Kathy Cross standing in the Wellington U23s v Wellington City Stewie Dempster Shield One-Dayer at Karori Park on Sunday 11 December.
Hutt Valley umpire Kathy Cross wonders whether the favourable assessments she received for her performances in the women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Bangladesh last month might result in more opportunities at a higher level in New Zealand.
Cross attracted warm praise from tournament umpiring mentor Rob Bailey, of England, and match referee David Jukes after she stood in eight matches, including the playoff for third and fourth between Sri Lanka and South Africa. The International Cricket Council appointed Cross to officiate at the tournament, and she was the only woman, and the least experienced umpire among the panel.
Bailey rated Cross as the best woman umpire he had worked with, and Jukes strongly recommended that she be given more ICC assignments at global regional development level, and have a greater opportunity to stand with more highly ranked umpires. Cross was unsure whether the ICC was encouraging more women to umpire at elite levels, but she was more than happy with her treatment.
“I was very pleased with my assessments,” Cross said. “I had to be in the top four umpires at the tournament to be appointed for the third and fourth playoff. I’ve sent a copy of my assessments to New Zealand Cricket umpires’ manager Rodger McHarg.”
Cross is presently on the third tier national reserve panel but she has stood in several men’s major association one-day games, only the second woman in New Zealand to do, and she has umpired in two women’s World Cups, including the most recent in Sydney last year.
Sri Lanka beat South Africa by three wickets with two balls to spare in their semifinal. The West Indies overcame Pakistan much more comfortably in the final, and all four countries qualified from Bangladesh for the World Cup in India next year. It will include New Zealand. Cross said the standard of the four qualifiers was superior to that of the New Zealand women’s domestic competition. “The West Indian girls were mostly very tall and athletic, and coached by (a former West Indian international) Sherwin Campbell.”
She was highly impressed with the quality of the four stadiums used in Dhaka for the tournament, especially the pitches and outfields, which reflected the passion the country had for cricket. “I didn’t get a blank look when I said I was in the country to umpire cricket,” she said. “Everybody seems to know about it. You see people playing anywhere there is a bit of space to do so.”
The facilities were at odds though with the overwhelming poverty she otherwise constantly experienced, which she found difficult to come to terms with. In the end she tried to block it out of her mind even when people were approaching her for money.
Cross found it all very saddening but she knew as soon as she gave any money to someone in the street she would be surrounded. “I know there are people in New Zealand who are struggling but we don’t know how lucky we are,” she said. “It was so good to get home. We have a system that can help those who are desperate. Over there so many people have nothing, and have no one to help them. There are 15 million living in the Dhaka area.”
She said as the only woman umpiring in the tournament she was a bit of a curiosity initially. However, the naturally low-key Cross was happy it soon wore off, and she was being judged purely on her ability in the middle, just like the male umpires. Cross was well prepared, and made sure she was properly hydrated with the temperature around 30 degrees every day. She drank up to three litres of bottled water a day.
Her buildup emphasised the need for umpires to work on their fitness, just like the players. That included regular bike rides of two to three hours at a time.
Article courtesy of Peter Bidwell