Board bosses warm to idea of neutral officials

CALLS are mounting for the biggest game of the cricket season - the HSBC inter-insular - to have neutral umpires. Last Saturday's cracker at KGV contained a number of contentious decisions.

In a close and very tense match which saw Guernsey lose by just four runs, the spotlight was thrust on umpires Dougie Ferguson, from Jersey, and Guernsey's Andy Bisson. Both men made a number of questionable judgements that had massive bearings on the proceedings.

Questions are also unfairly raised about the impartiality of any local official used in the match.

Now the Guernsey and Jersey cricket boards are keen to look into bringing umpires from outside the island for the event in the future.

'I think we have to look at it, we have to consider our options,' said Dave Piesing, chairman of the GCB.

'Players might freeze on the big occasion and so can the umpires. I'm in favour, not as a criticism of our umpires, but because the game has become so huge.

'But I think essentially we can offer opportunities elsewhere for our better umpires and I believe there will be no shortage of umpires in the European region who would come over and umpire such a prestigious game.'

Ward Jenner, a former captain of both islands and now vice-chairman of the JCB, has a similar view.

He believes that even if the 'best umpires in the world' came from Guernsey and Jersey and were used in the game, questions would still be raised about their decisions.

He also noted that the Muratti, the Siam and practically all the other inter-insular clashes use neutral officials. On Saturday he spoke to former Guernsey Hockey Association president Ray Bushell about why hockey had switched to umpires from outside the Channel Islands for their big match.

'It was discussed a lot on the day,' he said. 'I had a very interesting conversation with Ray talking about his experiences as a hockey umpire in inter-insulars. He once had a to give a penalty flick in the dying moments of an inter-insular and something like that changes a match.

'Overall, I think it would be easier. I'm very conscious of not upsetting the umpires in both islands because they do very well.

'It would probably be sensible to follow world cricket where they don't use home umpires. It makes it very difficult in a close game where you're bound to have close decisions.

'Its just makes very awkward positions that people could get in.'

Guernsey captain Stuart Le Prevost also wants to see neutrals used.

'I think if you look at all the other sports, they have gone down that route,' he said. 'I do hear their argument that if they umpire all season they should get the big game as well and that's fair enough.

'But I've played in 11 inter-insulars and you can almost guarantee in every one there's been a questionable decision.

'With neutral umpires it takes the whole Guernsey/Jersey bias out of it. They do a cracking job all year but there's a lot of pressure in the inter-insular and half the time the pressure can go against you as sometimes they might not give a decision because they don't want to be seen to be biased.

'We're indebted to them.'

Ralph Anthony, the secretary of GACUS, hopes that the big game is not taken away from them.

'Obviously I'm going to have a jaundiced view as an umpire and this is my point of view and not GACUS's but I believe it should be left alone,' he said.

'We have two types of umpires with the Martin Grays, who are going on to do ICC, and then we've got the ones who don't want to go on to do that. And for those who don't, if the inter-insular is taken away, they might not want to carry on.

'The match is our carrot. I do understand the reasons for neutral umpires.

'If there is a fear of bias are we going to get neutral umpires in for all the CI League games as well? I've seen this so many times and I understand why it's been raised.

'It's up to Dave Piesing and his cohorts.'