G Williams: The Stress Of Umpiring (Apr 95)

STRESS OF UMPIRING Glynn Williams on an enquiry into heartbeats

WISDEN CRICKET MONTHLY -- APRIL 1995 PRE-EMPTIVE THANKS TO DAVID FRITH, ED.

A SOUTH AFRICAN professor of human studies is conducting what is believed to be the world`s first enquiry into the heartbeat rate of cricket umpires.

Richard Stretch, head of Dept Of Human Studies, Ft Hare Univ, Eastern Cape, said electrodes on the chest of umpires in this season`s Tests and international one day matches fed information on heart rates into a special watch worn on the wrist.

Prof. Stretch said in an interview that initial results indicated the heartbeat rate of umpires standing for long periods in the field would be subject to day-long stress, averaging 72 to 80 beats a minute, against 60-65 beats at rest.

Appeals sent the rate soaring to 110-120 beats a minute. There were increases in the rate --though less dramatic-- when decisions had to be made on, for instance, wides and no-balls.

Border Cricket Board and a former provincial player. "Umpires spend up to eight hours in exacting circumstances,and it is almost inevitable that mistakes will be made, particularly when they get tired. This study, which will be linked with a detailed questionnaire completed by the umpires, is aimed at helping umpires and improving standards.`

Prof. Stretch said it was not expensive in terms of equipment -- around 3500 rand, mainly for the computer interface.

The investigation had been welcomed wholeheartedly. He had received full co-operation from the president of the South African Cricket Umpires Assoc. Brian Basson, and there has been a good response when he spoke to a panel of 24 umpires in Johannesburg before its launch.

Prof. Stretch said his department had also researched cricket injuries. The most frequent were caused by the ball hitting the hand. Back injuries were also common. He could have been presaging current concern over Shane Warne`s shoulder when he said injuries from over-use were increasing. He pointed out that it was generally racehorses, greyhounds and runners who got stress fractures --but the stress fractrue to England`s Darren Gough in Australia emphasized the danger of year-round cricket.

Injuries were more likely to occur in the early part of the season, when players were not fit, and when there was a rush of fixtures. There was also a tendency for injuries to recur for two main reasons: Players restarted too soon, and the period out through injury was not spent constructively in helping to repair the damage.

The proffesor said they were also looking at a detailed analysis of batsmen`s grips using a speed camera of 100 frames a second. (The third-eye umpire camera shoots at 50 frames a second.) This would give an extensive database, showing what different limb segments were doing at a particular time, and could be further developed for use in such sports as tennis and golf. Among their findings were that the drive peaks just before impact, and decelerates immediately on impact, with the grip also slackening just before impact.

Source :: Wisden Monthly