A qualified umpire with 13 years of experience in a League based somewhere in the UK, I started the Secret Umps project with a few blog pieces written during the 2020 truncated season. A friend suggested that I consider building a compilation of different aspects of League cricket from an umpire’s perspective. Over the pandemic and beyond, those early pieces became a half century of Chapters, and eventually, this book. From the best view in the house, I provide an irreverent and unique perspective on the tension and drama in League cricket.
From the demise of the tea interval, to Hollywood A-lister fielding; from sledging and dissent to the landmine of judging LBWs and catches at the wicket, Secret Umps brings Saturday League cricket to officials, players and fans of the game. The book holds nothing back, including my own personality traits, limitations and shortcomings. If all this information were on a dating app, it would lead to an immediate swipe-left.
My manor is where tomorrow’s superstars cut their teeth and it is wonderful to watch some of these young cricketers go through the ranks to the Premier League and beyond. But there is an elephant in the room that needs addressing – the lack of umpires across many Associations.
My main aim in writing Secret Umps is to highlight the privilege of being part of the Saturday League cricket circuit. You don’t have to come to umpiring with 30 years of playing on your CV. There are thousands of cricket fans out there who have never played the game who could become great umpires. All you need is a love of the game and an ability to learn and interpret the Laws. And if this book whets your appetite, then please take the first step in becoming a qualified umpire here https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/officials/about-us.
Please read a sample chapter here https://secretumps.co.uk/sample-chapter/ and for details on buying the book, please click here https://secretumps.co.uk/buy-the-book/.
Secret Umps, September 2023