The Belgiun Cricket League started yesterday (i.e. May 9). There were seven games played yesterday. I too got my first game yesterday. Considering the number of umpires available, it was not a surprise that I got a game. It was a Division 1 game between Oostende CC and PCCB Greens. This was the first game that I was umpiring for the Oostende CC. It was a home game for Oostende, so I had to once again go to Oostende. This was my third trip to Oostende in four weeks. My colleague for the day was Peter.
Peter picked me up from Oostende station. We reached the ground at 12 noon, a good one and a half hour before the scheduled start of the game which was 1:30 pm. The weather was pretty cold but fortunately for us it was still dry. The most surpising part was that some players were already present on the ground. These were the players from Greens. The home team arrived around 12:30 pm. They started with the preparation of the ground. We supervised the markings of the boundary and the marking of the inner circles.
We took the team list. Each team had nominated 12 players. We did the toss at 1 pm. Oostende won the toss and elected to bat. It was 45 overs game and scheduled to end at 8 pm in the evening. We started the game at 1:25 pm. I started at the striker's end. It was a slow start. Within few minutes of the start one of the opening batsman twisted his anle and the game had to be stopped for approximately three minutes. At the end of 5 overs Oostende were 21/2 including a suicidal runout (not at my end).
Later, the period of consolidation began and at 13th over Oostende were 54/2. At this point of time batsmen decided for a quick single. I was at the striker's end and the ball hit the wickets directly (at least that is what I assumed). The wicket keeper had covered the wickets completely, so I could not see what happened. I just heard the sound of wicket being put down and at this point of time the bat was in air and based on this I raised the finger to give the batsman out. Retrospectively I think I should have asked Peter, if indeed the wicket was put down fairly. These are the things that I should work on and improve. Needless to say, the batsman was disappointed. In his opinion he had made his ground but he never realized that his bat was in the air.
Period of another consolidation started and Oostende were now 87/3. I was at bowling end and Waqas was the bowler. He was bowling left arm over, medium pace. After a patchy first over, he had got into a rythem. He was pitching in right areas. Somehow I had always found it difficult to judge the trajectory of the bowl whenever a left arm bowler is bowling, especially over the wicket. I find it difficult to follow the bowl as soon as I have seen his front foot. As I knew that this was an area where I had to improve, I was concentrating hard. This bowl from him pitched in line between middle and leg and was going straight, the batsman tried to shuffle towards the off side and flick this ball towards the fine leg. He missed it completely and ball hit his backfoot. There was an appeal and I had no hesitation in giving him out. The height was perfect and the ball would have hit the stumps.
By the end of 23 rd over, half of the home team were back in pavilion. Waqas started the 24 th over. I was at the bowler's end. The ball pitched on middle and was moving towards the off. The batsman wanted to glide it towards the third man missed it completely and the ball crashed into the off stump. I was stunned. I must confess, had the ball hit his pads, I would have never given it as LBW. Oh God, there are lot is things that I need to improve on.
Waqas had set the tone for the Greens and Oostende were packed up in 33rd over for a score of 151. The only savind grace was the last wicket partnership of some 20+ runs. Waqas finished with 5 wickets (3 bowled and 2 LBWs). Myself and Peter had score of 151 but the scores had 150, so we decided that the target was 151.
The innings ended 3:45 pm, 45 minutes before the scheduled time. So as per the regulations, we had to take a 10 mins break.
The run chase began at 3:55 pm. This time too I started at striker's end. It was not the kind of start that the home team wanted, defending a total of 150. They conceded 11 runs in the first over. It was a run fest at display. Greens raced to 76/0 in 8 overs when I had to call it TIME for the lunch break (we call it Tea break here). There were lots of extras bowled during this period, which did not help Oostende at all. With half the score already being scored, an early finish was on the cards. The lunch started at 4:35 pm. It would be a half an hour break.
We resumed play at 5:05 pm. As after every break, a wicket fell for the visitors in 10th over. The score was 89/1. The new batsman at crease was the hero with the ball, Waqas. As expected, the scoring rate dropped with this wicket. In the 12th over, when I was at bowling end, the bowler was bowling right arm round the wicket, the ball pitched outside the leg and there was no movement, it wend straight and just behind the batsman (in my opinion). The keeper missed it. The batsman took a single. I called it wide. The keeper and bowler reckoned that it had hit back of the pad, which in my opinion did not. Batsman also confirmed that it did not (though we cannot take his word as he was at the advantage). I was pretty sure that it did not hit the pad but I think I have to be more careful in such things.
At 15th over another wicket fell and Greens were 114/2, still no reasons for them to panic. In 20th over, when I was at the bowler's end, the batsman hit the ball towards the square leg, they wanted to take single but finally decided against it. The fielder at bowler's end threw the ball to the bowler. Since the batsman had decided against the run, the bowler was relaxed and did not collect the ball. As soon as the ball went past him, the batsman took a single. The keeper objected to this stating that the ball was dead. The bowler argued that he was walking towards the run-up assuming the ball is dead and hence he did not collect the ball. In my opinion, the ball was in play and to have a second opinion I glanced towards Peter and he confirmed by nod of his head. I stuck to my decision of not calling the ball dead. The run was counted.
Greens wrapped up the game in style, finishing it in 23 rd over itself. The game finished at 6 pm, 2 hours in advance of the scheduled time. It was a disappointing performance from the host. It was not the quality one would expect for a Division 1 game. Peter and myself waited for the scoresheet to be filled. We signed it and left for the day.
