Monday, December 6, 2010
South and North Korea Tensions Continue Towards War
Although South and North Korea signed an armistice agreement on the 27th of July, 1953, the Korean War has never officially ended, and it does not look like ending any time soon, as tensions continue to build up between the two neighbouring countries. It is something that is absolutely terrifying, and could culminate in international forces once again fighting on Korean soil, and ultimately the loss of more lives.
Of course, for many years, there was little interaction between the two countries, as they did not communicate with each other. However, in recent years, this has dramatically changed, with the opening of the joint industrial complex at Kaesong in the demilitarised zone in North Korea. South Korean companies have built their factories there, and in the process have employed North Korean to assemble the products. South Koreans also work in the complex. It was seen as the "symbol of potential inter-Korean harmony." Unfortunately though, the sinking of a South Korean navel ship earlier this year has seen this hope disappear. Especially considering that the North threatened to cut all communication with the South if they sought revenge for the sinking of the Cheonan. The North Koreans deny they were involved. According to Mike Shuster, a reporter from National Public Radio in the United States, "there is no new construction underway, and the factories are far from full capacity." To make matters worse, "the North Koreans have withheld much of the manpower required to operate the factories." At the same time, some South Koreans have been instructed to leave the complex, which has culminated in a diminished workload. As a result, there is every chance the complex could close. The full story can be listened to here http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127552892
The South Koreans do not want to walk away from the complex, as to them, it is their best chance of reunification. However, on the other side of the border, the North Korean government does not believe this. Rather, they believe that the Americans do not want this to happen, and they are dominating the South by keeping an army of 40,000 soldiers in the region. It is also their belief that "every year with the support of the South Korean Army they display big military manoeuvres like the 'Ulji Focus Lens' or 'Team Spirit with the purpose of invading and dominating the North. Only when the American soldiers will leave South Korea and the citizens will recover they sovereignty, a big united Korean nation is possible." http://www.korea-dpr.com/reunification.htm. Is the information on their website an example of North Korean Propaganda? Perhaps.
The Kaesong Industrial Complex is just one issue of concern though, and as such, it is hard to argue for the North Koreans on the situation. All we have to do is look at the recent events between the two nations from last year to now. The first of these comes from the 31st of January 2009, when The Independent Reporter, Johnathon Thatcher reported that "North Korea was scrapping all accords with South Korea, a move the South's prime minister said could be timed to coincide with Barack Obama taking office in the US." The area according to Thatcher was on the brink of war for months, after the conservative government in Seoul stopped providing aid to them.
On the 24th of June, 2009, North Korea threatened to "wipe out the US once and for all" after a pledge by the US to provide nuclear defence to South Korea. They believed it "justified them having atomic bombs." After the summit between Barack Obama and Lee Myung-Bak, "The allies issued a joint statement committing the U.S. to defend the South with nuclear weapons." There is also the fact that North Korea had a nuclear test on the 25th of May, 2009. A test that caused an earthquake of 4.5 in Kilju County in the countries north east, and was felt as far away as the Chinese border city of Yanji, some 130 miles away.
At this stage, the Russians were preparing for war, with their far eastern regions bordering North Korea. The North Koreans claimed that they no longer had to abide by the armistice agreement signed in 1953.
Tensions have also continued into this year, with the North shelling the island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea. It culminated in the death of two marines and two civilians, while 13 others were injured, and dozens of houses were damaged. The South Koreans retaliated. "The firing came after Kim Jong-un, the little-known youngest son of leader Kim Jong-il, was officially recognised as No 2 in North Korea’s political system, clouding outsiders’ view of its military and nuclear intentions." A worrying sign for the future of Korea.
North Korea recently boasted about its nuclear prowess. They said "many thousands of centrifuges are operating at a new uranium enrichment plant which it claims is for peaceful purposes." A lie? Very possibly.
According to AFP, “China is ready to abandon North Korea and would accept unification of the peninsular.” Chinese Communist Party Leaders “no longer regard North Korea as a useful or reliable ally." This revelation comes from leaked US documents from WikiLeaks, published in the Guardian on the 29th of November. It is also believed that North Korea will collapse after the death of Kim Jong-il.
So, with tensions continuing to escalate between the two countries, and with a battle lasting for more than three days in the Yellow Sea, which involved, "11 ships, air power and 7300 personnel" (American and South Korean), and North Korea threatening to launch second and third strikes, will war once again break out? Or, will China somehow convince the North Koreans to change their behaviour and return to peace talks, which will see the end of their nuclear programme? Perhaps it will, but only time can answer these questions.
In addition, North Korea has more than one million soldiers at its disposal, plus a small number of nuclear weapons, and “thousands of artillery guns capable of raining destruction on the National Capital Area, centred on Seoul, which has a population of more than 24 million.” Of course, it is possible for the North Korean leaders to be rational and believe that deterrence will work, which is what is believed at the moment, as the United States has sent an aircraft carrier into the Yellow Sea without a response from North Korea. It is still possible for the second theory, which is that the North Koreans are off in their own little world, and believe they are the only ones who are willing to fight a war. The United States with all its might has the ability to destroy North Korea, according to Paul Dibb, emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University. It is also possible that the North Koreans will fire on Seoul and destroy their economy.
North Korea is definitely a threat to the world. And, nobody really knows what’s going to happen. For now, the advent of a full scale war does not seem to be on the agenda, but as we all know, it is possible that this will change. It is the last thing we need, especially considering we are already fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Thus, let us hope that peace somehow wins out and Korea is once again unified.
References: Websites:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/26/world/la-fg-koreas-20100526 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127552892
http://www.korea-dpr.com/reunification.htm.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/31/north-korea-we-are-on-bri_n_162796.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/north-korea-threatens-to-_3_n_220001.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/25/north-korea-hiroshima-nuclear-test
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-39913120090527
http://www.smh.com.au/world/north-korea-shells-south-20101123-185eg.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/north-korea-boasts-of-nuclear-prowess-20101130-18esu.html
http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-ready-to-abandon-north-korea-leak-20101130-18egr.html
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/north-korea-needs-to-fear-us-reprisal/story-e6frg6so-1225966012996
Friday, December 3, 2010
NSWPSSA Primary Girls Cricket Carnival 22nd-25th of November
When I first said I was available to umpire during this week, I really did not know if I was looking forward to it or not. However, as the week edged closer, I suddenly found myself feeling really excited about the week. And, my excitement was justified, as it was a very enjoyable week. This was despite horrible foot pain especially after the first couple of days, and incredibly horrible foot pain by the end, which meant I couldn’t walk. There was some great cricket played between the representative sides, and watching these young girls fight it out is certainly something I will never forget.
I will admit it took me some time to get used to the smaller ball (142 grams) instead of 156, and a slightly smaller circumference. The ball was certainly a lot lighter than what I was used to, but by the afternoon of the first day, the ball felt normal. What also took some time to get used to was the slower nature of the bowlers, calling a fair few waist-high no-balls and remembering the exact playing conditions. Not too much of a hassle though. Furthermore, the playing tactics were foreign to me, as the batsmen (batswomen if you prefer), would hit the ball and basically run. It didn’t matter that it had only gone 10 metres. It really kept me on my toes, despite the fact that I was very relaxed, which proved handy, as there were some matches that went right down to the wire. Two particularly stand out. The first is North West VS Sydney South West. This was a match that Sydney South West had completely under control until a late collapse saw them final just four runs short of victory. It would be their only loss en-route to the final. The qualifying final between Sydney North and Polding is the second one. This one too involved something of a collapse. Polding looked in control of the match until the dying overs. They needed four runs off the last ball to win. They were unable to achieve this, which sent Sydney North through to the Final against Sydney South West, (I was quite happy about this), a match they won to remain undefeated. A massive turnaround from last year when they came 13th and last. A third close match, between Sydney North and Sydney East on the second morning also occurred, but it really did not have the same feeling, as Sydney East did not collapse late in their innings like the other two teams. And, by no means did these teams choke. Rather, the bowling became quite tight, and this made scoring incredibly problematic.
Another interesting observation was that of the fielding. The girls dropped a lot of catches, as they had the “crocodile grip” method. They are young though, so I’m sure with some practice, they will figure this out. This is not to mention their power. They are of course weaker than what we as umpires are used to. Slow outfields didn’t help matters either, nor did the running between the wickets. Another thing I’m sure they will learn from.
The poor running between the wickets saw a number of run-outs. By the end of the week, I think I had given nine or ten of them. My only other decision was a stumping on the very first day.
I will also take away some very fond memories of the week, including the fact that I experienced my first ever hat-trick as an umpire. I was standing at square leg for this momentous occasion, but it still counts. A bowled followed by two caught and bowleds. A second very found memory I will take away from the week does not come from a specific playing moment, but rather a team. The Sydney South West girls were very well coached, and no matter what the situation, were full of enthusiasm. It really was great to watch. I was even lucky enough to be able to chat with a few of them about cricket related matters and just some general silliness during the friendly game on the third afternoon. And, I will not be able to forget one girl almost always forgetting to collet her hat after she had finished bowling. This team was by far my favourite, and I have to admit that I miss umpiring them. Two of them made the state side, which I am absolutely thrilled about. I know I shouldn’t be, but they really are talented, and also a pleasure to umpire.
There were certainly some very talented individuals during the week, and I feel very honoured to have had the opportunity to see them play. I may one day have the chance to umpire them again, but if not, I will always remember their names. I’m sure many of them will end up playing for the Southern Stars in the future if they so desire.
Although I am happy the carnival has ended, especially considering I was exhausted and sore after six straight days of umpiring, in some hot temperatures, I’m still feeling a little down about it. This is because I have never, ever had such an enjoyable time as an umpire. There were no problems, and the girls absolutely loved having us on the field with them. Thus, if the opportunity ever arises to umpire something like this again, I will most definitely be on board.
I will admit it took me some time to get used to the smaller ball (142 grams) instead of 156, and a slightly smaller circumference. The ball was certainly a lot lighter than what I was used to, but by the afternoon of the first day, the ball felt normal. What also took some time to get used to was the slower nature of the bowlers, calling a fair few waist-high no-balls and remembering the exact playing conditions. Not too much of a hassle though. Furthermore, the playing tactics were foreign to me, as the batsmen (batswomen if you prefer), would hit the ball and basically run. It didn’t matter that it had only gone 10 metres. It really kept me on my toes, despite the fact that I was very relaxed, which proved handy, as there were some matches that went right down to the wire. Two particularly stand out. The first is North West VS Sydney South West. This was a match that Sydney South West had completely under control until a late collapse saw them final just four runs short of victory. It would be their only loss en-route to the final. The qualifying final between Sydney North and Polding is the second one. This one too involved something of a collapse. Polding looked in control of the match until the dying overs. They needed four runs off the last ball to win. They were unable to achieve this, which sent Sydney North through to the Final against Sydney South West, (I was quite happy about this), a match they won to remain undefeated. A massive turnaround from last year when they came 13th and last. A third close match, between Sydney North and Sydney East on the second morning also occurred, but it really did not have the same feeling, as Sydney East did not collapse late in their innings like the other two teams. And, by no means did these teams choke. Rather, the bowling became quite tight, and this made scoring incredibly problematic.
