Full Name

Brent Fraser Bowden

Born

April 11, 1963, Henderson, Auckland

Age

60y 343d

Other

Umpire

Some eccentrics are born. Others thrust eccentricity upon themselves. Step forward, Brent "Billy" Bowden, the New Zealand umpiring sensation who shot to fame with a zany array of embellished signals and a preposterous eye for showmanship. Bowden turned to umpiring after the onset of arthritis in his early-twenties, and earned a reputation for giving batsmen out with a curiously bent finger. Suitably encouraged, he threw out the rule-book which states that the best cricket officials are the ones that go unnoticed, and added a whole host of whacky twists to his daily routine. The most celebrated of these is his hop-on-one-leg-and-reach-for-Jesus signal for six, and he seems pre-programmed to pose throughout a match, even when ducking for his life as a pull-shot rockets through square-leg. For all the embellishments, his decision-making skills are almost without equal among the ICC's elite panel, although in 2007 he was suspended from standing at that year's inaugural Twenty20 World Championships, following his role in the farcical conclusion of the World Cup final in Barbados.
Andrew Miller June 2007

Billy Bowden Career Stats

Umpire & Referee

FormatMatUmpireTV Umpire
Tests1048420
ODIs25920059
T20Is32248
WTests11-
WODIs2121-
WT20Is26242
FC9191-
List A1121102
T20s17414529
Billy Bowden

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Photos of Billy Bowden

Umpire Billy Bowden signals a four in his characteristic style
Billy Bowden raises a finger to confirm Denesh Ramdin's fate
Taxi! Billy Bowden and Nigel Llong call for the covers
Billy Bowden relays the third-umpire's decision after Alviro Petersen asked for a review
Angelo Mathews had to be told to calm down by the umpires
Umpire Billy Bowden signals a decision reversed