Ox block

[Gob]

Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford has christened his unique protection shield the "Ox Block" and predicts all umpires will be equipped with one in future.



Oxenford broke new ground in umpire safety after he used the protective shield for the first time in an international match during England's record-breaking one-day victory against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.

He revealed the shield is made of a bulletproof polycarbonate plastic that can withstand a sledgehammer blow. It cost him about $120 to create, and has been in talks with one kit manufacturer about taking his design commercial.

The 56-year-old Gold Coaster clad his left forearm in the protective device, looking somewhat like a slimmed down version of a police riot shield, as he stood in the second ODI that England won by 10 wickets last month.

Oxenford had previously worn the guard during the matches he stood in at the Indian Premier League in April and before that in a World Twenty20 warm-up match involving Australia and the West Indies. But the Edgbaston ODI was the first time the equipment had been seen in a full international.

Traditionally, umpire protection has amounted to no more than a hat or a cap. But there have been increasing concerns regarding the safety of officials, particularly in the case of an umpire standing at the bowler's end, with more and more batsmen in the modern era capable of ferocious hitting.

"I was lying in my hotel bed in Delhi earlier this year when I came up with this idea," Oxenford told the Daily Mail.

"My fellow umpire John Ward was on duty in India and had just been hit on the head and badly injured. He was in a bad way.

"We'd been talking for a long time about how we're in the firing line and the ball is coming back harder and faster all the time."

Ward was struck in the head in the 48th over of a Ranji Trophy match from a full-blooded drive by a Punjab batsman Barinder Sran, who is now a regular in India's limited-overs teams.

The umpire, who was in India as part of an umpire exchange program between Australia, India and South Africa, was hospitalised but cleared of any lasting injury.

The injury to Ward incident prompted his Australian official Gerard Abood to become the first official to wear a helmet in a match when he donned the protective headwear in the KFC Big Bash League.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Cricket can be a dangerous game for the fielders, too. Fielding positions all have names - think shortstop or center field in baseball - like gully or second slip, which are known and understood by all cricket fans. I used to field at 'silly mid off' which, as the name implies, is in the middle of the 'off' side for the batsman but it really is a very silly place to stand. You can be ten feet from the batsman who might take it into his head (they were all 'he' and 'him' in my day - no girls of the opposite persuasion) to have a slog at a ball in your direction so you had to be wide awake and quick on your feet.

At my school we had a system of plus and minus points. Every boy (we were 12) had to carry a card and any master (= teacher and yes, they were all chaps) could request your card at any time and note on it a plus (5, 10 or 15 points depending on the social benefits of the specific act) or a minus score (3, 6 or 9 depending on the egregiousness of the crime) (a minus 9 meant an automatic trip to the Headmaster's office which might well end up with you on the business end of a cane). I was at my usual silly point position one Saturday afternoon when Dickie Hinton decided to have a go at a ball and sent it hard in my direction.

I did try to catch it. I really did; but it left an imprint on my midriff which was still there a week later. Mr Musgrave was umpiring. "Your card, boy." I fished it from my back pocket. He wrote me up: a minus 6 for "stupidity" and a plus 10 for "bravery."

A life lesson about fine lines.

[Gob]

Nice mate, thanks for sharing.

[Bicycle Bill]

Cricket can be a dangerous game for the fielders, too. Fielding positions all have names - think shortstop or center field in baseball - like gully or second slip, which are known and understood by all cricket fans. I used to field at 'silly mid off' which, as the name implies, is in the middle of the 'off' side for the batsman but it really is a very silly place to stand. You can be ten feet from the batsman who might take it into his head (they were all 'he' and 'him' in my day - no girls of the opposite persuasion) to have a slog at a ball in your direction so you had to be wide awake and quick on your feet.

At my school we had a system of plus and minus points. Every boy (we were 12) had to carry a card and any master (= teacher and yes, they were all chaps) could request your card at any time and note on it a plus (5, 10 or 15 points depending on the social benefits of the specific act) or a minus score (3, 6 or 9 depending on the egregiousness of the crime) (a minus 9 meant an automatic trip to the Headmaster's office which might well end up with you on the business end of a cane). I was at my usual silly point position one Saturday afternoon when Dickie Hinton decided to have a go at a ball and sent it hard in my direction.

