WITH the summer sports season fast approaching, the Busselton-Margaret River Cricket Association has put out a call for new umpires to join its panel.
Senior cricket in the Busselton-Margaret River competition gets under way on Saturday, October 16, with a full round of fixtures in A-Grade and B-Grade. The C-Grade cricket season will start on October 23.
Cricket association fixtures coordinator Michael Earl has worked tirelessly to put together a fixtures program for the 2021-22 season which keeps all the clubs happy - not an easy task.
Earl has fixtured as many double-header and triple-header fixtures as possible to maximise club harmony and fellowship among the players.
So far the cricket association has recruited four regular umpires for the new season, with another two umpires avavilable to stand every second weekend.
"Another two or three umpires would be welcomed - especially if they have had lots of experience as past players," said Busselton-Margaret River Cricket Association umpires coordinator Allan Miller.
"If you know the lbw law and you know the front-foot no-ball law, you will probably have the knowledge needed to umpire C-Grade cricket at least, and you can work your way up from there," he said.
"As well as a working knowledge of the laws of cricket, a good umpire also needs to have judgement and authority, and to be able to get along with the players - and earn their respect."
"Umpiring can be a very enjoyable way to spend a summer's afternoon, as long as you have a love of cricket and you don't mind standing in the sun for up to seven hours."
Umpires are assessed each week by the club captains, with the highest rating umpire at the end of the season earning a voucher sponsored by Dunsborough Veterinary Hospital.
Prospective new umpires can contact Mr Miller on 0488 919 125 for more details.
In other early season news, the Busselton-Margaret River Cricket Association has a new president. Craig Johnson, the president of the Vasse Cricket Club, has stepped up to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of the popular Nannup personality Pieter Bresser.
Johnson becomes the 26th person to be president of the BMRCA since its formation in 1911, and only the fourth president in the past 20 years, following in the footsteps of James Trail (2002-08), Wayne Thackrah (2008-15) and Pieter Bresser (2015-21).
Johnson is now wearing three hats, as he is also president of the Masters Cricket Association for over-40s cricketers.
The local Masters competition has grown in recent years and now boasts six teams - four local sides (St Marys Gerihattricks, Vasse Numbats, Dunsborough Ducks, and Cowaramup Southern Strokers) plus two teams from the Bunbury district (Capel-Donnybrook Fossils and Leschenault Faded Green Caps).
Masters Cricket gets under way on November 14 and is played every second or third Sunday of the season, with finals in February.
Senior cricketers who would like to compete in Masters can contact Craig Johnson on 0419 904 941.