Eleven umpires from all over Europe participated in the ECC Notts SportĘ Trophy. Thirty-one matches on three pitches over seven days. Some stood in the morning and then acted as third umpire in the afternoon and vice versa. Later in the week, for the top four nations, 50 over games gave the umpires even more of a test of their stamina and concentration. Nothing unusual you might think, but the temperature in the sun was exceeding 40c. Which does go to prove that it is not just the Englishman who goes out in the midday sun.

Players took on water at every opportunity and although the heat sapped their strength the appealing became more intense as the match progressed. Nothing unusual you might think, but if it was loud in the early overs, the volume in the later overs was ear shattering.

Strange how every ball that hits the pads or goes by an edge is definitely out in the last few overs of every match according to the fielders. The batsman looks at the umpire, who maintains his same composure, and does his best right to the end to answer a torrent of appeals, that are missing leg, outside off playing a shot, going over because the spinner gets a bit of bounce or even hit the middle of the bat onto the pad and down to ground. If only the players realized the LBW & CAUGHT laws do not change just because it's the last few overs of the match.

Congratulation umpires a difficult job well done.