Who's This?

It’s not often that a true legend of the game retires, so I am taking this opportunity to offer my sincere congratulations to Shep as his wonderful career nears an end.

As a younger umpire in the nineties, I admired Shep’s wonderful skills as an umpire, as he appeared to enjoy his role in the game, while players and spectators alike appreciated his contribution to cricket. When I joined the National Grid Panel of Umpires in 1998, I hoped that I would have the opportunity to officiate with Shep on a regular basis. Sadly, we were only appointed to umpire together on three occasions. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of those three Test matches and I would like to recall my favourite memories from those games.

In August 2000 at The Oval, Courtney Walsh walked out to bat for the final time in a Test match on English soil. He was greeted with a guard of honour from his opponents as he entered the ground in his customary batting position at number eleven. As I stood with Shep and applauded the champion, David recalled that Don Bradman had been given a similar send-off on the same ground, 52 years earlier in his final Test match. As I returned to my position at the bowler’s end, I passed the big West Indian whose eyes were flowing with tears of emotion. I quickly mentioned the Bradman link as Shep had recalled, adding that the Don had made a second ball duck! Courtney threw his head back and vowed to do better than that. The first ball from Domenic Cork passed outside off stump and Walsh flashed at it without getting close. The second delivery was pitched on off stump and Walsh pushed forward with his bat. The ball eluded the wood and cannoned into the front pad, somewhere near the knee roll. It wasn’t a tough decision for me…..Courtney Walsh had emulated Bradman in his final Test innings in England.

At the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2002 with Australia hosting South Africa, Shep and I walked on to the ground after lunch on the second day. To our surprise we found the public address system was playing that great tune…‘Zorba the Greek.’

We found it impossible to reach the centre in our usual sedate manner, as we ‘walked’ in time with the music. Approaching the pitch, I recall asking Shep how we were to finish our impromptu performance.” I don’t know, I don’t know,” he replied in that wonderful Devonian accent that I can now interpret quite easily. We immediately locked our left arms and facing in opposite directions, we completed a jig that Anthony Quinn would have been proud to see.

Celebrating after South Africa held on for a draw against Sri Lanka at Galle in August 2004.

My final anecdote comes from the Galle Stadium in the final Test held there before it was devastated by last year’s tsunami. Sri Lanka was batting when Shep turned down an extremely confident bat/pad appeal from the bowling of South African Nicky Boje. There was a moment of stunned silence as the South Africans, to a man, thought that the ball had been edged. Even the umpire at square leg thought that the ball had come from an inside edge. After a deep breath and no hint of dissent, the fieldsmen resumed their positions and the game continued.

As is the custom, Shep and I inspected the pitch prior to play on the following morning. Upon sighting us, Nicky Boje broke away from the team warm up routine and quickly jogged in our direction. When he was within about twenty metres of us, he stopped and called to Shep in an excited voice. “Shep, he didn’t hit it!...You were right.”

There was an apologetic tone in his voice as he acknowledged that Shep had made the correct decision without the benefit of the replays that he himself had studied overnight. He was virtually apologizing for doubting Shep’s judgement.

Nicky Boje’s gesture is a wonderful example of the respect that cricketers from all over the world, have for Shep. It is this high regard that any umpire should aspire to achieve as a personal goal. Of course, not all goals can be achieved. After all, there is only one Shep.

Kip Keino won the 1500 metres gold medal in the 1968 Mexico Olympics after jogging for

a mile to the starting line from downtown. His taxi had been caught in traffic but he still

set an Olympic record. His taxi was punctual when he won silver in the 5000 metres, but

this time, he struggled with a gall bladder infection. Kip followed up these efforts in 1972

Bill Brown with Daryl at the 2003 Allan Border Medal in 
Melbourne.

Australia’s oldest living Test cricketer met Australia’s oldest living current Test umpire. The scene was in The Palladium

Ballroom at Melbourne’s  Crown Casino on Tuesday, 28^th January when Adam Gilchrist was presented with The Allan

Border Medal. Over at table 33, I was thrilled to meet  Bill Brown who was born in Toowoomba, some ninety years ago.

Bill represented Queensland, N.S.W. and Australia playing twenty two Tests with an average of nearly 47 runs, including

four centuries. His debut was against England in Nottingham in 1934 and his last Test was at Lords in  1948. Bill was one

of many cricketers whose career was interrupted by the war but he was selected by Wisden as a Cricketer of The Year in 1939.

Bill was a right handed batsman who my father vividly recalls watching at The Sydney Cricket Ground in the thirties. A

representative XI was playing the English tourists, in a tour game between Tests. Like many in the crowd, Dad watched

patiently as Bill and Jack Fingleton added a partnership of more than a hundred runs. Bradman also watched patiently,

as he was padded up to bat at the fall of the first wicket. Finally the break came and the crowd grew eager with expectation

as Bradman strode to the wicket. You can probably guess the rest. Bradman was out first ball!

Bill has the distinction of being a member of two rather exclusive clubs. He was selected to captain Australia in the first Test

played against New Zealand and he was also dismissed for 99 runs in a Test match...run out against India in the 1947-8 series.

Bill was recognised in 2000 when he was awarded The Medal of Order of Australia. (O.A.M.) I was honoured to meet Bill Brown

who has a great sense of humour and considerable sympathy for the current umpires who are under so much scrutiny from

today’s technology.

You have just read the first three articles in the WHO'S THIS? series. In this section, I will be writing some interesting articles about the stars of today and yesterday. You never know who might pop up in here so make sure you come back again soon.