THE DREADED FINGER by Marcus Hook

It has often been my belief that some umpires are quicker to pull the trigger than others when the bowler, keeper and slips all go up. It also seemed that Surrey did better when certain umpires were standing and, conversely, badly when others were officiating. So, a few years ago, I started maintaining statistics to see if there was any evidence of this. I looked at how many leg before decisions were given in the Brown Caps' favour and how many were given to the opposition in the County Championship. In addition, I looked at the results of each game umpire by umpire. Generally speaking the stats confirmed one or two firmly held beliefs, but there were some surprises too. For instance, for a long time I felt that given he was the only ex-Surrey player on the umpires' panel, Trevor Jesty was surprisingly harsh on the Brown Caps. But not only did my analysis suggest he was no better or worse, Surrey have actually had more LBWs given in their favour when Jesty has been standing. Clearly, it has not been possible to determine how many times TJ lifted the dreaded finger, but there is sufficient evidence that he probably isn't hard on his old county at all. So, bang went that theory. It is always worth remembering, therefore, that there are lies, damned lies and, of course, there are statistics! The tables below are as at the end of the 2008 season.

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF LBWs in championship matches involving Surrey

Umpire Matches Home Away W D L A Ranking LBW for LBW ag'st LBWs +/- Tot Wkts LBWs %
Harris 13 4 9 6 4 3 0 61.54 50 35 142.9% 406 20.9%
Robinson 3 2 1 0 1 1 1 25.00 6 8 75.0% 71 19.7%
Lloyds 17 11 6 8 7 1 1 71.88 39 45 86.7% 438 19.2%
Steele 15 8 7 7 8 0 0 73.33 49 38 128.9% 460 18.9%
Willey 21 12 9 6 10 5 0 52.38 57 57 100.0% 603 18.9%
Jesty 21 12 9 8 5 7 1 52.50 63 49 128.6% 614 18.2%
Holder J 38 16 22 15 11 12 0 53.95 102 106 96.2% 1149 18.1%
Sharp 21 10 11 8 8 5 0 57.14 48 51 94.1% 549 18.0%
Mallender 15 10 5 8 6 1 0 73.33 43 31 138.7% 412 18.0%
Hartley 8 3 5 2 3 3 0 43.75 18 20 90.0% 212 17.9%
Burgess 30 16 14 8 16 6 0 53.33 72 65 110.8% 769 17.8%
Holder V 26 13 13 12 6 8 0 57.69 75 68 110.3% 810 17.7%
Dudleston 44 19 25 13 22 9 0 54.55 100 111 90.1% 1207 17.5%
Leadbeater 37 18 19 10 17 10 0 50.00 98 83 118.1% 1052 17.2%
Cowley 10 5 5 6 4 0 0 80.00 24 24 100.0% 297 16.2%
Illingworth 3 0 3 2 1 0 0 83.33 5 10 50.0% 94 16.0%
Gould 9 5 4 5 2 2 0 66.67 19 19 100.0% 249 15.3%
Bailey 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 25.00 5 5 100.0% 66 15.2%
Jones 38 17 21 11 18 8 1 54.05 75 73 102.7% 996 14.9%
Kettleborough 5 2 3 1 1 3 0 30.00 12 9 133.3% 142 14.8%
Llong 11 7 4 5 2 4 0 54.55 25 23 108.7% 331 14.5%
Evans 9 7 2 2 5 2 0 50.00 19 18 105.6% 258 14.3%
Bainton 4 1 3 1 2 1 0 50.00 8 9 88.9% 127 13.4%
Cook 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 100.00 1 2 50.0% 36 8.3%
Millns 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 50.00 0 1 0.0% 12 8.3%
Bodenham 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 50.00 0 1 0.0% 26 3.8%

LBWs IN SURREY'S FAVOUR

Umpire Matches Home Away W D L A Ranking LBW for LBW ag'st LBWs +/- Tot Wkts LBWs %
Harris 13 4 9 6 4 3 0 61.54 50 35 142.9% 406 20.9%
Mallender 15 10 5 8 6 1 0 73.33 43 31 138.7% 412 18.0%
Kettleborough 5 2 3 1 1 3 0 30.00 12 9 133.3% 142 14.8%
Steele 15 8 7 7 8 0 0 73.33 49 38 128.9% 460 18.9%
Jesty 21 12 9 8 5 7 1 52.50 63 49 128.6% 614 18.2%
Leadbeater 37 18 19 10 17 10 0 50.00 98 83 118.1% 1052 17.2%
Burgess 30 16 14 8 16 6 0 53.33 72 65 110.8% 769 17.8%
Holder V 26 13 13 12 6 8 0 57.69 75 68 110.3% 810 17.7%
Llong 11 7 4 5 2 4 0 54.55 25 23 108.7% 331 14.5%
Evans 9 7 2 2 5 2 0 50.00 19 18 105.6% 258 14.3%
Jones 38 17 21 11 18 8 1 54.05 75 73 102.7% 996 14.9%
Willey 21 12 9 6 10 5 0 52.38 57 57 100.0% 603 18.9%
Cowley 10 5 5 6 4 0 0 80.00 24 24 100.0% 297 16.2%
Gould 9 5 4 5 2 2 0 66.67 19 19 100.0% 249 15.3%
Bailey 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 25.00 5 5 100.0% 66 15.2%
Holder J 38 16 22 15 11 12 0 53.95 102 106 96.2% 1149 18.1%
Sharp 21 10 11 8 8 5 0 57.14 48 51 94.1% 549 18.0%
Dudleston 44 19 25 13 22 9 0 54.55 100 111 90.1% 1207 17.5%
Hartley 8 3 5 2 3 3 0 43.75 18 20 90.0% 212 17.9%
Bainton 4 1 3 1 2 1 0 50.00 8 9 88.9% 127 13.4%
Lloyds 17 11 6 8 7 1 1 71.88 39 45 86.7% 438 19.2%
Robinson 3 2 1 0 1 1 1 25.00 6 8 75.0% 71 19.7%
Illingworth 3 0 3 2 1 0 0 83.33 5 10 50.0% 94 16.0%
Cook 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 100.00 1 2 50.0% 36 8.3%
Bodenham 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 50.00 0 1 0.0% 26 3.8%
Millns 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 50.00 0 1 0.0% 12 8.3%

