That shield is a great idea. Wouldn’t affect the ability to hold counter, bowler’s hat, or reset the stumps. I might look into it. I usually hold the bowler’s cap or hat outwards towards the striker and my plan is to put hat or cap up in front of my face if necessary, though thankfully, it has never become necessary yet in 13 years of umpiring.
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Seven and a half years ago, I copped a straight drive from a very powerful burly batsman on the inside of my left foot as I jumped away, and I managed to see out the match which fortunately ended soon after. I managed to drive home okay, roughly an hour, but when I stepped out of the car, I could not walk and had to cling onto anything at all just to get upstairs. Went to casualty at hospital, got crutches and for the next week had to borrow my mother’s car because I need an automatic, and I couldn’t push the clutch in my manual.
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Another time, at the end of an over, I had forgotten to click 6 on the counter back to zero at end of over, and first ball, a straight drive nearly cleaned me up, I went down, hadn’t clicked the counter over, and it still read 6, so dazed and in shock I looked at it and called “OVER” to which the bewildered bowler complained “I’ve only bowled 1 ball!”
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
That shield is a great idea. Wouldn’t affect the ability to hold counter, bowler’s hat, or reset the stumps. I might look into it. I usually hold the bowler’s cap or hat outwards towards the striker and my plan is to put hat or cap up in front of my face if necessary, though thankfully, it has never become necessary yet in 13 years of umpiring. ________________________________ Seven and a half years ago, I copped a straight drive from a very powerful burly batsman on the inside of my left foot as I jumped away, and I managed to see out the match which fortunately ended soon after. I managed to drive home okay, roughly an hour, but when I stepped out of the car, I could not walk and had to cling onto anything at all just to get upstairs. Went to casualty at hospital, got crutches and for the next week had to borrow my mother’s car because I need an automatic, and I couldn’t push the clutch in my manual. __________________________ Another time, at the end of an over, I had forgotten to click 6 on the counter back to zero at end of over, and first ball, a straight drive nearly cleaned me up, I went down, hadn’t clicked the counter over, and it still read 6, so dazed and in shock I looked at it and called “OVER” to which the bewildered bowler complained “I’ve only bowled 1 ball!”