Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
During the 2022-23 Dream11 Super Smash competition, members of the Aspiring Female Umpire programme were appointed to shadow the official TV Umpire at various venues across the country.
The initiative aimed to provide an opportunity to experience the complexities of the role, and to give the Aspiring Umpires a taste of cricket at the domestic level.
The experience included pre-match discussions with the entire umpiring/scoring team, discussions with the Spark Sport Director, followed by set up in the TV Umpire room for the match.
During the match, the Aspiring Umpires were able to listen to the communication between the on-field umpires, 4th Umpire, Match Referee, Spark Sport Director and Scorers.
This offered an insight into the process the TV Umpire goes through when a referral is sent upstairs, and decision-making using Spark Sport footage.
The Aspiring Umpires also had an opportunity to complete match “run sheets” as per the TV Umpire and be able to see how they complete over rates, allowances and player movements.
Post-match provided an opportunity to review and reflect with the whole umpiring team, hearing the Match Referee’s process of feedback on the umpiring teams’ performance.
In total, seven opportunities were offered – the feedback from these being overwhelmingly positive.
Below are some of the comments from Aspiring Female Umpires following their appointment.
“It was a fantastic day of just absorbing everything and learning from it. All of the skills I learnt above are transferable to on-field skills. This was a win-win day for me. When I sit back and think, what struck me the most, was how the MO team worked together as one tight unit.” – Marise-Ann Fernandes
“This was one of the best development opportunities I have had as a cricket umpire.” – Tina Semmens
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.
