Conversation: Umpire Eloise Sheridan
The Australian cricket umpire Eloise Sheridan needs very little introduction. She was a standout at the ODI World Cup in New Zealand in March. That followed her Test debut in the Ashes series in February. I’d been trying to catch up with Eloise since before the Ashes but such has been the hectic pace of cricket this year it has taken until winter time for us to have a chat.
We both warned each other at the beginning of the conversation that there may be dog interruptions. A Chihuahua and Maltese Terrier at Eloise’s end of the line and a Samoyed at my end. We’ll check the DRS (Dog Review System) at the end.
Beginnings
To your beginnings, what on earth motivated you to want to stand in the sun for six hours umpiring cricket?
It’s a great question. I used to play, sixteen years of grade cricket here in South Australia, a little bit of junior state stuff. I took some time away and I thought I’d kind of like to get back into it but I didn’t want to coach because it’s too much like my day job of teaching. My partner actually suggested I get into umpiring. I thought I’d give it a go and it’s kind of snowballed from there.
Hasn’t it what! Ok, so you don’t do it full time, you’ve got what we might call a proper job, so to speak.
I do. I’m a full time teacher. It takes up most of my time at the moment and umpiring is my second job.
How do you work that in with the school year? For example, the World Cup recently in NZ was during the school year. You take extra leave?
Yeah exactly, I’m really fortunate that I’ve ended up at a school for the last two years that has been really supportive. I have had to move jobs a few times over the last four or five years. The school gave me leave without pay for most of term one. I’m really lucky to be supported but I do have to say no to some appointments sometimes because I need to be able to pay my mortgage!
Yeah we all have to pay the bills, don’t we? That’s a shame to a certain extent. You’re part of a wave of women making great strides in this field and I don’t mean to embarrass you – there’s a really good crew of women umpires working internationally and you’re very good.
(laughs) Thank you. I don’t know about that. I always try to but my best foot forward all the time. I think it’s really exciting with some of the new female umpires coming through. Seeing Anna Harris and Sue Redfern standing in a Test together. I think that’s a huge leap forward we’ve been able to make in the last few years.
ODI World Cup
I reckon so too. If I go back to that World Cup and I look to those female umpires who were working, you tended to do a better job than the boys.
I don’t know if I can comment on that!
No you can’t!
I like to think the six of us there definitely had a good tournament. We don’t know any rankings or anything but I assume we all performed pretty well. And I think that was shown in the semi-final appointments as well. So I think it’s a really good reflection of where female umpires are standing in umpiring at the moment.
Embed from Getty Images
Is there a definitive career path for a young girl dreaming of umpiring a World Cup? You’re a role model now for youngsters.
Oh thank you. I don’t know if there is a definitive career path at the moment. Different boards are making strides in that area, particularly here in Australia and in the UK. I guess for us here the pathway is really getting our way up through Premier cricket and then making our way into a state panel and to the supplementary panel which is what I’m on at the moment. And then the next step is to get onto the national panel. That’s my aim to move up and get on that national panel.
I hope you do! Is there a likelihood or a possibility that you might at one stage have to say, “ok, my umpiring job is generating more income than my teaching job, I’ll have to give up teaching.”
Good question!
And would you?
It’s a really tough one. My teaching career is actually doing quite well. I really enjoy my job, I really enjoy the school that I’m at so I think it would be a really difficult decision. You just never know. I’ll take the opportunities I’ve got at the moment and see where that leads me.
What’s going on inside?
Let’s talk about the craft. You’ve developed a reputation as a calm authority on the field. Rarely a change in facial expression – you seem to me to be completely in control and unflustered. What’s going on inside?
(chuckles) I’d say that’s pretty much what’s happening inside as well. Probably taken a few years to get to that point, but I find once I’m on field I feel pretty confident in my processes and my preparation.
