From: 9063iyerm@vms.csd.mu.edu (Murali Iyer)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Umpires
Date: 21 Aug 92 00:14:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: vms.0095F634.6E4A8EC0
Reply-To: 9063iyerm@vms.csd.mu.edu
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services

In article <895@hobby.ukc.ac.uk>, srd@ukc.ac.uk (S.R.Davies) writes:

>     Absolutely. Sports like football have been marred in modern times by
> hooligans. So too is cricket, except that the hooligans are on the
> cricket field. The umpires should be invested with sufficient powers to
> control cricket yobbos .... e.g. the umpire could award 4 byes to the
> other side, everytime he is physically or verbally abused by some lout.
> They should do the same sort of thing in tennis, for instance :=>


> "Love - fifteen"
> "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS !"
> "Love - thirty"
> "THE BALL WAS IN, YOU JERK !"
> "Love - forty"
> "THIS PLACE IS THE F***ING PITS !"
> "Game to Bloggs"
> "F@#"+*%$ *&|!?:$#@ !"
> "Game, set and match to Bloggs"

That was a good one, Steve. 

Now for the spoiler. As soon as I read it, I thought I had heard something
similar way back in the past. Then it struck me. That was exactly how judges
dealt with traffic offense cases in lower courts back in India. For instance, 
the judge would rule that the fine to be paid by the offender is 50 bucks. If
the offender accepted it and went out, fine. However, if the offender did as
much as raise his eyes and open his mouth, up went the fine to a hundred bucks,
and so on. It was fun to watch, but I am sure not much of a side-spiltter to
the fellow at the receiving end.

>     The umpires of course get no say in public. They don't get the
> opportunity to sit in front of TV cameras and slag off such-and-such
> a star batsman because he made a mistake and got out to a terrible shot,
> or so-and-so who bowled tripe all afternoon.

Just a small digression. Once, in a college match, I was batting against a
bowler who had problems with his run-up and consequently over-stepped very
often. One particular over saw three successive no-balls being called. The
umpire who stood in that match was a future test-level umpire, out for what was
expected to be an easy 30-overs a side half-day game. Also, unless the morning
game finished before 1.00 p.m, the afternoon game could not begin. 

He apparently got bored with the persistent calling of no-balls and neglected
to call the next one which was blatantly a no-ball. Hearing the groan of the
close-in fielders in anticipation of another no-ball before playing that
particular ball, I tried to slam it over the field, only to see my wickets
shattered. I was even more shattered to discover that the umpire had not called
it a no-ball!!! The non-striker was open-mouthed and had his stand pointing at
where the bowler's foot had landed....... He stood like that until I made my
furious way to the pavilion. 

>     Regards, Steve.

Murali

                               Murali Iyer 

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