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Press, 13 August 1980, Page 36

The cause of women’s liberation will be taken a step further in the coming summer, when Judith Gamblin (above) helps control men’s cricket matches in Christchurch. Mrs Gamblin is the first woman member of the Canterbury Cricket Umpires’ Association, and she may well be officiating in senior games before the season is far advanced. There is nothing to prevent her from qualifying for first-class and test matches.

At present, she is without official qualifications, but she has been a cricket player in Christchurch, and she obviously made a very good impression on an Australian touring club team when it played in Queenstown last season. Mrs Gamblin was one of the umpires in the match there. She was subsequently asked by the manager of the Australian team to make a visit to Victoria, to talk to sports, clubs on her experiences in umpir-

ing and in doing a man’s job in cricket. Mrs Gamblin will be umpiring in lower grade matches at the start of the season, but she is eligible to stand in senior matches. She will have to pass her Canterbury A grade examination before qualifying for first-class games, but on past performance, there is no reason to suggest that she will not be in the forefront of local umpires before the season is far advanced.