You might see me before a game pacing around in the change room. I can be a little nervous. I think I was like that as a player as well. I used to open the batting so I wouldn’t have to wait so I think I’m a little bit like that in my umpiring as well. Once I get out there I just trust in the processes really and everything seems to go pretty well.
I think that’s probably true for a lot of people in different professions, it’s the waiting, and then once you cross the line and get onto the field or on stage all the nerves go away because you trust in the process.
Exactly.
While you’re out there, who are the most difficult characters to deal with? Not talking specifics, but in general – captains, fast bowlers, non-strikers?
I think it really depends on the personality of the player. Sometimes there’s a difficult captain who might ask you more questions than you’d like to be asked. Or perhaps a fast bowler, or even a spin bowler who might appeal more than you’d prefer at that particular point. But I think I’ve been pretty lucky that in general that’s been sorted out on the field. You can have a quiet word and then everyone sort of gets on with everything.
People unfamiliar with the women’s game assume there’s no chatter on the field. We know this to be incorrect. Does some of the talk/chatter – sledging, if you will – cause to laugh on the inside?
Absolutely. Women’s cricket is completely different to men’s cricket. Often I find that women are just grateful to be playing the game at the time. I think there’s a lot more pressure on the men to be performing. I think it’s a different approach. It does mean in the women’s game you get a few more laughs. It’s generally not the serious sledging you get in the men’s game.
If I take the World Cup semi-final, I think that’s one of the most enjoyable games I’ve had. You probably remember the interaction I had with Sophie Ecclestone where she reviewed one of my decisions where’s it’s come straight off the middle of the bat. There was just some great banter around what happened after that. A really good laugh and being able to interact with the girls has been fantastic.
The DRS
Well you’re leading me onto the next area I wanted to talk about and that’s the DRS. This is relatively new thing in cricket and even more so in the women’s game. During the World Cup, when someone chose to “go upstairs” with one of your decisions, there was a chorus of spectators online saying “don’t do it! She’s never wrong! It’s a waste!”
Yeah it’s a nice reputation to have and hopefully my form can hold up to that as well moving forward. I think it again comes back to those processes. If I’m doing everything correctly in my preparation, understanding how I’m seeing the ball, then my decision should be pretty good. I also got lucky with a couple of umpires calls, but other than that I was really happy with my performance.
I think DRS is one of those things that just supports the umpires. It doesn’t try and catch us out or anything. Nine times out of ten we’re actually proven correct in our decision making which I think is a positive thing.
And that leads me, and others to say, “don’t do it! Don’t waste a review!”
Sometimes I do wonder why they send them up. I’m well supported by the technology and so it does put a bit of doubt into their minds for the next one they’re thinking of sending up.
It didn’t last time, I can tell you! They just kept reviewing! I suppose if they’ve got them, they’re going to use them. I guess if it’s someone like say, a Meg Lanning and Australia are 7/70 chasing 100, then you’re going to use the review because you don’t want to lose Meg.
Absolutely and I completely understand where they’re coming from. It’s probably not the intention of the DRS but at the same but as you say, if it’s there you may as well use it.
How do you feel when the players do make a review? Clearly they are suggesting you are wrong and the technology will prove them right. It seldom goes in their favour!
Yeah sometimes I think they think I’m wrong, but sometimes I think they’re just not sure so they send it up. It’s a really interesting position to be in in.
Probably happened in the only one I did overturn in the World Cup was in the semi-final. It was one of those ones where I heard two noises. I think Heather Knight was batting at the time. I’ve given it not out. Sune Luus had already sent one up that was incorrect so had supported my decision, so she almost didn’t send it up. She said to me afterwards when I overturned my decision she said, “did you think she hit that because we did too.”
So she actually wasn’t sure. In some ways it comes back to that idea of, “this is the England captain we need to get her out, it’s an important moment in the match, so we need to use those reviews.”
Well absolutely, you’d use anything to get rid of Heather because she such a good player.
