 Print this page |
Ask the Umpire - cricket trivia
Sunday 6 April
Mike Gee: What is the record and who has it for the most Test hundreds on the bounce?
The Umpire: Sir Everton Weekes scored five successive hundreds against England and India in 1948 and early 1949. His scores were 141, 128, 194, 162 and 101.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 5 April
Effi: Can you explain the lbw rule in relation to the batsman dropping his bat? I remember something happening with Dermot Reeve once?
The Umpire: You shouldn't be given out caught if the ball hits the glove when it is not in contact with the bat. Dermot Reeve did indeed throw his bat to the ground to avoid being caught off the glove. However, you can be out lbw in these circumstances.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday 4 April
Glamorgan's year: Apparently only two Welshmen have captained England and they both attended the same school. Mr Lewis was one, the other was a Mr C Walters. Any info on Mr Walters?
The Umpire: Cyril Frederick Walters was born in Bedlinog, Glamorgan on August 28, 1905. He made his Test debut for England against the West Indies at Lord's in 1933. Strangely his first class career is mediocre (average 30.74), but his Test average of 52.26 is a far better reflection of this batsman's grace, quick feet and rubbery wrists. He did indeed captain England in his first Ashes Test as a stand-in for the injured Wyatt, which was lost. Wyatt resumed control in the next. His Test career strangely lasted just 11 matches. He died in 1992.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday 3 April
Mike Gee: What batsman has scored the most runs against England in Tests?
The Umpire: The one and only Sir Don Bradman with 5028 against England.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday 2 April
Shaf: Hi Umps. Is former BBC commentator Tony Lewis still around? It's been a while since we've heard from him.
The Umpire: Tony is still very much involved in the game, as the MCC's Chairman of Cricket. His broadcasting days are over after his distinguished spell as the BBC's face of cricket in the 1990s. He holds the distinction of being the last man to captain England on his Test debut, back in 1972. In all he played in nine Tests and went on to become President of the MCC. A wonderful servant of the game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 1 April
Craig: Hi umps, would a less morbid example be a player retiring when he gets a 50 or 100 in a tour match to give another batsman a chance?
The Umpire: Yes Craig, under Law 2 a batsman who chooses to retire for any other reason than being ill or injured is only allowed to resume his innings if the opposing captain gives consent. This can indeed happen in friendly games, where a batsman may decide he's had enough practice and wants to give a team-mate time at the crease. In these circumstances he is 'retired - out'. If, however, the umpires are satisfied that a batsman has been injured or become ill during the course of the game, he may retire and, providing the innings hasn't been completed, may resume his knock after the fall of the next wicket. This can happen when a batsman is feeling unwell and his side are still batting the next morning. If he's feeling better, he's entitled to resume his innings. In such an instance, he's recorded as 'retired - not out'. Aren't the laws of cricket wonderful! Hope I've made sense.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday 31 March
Harry, Hereford: I've been told there are 11 different ways to get out in cricket but can only think of nine. Could you tell me the other two please Ump? Cheers.
The Umpire: Bit of a hornet's nest here, Harry. There are 10 generally recognised ways of getting out, plus a mysterious 11th which isn't covered in the parts of the law dealing with other ways of being dismissed. The 10 are: bowled, timed out, caught, handled the ball, hit the ball twice, hit wicket, leg before wicket (lbw), obstructing the field, run out, stumped. The 11th way is "out retired" under Law 2, which deals with substitutions. The law is pretty complicated, but in simple terms any batsman who refuses to bat when he is able to do so or is refused permission to bat by the opposing captain (he had left the field when he was able to bat on) is for the purpose of the records deemed to be "retired, out". My mind goes back to the sad case of Karachi wicket-keeper Abdul Aziz, who in the late 1950s was hit in the chest during a match and died on his way to hospital. Popular myth says that he was recorded on the scorecard as follows: 1st inns - Abdul Aziz, retired hurt, 0; 2nd inns - Abdul Aziz, did not bat, dead, 0. But the myth is false; the official scorecard shows he was recorded as "absent".
