VCA Umpires and Scorers Association

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VCAUSA
Thanks Terry for spending some time with us. We’ll chat shortly about

your Umpiring career, but just before we do that, can you please tell us

a little bit about your life growing up.

Terry

I was born in Como, a close-in southern suburb of Perth and grew up in the suburb. Went to Como Primary School, followed by Applecross Senior High School. Football (now called AFL!) and cricket were the dominant sports of my youth and I played both. My football effectively ended when at age 16 I tore the cartilage in my left knee. Outside of school sport, I played ‘club’ cricket starting in U14 (the youngest age competition) at Como Cricket Club in the junior competition of the South Perth Cricket Club (SPCC). SPCC is a club in the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) competition. At the time the WACA inter-district junior competition (now Premier) was U16 only and I played three seasons for SPCC culminating in a premiership in 1964/65. I batted a bit, bowled a bit and captained that team.

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VCAUSA
From your playing days, what was your best performance? 
 

Terry

Highlight to this point as indicated above was the SPCC U16 premiership in 1964/65.

The team included several who went on to play first grade for the club and one, Bruce Laird,

who went on play state and Test cricket. After finishing juniors, I played 6 seasons of

senior cricket with SPCC, mainly third grade, with a few in second grade producing very

moderate performances. I worked at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT)

and joined the newly formed club which was to play in the Western Australian Suburban

Turf Cricket Association (WASTCA) competition. After two seasons in grade 5, the club’s

top team earned promotion by winning flags in 1973/74 (grade 5), 1974/75 (grade 4),

1975/76 (grade 2) and 1976/77 (grade 1). An outstanding achievement to win in the first

year in grades 4, 2 and 1. I played in each of those teams and top scored with 39 in the

grade 1 final match. My batting had improved!! WAIT became Curtin University and I spent

all my working life there.

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VCAUSA
So what led you to Umpiring?
 

Terry

When ‘young’ I used to go to the WACA for Sheffield Shield matches knowing I would find

my grandmother Ethel Prue sitting in a corner of the Public Stand. I think I was fascinated

by the umpires in their black pants and (funny) white hats as they marched onto the field!!

By 1978 I had a young family and with cricket practice two nights a week plus Saturday play I had to make choices. I was playing fifth grade in WASTCA and taking until Monday or Tuesday to get knees, wrists and back recovered so decided to retire. What next?

 

VCAUSA
Where did you start your Umpiring Career?

Terry

I joined the WASTCA umpiring group for 1978/79 season and umpired the second-grade final in my second season, then moved to the WACA. I don’t recall what I expected or hoped for; maybe it was to umpire first grade. Umpiring seemed a very serious occupation (hobby) and was dominated by ‘senior’ gentlemen. Many of these men had umpire interstate cricket (all home appointments) and I embraced their stories during the monthly Umpires’ Association meetings.

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VCAUSA
When did you make the move to Grade Cricket, do you remember your first match?
 

Terry

I have no memory of my first WACA match, but my first Grade 1 match was a two-day fixture in October, 1981 (my second season), but day 1 was washed out. I Umpired 11 Grade 1 finals with a highlight being the 1998/99 match, Midland‑Guildford 329 & 194 lost to Bayswater‑Morley 196 & 9/331. Matthew Garnaut (127 no) and Bret Mulder (70 no) shared an unbroken last wicket partnership of 177 to win the match. Unbelievable.

In addition, I umpired 9 Sunday League finals (50 over) which, in those days, was played as a totally separate competition (funnily enough on Sundays!).

In my time the interstate national junior carnivals (U19 male only?) were supported by local umpires and I remember New Zealand (captained by Ken Rutherford) being in the competition in the early 1980s when it was played in Perth.

The ‘pathway’ to interstate cricket was being selected by the State association. In my third season I was selected for a McDonald’s Cup match (50 over competition), WA v SA at the WACA with Peter McConnell on December 22, 1982. WA won; WA 8/158 d SA 157.

 

VCAUSA
When did you start at CA Level? Do you remember your 1st List A/1st Class

Match and how many CA Matches did you umpire in total?