SURREY'S RESULTS

Umpire Matches Home Away W D L A Ranking LBW for LBW ag'st LBWs +/- Tot Wkts LBWs %
Cook 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 100.00 1 2 50.0% 36 8.3%
Illingworth 3 0 3 2 1 0 0 83.33 5 10 50.0% 94 16.0%
Cowley 10 5 5 6 4 0 0 80.00 24 24 100.0% 297 16.2%
Mallender 15 10 5 8 6 1 0 73.33 43 31 138.7% 412 18.0%
Steele 15 8 7 7 8 0 0 73.33 49 38 128.9% 460 18.9%
Lloyds 17 11 6 8 7 1 1 71.88 39 45 86.7% 438 19.2%
Gould 9 5 4 5 2 2 0 66.67 19 19 100.0% 249 15.3%
Harris 13 4 9 6 4 3 0 61.54 50 35 142.9% 406 20.9%
Holder V 26 13 13 12 6 8 0 57.69 75 68 110.3% 810 17.7%
Sharp 21 10 11 8 8 5 0 57.14 48 51 94.1% 549 18.0%
Dudleston 44 19 25 13 22 9 0 54.55 100 111 90.1% 1207 17.5%
Llong 11 7 4 5 2 4 0 54.55 25 23 108.7% 331 14.5%
Jones 38 17 21 11 18 8 1 54.05 75 73 102.7% 996 14.9%
Holder J 38 16 22 15 11 12 0 53.95 102 106 96.2% 1149 18.1%
Burgess 30 16 14 8 16 6 0 53.33 72 65 110.8% 769 17.8%
Jesty 21 12 9 8 5 7 1 52.50 63 49 128.6% 614 18.2%
Willey 21 12 9 6 10 5 0 52.38 57 57 100.0% 603 18.9%
Leadbeater 37 18 19 10 17 10 0 50.00 98 83 118.1% 1052 17.2%
Evans 9 7 2 2 5 2 0 50.00 19 18 105.6% 258 14.3%
Bainton 4 1 3 1 2 1 0 50.00 8 9 88.9% 127 13.4%
Bodenham 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 50.00 0 1 0.0% 26 3.8%
Millns 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 50.00 0 1 0.0% 12 8.3%
Hartley 8 3 5 2 3 3 0 43.75 18 20 90.0% 212 17.9%
Kettleborough 5 2 3 1 1 3 0 30.00 12 9 133.3% 142 14.8%
Robinson 3 2 1 0 1 1 1 25.00 6 8 75.0% 71 19.7%
Bailey 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 25.00 5 5 100.0% 66 15.2%

Prior to 2009, the following umpires had not officiated in a County Championship match involving Surrey: Coburn, Gale, Garratt, Gough, Hicks, Malone and Urben.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP APPOINTMENTS 2009 - matches involving Surrey

Starting Opponent Venue Umpire 1 Umpire 2
15-Apr-2009 Gloucestershire The Oval Garratt    Mallender 
22-Apr-2009 Derbyshire Derby Jesty      Steele    
6-May-2009 Middlesex The Oval Evans      Millns    
6-Jun-2009 Glamorgan Cardiff Dudleston  Llong     
11-Jun-2009 Northamptonshire Northampton Garratt    Mallender 
16-Jun-2009 Leicestershire Leicester Gough      Lloyds    
30-Jun-2009 Middlesex Lord's Benson     Dudleston 
10-Jul-2009 Kent The Oval Bailey     Steele    
15-Jul-2009 Essex Guildford Cowley     Harris    
31-Jul-2009 Leicestershire The Oval Gould      Steele    
6-Aug-2009 Derbyshire Whitgift School Bodenham   Robinson  
19-Aug-2009 Essex Colchester Gough      Hartley   
28-Aug-2009 Kent Canterbury Sharp      Willey    
2-Sep-2009 Gloucestershire Bristol Bainton    Cowley    
9-Sep-2009 Northamptonshire The Oval Cook       Holder V 
23-Sep-2009 Glamorgan The Oval Harris     Holder J 

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