WANTED! More umpires to stand in Devon League games – and other matches too,

DACO – the Devon Association of Cricket Officials – has just launched a recruiting drive with an eye on the 2018 season. They need to have enough numbers to cover all Premier, A and B Division games.

The MCC are in the process of updating and re-issuing the laws of cricket, which has a knock-on impact on training.

Existing umpires will need to be brought up to date and courses prepared for new recruits.

The target is to get tutors trained in time for courses next Spring, ready for the following season.

Grants and bursaries are available from the Devon Cricket League for anyone associated with a member club who wants to officiate in league games.

Chris Shelton, DACO’s education officer, said from next year training is going digital.

Courses will be on-line, allowing all candidates to work at their own pace, in their own home environment, rather than attend week-end sessions,” said Shelton.

“Tutors will be available to work with candidates, and tutorials will be held, very similar to the way the Open University works.”

DACO is also looks after the training of scorers, another essential job on match day.

“Games cannot take place, properly, without scorers,” said Shelton.

Shelton is the man to email in the first instance for umpiring enquiries

Anyone interested in scorer training can contact Shelton, or Nick Evanson, the long-serving Torquay score who is DACO’s man in the scorebox.