Exactly. I think when the captain does say they want to review it does depend on the decision. When the Sophie Ecclestone one gets sent up I’m 98% confident that I’ve gotten that right, but then when say the Heather Knight one gets sent up, I’ve gone, “if she hasn’t hit that, she’s out.” I knew that when it got reviewed. I think that’s part and parcel of what we do.
What’s it like standing out there, waiting, not knowing the outcome?
Yeah it can be pretty nerve wracking. Often the partner, whoever we’re standing with at square leg will make their way over, have a bit of a chat, just calm the nerves a little bit. We get to see everything on screen and we’re really lucky at the moment that whatever the third umpire is saying is going live to stadium now so we can hear everything. It’s also in our earpiece as well so we can hear everything they’re going through, what they’re looking at, what they’re looking for. Watching the flow of the process.
TV Umpire
It’s helpful for us at home watching it unfold, as long as it takes too long. Let’s take you upstairs now, into the third umpire’s chair. Easiest job in the world isn’t it? Feet on the desk, watching cricket, eating pies.
I actually think it’s the hardest job! It’s not just about reviews anymore. We have to do over rates for the whole game which can be quite difficult. It’s easier when you’ve got DRS. When you get to a BBL game we’re doing all of that by hand and it takes a lot of time and calculations. I’m definitely not a maths teacher so it takes me a little longer than the other guys! There’s lots of over rate calculations, there’s lots of just watching the field, knowing what’s happening in terms of players going on and off, if there’s any reports we’re noting down all of the information about that.
Plus of course everything to do with speaking with the director. When it comes to DRS as well we’re also doing front foot checks for every single ball, so we’ve got what they call a fruit screen, on our screen, so we’ve got the main image that’s going to the world, the live feed, but then we’ve also got three different views of the front foot.
We’ve got each runout camera plus we’ve got the return crease camera as well, and then we’ve also got some other replays happening all at the same time so it’s keeping track of the fruit screen and what’s happening, plus the over rates and all the other things as well.
Hearing all of that it sounds busier job upstairs that down below.
You’re approaching the game a little different but you still need to be switched on every ball.
How difficult is it for you sitting in that chair when the footage isn’t coming through? It’s really frustrating as a spectator, you know, “can I get a side-on view” or similar, and we wait, and wait… “can I get a side-on view”.
It really depends on who the director is. Some directors are fantastic and they can definitely follow what we’re doing. They may even be a step ahead, so we’ll say, “can we have side on,” and they’ll already be there which is great. And there’s been a few new directors over the last two years of the pandemic so people can’t move around as much, so new people, obviously still learning and not always from a cricket background, so they don’t always know what we’re looking for.
Which do you prefer? Upstairs or out there in the middle?
Probably depends on the game really. I was really fortunate in the WC that obviously my on-field performances I felt were really strong which was great but I also think I had the busiest match in the box which was India versus Bangladesh in Hamilton. I think I had something like twelve different events I had to look at – so whether that was DRS, runouts, front-foots – all of the things, it was well into double figures. As hard as that was it was really enjoyable to get all of those right and get my processes right.
So it really depends on the game. Some days you could be in the box, you know, I’ve had a couple of BBL games now and nothing comes up. So you might not even get a runout in some of those games. Really depends on what the game’s doing. If I had to choose I’d say on-field because that’s where I started.
What’s it like now where there is no DRS? Do you feel half naked going out there or is it a matter of “we’ll do it like the old ways.”
That’s a really interesting question because DRS, my first experience was in the Ashes, and I went straight from the Ashes to the World Cup and I actually haven’t had another match since then, so I don’t know about going the other way. But I guess if I can compare it to maybe the India series in September where we didn’t have DRS.
I think it does put a little more pressure on your decision making on-field. I had a really close one at Mackay that I gave it not out. And everyone, the commentators, said it was out but the next day I got the clip and it was umpires call. I kind of wish that had happened at the time, to vindicate my decision.