Terry

As mentioned above my first CA appointment was in December, 1982 for

a 50-over match. Western Australia traditionally introduced umpires to

first-class cricket in Tour matches. Mine was WA v Pakistan at the WACA

with Peter McConnell in November, 1983. WA won outright off the last

possible ball of the match. WA 349 & 4/187 d Pakistan 290 & 242.

My first Sheffield Shield match was WA v Victoria at the WACA with

Don Weser in January, 1984 with D Lillee and R Bright the captains.

WA won outright. WA 184 & 284 d Victoria 161 & 272.

 

My Statistical record (WACA/CA involvement 1980/81-1999/2000, on-field only)

• First grade: 209 (11 finals)

• Sunday league (50 over competition): 100 (5 finals)

• Domestic 50 over competition: 22 (including one final)

• Sheffield Shield: 54 (including three finals)

• Total first-class: 75

• ODI: 42 (including 6 finals)

• Test: 9

 

VCAUSA
From your CA Matches, what have been some of your Umpiring highlights?

Who were some of the best Players you have umpired and what’s the best ground to Umpire at?

Terry

I always enjoyed the comfort of umpiring at the WACA, but thought the SCG was a ‘real’ cricket ground and enjoyed being there immensely.

Sheffield Shield match WA v NSW at the WACA in December, 1990. M Waugh (229 no) and S Waugh (216 no) had an unbroken partnership of 464 - a world record for the fifth wicket and an Australian record for any wicket.

First Australian TV umpire in Test cricket in November, 1993 with Darrell Hair and Tony McQuillan in the middle. No referrals over the five days.

Sheffield Shield match WA v Queensland at the WACA in November, 1994. This is the history making initial first-class match in Australia (the world?) to be played under lights. The hours of play were 2:30pm – 9:30pm using a yellowish ball. Some players said they ‘lost’ the ball at various times but Mike Veletta scored 95 in the first innings and Alan Border a ‘50’ in each innings. Following rain delays on the Saturday, play continued until 10.30pm, surely a new record.

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Some Test highlights:

• First Test match.  Australia v West Indies at WACA with Robin Bailhache in December, 1988. M Hughes took a hat trick: last ball one over; first ball next over to end the first innings; first ball second innings, G Greenidge LBW (my decision).

• Alan Border hitting his 10000th Test run.

• Mark Waugh 138 on debut against England.

• David Boon 149, Malcolm Marshall 31-11-29-5 and Alan Border 44.4-13-96-11 on an absolute turner in Sydney.

• To name the best players along the journey is difficult, but some of the most prominent include D Lillee, A Border, S Warne, R Ponting, V Richards, B Lara, M Marshall, S Tendulkar, Wasim Akram. Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and ?? I know many excellent players have not been mentioned.

 

VCAUSA
What do you do outside of cricket?

Terry

After retiring from umpiring at end of 1999/2000, I enjoyed one season away from cricket and discovered another world when my wife Robyn and I visited the UK and Paris. It did not snow on Christmas day in London, but I did experience my first snow shortly after (it doesn’t snow very often in Perth!). Since that initial trip for me, we have been on many overseas trips and enjoy the relaxed style of cruising.

After that one season essentially away from cricket, I joined the WACA Umpires’ Appointment Board (UAB) for the 2001/2002 season and served there until 2016/17. I was Chairman for 12 seasons and ended in August 2017

when I was appointed to the newly formed CA Supplementary Referees Panel.

I had been appointed by CA as Referee in interstate male and female

one-day matches for several seasons prior to the formation of the

Umpire High Performance Panel (UHPP) with its associated responsibilities.

I was Referee for the Women's Australia-England Test match in Perth in

2014. In addition, I had taken the UHPP (referee) role for Futures League

(Second XI) and interstate female matches as a member of the

state-based ‘supplementary’ group in an on-going basis up to the 2016/17

season when the CA Referee Panels were created. I was a member of

the Supplementary Referees Panel for the three seasons since its

inception in 2017/18 until 2020.

 

VCAUSA
Is there any advice you’d give to up and coming Umpires now?

Terry

For those who wish to be the best they possibly I offer the following:

• be meticulous in preparation

• enjoy every moment​

• be patient

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VCAUSA

Thanks for your time today Terry. It's very much appreciated, and

a great pleasure to catch up again. Good luck in your future

and go well.