Another interesting observation was that of the fielding. The girls dropped a lot of catches, as they had the “crocodile grip” method. They are young though, so I’m sure with some practice, they will figure this out. This is not to mention their power. They are of course weaker than what we as umpires are used to. Slow outfields didn’t help matters either, nor did the running between the wickets. Another thing I’m sure they will learn from.
The poor running between the wickets saw a number of run-outs. By the end of the week, I think I had given nine or ten of them. My only other decision was a stumping on the very first day.
I will also take away some very fond memories of the week, including the fact that I experienced my first ever hat-trick as an umpire. I was standing at square leg for this momentous occasion, but it still counts. A bowled followed by two caught and bowleds. A second very found memory I will take away from the week does not come from a specific playing moment, but rather a team. The Sydney South West girls were very well coached, and no matter what the situation, were full of enthusiasm. It really was great to watch. I was even lucky enough to be able to chat with a few of them about cricket related matters and just some general silliness during the friendly game on the third afternoon. And, I will not be able to forget one girl almost always forgetting to collet her hat after she had finished bowling. This team was by far my favourite, and I have to admit that I miss umpiring them. Two of them made the state side, which I am absolutely thrilled about. I know I shouldn’t be, but they really are talented, and also a pleasure to umpire.
There were certainly some very talented individuals during the week, and I feel very honoured to have had the opportunity to see them play. I may one day have the chance to umpire them again, but if not, I will always remember their names. I’m sure many of them will end up playing for the Southern Stars in the future if they so desire.
Although I am happy the carnival has ended, especially considering I was exhausted and sore after six straight days of umpiring, in some hot temperatures, I’m still feeling a little down about it. This is because I have never, ever had such an enjoyable time as an umpire. There were no problems, and the girls absolutely loved having us on the field with them. Thus, if the opportunity ever arises to umpire something like this again, I will most definitely be on board.
Round 5 Day 2, Under 21’s Round 1, Round 6 and Under 16’s President’s Cup Round 2
Sorry for the lateness of this post, but after umpiring for six days straight and eight days out of nine, exhaustion sets in, and you really don’t feel like doing anything. This blog post will re-live my experiences through grade and representative matches over the last few weeks.
Round 5 Day 2, 1st Grade: Terrigal-Matcham VS Gosford Duffy’s Road Oval 20th of November:
What was supposed to be a very wet week, turned out to be a rather beautiful week with only one day of heavy rain, and a couple of nights where it rained overnight. As a result, come Saturday, it was sunny, and the field was dry and ready for play. Unfortunately, the southern end of the ground was wet and had not been mown. Thus, we were forced to bring the boundary in. Not that it mattered in the slightest.
When it came time to begin proceedings, Terrigal-Matcham came out to bat again, and like the end of the first day, looked in complete control. The pitch was definitely playing better, and this helped, but at the same time, the bowling was pretty good. The two Terrigal-Matcham batsmen had a few lives, but when the declaration came 16 overs into the day’s play, both remained not out. The final score for Terrigal-Matcham was 3-220 declared after 55 overs, with Mitchell Smith left stranded on 93 not out, while Nick McGeever chimed in with 33 not out. Luke Beaven once again bowled well and was unlucky not to pick up more wickets. He finished with the credible figures of 2-51 from 20 overs.
Gosford came out in their second innings after a 10 minute change over and immediately came out with more intent than in their first innings despite losing an early wicket. They played a number of beautiful attacking shots that any batsmen would’ve been proud of. It was just a shame that the outfield was incredibly slow and robbed them of a good deal of runs. In the end though, they were unable to sustain this aggressive nature. As a result, they were bowled out for 138 after 64 overs. Adam Skinner once again looked good, top scoring with 34, while Simon Skinner posted a well made 27 that was worth so many more. Luke Beaven once again looked good with the bat, scoring 24 to complete a fine match. Justin Frost bowled with good intensity and was extremely accurate, and finished with the figures of 4-25 from 10 overs to complete a fine match with the ball. The best I have seen him bowl. Daryl Bateup also bowled well, finishing with figures of 2-28 from 16 overs.
Gosford’s 138 meant Terrigal-Matcham had to bat again. However, they were only required to chase 19 runs for an outright victory, which they managed to achieve none down after 4.5 overs, which was just as well as there were only 5.1 overs left until stumps. Todd Olynic was 13 not out, and Mitchell Smith was 3 not out. Luke Beaven opened the bowling on this occasion, and once again looked very threatening. He certainly has a lot of talent.
I also received an apology for abuse copped the previous week during the second day, which made life just that little bit better.
Under 21’s, Round 1. Kincumber-Avoca VS Gosford, Erina Oval, 21st of November:
It was another beautiful day to be out on a cricket field. However, with rain around, I was certain we were not going to have a full match. Thankfully, I was wrong. On another note, I’m glad this was a short day, as I had another four days straight lined up, which was going to bring my total number of days of umpiring to six straight. At the same time, there was also confusion as to the starting time, as it says on My Cricket that the Under 21’s matches start at 10:30AM, rather than 10AM. We ended up starting at 10:30AM, which made no difference to me, as I really had nowhere else to be.
As for the match, Gosford won the toss and elected to bowl, which I thought was a very strange choice. However, on reflection, it was probably their best chance of winning, because their batting is a little bit weak.
Deciding to bowl first looked like a very good decision right throughout the Kincumber-Avoca innings, as they continually had them in trouble. A slow outfield didn’t help matters at all, but at the same time, the majority of deliveries were either left, defended or hit to fieldsmen. The fielding was of a high quality too. Runs were kept to singles on most occasions. Furthermore, the majority of the Kincumber-Avoca batsmen could not deal with the accuracy of the Gosford bowlers. As a result, they were bowled out for 136 after 43.4 overs. Chris Masters top scored with a hard fought and well made 51, which was full of beautiful cover drives amongst other shots. It’s the best innings I’ve seen him play, and also the longest. Adam Danckert also looked good at the crease, scoring 24. Both of these players have a lot of talent, and will go far in their careers. The pick of the bowlers was Blaize Irving-Holiday, who for the first time since I have seen him bowl was accurate and really troubled the batsmen. He finished with the figures of 2-22 from 9.5 overs. Sean Wise (2-16 from six overs) and Jaan Smith (2-21 from six overs) also bowled really well, and could easily have taken more wickets had things fallen their way. Joe Woodhead (1-27 from 10 overs) also troubled the batsmen, and he too could have taken more wickets had things fallen the right way.
After a 10 minute change over, which I will admit I had a little bit of trouble deciding about at first, because of the starting time, but in the end, I was happy with my decision, and believed I was following the exact playing times.
Gosford wern't ever in the hunt to chase the target despite bowling so well. A couple of early wickets had them in trouble at lunch. I’m not sure of what the score was at the time, but I do know 11 overs were bowled. This meant just 39 more to go in the afternoon session, which was good for me, as my feet were really starting to kill me.
After lunch, the Gosford batsmen really struggled to hit the ball, and could not score runs. As a result, wickets eventually started to fall. In the end, Gosford were bowled out for 81 after 36.5 overs. Only Blaize Irving-Holiday looked good at the crease, taking the attack to the bowlers, top scoring 26 with the bat to complete a fine all-round match. Dustin Chambers was the pick of the bowlers with 5-17 from 10 overs in the best spell I have ever seen him bowl. Luke Sullivan, a leg spinner provided great support taking 2-30 from 10 overs. Despite some wayward deliveries, it is the best I have seen him bowl. He took more wickets on a previous occasion, but did not have the same control. He certainly has some talent, and with some extra coaching that will hopefully see him drop his arm and slow down, he could well be a very successful bowler in 1st Grade in the years to come.
Although the match was a good one in the end, in which I was able to converse with a lot of the players, it was soured by some after match comments. Unfortunately, I lost my cool later in the day, which I now know I cannot do. I’m all the better for that learning experience.
Round 6: 1st Grade: Wyong VS Kincumber-Avoca, Baker Park, 27th of November:
This was the third One Day match of our season, and it turned out to be one that was very interesting. I may have still been feeling a little tired from six straight days of umpiring, but that did not get in the way of this performance. The heat also did not play as much a part as I thought it was going to, as we had a breeze.
Kincumber-Avoca won the toss and elected to bat first. A couple of early wickets on a pitch that had inconsistent bounce and lots of movement in it, made life tough for the batsmen and had my colleague (Don Maisey) and I thinking we might just have an early day. A slow outfield also hampered the scoring. In the end, they were bowled out for 135 after 43.2 overs. Only Mark Robertson (44) and Steve McCabe (40) looked really comfortable at the crease. Danny Rowe (19) had the potential to produce a big innings, but came unstuck. Carl Kinghorne was the best of the bowlers, bowling accurately, as well as making the ball swing and cut in both directions. It was almost impossible to score off him, and as a result, he finished with the figures of 3-24 from nine overs. Matthew Day (2-23 from eight overs) also troubled the batsmen. Colby Gallagher picked up two late wickets. Tye Smith took six catches in a fine wicket-keeping display. He also did an admirable job as fill-in captain, and certainly has a future in the role if he wants it.
The total had Don and I thinking it was going to be a competitive one during the Tea Break. We both thought it was probably worth around 175 due to the slow outfield. It would be the afternoon session that would tell us if we were right or not.
A couple of early wickets during Wyong’s innings made me believe that the total was going to be more than enough. However, wickets than soon became hard to come by. At the same time, the runs dried up, as Brett Hanson (3-9 from nine overs) and Dylan Robertson (0-13 from nine overs) really troubled the Wyong batsmen. The wickets then tumbled, only for a late resurgence to occur. Mark Leard began to hit the ball to all parts of the ground, including two huge sixes in his knock of 47, which sent the match into a thrilling last over. It was an over that I don’t think any of us will forget either, as two wickets fell, including a run out, while the batsmen were attempting a third run to win the match. Thus, it was a tie as Wyong were bowled out for 135 after 44.4 overs. This is the first tie I have ever experienced in either my playing or umpiring career. Once again, I was feeling the tension, as I expected something to happen, but this had no impact on my decisions.
Two other batsmen, Hayden Murphy (23) and Kris Clouten (22) helped to achieve this total, while John Rainger (19) also looked settled despite not scoring quickly. Danny Rowe also deserves a mention, picking up 2-26 from 4.4 overs towards the end of the innings.
Certainly an exciting match, and one I don’t think I’ll forget for quite some time.
Under 16’s President’s Cup, Round 2, Central Coast VS Manly-Warringah, Mount Penang, 28th of November:
My eighth day of umpiring out of nine, and I was really feeling exhausted. However, I soldiered on for one last day. Rain really looked like ending this match early, but it held off throughout the first innings, which was very surprising. It kept rolling in but then passing over. Despite my feet being incredibly sore by this stage, I was happy that it wasn’t raining.
