County ACO in Focus - Buckingamshire ACO

How have the leadership group of both ACO & CCB have worked collaboratively to grow officiating within Buckinghamshire over the past 12 months?

(Yolanda Harris – Chair Buckinghamshire ACO)

"Richard Hudson's (Chief Executive - Bucks Cricket) team are proactive in creating course events and advertising them to clubs in the county. In the past year we have two CSOs who are staging scorers’ courses in the first quarter of 2025 and will be building on this for the future.

"The CDO for umpiring is proactive in identifying umpires for development and promotion. He works with the appointment’s officers (one of whom is an employee of Bucks Cricket) to ensure that umpires looking for promotion are given the right level of match to umpire, outside of open age league cricket.

"There are three actively officiating umpires who are trustees of Bucks Cricket, including the myself as chair of the ACO and someone who is an active umpire and scorer. An employee of Bucks Cricket, Club Development Officer Harry Gadsby, is a member of the Bucks ACO committee as the umpire appointments officer for county age group matches and attends the meetings held every three months."

How have you scheduled and promoted ECB Umpire Courses to hit new target audiences alongside the bursaries offered to make the courses accessible to all?

(Emma – Head of Participation at Bucks Cricket)

"We have been strategic in where we place the courses within the county. We liaise with the club network to see where the demand/need is the highest and put courses on 'their doorstep'.  We then promote them through the Bucks Cricket social media, website and on any email communication we have with clubs."To improve attendance, we have also used the EDI fund to subsidise places on course for Female officials. We also offer a bursary for under 25’s through the Bucks Youth Cricket Trust. In addition, anyone attending our Future Volunteers and Future Leaders courses will receive a discount on the full course price when they produce their completion certificate."

 
How have you embraced these new learners into the officiating community, supported those seeking promotion through the pathway in 2024 and showcased the variety of cricket they can access through ACO & CCB collaboration?

Simon Parbery (Buckinghamshire CDO)

"Since assuming the role of Development Officer, the first step was to establish the development needs of umpires and then to provide appropriate levels of support. By liaising with Bucks members and receiving feedback from umpires as well as leagues and appointments, the CPD programme could be tailored accordingly. For example, the CPD materials on Player Safety were supplemented with scenarios around the application of fast bowling directives and the maintenance of robust umpire cards for limited overs match scenarios, including bowling spells and powerplays. One of the recurring themes locally was how to prepare for and react to GWL issues, including the communication and calculation of restarts and overs remaining. Case studies were created and a pre-season module was enacted ahead of a rather wet start to the season!

"Ensuring that all meetings and CPD sessions remained interactive was essential to foster an environment where umpires would freely raise any queries from their own games in a welcoming environment whilst also allowing anyone in the room to share ‘tips and tricks.’ As the momentum grew, so did attendance at CPD meetings, with the third meeting seeing well over 30 people present. It also became apparent that the umpiring community imbues a spirit of collaboration. Bucks ACO member and international umpire Anna Harris and National Panel Umpire Darren Hill (Berks ACO) were happy to attend CPD sessions to contribute the latest guidance filtering down from the top levels of the game as well as serving to inspire our members to seek opportunities to progress up the pathway.

"Once pathway applications were gathered, we established a county development group. Members of this group received mentoring support and coaching visits as well as the opportunity to stand in development games. They could then share their experiences at development group meetings prior to the start of each monthly CPD event. This is where a co-ordinated approach paid dividends as umpires could be appointed to games appropriate for their pathway aspirations and have the opportunity to stand alongside Premier League match officials. As a result, those who have come through the pathway then feel more willing to ‘give back’ and take on similar coaching/mentoring roles themselves. At the end of the season, 12 Bucks ACO members received promotion letters, many of whom are continuing to engage in the development journey in 2025."
 

Mark Greaves (Buckinghamshire CEO)

"We ran four CPD courses last year, which were all well attended (30-40% of membership). There is a plan to run a further 4 in 2025.

"An advanced umpiring course was run in Q1 of 2025 for those umpires coming off the ECB Umpire Course who wanted to become panel umpires for a league. In April 2025, together with Oxfordshire ACO, we are running an umpiring course for more experienced umpires, either for those aspiring to umpire in the Home Counties Premier League or those merely wishing to hone their umpiring skills. Our thanks go to Chesham CC for their support of these courses.

"The ACO are actively looking to increase the number of members who can conduct on-field and off-field assessments as part of the umpire promotion pathway through attendance at ECB Developer Workshops in April.

"Everyone involved in Bucks Cricket loves the game and wants every match to be enjoyed, played well and officiated well. Therefore, it is important to have a holistic view of each match. It is too easy for umpires and scorers to be an afterthought while focus is on coaching and match arrangement. However, through working together, we can get venues, umpires and scorers appointed earlier. Bucks is a long thin county and so venue location becomes an important factor in official appointment to avoid excessive commute time. Similarly, by having a closer relationship, coaches and officials can collaborate so that life is easier on matchday. Similarly with closer collaboration, it means if there is a question or an issue, we can pick up the phone!"