Never mind the commentators, you’ve got us in support! Don’t worry about that. Hey I want to talk with you about no-balls. Ok, the front foot thing – I actually think that’s a great use of the technology, having the TV umpire looking out for no-balls. It allows the on-field umpire to concentrate on the match. But I’m confused with this full toss thing where the ball it delivered on the full above waist height. I get it if the bowler is say Darcy Brown or Jhulan Goswami, clearly dangerous, but I think it’s really harsh on the spinners. They bowl a full toss, it gets put away then the batter gets a little bonus gift of a free hit.
Look it can be and back in my playing days that would have been different in the playing conditions but moving forward I believe the playing conditions have just been created equal now so it doesn’t matter about the type of bowler. It’s really about where the batter is standing upright at the popping crease and that needs to be above waist height. Doesn’t matter which type of bowler.
The difference would be in terms of whether that bowler gets a warning, so if it is the spin bowler that gets hit for four they’re really unlikely to attract a warning for that, whereas if you’re talking about a Darcy Brown or Jhulan then they’re probably going to get a warning due to the type of bowler they are.
What’s Next?
Help me chalk up the wins here: you’ve done a World Cup in ODIs, and again you were fabulous in that. Tick. An Ashes Test match. Tick. I’m guessing you’ll be at the Commonwealth Games, then T20 World Cup next year. What are your future goals or unachieved ambitions with your umpiring career?
That’s a really interesting question because my big goals were obviously an ODI World Cup, that was one to tick off, and then an Ashes series, and I went into the Ashes series not having any expectations and to be told I’m going to make my Test debut was just amazing. If I’m looking forward in terms of women’s cricket obviously Commonwealth Games and T20 World Cup would be great to tick off on my resume as well.
But then I think the real challenge here in Australia is female umpires pushing into the men’s game and I think that’s something Cricket Australia has really identified that we do need more equity in terms of women umpiring in men’s cricket. So I guess that’s probably where I’m looking to go next. I was really fortunate last season to do some BBL third umpire and a Marsh Cup third umpire as well.
I think Cricket Australia are doing a wonderful job in terms of promoting the female umpires and the group of female umpires in turn are doing a tremendous job by being very good at what you do. Was Claire (Polosak) in a T20 or ODI men’s game?
Might have been a couple of years ago. I believe it was in Namibia where she made her ODI debut.
So you folk are pioneers really. I won’t be surprised to see more of you being involved in the men’s game. Do you think you’ll do a men’s Test one day?
Oh, that’s a big question. I think that’s a long way into the future. I think it really depends on whether I can take the next opportunities in front of me. I need to continue in my good form, and prepare well, doing everything right and then a little more on top of that.
So it’s really about working hard. I’d like to think that we don’t have to work harder than some of the male umpires but we probably do so that we do present that really positive outlook on female umpires. It’s about preparing well. I think the next pathway for someone on the supplementary panel is to try and get on-field. And that works into BBL hopefully one day and Sheffield Shield from there. Then who knows what happens.
The funny thing about getting more women into certain roles, there’s often quotas mentioned which can be polarising. The current group of female umpires are absolutely killing it, and doing it on merit alone which is just superb and that should kill off any idea of anyone talking about quotas v merit.
Absolutely. I think if you talk with any of us at this level we’d all say the same thing that want to get there because we deserve it, not because we’re filling a number or ticking a box to say yes a female has done this level of cricket. We want to earn that in our own right.
I’d like to think that umpires like myself, Claire, Lisa McCabe in Victoria, Ashley Gibbons in WA. We’re all doing all of this and we’re doing it on merit.
I fully concur with everything you’ve said. I really love watching you out there, you represent yourself very well, you’re a terrific umpire. Thanks for speaking with me today Eloise.
I’d like to say thank you to you and I just love watching all of the goings on with the Facebook page. That’s where I get all my women’s cricket news!
We love seeing you pop in. Once again, congrats with everything you’ve done.
Doggy Review
DRS. The Samoyed, by a country mile! He’s never been that well behaved!