Central Coast won the toss and elected to bat first, but never really got going. They were never in a lot of trouble though, as the bowling, although good, was by no means perfect. An inconsistent pitch that had variable bounce and movement (it had only been watered on the Friday due to a burst water main) and a very slow outfield made scoring incredibly tough. At the first interval, (Morning Tea), the Central Coast team had only managed to score around 2-60 after 25 overs. In the end, Central Coast scored 10- 141 (can bat 12 players) from their 50 overs, which sent us to the lunch break. It was a score I believed they could defend, and I was told that they had scored 142 the week before and won, so I was quietly confident that they would manage to pull it off. This was as a cricket supporter and not an umpire.
Confusion over how many overs a bowler could bowl in a spell also arose, but at the end of the day, the extra over one of the opening bowlers for Manly-Warringah bowled had no impact on the match.
After lunch, the pitch had not improved, and was still offering plenty of assistance to the bowlers. However, this was the least of my concerns, as the weather began to roll in, eventually forcing us from the field at the first drinks break. It ended up being an 18 minute break, which culminated in a reduction of six overs as there is no allowance for time lost. Thankfully, we did not lose any more time before the Afternoon Tea Interval. However, after the Afternoon Tea Interval, the rain came tumbling down and prevented us from returning to the field, and just when it looked like we could return, it came back. After a further 50 minute break, and just before 5PM, we were able to resume the match. 23 overs had been bowled (Manly-Warringah were 2-62), meaning we required a further seven overs to constitute a match. We got these in easily, and Manly-Warringah came away the victors, scoring 4-106 after 30 overs. The match could easily have been called off a couple of overs beforehand, as the target of 86 (run-rate) had already been passed, but it wasn’t. It didn’t matter in the slightest though.
That is all of the Central Coast related matches since my last posting. Next posting should only contain one match, as I am not required to umpire on Sunday. We will see though.
Round 5 Day 2, 1st Grade: Terrigal-Matcham VS Gosford Duffy’s Road Oval 20th of November:
What was supposed to be a very wet week, turned out to be a rather beautiful week with only one day of heavy rain, and a couple of nights where it rained overnight. As a result, come Saturday, it was sunny, and the field was dry and ready for play. Unfortunately, the southern end of the ground was wet and had not been mown. Thus, we were forced to bring the boundary in. Not that it mattered in the slightest.
When it came time to begin proceedings, Terrigal-Matcham came out to bat again, and like the end of the first day, looked in complete control. The pitch was definitely playing better, and this helped, but at the same time, the bowling was pretty good. The two Terrigal-Matcham batsmen had a few lives, but when the declaration came 16 overs into the day’s play, both remained not out. The final score for Terrigal-Matcham was 3-220 declared after 55 overs, with Mitchell Smith left stranded on 93 not out, while Nick McGeever chimed in with 33 not out. Luke Beaven once again bowled well and was unlucky not to pick up more wickets. He finished with the credible figures of 2-51 from 20 overs.
Gosford came out in their second innings after a 10 minute change over and immediately came out with more intent than in their first innings despite losing an early wicket. They played a number of beautiful attacking shots that any batsmen would’ve been proud of. It was just a shame that the outfield was incredibly slow and robbed them of a good deal of runs. In the end though, they were unable to sustain this aggressive nature. As a result, they were bowled out for 138 after 64 overs. Adam Skinner once again looked good, top scoring with 34, while Simon Skinner posted a well made 27 that was worth so many more. Luke Beaven once again looked good with the bat, scoring 24 to complete a fine match. Justin Frost bowled with good intensity and was extremely accurate, and finished with the figures of 4-25 from 10 overs to complete a fine match with the ball. The best I have seen him bowl. Daryl Bateup also bowled well, finishing with figures of 2-28 from 16 overs.
Gosford’s 138 meant Terrigal-Matcham had to bat again. However, they were only required to chase 19 runs for an outright victory, which they managed to achieve none down after 4.5 overs, which was just as well as there were only 5.1 overs left until stumps. Todd Olynic was 13 not out, and Mitchell Smith was 3 not out. Luke Beaven opened the bowling on this occasion, and once again looked very threatening. He certainly has a lot of talent.
I also received an apology for abuse copped the previous week during the second day, which made life just that little bit better.
Under 21’s, Round 1. Kincumber-Avoca VS Gosford, Erina Oval, 21st of November:
It was another beautiful day to be out on a cricket field. However, with rain around, I was certain we were not going to have a full match. Thankfully, I was wrong. On another note, I’m glad this was a short day, as I had another four days straight lined up, which was going to bring my total number of days of umpiring to six straight. At the same time, there was also confusion as to the starting time, as it says on My Cricket that the Under 21’s matches start at 10:30AM, rather than 10AM. We ended up starting at 10:30AM, which made no difference to me, as I really had nowhere else to be.
As for the match, Gosford won the toss and elected to bowl, which I thought was a very strange choice. However, on reflection, it was probably their best chance of winning, because their batting is a little bit weak.
Deciding to bowl first looked like a very good decision right throughout the Kincumber-Avoca innings, as they continually had them in trouble. A slow outfield didn’t help matters at all, but at the same time, the majority of deliveries were either left, defended or hit to fieldsmen. The fielding was of a high quality too. Runs were kept to singles on most occasions. Furthermore, the majority of the Kincumber-Avoca batsmen could not deal with the accuracy of the Gosford bowlers. As a result, they were bowled out for 136 after 43.4 overs. Chris Masters top scored with a hard fought and well made 51, which was full of beautiful cover drives amongst other shots. It’s the best innings I’ve seen him play, and also the longest. Adam Danckert also looked good at the crease, scoring 24. Both of these players have a lot of talent, and will go far in their careers. The pick of the bowlers was Blaize Irving-Holiday, who for the first time since I have seen him bowl was accurate and really troubled the batsmen. He finished with the figures of 2-22 from 9.5 overs. Sean Wise (2-16 from six overs) and Jaan Smith (2-21 from six overs) also bowled really well, and could easily have taken more wickets had things fallen their way. Joe Woodhead (1-27 from 10 overs) also troubled the batsmen, and he too could have taken more wickets had things fallen the right way.
After a 10 minute change over, which I will admit I had a little bit of trouble deciding about at first, because of the starting time, but in the end, I was happy with my decision, and believed I was following the exact playing times.
Gosford wern't ever in the hunt to chase the target despite bowling so well. A couple of early wickets had them in trouble at lunch. I’m not sure of what the score was at the time, but I do know 11 overs were bowled. This meant just 39 more to go in the afternoon session, which was good for me, as my feet were really starting to kill me.
After lunch, the Gosford batsmen really struggled to hit the ball, and could not score runs. As a result, wickets eventually started to fall. In the end, Gosford were bowled out for 81 after 36.5 overs. Only Blaize Irving-Holiday looked good at the crease, taking the attack to the bowlers, top scoring 26 with the bat to complete a fine all-round match. Dustin Chambers was the pick of the bowlers with 5-17 from 10 overs in the best spell I have ever seen him bowl. Luke Sullivan, a leg spinner provided great support taking 2-30 from 10 overs. Despite some wayward deliveries, it is the best I have seen him bowl. He took more wickets on a previous occasion, but did not have the same control. He certainly has some talent, and with some extra coaching that will hopefully see him drop his arm and slow down, he could well be a very successful bowler in 1st Grade in the years to come.
Although the match was a good one in the end, in which I was able to converse with a lot of the players, it was soured by some after match comments. Unfortunately, I lost my cool later in the day, which I now know I cannot do. I’m all the better for that learning experience.
Round 6: 1st Grade: Wyong VS Kincumber-Avoca, Baker Park, 27th of November:
This was the third One Day match of our season, and it turned out to be one that was very interesting. I may have still been feeling a little tired from six straight days of umpiring, but that did not get in the way of this performance. The heat also did not play as much a part as I thought it was going to, as we had a breeze.
Kincumber-Avoca won the toss and elected to bat first. A couple of early wickets on a pitch that had inconsistent bounce and lots of movement in it, made life tough for the batsmen and had my colleague (Don Maisey) and I thinking we might just have an early day. A slow outfield also hampered the scoring. In the end, they were bowled out for 135 after 43.2 overs. Only Mark Robertson (44) and Steve McCabe (40) looked really comfortable at the crease. Danny Rowe (19) had the potential to produce a big innings, but came unstuck. Carl Kinghorne was the best of the bowlers, bowling accurately, as well as making the ball swing and cut in both directions. It was almost impossible to score off him, and as a result, he finished with the figures of 3-24 from nine overs. Matthew Day (2-23 from eight overs) also troubled the batsmen. Colby Gallagher picked up two late wickets. Tye Smith took six catches in a fine wicket-keeping display. He also did an admirable job as fill-in captain, and certainly has a future in the role if he wants it.
The total had Don and I thinking it was going to be a competitive one during the Tea Break. We both thought it was probably worth around 175 due to the slow outfield. It would be the afternoon session that would tell us if we were right or not.
A couple of early wickets during Wyong’s innings made me believe that the total was going to be more than enough. However, wickets than soon became hard to come by. At the same time, the runs dried up, as Brett Hanson (3-9 from nine overs) and Dylan Robertson (0-13 from nine overs) really troubled the Wyong batsmen. The wickets then tumbled, only for a late resurgence to occur. Mark Leard began to hit the ball to all parts of the ground, including two huge sixes in his knock of 47, which sent the match into a thrilling last over. It was an over that I don’t think any of us will forget either, as two wickets fell, including a run out, while the batsmen were attempting a third run to win the match. Thus, it was a tie as Wyong were bowled out for 135 after 44.4 overs. This is the first tie I have ever experienced in either my playing or umpiring career. Once again, I was feeling the tension, as I expected something to happen, but this had no impact on my decisions.
Two other batsmen, Hayden Murphy (23) and Kris Clouten (22) helped to achieve this total, while John Rainger (19) also looked settled despite not scoring quickly. Danny Rowe also deserves a mention, picking up 2-26 from 4.4 overs towards the end of the innings.
Certainly an exciting match, and one I don’t think I’ll forget for quite some time.
Under 16’s President’s Cup, Round 2, Central Coast VS Manly-Warringah, Mount Penang, 28th of November:
My eighth day of umpiring out of nine, and I was really feeling exhausted. However, I soldiered on for one last day. Rain really looked like ending this match early, but it held off throughout the first innings, which was very surprising. It kept rolling in but then passing over. Despite my feet being incredibly sore by this stage, I was happy that it wasn’t raining.
