'Slow Death' touches UCCE match

Date released: 30 May 2008

The world's most experienced umpire, Steve Bucknor, raised a few eyebrows, as well as that famous finger, when he turned up to stand in an MCC Universities match.

Bucknor: checking his light meter at Lord's Bucknor has umpired more Test matches than any other official and is the only man to have umpired in over 100 Tests - his tally after the England v New Zealand Test at Lord’s was 123. He has also stood in five consecutive World Cup finals between 1992 and 2007.

Therefore, the Oxford UCCE and Loughborough UCCE players were more than a little surprised to find the man nicknamed 'Slow Death' preparing to stand in their limited overs match at The Parks on Friday 23 May.

After having an excellent Test at Lord’s Bucknor was not due to stand in another match until the third Test at Trent Bridge more than two weeks later.

Bucknor with captains Pete Young & Matthew Spriegel Wanting to keep fresh he asked MCC to find him a match to umpire in.

MCC appoints umpires for all MCC University and BUSA Premier League A matches so appointed Bucknor to the Oxford-Loughborough tie.

After nearly 20 years of sending fear into the world's best batsmen with the characteristically slow rise of his index finger, Bucknor took the chance to give some of the country's brightest cricketing talent the benefit of his experience - and kept his eye in for the third and final Test of the series, which starts on 5 June.

For the record, Loughborough UCCE won by six wickets, in a low-scoring match. Perhaps Mr. Bucknor put the batsmen off their game!