2 loss to Te
Kura Hagley on home court.
Country Ashburton are still in
second spot behind last season’s
runner-up Cashmere, who
thumped Shirley 6-0 to maintain
game between Australia and
South Africa at Bert Sutcliffe Oval
before the under-19 World Cup.
“The Australian side had
Shaun Marsh and George Bailey,
South Africa had Hashim
Amla,” Stuthridge recalled.
He also has fond memories of
his first major club game in 1999
on what is now Hagley Oval,
although it started in less than
ideal circumstances when Riccarton
hosted East Christchurch
Shirley.
“That Riccarton team was
really tough. They preyed on
any vulnerability you had and
they knew damn well this was
my first game. In the first over
Wayne Stead nipped one back
between Michael Papps’ bat and
pad. There was a sound, I was
certain it had clipped the pad,”
Stuthridge said.
“They all went up for a catch,
screaming and really testing
me out. I said not out and Stead
did his ‘nana’ a bit. I looked
over at (fellow umpire) Robert
‘Nook’ Ebert and he gave me the
thumbs up. I felt like a million
dollars at that very moment.”
Stuthridge has a couple of
senior T20 games at his favourite
ground, Heathcote Domain, on
Saturday and while his eyes and
ears stay sharp he has no plans
to call stumps.
“I still feel alright, I still play
the odd game. I’d be lost without
something to do on a Saturday. I
just love the sport.”
Mooney joins Waimairi in bid to defend title
South African-born Canterbury interclub tennis veteran Joelene Feneon has become the
seventh woman to record a century of wins in the competition after beating Elmwood’s
Mikaila Smith 6-1 6-1 during Waimairi’s victory on Saturday. Feneon, who had lost both
of her previous singles matches this season, joins Sally Moorfield (216), Shirley Haig
(162), Robyn Legge-Hunt (146), Lynnette O’Dell (138), Ruth Seeman (120) and Phillipa
Lewthwaite (111) in a select club.
Thursday November 26 2020 The Star
a comfortable buffer.
They are expected to strengthen
their dominance against
Elmwood; Te Kura Hagley host
Shirley in the other tie.
In the women’s competition,
leaders Te Kura Hagley play
at Elmwood while Cashmere-
Burnside host Waimairi.
Points:
Men – Cashmere 54, Country
Ashburton 34, Shirley 23, Te
Kura Hagley 23, Elmwood 22,
Waimairi 15.
Women – Te Kura Hagley 36,
Cashmere Burnside 27, Waimairi
24, Elmwood 15.
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