ENGLISH UMPIRE

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32525, 8 February 1971, Page 16

ENGLISH UMPIRE

The senior member of England’s test umnires* panel. Mr C. S. Elliott, will officiate in the match between England and New Zealand at Lancaster Park later this month. Mr Elliott, who Is 58, will be In New Zealand soon on a Churchill Trust Fellowship, and he will umpire at Christchurch on the Invitation of the New Zealand Cricket Council. He Is regarded as an outstanding umpire. His partner In Christchurch will be Mr W. T. Martin, of Wellington. “This was an opportunity to avail ourselves of the sendees of an outstanding umpire and will. I believe, occasion some interest overseas where the question of the Inter-change of umpires is under discussion,” said Mr J. G. Leggat, chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Council board of control, in

making the announcement. This Is thought to be the first occasion a visiting umpire will have officiated In a test match. There have been proposals that umpires be inter-changed between countries, at test and first-class level, and that neutral umpires might be appointed for tests from a selected International panel. Mr Elliott has been an umpire since 1957, and he has stood In more than 30 tests. He was an opening batsman for Derbyshire, and played for the county from 1932 to 1953. He scored nearly 12,000 runs, with nine centuries and a top score of 215 against Nottinghamshire In 1947.