Sports

Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird, umpiring great, dies aged 92

Published

1 year ago

2025/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Harold 'Dickie' Bird, pictured at Headingley in May 2015

Harold Dickie Bird, one of the most beloved umpires in cricket’s history, has died at the age of 92.

Bird, who officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, including three World Cup finals, was synonymous with his home county Yorkshire, for who he began his career as a top-order batter in 1956, and later went on to serve as Yorkshire president in 2014.

He averaged 20.71 in 93 first-class matches, making two centuries including a best of 181 not out against Glamorgan in 1959. But when, after moving to Leicestershire in 1960, his career was cut short by injury four years later, his switch to umpiring would set him on the path to becoming a household name.

Bird’s idiosyncrasies would become part of his appeal, including his famously anxious attitude to timekeeping. Having made his umpiring debut in May 1970, he travelled to London for his second match – Surrey versus Yorkshire at The Oval – arrived at 6am for an 11am start, and was caught by a policeman attempting to scale the wall of the still-locked ground.

As an umpire, he was famously reluctant to raise his finger for lbw appeals – several of his decisions would have been quickly over-turned in the age of DRS. In mitigation, he was at least consistent in offering the benefit of the doubt to batters … with one possible exception. On the morning of his final Test, England versus India at Lord’s, he arrived in the middle with tears in his eyes after a guard of honour from the players. And duly gave Mike Atherton out lbw in the first over of the match.

Other memorable moments included his decision, during the West Indies Test at Old Trafford in 1995, to call a halt to play for an excess of sunlight, which had been reflecting off a greenhouse behind the bowler’s arm. In that same fixture, as related by Atherton in his autobiography, Bird dropped the pocket-ful of marbles that he used to count the deliveries in an over.

“Play was halted momentarily while Dickie scrambled around on his hands and knees looking for his counters,” Atherton wrote. “‘I’ve lost me marbles! I’ve lost me marbles! He cried. Most of us thought he had lost his marbles a long time ago.”

He was frequently the victim of practical jokes – particularly at the hands of Ian Botham and Allan Lamb. On one occasion, Lamb arrived at the middle with his 1980s brick-style mobile phone still in his pocket. Bird duly stashed it in his coat, whereupon Botham rang the device from the dressing-room, telling a startled Bird to pass on a message for his team-mate to get a move on.

Bird himself had believed his likeliest route to sporting success was football, although as he related in his autobiography, a cartilage operation on his knee at the age of 15 put paid to that ambition. Instead, he became a fixture in Barnsley’s 1st XI cricket team, where his team-mates included Michael Parkinson – who would later become a world-renowned chat-show host – and later, Geoffrey Boycott.

In 2009, Bird was honoured with a bronze statue on Barnsley’s Church Lane, set in his familiar umpiring pose with one finger raised. The council was soon obliged to place it on a higher plinth than had been intended, due to the public’s temptation to hang objects on said finger.

He was appointed an MBE in 1986 and an OBE in 2012 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cricket, having stood in his last first-class match in 1998, Yorkshire versus Warwickshire at Headingley.

(Cricinfo)

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Sports

Gone with the wind

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/9

Thilina Walpola

Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as Test captain

by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka’s Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva has done an Ian Botham. No, not by pulling off a miraculous victory against Australia at Headingley, but by resigning a minute before he was sacked.

The writing had been on the wall for DDS after he got his sums horribly wrong during the recent home Test series against India. His defensive approach from day one left Sri Lanka chasing the game rather than dictating terms and the hosts eventually surrendered the series.

There had also been growing criticism of DDS’s inability to lift the side when the chips were down. His laid back attitude, particularly the sight of him cracking jokes with team mates in the SSC dressing room balcony while Sri Lanka were following on, did not go down well with the cricket establishment.

Not that DDS was doing anything out of character. By nature, he is a relaxed, easy going individual who loves his video games and rarely seems to have a worry in the world. The mistake was made by those who handed such a character the Test captaincy and then expected him to turn into a fire breathing leader overnight.

DDS was so chilled out that even SLC’s photographers had reason to complain during the India Test series when the official team photograph was being taken.

Sri Lanka have been guilty of failing to groom leaders and in recent years the captaincy has too often fallen into someone’s lap by default rather than through careful planning. The result has been a revolving door of captains, with little thought given to succession.

DDS’s successor, Kusal Mendis, is no Mike Brearley or Ian Chappell when it comes to tactical nous, but to his credit, he has worked hard in recent years to shed his bad boy image and become a more responsible cricketer.