Central Coast won the toss and elected to bat first, but never really got going. They were never in a lot of trouble though, as the bowling, although good, was by no means perfect. An inconsistent pitch that had variable bounce and movement (it had only been watered on the Friday due to a burst water main) and a very slow outfield made scoring incredibly tough. At the first interval, (Morning Tea), the Central Coast team had only managed to score around 2-60 after 25 overs. In the end, Central Coast scored 10- 141 (can bat 12 players) from their 50 overs, which sent us to the lunch break. It was a score I believed they could defend, and I was told that they had scored 142 the week before and won, so I was quietly confident that they would manage to pull it off. This was as a cricket supporter and not an umpire.
Confusion over how many overs a bowler could bowl in a spell also arose, but at the end of the day, the extra over one of the opening bowlers for Manly-Warringah bowled had no impact on the match.
After lunch, the pitch had not improved, and was still offering plenty of assistance to the bowlers. However, this was the least of my concerns, as the weather began to roll in, eventually forcing us from the field at the first drinks break. It ended up being an 18 minute break, which culminated in a reduction of six overs as there is no allowance for time lost. Thankfully, we did not lose any more time before the Afternoon Tea Interval. However, after the Afternoon Tea Interval, the rain came tumbling down and prevented us from returning to the field, and just when it looked like we could return, it came back. After a further 50 minute break, and just before 5PM, we were able to resume the match. 23 overs had been bowled (Manly-Warringah were 2-62), meaning we required a further seven overs to constitute a match. We got these in easily, and Manly-Warringah came away the victors, scoring 4-106 after 30 overs. The match could easily have been called off a couple of overs beforehand, as the target of 86 (run-rate) had already been passed, but it wasn’t. It didn’t matter in the slightest though.
That is all of the Central Coast related matches since my last posting. Next posting should only contain one match, as I am not required to umpire on Sunday. We will see though.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The 2010/11 Cricket Season to date: Part 2
Here are all of the representative matches I have so far umpired in order
Round 1: Country Plate: Warnervale Vs Dungog, Woongarrah Oval, 24th of October:
Well, this turned out to be a very disappointing day. It continually poured down with rain, meaning play was not possible. My colleague (Mick Sherwood) and I eventually called the match off at 12PM. As the away side, Dungog progressed to the second round. I have a feeling they would have anyway, as Warnervale are off the pace at the moment.
Round 2: SCG Country Cup: Kincumber-Avoca Vs Belmont, Erina Oval, 31st of October:
Finally, I was back umpiring in the SCG Country Cup, and to make matters even better, I was at Erina Oval. It doesn't get much better than that for me, as Erina Oval holds a special place in my heart. This is because I trained there briefly during my playing days, and it's also where I made my first grade umpiring debut.
Not to get too far off track, it was a beautiful day for cricket. However, with rain predicted, I was sure we weren't going to get a full match in. I was wrong, as the clouds continually swept around us, which is always great, as rain interrupted matches are horrible.
Belmont won the toss and elected to bowl. It seemed like a very good decision early, as Kincumber-Avoca continually lost wickets, and had my colleague (Mick Sherwood) and I thinking we were going to have an early day. A masterful innings from Adam Danckert (65), well supported by Mark Robertson, (23) and Christoher Clement (21), changed this thought, and after 50 overs they posted 8-176. Jace Lawson terrorised the Kincumber-Avoca batsmen, taking 3-39 from 10 overs. Daniel Bailey also bowled well, taking 2-28 from six overs. Graheme Cameron also deserves a special mention. He finished with the incredible figures of 1-15 from 10 overs, which helped in restricting Kincumber-Avoca's total.
Mick and I thought this was a very competitive total during the Lunch break, and as a result, we gave Kincumber-Avoca a chance of winning.
Neither side was on top during the early stages of Belmont's innings. This was because wickets weren't falling and runs weren't being scored. However, one run-out, triggered something of a collapse, and Kincumber-Avoca were on top. Being a former player for the club in the lower grades, I was beginning to believe they could pull it off. However, the match changed again, and like the Kincumber-Avoca players, I was feeling the pressure. I so desperately wanted them to win, mostly because they're a Central Coast club. I wasn't being biased towards them though.
As a result of the change of fortune, Belmont won the match by five wickets with 11 balls to spare. Ryan Mannix was the reason for the turn-around, scoring 51 not out. He was well supported by Daniel Bailey, who scored 30 to complete an outstanding match. Dylan Robertson was outstanding with the ball finishing with 2-38 from nine overs. Shaun Robertson also bowled well, finishing with 2-43 from 10 overs.
It is my firm belief that another 10 runs would have seen Kincumber-Avoca win the match. This is because they had the bowlers to contain, and they are a side that fights until the very end.
Round 3: DCA: Under 14's Harrold Moore Shield: Central Coast Vs Blacktown City and District , McEvoy Oval, 7th of November:
This was a day that I was going to have off, as I was supposed to be at Woongarrah Oval the day before. However, as a result of a washout, and this match desperately needing an umpire, I took it on.
The match was orginally supposed to be at EDSAAC South, but due to heavy rain, it was under water, so it was moved to Kariong Oval. Overnight rain left the ground wet, and it was only after arrival that the match was shifted once again to McEvoy Oval. A great way to start this match.
A late start was unavoidable, as a result of the change of venue, and the ground already being in use. However, after that, the only problem we had related to the stumps not staying straight. This was due to frayed bottoms. This was fixed during the Morning Tea Break, and there were no problems after that.
As for the match itself, Blacktown City and District won the toss and elected to bat. They never really got going though. Wickets were hard to come by early as well, but as soon as two spinners (James Herron, 3-17 from 10 overs and Lachlan Gale (2-13 from eight overs) came into the attack, this changed dramatically. They bamboozled the Blacktown City and District batsmen, and eventually they were all out for 95 after 47.3 overs. Only three batsmen, Mitchell Farquharson (17 not out), Brinthen Prabakharen, (17) and Harmon Sandhu (13) reached double figures. Calib Vinn also deserves special mention for his bowling efforts, taking 2-14 from five overs.
It was an absolute pleasure to watch them bowl, and this bodes well for the future of Central Coast cricket, as spin plays such a pivotal role.
The Central Coast team always had the target under control, even after losing two early wickets. They eventually finished at 4-99 after 34 overs with Lachlan Gale adding 52 to his two wickets to complete a fine all-round match. Brady Pennington (18 not out) was at the crease when the winning runs were scored. Only Harmon Sandhu troubled the batsmen, finishing with figures of 2-21 from nine overs.
The Central Coast team were by far the better side, and being from the Central Coast, it was an absolute pleasure to watch them win so easily.
Round 3: SCG Country Cup: Narara-Wyoming Vs Muswellbrook, Gavenlock Oval, 14th of November:
A very hot day greeted us at Gavenlock Oval, and with just a slight breeze, and very little cloud cover, it was not pleasent to be out in.
Muswellbrook won the toss and elected to bat, but it was a decision that was not looking like a good one early, as Narara-Wyoming took three early wickets. The pitch played its part in two of the dismissals, as the ball kept low, which it always does. The match then ebbed and flowed throughout the Muswellbrook innings, with Narara-Wyoming being their own worst enemy in dropping numerous catches. Eventually though, they bowled Muswellbrook out for 164 after 40.1 overs.
As a result of this, we had a 10 minute change over and 45 minutes before lunch. Again, the ball kept low and/or cut, but some sensible batting had Narara-Wyoming 2-38 after 11 overs at Lunch. By this stage, I thought the match would be over by half past three. How wrong I was though.
At times, Narara-Wyoming looked comfortable at the crease, but a mini collapse, which saw two wickets in two balls, changed everything, and left the match on a knife-edge; at the last drinks break, Narara-Wyoming were 6-112, requiring 52 runs from 13 overs.
The two batsmen out in the middle looked comfortable, and victory was in sight. However, a wicket with around 20 runs to go and then another with 10 runs to go, had my colleague (Ian James) and I thinking this could really go either way.
In the end, it went Narara's way, as they won by two wickets with 11 balls to spare. By this stage, we were glad it was over, as we were sweating tremendously, and my feet were killing me.
Despite these factors, along with a shocking pitch, it was a very enjoyable match, and I feel honoured to be officiating such important matches now.
Well, that is all for now. Next week will see just the two matches mentioned.
Round 1: Country Plate: Warnervale Vs Dungog, Woongarrah Oval, 24th of October:
Well, this turned out to be a very disappointing day. It continually poured down with rain, meaning play was not possible. My colleague (Mick Sherwood) and I eventually called the match off at 12PM. As the away side, Dungog progressed to the second round. I have a feeling they would have anyway, as Warnervale are off the pace at the moment.
Round 2: SCG Country Cup: Kincumber-Avoca Vs Belmont, Erina Oval, 31st of October:
Finally, I was back umpiring in the SCG Country Cup, and to make matters even better, I was at Erina Oval. It doesn't get much better than that for me, as Erina Oval holds a special place in my heart. This is because I trained there briefly during my playing days, and it's also where I made my first grade umpiring debut.
Not to get too far off track, it was a beautiful day for cricket. However, with rain predicted, I was sure we weren't going to get a full match in. I was wrong, as the clouds continually swept around us, which is always great, as rain interrupted matches are horrible.
Belmont won the toss and elected to bowl. It seemed like a very good decision early, as Kincumber-Avoca continually lost wickets, and had my colleague (Mick Sherwood) and I thinking we were going to have an early day. A masterful innings from Adam Danckert (65), well supported by Mark Robertson, (23) and Christoher Clement (21), changed this thought, and after 50 overs they posted 8-176. Jace Lawson terrorised the Kincumber-Avoca batsmen, taking 3-39 from 10 overs. Daniel Bailey also bowled well, taking 2-28 from six overs. Graheme Cameron also deserves a special mention. He finished with the incredible figures of 1-15 from 10 overs, which helped in restricting Kincumber-Avoca's total.
Mick and I thought this was a very competitive total during the Lunch break, and as a result, we gave Kincumber-Avoca a chance of winning.
Neither side was on top during the early stages of Belmont's innings. This was because wickets weren't falling and runs weren't being scored. However, one run-out, triggered something of a collapse, and Kincumber-Avoca were on top. Being a former player for the club in the lower grades, I was beginning to believe they could pull it off. However, the match changed again, and like the Kincumber-Avoca players, I was feeling the pressure. I so desperately wanted them to win, mostly because they're a Central Coast club. I wasn't being biased towards them though.
As a result of the change of fortune, Belmont won the match by five wickets with 11 balls to spare. Ryan Mannix was the reason for the turn-around, scoring 51 not out. He was well supported by Daniel Bailey, who scored 30 to complete an outstanding match. Dylan Robertson was outstanding with the ball finishing with 2-38 from nine overs. Shaun Robertson also bowled well, finishing with 2-43 from 10 overs.
It is my firm belief that another 10 runs would have seen Kincumber-Avoca win the match. This is because they had the bowlers to contain, and they are a side that fights until the very end.
Round 3: DCA: Under 14's Harrold Moore Shield: Central Coast Vs Blacktown City and District , McEvoy Oval, 7th of November:
This was a day that I was going to have off, as I was supposed to be at Woongarrah Oval the day before. However, as a result of a washout, and this match desperately needing an umpire, I took it on.