My first game of the season was over. It was a releif. I was also happy that it finished soon.
Peter picked me up from Oostende station. We reached the ground at 12 noon, a good one and a half hour before the scheduled start of the game which was 1:30 pm. The weather was pretty cold but fortunately for us it was still dry. The most surpising part was that some players were already present on the ground. These were the players from Greens. The home team arrived around 12:30 pm. They started with the preparation of the ground. We supervised the markings of the boundary and the marking of the inner circles.
We took the team list. Each team had nominated 12 players. We did the toss at 1 pm. Oostende won the toss and elected to bat. It was 45 overs game and scheduled to end at 8 pm in the evening. We started the game at 1:25 pm. I started at the striker's end. It was a slow start. Within few minutes of the start one of the opening batsman twisted his anle and the game had to be stopped for approximately three minutes. At the end of 5 overs Oostende were 21/2 including a suicidal runout (not at my end).
Later, the period of consolidation began and at 13th over Oostende were 54/2. At this point of time batsmen decided for a quick single. I was at the striker's end and the ball hit the wickets directly (at least that is what I assumed). The wicket keeper had covered the wickets completely, so I could not see what happened. I just heard the sound of wicket being put down and at this point of time the bat was in air and based on this I raised the finger to give the batsman out. Retrospectively I think I should have asked Peter, if indeed the wicket was put down fairly. These are the things that I should work on and improve. Needless to say, the batsman was disappointed. In his opinion he had made his ground but he never realized that his bat was in the air.
Period of another consolidation started and Oostende were now 87/3. I was at bowling end and Waqas was the bowler. He was bowling left arm over, medium pace. After a patchy first over, he had got into a rythem. He was pitching in right areas. Somehow I had always found it difficult to judge the trajectory of the bowl whenever a left arm bowler is bowling, especially over the wicket. I find it difficult to follow the bowl as soon as I have seen his front foot. As I knew that this was an area where I had to improve, I was concentrating hard. This bowl from him pitched in line between middle and leg and was going straight, the batsman tried to shuffle towards the off side and flick this ball towards the fine leg. He missed it completely and ball hit his backfoot. There was an appeal and I had no hesitation in giving him out. The height was perfect and the ball would have hit the stumps.
By the end of 23 rd over, half of the home team were back in pavilion. Waqas started the 24 th over. I was at the bowler's end. The ball pitched on middle and was moving towards the off. The batsman wanted to glide it towards the third man missed it completely and the ball crashed into the off stump. I was stunned. I must confess, had the ball hit his pads, I would have never given it as LBW. Oh God, there are lot is things that I need to improve on.
Waqas had set the tone for the Greens and Oostende were packed up in 33rd over for a score of 151. The only savind grace was the last wicket partnership of some 20+ runs. Waqas finished with 5 wickets (3 bowled and 2 LBWs). Myself and Peter had score of 151 but the scores had 150, so we decided that the target was 151.
The innings ended 3:45 pm, 45 minutes before the scheduled time. So as per the regulations, we had to take a 10 mins break.
The run chase began at 3:55 pm. This time too I started at striker's end. It was not the kind of start that the home team wanted, defending a total of 150. They conceded 11 runs in the first over. It was a run fest at display. Greens raced to 76/0 in 8 overs when I had to call it TIME for the lunch break (we call it Tea break here). There were lots of extras bowled during this period, which did not help Oostende at all. With half the score already being scored, an early finish was on the cards. The lunch started at 4:35 pm. It would be a half an hour break.
We resumed play at 5:05 pm. As after every break, a wicket fell for the visitors in 10th over. The score was 89/1. The new batsman at crease was the hero with the ball, Waqas. As expected, the scoring rate dropped with this wicket. In the 12th over, when I was at bowling end, the bowler was bowling right arm round the wicket, the ball pitched outside the leg and there was no movement, it wend straight and just behind the batsman (in my opinion). The keeper missed it. The batsman took a single. I called it wide. The keeper and bowler reckoned that it had hit back of the pad, which in my opinion did not. Batsman also confirmed that it did not (though we cannot take his word as he was at the advantage). I was pretty sure that it did not hit the pad but I think I have to be more careful in such things.
At 15th over another wicket fell and Greens were 114/2, still no reasons for them to panic. In 20th over, when I was at the bowler's end, the batsman hit the ball towards the square leg, they wanted to take single but finally decided against it. The fielder at bowler's end threw the ball to the bowler. Since the batsman had decided against the run, the bowler was relaxed and did not collect the ball. As soon as the ball went past him, the batsman took a single. The keeper objected to this stating that the ball was dead. The bowler argued that he was walking towards the run-up assuming the ball is dead and hence he did not collect the ball. In my opinion, the ball was in play and to have a second opinion I glanced towards Peter and he confirmed by nod of his head. I stuck to my decision of not calling the ball dead. The run was counted.
Greens wrapped up the game in style, finishing it in 23 rd over itself. The game finished at 6 pm, 2 hours in advance of the scheduled time. It was a disappointing performance from the host. It was not the quality one would expect for a Division 1 game. Peter and myself waited for the scoresheet to be filled. We signed it and left for the day.
My first game of the season was over. It was a releif. I was also happy that it finished soon.
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