NZC has today announced its national panel appointments for the 2021/22 season, with a highlight being the appointment of the first female Match Referee: former WHITE FERN Sue Morris.

A qualified primary school teacher and self-described "cricket tragic", Morris is no stranger to rules and officialdom and hopes her passion for the game and solid grounding from her own playing days will hold her in good stead as she breaks new ground this season.

North Canterbury umpire and lawyer Kim Cotton meanwhile has continued to make history with her elevation to the G.J. Gardner Homes NZC National Umpire Panel.

It’s the first time a woman has been on NZC’s premier panel since its inception, and caps off an impressive rise through the ranks for Cotton who last season made her first-class on-field debut at Saxton Oval for the Central Stags' home Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts and is also the first female umpire to have stood in an ICC World Cup Final.

Richard Hayward presented Kim Cotton with a gift to mark her on-field debut | PHOTOSPORT

A new NZC Women’s Umpiring Panel has also been established, and there will also be six Regional Umpiring Panels based in each of the Major Associations while a 19-strong National and 12-strong Development Scoring Panel have also been created.

NZC’s Head of Cricket Operation Charlie Brewer said the implementation of the new panels were designed to help up-and-coming officials to progress from community cricket through to the professional game.

“The changes will provide more opportunities for umpires at all levels of cricket - to support their development and, at the same time, strengthen NZC’s talent identification program,” he said.

“It has been whole-of-cricket initiative, that has only been made possible through the collaboration of regional match official administrators, Major Associations and NZC.  

“Cricket has changed rapidly over the past few years with the growth of the women’s game and the role of women in cricket generally, along with the implementation of new technology and the increase of Domestic cricket fixtures broadcast by Spark Sport. 

“This new structure has been designed to evolve with our game and the new demands on our Match Officials.”

From within CD, former Hampshire, Somerset rep and Central Stags captain RICHARD HAYWARD (Nelson) has been re-appointed to the national Match Referees Panel and GLEN WALKLIN (Hawke's Bay) to the NZC Reserve Umpires Panel.

West and Mitchell in the Saxton Oval "office" | PHOTOSPORT

Manawatu's DUNCAN MITCHELL and Nelson's EUAN WEST lead the way on the National Scorers Panel with Horowhenua-Kapiti's DAN WILKS and Manawatu's RAEWYN INDER selected for the new Scorer Development echelon.

CD Cricket congratulates all appointees. To learn more about how you can get started in umpiring and scoring, contact your local District Association or visit this page.

 

 

 

 

Article added: Thursday 30 September 2021