The match was orginally supposed to be at EDSAAC South, but due to heavy rain, it was under water, so it was moved to Kariong Oval. Overnight rain left the ground wet, and it was only after arrival that the match was shifted once again to McEvoy Oval. A great way to start this match.
A late start was unavoidable, as a result of the change of venue, and the ground already being in use. However, after that, the only problem we had related to the stumps not staying straight. This was due to frayed bottoms. This was fixed during the Morning Tea Break, and there were no problems after that.
As for the match itself, Blacktown City and District won the toss and elected to bat. They never really got going though. Wickets were hard to come by early as well, but as soon as two spinners (James Herron, 3-17 from 10 overs and Lachlan Gale (2-13 from eight overs) came into the attack, this changed dramatically. They bamboozled the Blacktown City and District batsmen, and eventually they were all out for 95 after 47.3 overs. Only three batsmen, Mitchell Farquharson (17 not out), Brinthen Prabakharen, (17) and Harmon Sandhu (13) reached double figures. Calib Vinn also deserves special mention for his bowling efforts, taking 2-14 from five overs.
It was an absolute pleasure to watch them bowl, and this bodes well for the future of Central Coast cricket, as spin plays such a pivotal role.
The Central Coast team always had the target under control, even after losing two early wickets. They eventually finished at 4-99 after 34 overs with Lachlan Gale adding 52 to his two wickets to complete a fine all-round match. Brady Pennington (18 not out) was at the crease when the winning runs were scored. Only Harmon Sandhu troubled the batsmen, finishing with figures of 2-21 from nine overs.
The Central Coast team were by far the better side, and being from the Central Coast, it was an absolute pleasure to watch them win so easily.
Round 3: SCG Country Cup: Narara-Wyoming Vs Muswellbrook, Gavenlock Oval, 14th of November:
A very hot day greeted us at Gavenlock Oval, and with just a slight breeze, and very little cloud cover, it was not pleasent to be out in.
Muswellbrook won the toss and elected to bat, but it was a decision that was not looking like a good one early, as Narara-Wyoming took three early wickets. The pitch played its part in two of the dismissals, as the ball kept low, which it always does. The match then ebbed and flowed throughout the Muswellbrook innings, with Narara-Wyoming being their own worst enemy in dropping numerous catches. Eventually though, they bowled Muswellbrook out for 164 after 40.1 overs.
As a result of this, we had a 10 minute change over and 45 minutes before lunch. Again, the ball kept low and/or cut, but some sensible batting had Narara-Wyoming 2-38 after 11 overs at Lunch. By this stage, I thought the match would be over by half past three. How wrong I was though.
At times, Narara-Wyoming looked comfortable at the crease, but a mini collapse, which saw two wickets in two balls, changed everything, and left the match on a knife-edge; at the last drinks break, Narara-Wyoming were 6-112, requiring 52 runs from 13 overs.
The two batsmen out in the middle looked comfortable, and victory was in sight. However, a wicket with around 20 runs to go and then another with 10 runs to go, had my colleague (Ian James) and I thinking this could really go either way.
In the end, it went Narara's way, as they won by two wickets with 11 balls to spare. By this stage, we were glad it was over, as we were sweating tremendously, and my feet were killing me.
Despite these factors, along with a shocking pitch, it was a very enjoyable match, and I feel honoured to be officiating such important matches now.
Well, that is all for now. Next week will see just the two matches mentioned.
The 2010/11 Cricket Season to date: Part 1
Well, it is now the 15th of November, which means seven weeks have passed since the official beginning 2010/11 cricket season began on the Central Coast
Below is a record of the matches I have umpired this season so far, as well as some of the experiences I have had during these matches.
Firstly, I think I shall begin with just a brief summary of the pre-season matches. These began with two Twenty20's betweenSydney Central Coast Sydney Mount Penang Sydney Central Coast
Unfortunately, I don't remember the scores, but I do remember that Manly-Warringah defeatedSydney Sydney Central Coast
The second pre-season game was a trial between Terrigal-Matcham and Kincumber-Avoca a week later, again atMount Penang
As for the match, once again, I don't remember the scores, but Kincumber-Avoca batted first, and never really got going. A slow outfield didn't help matters, but only Shaun Robertson and Danny Rowe looked comfortable. However, because of the slow outfield, my colleague (Ian James) and I thought Kincumber-Avoca were a chance of defending it at lunch.
It looked like this was going to be the case too, as Kincumber-Avoca started well with the ball by taking early wickets, despite the outfield having quickened up. However, the match turned towards Terrigal-Matcham after that with Ryan James hitting the ball to all parts, before it turned back towards Kincumber-Avoca, and then finally back to Terrigal-Matcham. We had an early finish, but it was only a victory by four wickets. A victory is a victory though, and both sides looked reasonably strong for the season at that point in time.
Now, on to the grade matches.
Round 1: 1st Grade: Kincumber-Avoca Vs Umina, Erina Oval, 2nd of October:
What an interesting game this was. Umina won the toss and elected to bat, which wasn't surprising on what is a beautiful pitch. The move backfired early though, as Umina continually lost wickets. At one stage, it looked as though Umina would be all out well inside the 45 overs allotted to them. However, they fought back and posted a very competitive 9-179 with Matthew Gorely scoring an impressive 51, and Mitchell Smith chipping in with 30. Dylan Robertson was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-22 from nine overs. Brett Hanson (2-28 from seven overs) and Shaun Robertson (2-30 from seven overs) also chipped in. This sent us to the Tea Break, where everybody thought the total was a competitive one.
A brief shower during the Tea Break culminated in us starting eight minutes late. Not that this was a problem, as we can make up half an hour during the match. Thus, my colleague (Brian Baudinette) and I were not at all worried about the situation.
When play did resume, Kincumber-Avoca took the bowling on, and were scoring quickly on a lightning quick outfield. It had been this way all day, which was very impressive. Some glorious cover drives were played, and they were well in front of the run-rate after 17 overs. However, the curse of the rain on the first weekend of the season struck, and we were forced to leave the field. It wasn't until an hour and a bit later that we were able to resume. Unfortunately, there was a lot of angst from the Umina team, who tried to tell me that you can't start in the rain, and that the ball being slippery is an issue. They were wrong on both accounts, but I had to explain this to them three or four times. By this stage, I had completely forgotten to write a reduced total required to win in the book, which I thought was a non-issue at the time.
When we got back on, the two batsmen at the crease continued on their merry way. However, they were not trying to score faster than was required. This is when I noticed the scoreboard had not been updated. So, I had a discussion with Shaun Robertson, who was the vice, or "assisting captain" and this is when all hell began to break loose. It was revealed to me that they believed we were playing 35 overs and their target was 140. We were instead playing 33 overs, which meant their target was 132. Again, I thought this was a non-issue. However, with light fading fast, as we were not in daylight savings time, Brian and I decided to call the match off due to bad light at around 5:30PM. Kincumber-Avoca were just six (seven according to them) runs short of victory (3-126 after 24 overs). Damien Way (46 not out) and Steve McCabe (33) were the pick of the batsman. None of the bowlers really threatened. Matt Gorley was the best of those who bowled a full spell (1-23 from six overs).
Of course, as is always the case when something like this happens, one side is thirlled, and one is really disappointed. Not much we umpires can do about it though.
Matters did not end here though, as during the week, there was a comment made in the local newspaper that we had not given them a total to chase, and that if they had have known earlier, they would've got the runs earlier. Of course, this cannot be said, as circumstances always change. It was a very disappointing comment, and although I have let it go, I am still disappointed that that was said.
Round 2: 1st Grade: Narara-Wyoming Vs Wyong, Gavenlock Oval, 9th October:
Thankfully, this was an easy match to umpire, except for the fact that rain from the previous night had somehow managed to get under the covers, leaving a wet patch on the pitch, and a wet outfield. However, in the end, it really wasn't an issue, as both teams wanted to play, and work was undertaken to make sure this occurred. We started late as a result, which made it a 35 over a side match. Wyong won the toss and elected to bowl.
Narara-Wyoming was never really in this match as it turned out. They lost wickets at regular intervals and ended up posting 9-134 on a low bouncing pitch. Andy Murray and Mark Smith top scored with 26, while Mark McLachlan (21) and Michael Shelly (19 not out), also helped. Mark Leard was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-37 from seven overs. Jordan Freeman (2-20 from seven overs), Sam Trapolino (2-20 from seven overs) and Matthew Day (2-21 from seven overs), also made life tough for the batsmen.
My colleague (Phill Hoolahan) and I thought this would be competitive at the Tea Break, but we ended up being wrong, as the Wyong opening batsmen (Jake Scicluna, 66) and Colby Gallagher, (55 not out) looked in complete control, putting on 119 for the first wicket. Wyong eventually cruised to victory by eight wickets with 10 balls to spare. Only Mark McLachlan (1-5 from five overs) and Jason Buckley (1-31 from seven overs) managed to take wickets.
Round 3: 2nd Grade: Woy Woy Vs Toukley, Rogers Park No. 1, 16th/23rd of October:
This was my first second grade game for the season, and it was a shocking day. There was a gale blowing, and it was absolutely freezing. However, there was no rain, and we got through the day easily. The bails hardly fell off. Of course, I was being blown off my feet continuously, but that really wasn't an issue.
Toukley won the toss and batted first, and overall, they batted superbly on a good batting pitch. They had a slight wobble after the Tea break, but they managed to get themselves back together to post 293 off 85 overs with James Fitzgerald top scoring with a very composed 61. The other main batsmen to contribute were Paul McCombie with 41 and Mark Daniel with 38. Kane Anderson also compiled a handy 26 at number 10. Adam Kelly was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 4-56 from 18 overs, while Ronnie More (4-59 from 19 overs), also bowled well.
With Toukley being bowled out within five overs of the close of play, Woy Woy elected not to bat, so it was a slightly early day.
Day two began under sunny skies, with the temperature rising. However, this did not last for long, as the clouds began to roll in. Amazingly, they continually missed us. As a result, Toukley ripped Woy Woy to shreds, bowling them out for 129 in 42.3 overs. Only Matthew Savelberg looked in complete control, compiling a well made 46. Leigh Taylor (24) and Lachlan Hook (20) got starts but were unable to continue. Kane Anderson was the standout bowler, bowling with a lot of agression and maintaining good line and length to really trouble the Woy Woy batsmen. Not only could they not score off him, but they had absolutely no idea how to play him, as the ball swung and cut in both directions. He finished with outstanding figures of 6-46 from 15 overs. Rohan Hutchinson also bowled well, troubling the Woy Woy batsmen with his accurate line and length (not overly quick, but quick enough) taking 3-32 from 13 overs.
