Well, here we all are, liked coiled springs, (well perhaps not all our players!) just waiting for the starting flag to be waved by the ECB to allow us to get on with playing some cricket again. I don’t think that Broadhalfpenny Down would be considered a Covid hotspot!
Meanwhile, I’m sure we are all finding various ways to keep ourselves busy, sane and generally occupied. And whoever thought up “catch up” for TV has, I hope, been amply rewarded. With plenty of sport to watch, even if the England cricket and rugby teams didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory, there has been an interesting theme in the post-match analysis of football, rugby and cricket so far this year – referees and umpires! From pressure on umpires’ decisions in India, to referees falling foul of VAR and TV replays it does make you wonder why any of them actually want to submit themselves to this level of off-field scrutiny and, sadly, denigration by the media.
Thankfully, not a problem the Brigands have to face, and you will all be pleased to know that we just shrug off these issues and get on with it! Unperturbed by all the mudslinging, our gallant band of umpires are dusting off their coats, checking they are still able to count to six, undertaking vigorous exercise programmes to ensure their arms stretch from the horizontal to the overhead position and making sure their index finger is straight. Yes, no matter what you players have done to them in the past they have all volunteered again! Not only that, we have a couple of new members of the “union” waiting in the wings to do their utmost to ensure we can all participate in some enjoyable cricket on the Down. So, unlike the treatment some referees and umpires receive on the professional circuit please be nice to them! Like everyone else we are just impatient to get the season underway.
Bryan Burns