Testimonies from those who have attended Bucks CPD sessions and the positive impact it has had on their officiating.

Simon Ponsford was one of the umpires who received this developmental support, and he comments: “The Promotion Pathway I followed last year was such a positive experience for me; the opportunity to discuss and actively work on umpiring skills and techniques with more experienced colleagues was really valuable, as was the chance to officiate in a wider range of matches. As a result of my promotion to M3, I’m looking forward enormously to my first Home Counties Premier League matches in May.”

ECB Webinar - Opening Up Cricket

We continue our series of webinars, hearing and sharing thoughts, hints and tips to aid our members as we move into the full swing of the season.

This month, we are thrilled to be joined by Mark Boyns. Mark is the founder of “Opening Up Cricket”, a charity that provides Mental Wellbeing & Suicide Prevention through Cricket across clubs & leagues in England & Wales.

Mark will be outlining the importance of mental skills and fitness in cricket, how to take care of our mental wellbeing, coping with setbacks and techniques on how to deal with stress and pressure.

There will also be an opportunity to ask Mark any questions on the evening, through the Q&A at the end of the session.

The webinar will be held on Tuesday 15th April, from 18:30-19:45.

To register your interest in attendance, please register here.

Officials Wanted for VI Cricket - Be Part of the Game!

The world of VI (Visually Impaired) Cricket is growing, and with it comes an urgent need for umpires across multiple regions. If you're passionate about cricket and want to contribute to an inclusive and rewarding environment, this is your chance!

One inspiring example is Michael, who began his umpiring journey through the Lancashire Young Officials program at just 11 years old. By the age of 12, he was actively involved in VI cricket, starting by observing games and later shadowing experienced umpires. His first official appointment was in the Development League for a Yorkshire vs. Durham match, where he initially stood at square leg. As the game neared its conclusion, he was given the opportunity to officiate at the bowler's end for three overs.

Reflecting on his experience, Michael shared, "It was fun and exciting doing my first match. The players were all really nice and supportive." His confidence grew further when he took charge at the Development Festival in Leicester, making a crucial LBW decision that was upheld by his colleague despite a player's protest. "It was really good to be supported by my colleague," Michael said.

Michael’s dedication and talent in umpiring did not go unnoticed, as he was honoured with the Rising Star award at the Lancashire Cricket Collective Awards for his commitment and hard work.

There’s also a special mention to Michael’s mother, Fiona, who was awarded 2024 VI Umpire of The Year!

Now, the call goes out to others who want to follow in Michael's footsteps! VI Cricket urgently requires umpires in Kent, Dorset, Somerset, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Manchester, Yorkshire, Berkshire, Durham, London, Staffordshire, and Sussex.

If you are interested in taking on this fulfilling role as an Umpire, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference while developing your skills in a supportive and dynamic environment. No matter your level of experience, there is room for growth and mentorship within the VI Cricket umpiring community.

There are also plenty of opportunities for Scorers to get involved in the game, with many matches taking place outside of the “stereotypical” Saturday afternoon.

To get involved or learn more about how you can support by Umpiring VI Cricket, reach out to Neil Robson - neilrobson77@gmail.com

To get involved or learn more about how you can support by Scoring VI Cricket, reach out to Paul Topliss - bcewscorer@gmail.com

March Update from Scorers Corner

From the ECB ACO National Scorers' Officer, Heather Vernon

As more matches are being scored on the professional database (NV Play), we are seeing new scorers joining the ECB National Register of Scorers and getting onto the Scorers Pathway. I appreciate some of you are wondering what is happening about the new Online Basic Training Course and it is well on the way to being finalised, together with the new Pathway details.

Existing scorers who are members of the ACO will be moved onto the new Pathway based on their accreditation level and/or the level at which they are scoring. When you’re notified of your new ‘level’, you will have the opportunity to review it against the competency/skills matrix. We will publicise arrangements for non-ACO scorers at the launch date.

Sue Drinkwater and Jane Hough have done some sterling work with Carly Beach (from the ECB Officiating Department) to get things to this point. Sue as Scorers Education Manager is also leading on some new Continuing Professional Development modules, including one on Statistics, and Jane, as Lead Verifier, is leading on a framework of competencies required at each of the new levels on the Pathway.

As soon as we have a confirmed launch date you will be sure to hear!

In the meantime, there are some other snippets of news to share.