Not surprisingly, Toukley elected to enforce the follow-on and go for the ouright. It looked like a fate-accompli early, as the first wicket fell with just 11 on the board. However, from this moment on, the Woy Woy batsmen looked right at home. Their momentum was stalled when the rain finally hit us. It was around faround an hour later (I forgot to write down the exaxt time we came off, as we had to rush off the ground), which meant that seven overs were lost. Only two of the Toukley players wanted to continue, but because of this, I had to stay there.
Upon the resumption, the two batsmen once again looked in complete control. Darkness was beginning to become an issue, but with one batsmen near a hundred, I could not stop. It was only when he was dismissed that I decided to call the match off due to bad light. By this stage, Woy Woy were 2-171 after 36.3 overs with David Stitt scoring a very impressive 89 and Tom White supporting him superbly with 68 not out. Brad Molan (1-48 from 14 overs) and Nathan Marks (1-6 from 0.3 overs) managed to take wickets. An enjoyble match in the end, in which I was told that I had a great first day, and that I should be in 1st Grade (on the second day).
Round 4: 1st Grade: Warnervale Vs The Entrance, Woongarrah Oval, 30th of October/6th November:
After a 40 minute drive, I arrived at the home ground of the newest affiliated club on theCentral Coast
The Entrance batsmen then came out with plenty of intent, and soon, the ball was flying to all parts of the ground. Warnervale's bowlers had no answer to the onslaught, continually bowling fast, full, wide and short. This made it incredibly easy for The Entrance batsmen to score freely on the inconsistent batting pitch and reasonably quick outfield. As a result, they were easily able to pass Warnervale's total, and then build a healthy lead in a short space of time. They eventually declared at 5-199 after 30 overs, a lead of 127. Steve Davis did the majority of the damage, scoring a quick fire 92. The ball flew to all parts of the boundary off his bat, and to make the feat more impressive, he battled with hamstring tightness throughout his innings. Ashely Hardy also chimed with 53 not out. It was only through the pursuit of scoring quick runs that wickets fell. Matthew King was the pick of the bowlers, with 2-34 from seven overs, while Daniel Drew picked up 2-9 from two overs.
The Entrance thus had 20 overs left until stumps to virtually ensure an outright victory.
At one stage, it looked as though Warnervale would only be one down at stumps. However, two quick wickets had them reeling, and they eventually finished at 3-27 after 20 overs. Luke Disrens, a leg spinner (the best form of bowling there is), really troubled the Warnevale batsmen in the second innings, picking up 2-8 from six overs, which included something that I had never seen before; a catch that deflected off one of the close in-fieldsmen's head.
By stumps, my colleague (Joe Dowden) and I knew the outright was going to occur, and as such, it was going to be a short second day.
Rain washed out day two, and thus saved Warnervale though, which was a shame, as The Entrance deserved to win outright.
Round 5: Day 1, 1st Grade: Terrigal-Matcham Vs Gosford, Duffy's Road, Day One, 13th November.
After originally being appointed to a second grade fixture, I was elevated to this fixture after another of our umpires resigned.
A hot day greeted us, but thankfully, there was a breeze, which cooled things down nicely. That's one of the best things about umpiring at Duffy's Road on a hot day. It always feels cooler than it really is.
Gosford won the toss and elected to bat, and things were looking good for them early, but as soon as the first wicket fell, they fell apart. All out for 100 after 50.1 overs. Adam Skinner top scored with 28, while Luke Beaven (23) and Alec Herridge (19) also looked great while at the crease. Luke and Alec especially looked right at home on a low bouncing pitch, and should be moved higher up the order. Daryl Bateup, bowling inswingers off a short run-up was the pick of the bowlers, maintaining good line and length, and also rushing through his overs. As a result, he finished with the figures of 3-22 from 12 overs, while Justin Frost (2-8 from 5.1 overs), Craig Fittler, 2-13 from eight overs) and Alex Patterson (2-24 from12 overs) were also a handful.
Terrigal-Matcham came out after the innings break and batted very sensibly. They finished the day at 3-144 after 39 overs, with Kristian Mitchell scoring 51, and Mitchell Smith scoring 43 not out. Luke Beaven, looked very impressive (a spinner of course), taking 2-24 from 12 overs).
It will be very interesting to see whether or not they elect to continue batting for a short period next week, or put Gosford straight back in. Either way, an outright is definitely on the cards.
The one unfortunate thing to occur was I copped abuse (or dissent) from one of the players. This began when I gave him out LBW and continued well into the afternoon. It was a battle that really did not need to be fought. Thankfully, he calmed down later in the day, and the issue is now dead and buried.
Well, that's the first part of the cricket season so far. I know this is a very long entry, but there has been a lot to cover. Part two will comprise of the representative matches I have so far umpired.
Below is a record of the matches I have umpired this season so far, as well as some of the experiences I have had during these matches.
Firstly, I think I shall begin with just a brief summary of the pre-season matches. These began with two Twenty20's between
Unfortunately, I don't remember the scores, but I do remember that Manly-Warringah defeated
The second pre-season game was a trial between Terrigal-Matcham and Kincumber-Avoca a week later, again at
As for the match, once again, I don't remember the scores, but Kincumber-Avoca batted first, and never really got going. A slow outfield didn't help matters, but only Shaun Robertson and Danny Rowe looked comfortable. However, because of the slow outfield, my colleague (Ian James) and I thought Kincumber-Avoca were a chance of defending it at lunch.
It looked like this was going to be the case too, as Kincumber-Avoca started well with the ball by taking early wickets, despite the outfield having quickened up. However, the match turned towards Terrigal-Matcham after that with Ryan James hitting the ball to all parts, before it turned back towards Kincumber-Avoca, and then finally back to Terrigal-Matcham. We had an early finish, but it was only a victory by four wickets. A victory is a victory though, and both sides looked reasonably strong for the season at that point in time.
Now, on to the grade matches.
Round 1: 1st Grade: Kincumber-Avoca Vs Umina, Erina Oval, 2nd of October:
What an interesting game this was. Umina won the toss and elected to bat, which wasn't surprising on what is a beautiful pitch. The move backfired early though, as Umina continually lost wickets. At one stage, it looked as though Umina would be all out well inside the 45 overs allotted to them. However, they fought back and posted a very competitive 9-179 with Matthew Gorely scoring an impressive 51, and Mitchell Smith chipping in with 30. Dylan Robertson was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-22 from nine overs. Brett Hanson (2-28 from seven overs) and Shaun Robertson (2-30 from seven overs) also chipped in. This sent us to the Tea Break, where everybody thought the total was a competitive one.
A brief shower during the Tea Break culminated in us starting eight minutes late. Not that this was a problem, as we can make up half an hour during the match. Thus, my colleague (Brian Baudinette) and I were not at all worried about the situation.
When play did resume, Kincumber-Avoca took the bowling on, and were scoring quickly on a lightning quick outfield. It had been this way all day, which was very impressive. Some glorious cover drives were played, and they were well in front of the run-rate after 17 overs. However, the curse of the rain on the first weekend of the season struck, and we were forced to leave the field. It wasn't until an hour and a bit later that we were able to resume. Unfortunately, there was a lot of angst from the Umina team, who tried to tell me that you can't start in the rain, and that the ball being slippery is an issue. They were wrong on both accounts, but I had to explain this to them three or four times. By this stage, I had completely forgotten to write a reduced total required to win in the book, which I thought was a non-issue at the time.
When we got back on, the two batsmen at the crease continued on their merry way. However, they were not trying to score faster than was required. This is when I noticed the scoreboard had not been updated. So, I had a discussion with Shaun Robertson, who was the vice, or "assisting captain" and this is when all hell began to break loose. It was revealed to me that they believed we were playing 35 overs and their target was 140. We were instead playing 33 overs, which meant their target was 132. Again, I thought this was a non-issue. However, with light fading fast, as we were not in daylight savings time, Brian and I decided to call the match off due to bad light at around 5:30PM. Kincumber-Avoca were just six (seven according to them) runs short of victory (3-126 after 24 overs). Damien Way (46 not out) and Steve McCabe (33) were the pick of the batsman. None of the bowlers really threatened. Matt Gorley was the best of those who bowled a full spell (1-23 from six overs).
Of course, as is always the case when something like this happens, one side is thirlled, and one is really disappointed. Not much we umpires can do about it though.
Matters did not end here though, as during the week, there was a comment made in the local newspaper that we had not given them a total to chase, and that if they had have known earlier, they would've got the runs earlier. Of course, this cannot be said, as circumstances always change. It was a very disappointing comment, and although I have let it go, I am still disappointed that that was said.
Round 2: 1st Grade: Narara-Wyoming Vs Wyong, Gavenlock Oval, 9th October:
Thankfully, this was an easy match to umpire, except for the fact that rain from the previous night had somehow managed to get under the covers, leaving a wet patch on the pitch, and a wet outfield. However, in the end, it really wasn't an issue, as both teams wanted to play, and work was undertaken to make sure this occurred. We started late as a result, which made it a 35 over a side match. Wyong won the toss and elected to bowl.
Narara-Wyoming was never really in this match as it turned out. They lost wickets at regular intervals and ended up posting 9-134 on a low bouncing pitch. Andy Murray and Mark Smith top scored with 26, while Mark McLachlan (21) and Michael Shelly (19 not out), also helped. Mark Leard was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-37 from seven overs. Jordan Freeman (2-20 from seven overs), Sam Trapolino (2-20 from seven overs) and Matthew Day (2-21 from seven overs), also made life tough for the batsmen.
My colleague (Phill Hoolahan) and I thought this would be competitive at the Tea Break, but we ended up being wrong, as the Wyong opening batsmen (Jake Scicluna, 66) and Colby Gallagher, (55 not out) looked in complete control, putting on 119 for the first wicket. Wyong eventually cruised to victory by eight wickets with 10 balls to spare. Only Mark McLachlan (1-5 from five overs) and Jason Buckley (1-31 from seven overs) managed to take wickets.
Round 3: 2nd Grade: Woy Woy Vs Toukley, Rogers Park No. 1, 16th/23rd of October:
This was my first second grade game for the season, and it was a shocking day. There was a gale blowing, and it was absolutely freezing. However, there was no rain, and we got through the day easily. The bails hardly fell off. Of course, I was being blown off my feet continuously, but that really wasn't an issue.
Toukley won the toss and batted first, and overall, they batted superbly on a good batting pitch. They had a slight wobble after the Tea break, but they managed to get themselves back together to post 293 off 85 overs with James Fitzgerald top scoring with a very composed 61. The other main batsmen to contribute were Paul McCombie with 41 and Mark Daniel with 38. Kane Anderson also compiled a handy 26 at number 10. Adam Kelly was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 4-56 from 18 overs, while Ronnie More (4-59 from 19 overs), also bowled well.
With Toukley being bowled out within five overs of the close of play, Woy Woy elected not to bat, so it was a slightly early day.
