Dharmasena Gets Specific

Billy Bowden Is Back!

Now let the crooked finger of controversy do his thing.

Marais The Skeptical

Nothing like cricket umpiring to give you a slightly jaundiced  view of the world.

A Spot Of Rain

Billy Signs Off

While it might be the wrong Billy signing off there seems little chance of Billy Doctrove reversing his decision to retire - visual pun intended. I can only wish Billy the best as he puts his feet up as I can recall very few times that he has been the butt of my vicious abuse - always directed at the TV of course.

Serious Stuff

Tim Southee is the picture of serious concentration as he prepares to deliver yet another ball in what has become a very pedestrian affair at the Basin. A degrading tropical cyclone should liven things up tomorrow and mean that all the serious endeavour ends in a tame draw. Which should save the umpires from making any more mistakes for a day or two.

Caption Time Again

As Prince once sang "it's a sign of the times".

Old School Rudi

Seems everything that happens at the moment is significant or historical. Must be the way the stars are aligned.

We bid farewell to Rudi with this image, although a smiling Rudi is not really the way I will remember him - but then I guess even umpires are kinda human.

On Your Bike Son

And so another player, and team, leaves the arena.

Rudi always seems to take some sort of grim pleasure in his fireings, which I prefer to Billy's demented indifference.

Either way, your gone.

Good Call? Bad Call?

It is just possible that making the right decision could be the wrong thing to do. The amount of frustration for both players and umpires is pretty clear in this image.

Six - Four - Hop

"He was a great man and a tremendous man to umpire with. He was a good bloke, he'll be sadly missed."

Yes Dickie Bird, he will be.

Thank God for the characters of cricket and thanks for David Shepherd.

Remember When ...

... West Indian fast bowlers were huge.
... the comb over was a fashion statement.
... umpires had to bend to watch that front foot.
... the Big Bird was not a T20 mascot.

Simon Taufel Has Pink Balls

It is true.

See for yourself.

The Fourth Umpire

More accurate and a lot quicker on the trigger than the third umpire.

Who's A Silly Sausage Then?

Old umpire Dicky Bird shows he has lost none of his quirky touch by getting maximum comedic value out of a sausage judging.

Should they require require a new Joker in the next Batman movie Dicky might stand a chance.

Makes you wonder what Daryl Hair could do with a piece of fruit?

Umpires Who Look Like Animals

The first in what could be a very random collection of images depicting umpires as they might look in the animal kingdom.

Now the first one was easy because Billy is damn near totally meerkat. The twitchy, vigilant pose, the quirky movements, the over lean body type and over erect stance. Thank God there is not an entire colony of Billies in the wild.

I am open to suggestions as to the next study (victim) - and Darryl Hair as a Hippo is too obvious.

Pucker Up

Daryl Harper gives him out and seems to add an editorial look that might say ...

• I don't want to but I have to
• What sort of shot was that you prat
• Man I could murder a G & T

Hot Hot Hot

Now here is a sight you don't see too often - the umpires caught in a private moment. The image has a certain Monty Pythonesque quality to it but on further reflection I believe both umpires have been over come by mild religious fervour.

Rumours emanating from the Australian continent suggest that Sehwagology is the next big thing. Being so close to the deity for 300 odd balls was bound to have an effect.

Up To Date

What impresses me the most about this particular sign/symbol is the fact that the TV described is so obviously wide screen; none of that old 24 inch square CRT for these guys. Now how might they include High Def to keep things current?

The Wonders of Technology

"Have you seen my new iPhone. It's got a built in light meter, full weather satellite linkage and built in real time hawk eye."

Well perhaps not just yet, but not too far away.