1. Congratulations to the 17 people who attended the Level 3 Scoring Course in High Wycombe on the 22nd February 2025. We wish them all good luck in their scoring.
2. Thanks go to Sarah Pollard (Yorkshire) and Alex Blithe (Northamptonshire) for being the presenters on the new Online Training Course. Great work from them!
3. The move to Tier 1 & Tier 2 Women’s teams being within their respective counties has been an opportunity to push for panels of scorers. Sadly, not all counties have taken this approach but those that have are providing more opportunities for scorers to progress into the professional game, with these matches being scored on the NV Play (professional) database.
4. Tier 3 Women’s County teams will still be scored on the Play-Cricket (recreational) database, and it would be great to make contact with the scorers in those counties. So, if you are scoring for Tier 3 Women and are not on the ECB National Scorers Register, please contact me on scorerappointments@ecb.co.uk. The Register is a way of ensuring we can contact scorers around the country with news and support. If you are one of these scorers and are reading this as an ACO member, please pass the information on to any scorer you score with this season who isn’t aware of things like the ACO, the Scorers Pathway, the new training course and CPD.
5. All the scorers who scored an international match in 2024, appointed by the ECB, have received a certificate, recognising their support of international cricket. We’ve been able to resurrect it as a way of recognising scorers and scoring at the highest levels and this will continue in 2025.
6. The FCC U18s Boys matches are now officially being scored in the professional game, and we have been able to offer training and support to enable their existing scorers to move with there too. This requires them to have the ECB Scoring Authorisation, and an NV Play login for the professional database. This is giving greater opportunities for scorers who have come up through the recreational game to progress into the professional game. As the same happens to the FCC U16s Boys matches in 2026, there is even more to celebrate! Again, if you’re one of these scorers and haven’t been contacted please email scorerappointments@ecb.co.uk

The briefings for the U18s scorers that we’ve held so far have shown what great scorers are out there about whom we know nothing. It has already brought to light possible new scorers for some of the ECB Festivals.

As scorers, we need to talk to our colleagues in the scorebox, so let’s make that talking include some of the positive news we have to share. If you’re often alone in the scorebox, as I was for most club matches in 2024, then make contact via scorerappointments@ecb.co.uk and we can put you in touch with other scorers in your county.

Remember, You Alone Can Do It, But You Don’t Have To Do It Alone!

Heather Vernon

ECB ACO National Scorers Officer

ECB Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations

The ECB has introduced new and updated Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations (‘Regulations’) for 2025, which apply to all participants in the recreational game.

Directive Cards

In some places, the ACO ‘Directive Cards’ do not accurately reflect the Regulations. These instances are highlighted below:

a.     ECB ACO ’Best Practice’ & Fast Bowling Card

The card refers to ‘age group’ e.g. U12s, U13s.

The Regulations refer to ‘age in years’ (i.e. age on the day of the game).

b.     Fast Bowling Card

The card defines a fast bowler as “a bowler to whom a wicket keeper in the same age group would in normal circumstances stand back to take the ball”.

The Regulations define a fast bowler as “a bowler who attempts to deliver the ball at high intensity” and states that “this includes seam bowlers, swing bowlers and medium pace bowlers”.

c.     Junior Cricketers in Open Age Cricket Card

In the ‘Reminder’ section of the card, it states that “The captain must inform the Umpires of Under 18s in the side and their age group”.

In accordance with the Regulations the captain is now required to state the age of the player on the day of the game.

In the ‘Minimum Age’ section of the card, it states “The minimum age for Open Age Cricket is the U13 age group.

The Regulations state that ‘Junior Cricketers are not eligible to play Open Age Cricket until they are 12 years old.’ 

Please note that it is also not the umpire’s responsibility to ensure parental or guardian consent has been obtained for a Junior Cricketer to play in Open Age Cricket. This is the responsibility of the captain / team manager / club that the player is representing.

ECB Team Cards

There are cards in circulation that indicate that a young player’s “age group” should be recorded.

Please note that Captains or Team Managers are now required to record the age on the day of the game of any player under the age of 20.

Irrespective of the team sheet used, the Regulations will apply.

The Regulations, and accompanying Guidelines, are available on the ECB website (click link below to access) and have been widely circulated.

ECB urges you to read the Regulations and Guidelines carefully so that you can help ensure the game is played as safely as possible.

If you have any questions about these Regulations or Guidelines, please contact - safetyincricket@ecb.co.uk

Read More

ECB Disparity & Gender Eligibility Regulations

The ECB have recently released new Disparity and Gender Eligibility Regulations, that apply across the Recreational Game.

If you have any queries relating to this process, then please email SafetyInCricket@ecb.co.uk

ECB Umpire Progression Pathway 2025

Following consultation with ACO County & Regional Development Officers across England & Wales, we are pleased to release the ECB Umpire Progression Pathway for 2025.

Through consultation, there have been changes in the following areas:

• Progression available in each pathway from Level 6 > 4 in a season
• Timings for MCC Law’s completion for individuals looking to be promoted from Level 4 upwards
• Increase in Boundary Observation requirements for individuals interested in promotion from M3 > M2
• Minimum requirements for Developers working with umpires looking to progress from M3 > M2

Full details and documentation is available via the ECB website, click the link here to access.

ECB Recreational Competitions - Update

The Recreational Discipline Team is a newly formed team within the Cricket Regulator, supporting cricket organisations in England and Wales to develop and implement consistent discipline processes.  All discipline issues in ECB non first class competitions will be dealt with by the Recreational Discipline Team this season, a full list of these competitions can be found within the General Conduct Regulation’s – ECB Competitions.  We have introduced a new reporting form for use in ECB competitions which will come direct to our team to deal with, within the form there is an online reporting process. To access and download the form please click here.

As an umpire and a member of the Recreational Discipline Team, I’m happy to take any feedback on the form: (dan.pedley@cricketregulator.co.uk)