Day two began under sunny skies, with the temperature rising. However, this did not last for long, as the clouds began to roll in. Amazingly, they continually missed us. As a result, Toukley ripped Woy Woy to shreds, bowling them out for 129 in 42.3 overs. Only Matthew Savelberg looked in complete control, compiling a well made 46. Leigh Taylor (24) and Lachlan Hook (20) got starts but were unable to continue. Kane Anderson was the standout bowler, bowling with a lot of agression and maintaining good line and length to really trouble the Woy Woy batsmen. Not only could they not score off him, but they had absolutely no idea how to play him, as the ball swung and cut in both directions. He finished with outstanding figures of 6-46 from 15 overs. Rohan Hutchinson also bowled well, troubling the Woy Woy batsmen with his accurate line and length (not overly quick, but quick enough) taking 3-32 from 13 overs.
Not surprisingly, Toukley elected to enforce the follow-on and go for the ouright. It looked like a fate-accompli early, as the first wicket fell with just 11 on the board. However, from this moment on, the Woy Woy batsmen looked right at home. Their momentum was stalled when the rain finally hit us. It was around faround an hour later (I forgot to write down the exaxt time we came off, as we had to rush off the ground), which meant that seven overs were lost. Only two of the Toukley players wanted to continue, but because of this, I had to stay there.
Upon the resumption, the two batsmen once again looked in complete control. Darkness was beginning to become an issue, but with one batsmen near a hundred, I could not stop. It was only when he was dismissed that I decided to call the match off due to bad light. By this stage, Woy Woy were 2-171 after 36.3 overs with David Stitt scoring a very impressive 89 and Tom White supporting him superbly with 68 not out. Brad Molan (1-48 from 14 overs) and Nathan Marks (1-6 from 0.3 overs) managed to take wickets. An enjoyble match in the end, in which I was told that I had a great first day, and that I should be in 1st Grade (on the second day).
Round 4: 1st Grade: Warnervale Vs The Entrance, Woongarrah Oval, 30th of October/6th November:
After a 40 minute drive, I arrived at the home ground of the newest affiliated club on the
The Entrance batsmen then came out with plenty of intent, and soon, the ball was flying to all parts of the ground. Warnervale's bowlers had no answer to the onslaught, continually bowling fast, full, wide and short. This made it incredibly easy for The Entrance batsmen to score freely on the inconsistent batting pitch and reasonably quick outfield. As a result, they were easily able to pass Warnervale's total, and then build a healthy lead in a short space of time. They eventually declared at 5-199 after 30 overs, a lead of 127. Steve Davis did the majority of the damage, scoring a quick fire 92. The ball flew to all parts of the boundary off his bat, and to make the feat more impressive, he battled with hamstring tightness throughout his innings. Ashely Hardy also chimed with 53 not out. It was only through the pursuit of scoring quick runs that wickets fell. Matthew King was the pick of the bowlers, with 2-34 from seven overs, while Daniel Drew picked up 2-9 from two overs.
The Entrance thus had 20 overs left until stumps to virtually ensure an outright victory.
At one stage, it looked as though Warnervale would only be one down at stumps. However, two quick wickets had them reeling, and they eventually finished at 3-27 after 20 overs. Luke Disrens, a leg spinner (the best form of bowling there is), really troubled the Warnevale batsmen in the second innings, picking up 2-8 from six overs, which included something that I had never seen before; a catch that deflected off one of the close in-fieldsmen's head.
By stumps, my colleague (Joe Dowden) and I knew the outright was going to occur, and as such, it was going to be a short second day.
Rain washed out day two, and thus saved Warnervale though, which was a shame, as The Entrance deserved to win outright.
Round 5: Day 1, 1st Grade: Terrigal-Matcham Vs Gosford, Duffy's Road, Day One, 13th November.
After originally being appointed to a second grade fixture, I was elevated to this fixture after another of our umpires resigned.
A hot day greeted us, but thankfully, there was a breeze, which cooled things down nicely. That's one of the best things about umpiring at Duffy's Road on a hot day. It always feels cooler than it really is.
Gosford won the toss and elected to bat, and things were looking good for them early, but as soon as the first wicket fell, they fell apart. All out for 100 after 50.1 overs. Adam Skinner top scored with 28, while Luke Beaven (23) and Alec Herridge (19) also looked great while at the crease. Luke and Alec especially looked right at home on a low bouncing pitch, and should be moved higher up the order. Daryl Bateup, bowling inswingers off a short run-up was the pick of the bowlers, maintaining good line and length, and also rushing through his overs. As a result, he finished with the figures of 3-22 from 12 overs, while Justin Frost (2-8 from 5.1 overs), Craig Fittler, 2-13 from eight overs) and Alex Patterson (2-24 from12 overs) were also a handful.
Terrigal-Matcham came out after the innings break and batted very sensibly. They finished the day at 3-144 after 39 overs, with Kristian Mitchell scoring 51, and Mitchell Smith scoring 43 not out. Luke Beaven, looked very impressive (a spinner of course), taking 2-24 from 12 overs).
It will be very interesting to see whether or not they elect to continue batting for a short period next week, or put Gosford straight back in. Either way, an outright is definitely on the cards.
The one unfortunate thing to occur was I copped abuse (or dissent) from one of the players. This began when I gave him out LBW and continued well into the afternoon. It was a battle that really did not need to be fought. Thankfully, he calmed down later in the day, and the issue is now dead and buried.
Well, that's the first part of the cricket season so far. I know this is a very long entry, but there has been a lot to cover. Part two will comprise of the representative matches I have so far umpired.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Rise and Fall and Re-Birth of My Major Project
Well, the last week in the Journalism course has certainly been an interesting one, and not because of presentations. Rather, it has to do with my major project. This certainly made me feel a little uneasy, as since starting my Tertiary Education at TAFE in 2008, I have never had to completely change my idea. I suppose there's always a first time though.
To start with, I had absolutely no idea what was going to occur in our Week 10 Tutorial. I assumed we were going to be undertaking some kind of class activity though, so I turned up. However, there were so few of us there, that even if this was going to happen beforehand, it certainly was not going to happen then. Not to worry though, I had a chance to do some research for my novel, which, although was completely unproductive, made me feel somewhat better, as the books basically stated the same information I had obtained from the government and travel websites on historical cities,
At the front of the room, I could hear Christina (my tutor) talking to some of the others who had turned up about their projects while I was doing this. Not having anywhere else to go, I stayed, and she eventually reached me. This is everything started to spiral out of control. I started to explain my idea, which was to explain "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Citizen Journalism and How News Organisations are combating it via an audio story. I had done some research on this the night before, and found that many American newspapers had collapsed. Thus, I explained all of this, and told her what I had already done. This being the fact that I had two grabs from journalists at the Newcastle Herald. Suddenly, I was told this was not going to work. To paraphrase the quote Christina said to me, "regional journalists don't know much about citizen journalism; they are steadfast in they ways, and want nothing to do with it." And, of course, my topic was too broad. So, although I understood what I was being told, I was worried about it. Also, I had originally planned to target the audience that listens to one of the Current Affairs programs on ABC Radio. I was quickly told that they don't usually run stories of five minutes and that I should target Hack, and virtually say what citizen journalism is, how to use certain elements etc. I was advised to find somebody to interview from The Walkley Foundation, or MEAA. This is when I left, with plenty of thoughts running through my head.
It was during the walk back to the station that a new angle hit me, that of "The Rise of Citizen Journalism, and it's Effect on the Australian Media Landscape. I also decided I wanted to do a ten minute interview instead. This seemed all well and good, and it was pushed to the back of my mind during the journey home.
However, finding somebody to interview became a problem. After Emailing the Walkey Foundation that night (Wednesday), I waited and waited and waited for a response. None was forthcoming though. I was extremely worried by this stage, and decided to Email a fellow student via Facebook on the Friday to see if she knew anybody. The same thing happened though, and by Monday, I was really stressed. Of course, I had managed to find experts, but they were linked to other universities, which didn't help me at all. However, I had found a former News Ltd Journalist and ABC Radio Producer through searching for "citizen journalism experts on the Central Coast" on Sunday. By early afternoon Monday, I decided enough was enough, and emailed him. Nothing came for hours. I then decided to Email MEAA. They have so far not replied, much like the Walkley Foundation.
Funnily enough though, by late afternoon, Greg had replied, saying he was happy to help. Subsequently, we have spoken about the topic, which I have now changed again to "What is the future of Quality Journalism," which came up towards the end of our discussion. This has now been approved by Christina, and I have also found a radio programme to place it on, that of FutureTense on Radio National. As an added bonus, he has provided me with information to search through, as well as sending me information on how to get this blog out into the public domain. It is my goal to use this blog to post stories about events happening in the world, including local cricket coverage, which I brought up during our discussion. Although I said I was going to do it, it was Greg who really brought it home for me. He basically said that somebody will be happy to see it and read it.
Of course, now I feel much more relaxed about this final project, and although I have a lot of research ahead of me tomorrow, I'm looking forward to doing the interview next Thursday.
So, definitely an interesting week and one I don't think I'll forget for quite some time.
To start with, I had absolutely no idea what was going to occur in our Week 10 Tutorial. I assumed we were going to be undertaking some kind of class activity though, so I turned up. However, there were so few of us there, that even if this was going to happen beforehand, it certainly was not going to happen then. Not to worry though, I had a chance to do some research for my novel, which, although was completely unproductive, made me feel somewhat better, as the books basically stated the same information I had obtained from the government and travel websites on historical cities,
At the front of the room, I could hear Christina (my tutor) talking to some of the others who had turned up about their projects while I was doing this. Not having anywhere else to go, I stayed, and she eventually reached me. This is everything started to spiral out of control. I started to explain my idea, which was to explain "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Citizen Journalism and How News Organisations are combating it via an audio story. I had done some research on this the night before, and found that many American newspapers had collapsed. Thus, I explained all of this, and told her what I had already done. This being the fact that I had two grabs from journalists at the Newcastle Herald. Suddenly, I was told this was not going to work. To paraphrase the quote Christina said to me, "regional journalists don't know much about citizen journalism; they are steadfast in they ways, and want nothing to do with it." And, of course, my topic was too broad. So, although I understood what I was being told, I was worried about it. Also, I had originally planned to target the audience that listens to one of the Current Affairs programs on ABC Radio. I was quickly told that they don't usually run stories of five minutes and that I should target Hack, and virtually say what citizen journalism is, how to use certain elements etc. I was advised to find somebody to interview from The Walkley Foundation, or MEAA. This is when I left, with plenty of thoughts running through my head.
It was during the walk back to the station that a new angle hit me, that of "The Rise of Citizen Journalism, and it's Effect on the Australian Media Landscape. I also decided I wanted to do a ten minute interview instead. This seemed all well and good, and it was pushed to the back of my mind during the journey home.
However, finding somebody to interview became a problem. After Emailing the Walkey Foundation that night (Wednesday), I waited and waited and waited for a response. None was forthcoming though. I was extremely worried by this stage, and decided to Email a fellow student via Facebook on the Friday to see if she knew anybody. The same thing happened though, and by Monday, I was really stressed. Of course, I had managed to find experts, but they were linked to other universities, which didn't help me at all. However, I had found a former News Ltd Journalist and ABC Radio Producer through searching for "citizen journalism experts on the Central Coast" on Sunday. By early afternoon Monday, I decided enough was enough, and emailed him. Nothing came for hours. I then decided to Email MEAA. They have so far not replied, much like the Walkley Foundation.
