I couldn’t get over the lack of knowledge of the rules by park cricketers when I umpired. Two examples - fast bowler comes in bowls outside off stump, keeper misses it and batsmen run three byes. Bowler totally loses it and calls me a “cheating c..t” because you can’t get runs if the batsman doesn’t play at the ball.
Second example - bowler bowling right arm around the wicket, bowling half track skidders. Hits batsman plumb in front and goes up for the LBW. I try to explain that he’s pitching around a metre outside leg and can’t possibly get an LBW that way. Next ball does exactly the same thing, hits the batsman in front again and goes up like he’s knocked all three stumps out of the ground. I give the batsman not out again and begin to explain when bowler grabs me and threatens to punch the living s..t out of me.
What makes these examples more ludicrous is that it’s park cricket. These blokes would be the most average cricketers on the face of the earth yet carry on like they’re representing their country.