I did try to catch it. I really did; but it left an imprint on my midriff which was still there a week later. Mr Musgrave was umpiring. "Your card, boy." I fished it from my back pocket. He wrote me up: a minus 6 for "stupidity" and a plus 10 for "bravery."

A life lesson about fine lines.

From "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" —

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.

"I went looking for the troll because I -- I thought I could deal with it on my own -- you know, because I've read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher? "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.

"Well -- in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.

In the movie, McGonagall's line was changed to "Five points... will be awarded to each of you.  For sheer dumb luck!"
Sounds like you got some of the same treatment.

-"BB"-

[MGMcAnick]

Maybe there is a good reason, like wanting to appear brave (+10 points) and a bit stupid (-6) but why don't those umpires wear protective gear like baseball umpires? Baseball umpires can still get hurt, but it's rare. I can see a ball hitting his invention and simply knocking IT back into his face. SPLAT.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Something to do with the difference between a gentleman and a colonial?

How much protection does 1st base umpire wear? Don't forget, cricket umpires alternate behind the stumps and out in the field, depending on which end the bowler is attacking. And the cricket umpire is standing behind the bowler - not behind the batsman.

[Gob]

All cricket umpiring will be done by remote video in the not too distant future.

[MajGenl.Meade]

There is an organization which I understand is blessed with the nomenclature EA Sports engaged in producing video versions of popular sports. These require remotely located "operators" of "control pads" to reproduce the movements and actions of sports figures, many of them based on popular "heroes" of the various games. I expect these kinds of "video games" to become more popular, especially during the various lockdowns across the world due to the prevalence of a little known virus which I have learned through diligent research using popular "search engines" is called "Covid-19". For those who don't know, the world is sort of round, shaped in fact like a cricket ball which is the object used in the game of cricket. It's not generally known but cricket is popular in parts of the same world I described for you earlier. It has umpires which, for those less familiar with the concept, are gentlemen entrusted with ensuring compliance to the rules of cricket and determining from time to time whether or not a batsman (this is the term for the man with the bat)(or in some cases woman) has succeeded in successfully defending his (or her) "wicket" from attack by the "bowler". That's the chap (or chapette) tossing the ball at the batsperson, although to do so deliberately with intent to maim is often penalized by the umpire. Maiming, as I have discovered from extensive research, is both painful and in some cases terminal, or as some say, hurtful and deadly. Companies similar in nature to EA Sports in fact do produce video "games" which encourage participants to maim animated figures of soldiers, civilians and even animals with various forms of weaponry. The history of weapons is quite interesting. I have engaged EA Sports in several long missives suggesting further weapons that should be represented in their own sports games. The billhook and bollock knife should enhance the player's experience, not to put too fine a point on it, but I regret to advise my regular readers that EA Sports, after expressing initial indifference to my repeated suggestions moved to direct disdain and disconnection. I am considering a new thread all about words beginning with 'd' and the tendency of such words to be discouraging.

[ex-khobar Andy]

I am considering a new thread all about words beginning with 'd' and the tendency of such words to be discouraging.

Good lurk with that, Meade.

[Jarlaxle]

I have only seen a few baseball umpires hit in the field-the home plate ump gets hit fairly often, but wears protective gear (usually chest/torso pads, shin guards, safety-toe shoes, and a mask-some now wear a combination mask/helmet similar to what a hockey goalie wears) for that reason.

Much more common is pitchers getting drilled...I can name two off the top of my head (Bryce Florie, Matt Clement) who basically had careers ended when hit in the head.

[Guinevere]

Meade, are you feeling quite alright? Did you forget to log in as “Thuse”?

[Guinevere]

Something to do with the difference between a gentleman and a colonial?

Ahhh, ok, you’re fine.

[MajGenl.Meade]