The Umpiring Controversy - 29/5/11

After Sunday's match, John Crossland provided some pub entertainment by disclosing Club Policy...er, I mean alleging that "Nomads just don't give LBWs." Now, a conversation between Nomads and Exiles about umpiring dismissals may be likened by cynics to 2 fish chatting about mountaineering, but that is not the whole picture. A quick perusal of scorebooks and websites reveals that a sprinkling of LBW decisions have been awarded by both sides in recent years. Here are 3 of the better-known examples from the "whitewash" season of 2009.


1) 28/5/09 at CSSC Chiswick (Exiles 141 for 8 beat Nomads 140 for 8 by 2 wickets)
Hassan Khan LBW b Utley 0.

A quite remarkable decision by Umpire Reeve after the Nomads all-rounder had not just got in a decent stride, but had actually embarked on a lengthy hike reminiscent of Wainwright. Impartial(ish) witnesses claimed Khan was closer to Reeve than he was to his own stumps. Hassan averaged 42.33 with the bat in 2009 and even half that number of runs would probably have seen Nomads home in a close match.

RATINGS;
Quality of Decision - 1 out of 10
Influence on Match - 8 out of 10
Entertainment Value - Grim, but a talking point; 5 out of 10


2) - 28/5/09 at CSSC Chiswick (Match scores as above.)
Nick Lefebve LBW b Knight 8

Lefebve had already swept the big medium pacer twice and, in looking for a repeat, crouched in front of his stumps only to be thudded by an in-swinger. Umpire Jim "Sex Appeal" Ferguson, hard but fair as ever, ruled correctly. Lefebve is sadly no Hassan but a couple of leg-side slogs would have pushed Nomads up towards 150.

RATINGS;
Quality of Decision - 9 out of 10
Influence on Match - 5 out of 10
Entertainment value - a regulation dismissal; 3 out of 10

3) - 13/9/09 at Dundonald Road (Exiles 129 beat Nomads 116 by 13 runs)
John Crossland LBW b M. Thomas 0

A very tight game in which Exiles clinched the humiliating 3-0 whitewash over Nomads.
Clapham needed 19 to win off 7.3 overs when last man John Crossland came in. Nomads had a fair chance as, at the non-striker's end, stood Emil Todorow who was on fire (or "well-set" in his own modest words) on either 15 or 17 (total subject to a scoring dispute.) Nomads had managed 5 of these when, sadly, Crossland stood right in front and padded away a good length ball from his naggingly accurate former team-mate, Martin Thomas. Umpire Fewson's finger went up like the cork from a champagne bottle. It was alleged that Crossland told the umpire later; "I thought you might have let me off that one, Ben."

RATINGS;
Quality of Decision - 10 out of 10
Influence on Match - 7 out of 10
Entertainment Value - Certainly had its amusing side; 9 out of 10









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