Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
Over the 2021/22 season, NZC introduced the Female Aspiring Umpire Development Programme, aiming to provide a development opportunity for female umpires to bridge the gap between community and domestic appointments.
The Programme coincides with the introduction of NZC’s Women’s Development Panel and Women’s Emerging Panel and aligns with the long-term goal to have stronger female representation on the Reserve, National and International Panels.
A group of seven female umpires were selected to be part of the programme for the inaugural season, with each appointed to a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match as a Reserve Umpire.
This provided the umpires the opportunity to work closely alongside the match umpires, observing and learning from them around the different methods, routines and processes they adopt.
Feedback from the umpires involved in the programme has been overwhelmingly positive. Being involved in all elements of the day from ball selection and pitch assessment through to rain delay calculations and post-match briefings – they were able to not only observe, but be part of, the critical decisions and processes of the match day.
Umpires were able to take away many techniques and lessons to apply to their own development in the future. A few of the key comments from the umpires are included below;
‘One of the biggest things I learnt was that for it to be professional, it doesn’t have to be as formal as I had expected it to be’
‘The choosing of balls by the bowlers was new to me. I found this process so interesting. It also gave me a chance to have a light conversation with bowlers. This light conversation also increased my confidence in communication with players’
‘This experience was very valuable to me as I start to move up the levels and am now getting to the point of fine tuning my umpiring style’
‘It was such a positive environment where we all felt part of a happy MO camp’
New Zealand Cricket congratulates the seven umpires selected for the programme for the 2021/22 season:
| Aspiring Umpire Programme Participant | MA/DA |
| Mikayla Willis | Canterbury Country |
| Sasha McArthur | Wellington |
| Khymne D’Arcy | Canterbury |
| Marise Fernandes | Auckland |
| Amruta Shirodkar | Northern Districts |
| Alyson Shipley | Canterbury Country |
| Susan Tomlinson | Auckland |
For those interested in further details about the Aspiring Umpire Programme, or the process to nominate an umpire to be part of the programme in future seasons, please contact Eugene Sanders – New Zealand Cricket Community Umpire Manager eugene.sanders@nzc.nz
Name of Author: New Zealand Cricket
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
