An Australian umpire was hospitalised after he suffered a nasty blow to his face last weekend while officiating in North Perth. Tony DeNobrega was hit by a straight drive from a batter during a third-grade match at Charles Veryard Reserve, North Perth.
As per the Western Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Umpires Association, DeNobrega did not have any broken names. He was kept under supervision by the doctors for a day as surgery was not out of the question.
“Spending the night in hospital Tony was fortunate enough not to have had any broken bones however the doctors are keeping him under observation as surgery is not out of the question. We wish Tony all the best for a fast recovery from this terrible incident and look forward to him being up and about shortly. The umpiring team is right behind you mate. Rest up Tony.” the WASTCA Umpires Association posted on Facebook.
In the past decade, a couple of umpires have died after being hit my the ball. The most recent accident was in 2019 when an 80-year-old John Williams suffered a fatal blow during a local match in Wales. In 2014, Israel's Hillel Oscar could not get away from a ball that hit the stumps and then hit him on the head.
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With the advent of T20 cricket, batters have resorted to power-hitting. At times, umpires have had near escapes against the likes of former West Indies opener Chris Gayle. Over the years, umpires have worn helmets to avoid suffering a major head injury and then there is Bruce Oxenford who wears a plastic underarm shield.
Former Australian cricketer's old advice for umpire's protection
Nearly a decade ago, former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Rod Marsh asked for a change in regulations so that umpires can stand further away from the stumps. This will help them avoid the ball if it comes in their direction.
“It’s only a matter of time before an umpire in an international or first-class match is seriously hurt, if not killed,” Marsh said in 2015.
“If I happened to be umpiring right now I’d be wearing a baseball catcher’s helmet, a chest pad and shin guards.”