Funnily enough though, by late afternoon, Greg had replied, saying he was happy to help. Subsequently, we have spoken about the topic, which I have now changed again to "What is the future of Quality Journalism," which came up towards the end of our discussion. This has now been approved by Christina, and I have also found a radio programme to place it on, that of FutureTense on Radio National. As an added bonus, he has provided me with information to search through, as well as sending me information on how to get this blog out into the public domain. It is my goal to use this blog to post stories about events happening in the world, including local cricket coverage, which I brought up during our discussion. Although I said I was going to do it, it was Greg who really brought it home for me. He basically said that somebody will be happy to see it and read it.
Of course, now I feel much more relaxed about this final project, and although I have a lot of research ahead of me tomorrow, I'm looking forward to doing the interview next Thursday.
So, definitely an interesting week and one I don't think I'll forget for quite some time.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Media, Law and Ethics in Journalism
According to Mark Pearson, "the journalist's relationship with the law is occasionally precarious, sometimes liberating, usually comfortable, and almost always negotiable." This ranges across the different forms of media, including the internet. In addition, the interpretation of media law makes journalism a precarious profession. This is because a law enforcement agency may decide to crack down on a particular outlet for the publication of a story. Furthermore, there are many other perils that journalists face in reporting news, including the fact that "laws vary between jurisdictions." As Stephen Quinn and Stephen Lamble state, "crimes committed by juveniles are often treated differently from similar crimes committed by adults." "In some jurisdictions it is illegal to identify juvenile offenders (Australia for example) but they can be named in others." There are also many other issues like this one, including the fact that juvenile ages range from 16-18 in most nations, but can range up to 24 in some US states in relation to some crimes.
In addition, there are hazardous danger areas that journalists must stay clear of. The first of these is defamation. Defamation is defined as being “a civil or criminal wrong committed by publication.” It falls under common law in Australia, which means that judges interpret the decisions of previous cases when handing down their decision. Rhonda Breit acknowledges that as a result of it developing from English common law, “a number of English cases are still recognised as authorities in relation to defamation law inAustralia Queensland and Tasmania codified the civil law of defamation, whilst New South Wales
Also of importance in defamation is that two conditions must be met. These conditions are, there must be a publication and that publication must be capable of defaming an identifiable person or persons. As a result of this, there are five steps, which people must check in order to identify the potential risk of defamation. Breit states that these five steps are "has the material been published?, has an individual been identified?, what is the meaning/s of the publication?, are those meanings defamatory according to the tests for what is a defamatory statement?, can the publication of defamatory material be justified, that is, is there a defence?" Breit also acknowledges that “publication determines whether or not a person can institute civil proceedings.” For instance, in the case Amalgamated Television Services PTY LTD Vs Marsden BC200208153, Channel 7’s “Today Tonight,” and “Witness: The Dark Side,” fourteen months after the original report, reported on allegations of paedophilia in New South Wales. The report, which implied that John Marsden, a lawyer who died in 2006, knowingly engaged in sexual activities with boys under the age of 18. Marsden immediately brought about defamation action against Channel 7. In the case report, Beazley, Giles and Santow JJA, noted that the “Today Tonight” programme contained interviews with two persons, whose names were suppressed and their images obscured, making allegations of under age sex against Marsden. The programme contained allegations rather than facts, which makes it defamatory. The jury agreed. In this regard, they cannot publish information relating to trials while they are occurring, or that have occurred in the past.
Furthermore, journalists need to be careful when reporting criminal matters, as they are subject to the same laws as ordinary citizens.
All in all, defamation has the ability to cost a journalist a fortune in legal costs, and can even culminate in them losing their job.
The second hazardous issue is that of sub judice contempt. Sub judice contempt, as the Hon Justice Whealy states is, “A publication, broadcast or any other conduct having a real and practical tendency to interfere with the administration of justice in a current or pending trial.” It's major role, according to Quinn and Lamble is to "achieve a fair trial for an accused person and to avoid trial by media." It essentially means that journalists are only allowed to print the bare facts of the case from the moment the accused is charged. An example is DPP VS Wran (1987) 7 NSWLR 616 case. As a result of comments made about his friend, Justice Lionel Murphy, Neville Wran and Nationwide News Ltd, the publisher of the Daily Telegraph at the time, were charged under points three and four of Proposal three of DP 43. Point three states, “A statement that suggests, or from which it could reasonably be inferred, that the accused is guilty or innocent of the crime for which he or she is charged, or that the jury should convict or acquit the accused.” Point four states, "A statement that could reasonably be regarded to incite sympathy or antipathy for the accused and/or to disparage the prosecution, or to make favourable or unfavourable references to the character or credibility of the accused or of a witness." This came from a number of questions Wran answered, and culminated in Nationwide News Ltd being fined $200,000 plus legal costs, while Wran was fined $25,000 plus legal costs.
These sorts of cases are fairly common, as a result of tension between the media and the courts as to what can be published. Thus, journalists need to be very careful when commenting on trials.
Freedom of information also plays a role. According to Pearson, "it is a law designed to allow greater public access to information held by government departments." It is something that has been used effectively on numerous occasions by investigative journalists. However, there are downsides to seeking out information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth). The major one is that it can be costly. According to Pearson, "an initial application normally costs $30 and processing charges for locating documents are $15 an hour. Agencies charge a further $20 per hour for their decision-making and consultation time and 10 cents per photocopy. A fee of $6.25 per half hour applies to supervised inspection of documents in a departmental office." Finally, "an internal review of a decision will cost another $40." This, along with lengthy delays in receiving the information is why it is hardly ever used.
Fourthly and finally is copyright, which is a form of intellectual property. As Quinn and Lamble state, "the idea of intellectual property relates to the ownership and expression of ideas." It does not protect ideas, but rather the expression of those ideas in a tangible form, whatever that may be. This becomes a problem in journalism, as there are times when journalists reproduce information form a media release. However, it can be argued in this instance that in sending the media release to a news organisation, the creator is giving their permission to reproduce the information. It is still something that journalists should be aware of though, as it can result in civil proceedings.
All in all, despite journalists having the "public interest" angle on their side, they are still faced with a number of issues in reporting the news. Thus, they are not entirely free, and as a result, must be careful with the information they produce.
In addition, there are hazardous danger areas that journalists must stay clear of. The first of these is defamation. Defamation is defined as being “a civil or criminal wrong committed by publication.” It falls under common law in Australia, which means that judges interpret the decisions of previous cases when handing down their decision. Rhonda Breit acknowledges that as a result of it developing from English common law, “a number of English cases are still recognised as authorities in relation to defamation law in
Also of importance in defamation is that two conditions must be met. These conditions are, there must be a publication and that publication must be capable of defaming an identifiable person or persons. As a result of this, there are five steps, which people must check in order to identify the potential risk of defamation. Breit states that these five steps are "has the material been published?, has an individual been identified?, what is the meaning/s of the publication?, are those meanings defamatory according to the tests for what is a defamatory statement?, can the publication of defamatory material be justified, that is, is there a defence?" Breit also acknowledges that “publication determines whether or not a person can institute civil proceedings.” For instance, in the case Amalgamated Television Services PTY LTD Vs Marsden BC200208153, Channel 7’s “Today Tonight,” and “Witness: The Dark Side,” fourteen months after the original report, reported on allegations of paedophilia in New South Wales. The report, which implied that John Marsden, a lawyer who died in 2006, knowingly engaged in sexual activities with boys under the age of 18. Marsden immediately brought about defamation action against Channel 7. In the case report, Beazley, Giles and Santow JJA, noted that the “Today Tonight” programme contained interviews with two persons, whose names were suppressed and their images obscured, making allegations of under age sex against Marsden. The programme contained allegations rather than facts, which makes it defamatory. The jury agreed. In this regard, they cannot publish information relating to trials while they are occurring, or that have occurred in the past.
Furthermore, journalists need to be careful when reporting criminal matters, as they are subject to the same laws as ordinary citizens.
All in all, defamation has the ability to cost a journalist a fortune in legal costs, and can even culminate in them losing their job.
The second hazardous issue is that of sub judice contempt. Sub judice contempt, as the Hon Justice Whealy states is, “A publication, broadcast or any other conduct having a real and practical tendency to interfere with the administration of justice in a current or pending trial.” It's major role, according to Quinn and Lamble is to "achieve a fair trial for an accused person and to avoid trial by media." It essentially means that journalists are only allowed to print the bare facts of the case from the moment the accused is charged. An example is DPP VS Wran (1987) 7 NSWLR 616 case. As a result of comments made about his friend, Justice Lionel Murphy, Neville Wran and Nationwide News Ltd, the publisher of the Daily Telegraph at the time, were charged under points three and four of Proposal three of DP 43. Point three states, “A statement that suggests, or from which it could reasonably be inferred, that the accused is guilty or innocent of the crime for which he or she is charged, or that the jury should convict or acquit the accused.” Point four states, "A statement that could reasonably be regarded to incite sympathy or antipathy for the accused and/or to disparage the prosecution, or to make favourable or unfavourable references to the character or credibility of the accused or of a witness." This came from a number of questions Wran answered, and culminated in Nationwide News Ltd being fined $200,000 plus legal costs, while Wran was fined $25,000 plus legal costs.
These sorts of cases are fairly common, as a result of tension between the media and the courts as to what can be published. Thus, journalists need to be very careful when commenting on trials.
Freedom of information also plays a role. According to Pearson, "it is a law designed to allow greater public access to information held by government departments." It is something that has been used effectively on numerous occasions by investigative journalists. However, there are downsides to seeking out information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth). The major one is that it can be costly. According to Pearson, "an initial application normally costs $30 and processing charges for locating documents are $15 an hour. Agencies charge a further $20 per hour for their decision-making and consultation time and 10 cents per photocopy. A fee of $6.25 per half hour applies to supervised inspection of documents in a departmental office." Finally, "an internal review of a decision will cost another $40." This, along with lengthy delays in receiving the information is why it is hardly ever used.
Fourthly and finally is copyright, which is a form of intellectual property. As Quinn and Lamble state, "the idea of intellectual property relates to the ownership and expression of ideas." It does not protect ideas, but rather the expression of those ideas in a tangible form, whatever that may be. This becomes a problem in journalism, as there are times when journalists reproduce information form a media release. However, it can be argued in this instance that in sending the media release to a news organisation, the creator is giving their permission to reproduce the information. It is still something that journalists should be aware of though, as it can result in civil proceedings.
All in all, despite journalists having the "public interest" angle on their side, they are still faced with a number of issues in reporting the news. Thus, they are not entirely free, and as a result, must be careful with the information they produce.
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