More than anything, Mendis has discovered consistency with the bat. Equally impressive in the eyes of the authorities has been his willingness to shoulder responsibility. He has never been one to duck a challenge, even when the workload has threatened to become overwhelming.

Currently, Mendis keeps wicket in both white ball formats while batting at the top of the order. With the additional burden of becoming Sri Lanka’s all format captain, he is set to be relieved of wicketkeeping duties in Test cricket.

The selectors are now on the lookout for a replacement ahead of the Pakistan assignment, although they are unlikely to turn to Niroshan Dickwella again. That particular chapter, it seems, has been closed.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Selectors Kapila Wijegunawardene has broken his silence over Wanindu Hasaranga’s omission, confirming that the star leg-spinner had indeed been dropped rather than sidelined through injury.

Wijegunawardene made little attempt to sugar coat the selectors’ disappointment with a player whose immense talent has not always translated into performances befitting his reputation.

“Hasaranga has not lived up to expectations, to be frank,” Wijegunawardene said.

“The player understands that too. We had expected a lot of him. His knowledge of the game is immense and he has much more to offer, and we are confident he will stage a comeback,” Wijegunawardene added.

Sports

Bens record fourth win, St. Joseph Vaz bounce back with consecutive wins

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/9

Thilina Walpola

by Reemus Fernando

‎St. Benedict’s College Kotahena completed their group stage matches with a crushing ten wickets win over St. Sebastian’s College Katuneriya while St. Joseph Vaz College Wennappuwa bounced back from their initial defeat with back to back victories to stay alive in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘B’ tournament.

‎For Bens it was their fourth victory in the tournament on Wednesday. Their only blemish this season was against Dharmaraja. The Bens recorded victories against De Mazenod Kandana (by 140 runs), St. Aloysius’ Galle (by three wickets) and Taxila Horana (by 162 runs ) before cruising to a ten wicket win aganst St. Sebastian’s Katuneriya. Manikya Deshapriya with a four wicket haul (4 for 8 in six overs) and Vihanga Rathnayaka taking three wickets rattled their opponents for 64 runs in their final group ‘A’ match.

‎Group ‘C’ became wide open on Wednesday when St. Joseph Vaz beat Ananda College by 89 runs at Ananda Mawatha.

‎Batting first, St Joseph Vaz College posted 225 for eight wickets in their alloted 50 overs, with Damesh Mathisan leading the way with a valuable 124-ball knock of 88, his most notable batting performance this season. His patient innings included eight fours and a six. Amal Denuwan added 31 off 69 balls, while Savio Fernando contributed 24.

‎In reply, Ananda were bowled out for just 136 run with Danindu Sellaperuma’s 41 being the highest contribution.

‎Amal Denuwan took four wickets for 20 runs in an outstanding spell of 8.3 overs, including two maidens. Damesh Mathisan completed an impressive all-round display taking two wickets for 28 runs.

‎Thathnula Liyanage took one, while Oshen Binara claimed two for 19.

‎In their season opening encounter St. Joseph Vaz conceeded a 66 run defeat at the hands of Maliyadeva College Kurunegala. They were bowled out for 107 runs at Kadirana.

‎In their second encounter they bounced back as their bowlers dominated reducing Devapathiraja to 79 runs. Oshen Binara (4.5-1-14-4), Mayon Fernando (4-0-16-3) and Lowthuru Dilpahan (6-0-23-2) returned notable bowling figures. Isuru Induwara (31n.o.) and Savio Fernando (23n.o.) then guided them to victory putting up an unbroken third wicket stand of 48 runs.

‎Back to back victories now has helped the school keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage. They will meet Lyceum International Wattala and Sri Dharmaloka College Kelaniya in their next two matches.

‎The victory has wide opened group ‘C’ with three teams registering two wins each. Ananda and Devapathiraja College Ratgama are the other teams to have recorded two wins.

Sports

Kiyara to meet Risindi in the girls final

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/9

Thilina Walpola

Kiyara Jayamanne

ATF 16 & Under Tennis

Kiyara Jayamanne is set to meet Risindi Hewawasam in the girls’ singles final after they won their semi finals of the ATF 16 & Under Colombo 2026 Week 1 tournament continued at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts.

‎Kiyara Jayamanne defeated fellow Sri Lankan Disini Samaraweera 6-3, 6-3 to book her place in the final. Risindi Hewawasam also secured a straight-set victory, overcoming Methuli Naotunna 6-2, 6-3.

‎The boys’ semi-finals saw Anthony Castigador of the Philippines dominate Sri Lanka’s Damsath Peiris, winning 6-0, 6-0. India’s Gurshaan Chahal completed the finalists’ line-up with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Sri Lankan Yonal Dankubura.