Stumped: One Cricket Umpire, Two Countries. A Memoir.

How One Umpire Found His Calling in Women's Cricket

A cricket-mad Australian is living in England when he swaps his batting pads for an umpire's coat.

For six years, Richard Harrison stands at village greens and County Championship grounds across Kent and Sussex, learning his craft one over at a time.

Then he returns to Australia, where a single decision changes everything.

Inspired by a new generation of stars — Meg Lanning, Sophie Molineux, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana — Richard joins the Victorian Premier Cricket Umpires' Panel, asking to stand exclusively in women's matches.

It's a request nobody has made before him.

Stumped follows his journey from Sunday village friendlies to the sharp end of the WBBL era, charting a sport in transition, through the eyes of the person whose job is to remain invisible — until a decision has to be made.

Along the way, he unpacks the laws, the etiquette, and the unspoken code of umpiring — from the mysteries of Law 44 to why no one is ever really out LBW, with warmth, self-deprecating humour, and a genuine love of the game.

Part cricket memoir, part love letter to a sport in the midst of a revolution, Stumped will appeal to anyone who has ever debated a decision, followed a Test Match through the night, or wondered what the game looks like from behind the stumps.

Don't get caught on the back foot - get your copy of Stumped today and step onto the pitch with the best seat in the house.

© 2020 Richard Harrison (Lydbog): 9781662287909

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Lydbog: 5. september 2020