Umpire Scott Puts Himself Out

Northern Advocate, 8 March 1947, Page 6

Umpire Scott Puts Himself Out

SYDNEY. March 7.

The cricket umpire J. Scott, who umpired in all five tests between England and Australia, lias stated that he will never again apear in test matches between England and Australia. He said this was because of the unj/ir criticisms made by some English writers against him. He had been 39 years in the game, had played in international cricket and had been umpiring for 15 years. “Critics sit in the pavilion 250 yards away and side on to the wicket and from there tear an umpire to pieces.” he said. “I was pilloried and lampooned by certain critics simply because I did my duty fearlessly.’’ Referring to his leg-before-wicket decisions against D. C. Compton and W. J. Edrich in the third test in Melbourne, Scott said: "A straight ball from E. Toshack caught Compton unawares. Compton bent his knees and the ball hit his pads right in front of the middle stump. C. Washbrook, who was batting at my end of the wicket, said to me, ‘What’s the matter? That ball would have hit his middle stump.’’ Some critics claimed Edrich hit the ball on which I gave him out but I saw daylight between his bat and the ball.”