As a regular TV commentator on Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC and Sky’s Jeff Randall Live, Jeremy Beckwith MCSI is never stumped for an opinion on finance issues.
Outside his job as Chief Investment Officer for London Wall Partners in the City, Jeremy has a growing reputation as an umpire on the professional cricket circuit.
He has risen through the ranks as a cricket official since deciding to concentrate on umpiring in 2003 after a 30-year career in club cricket. (Jeremy decided it was time to go out on a high as a player after scoring 146, including 15 sixes.)
“As I was usually the oldest player in my team by some margin, I was often asked to take on the role of umpire when my team were batting and I found that I really enjoyed it,” says Jeremy. “The next winter I went on an umpires’ training course, passed the exam and started umpiring instead of playing.”
Decisions, decisions
In the following season, Jeremy was appointed as a panel umpire for the Surrey Championship. He then progressed through the divisions of the League and in 2008 was made a Premier League umpire, to cover matches between the best teams in Surrey.
In 2013, he was appointed to the England & Wales Cricket Board’s D list, which appoints umpires to stand alongside one of the 34 professionally contracted umpires in the County 2nd XI competitions.
Jeremy mostly umpires in Surrey and on occasions officiates at matches in Kent, Sussex, Middlesex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Suffolk and Essex. He has also umpired at the National Cricket Academy at Loughborough.
So what are the qualities that make for a good umpire?
“You need to have the attitude that it is the umpire’s job to give the players the best chance to make full use of their abilities in playing the game. This is key. The umpire should never seek to be the centre of attention,” says Jeremy.
An essential attribute is the ability to concentrate for long periods of time – matches can last for seven hours.
“In some matches you might not have an appeal to make a decision on for six and a half
hours but then one comes along that could determine the outcome of the match. You need to be alert and ready to give a decision,” says Jeremy. Man-management skills also come into play to ensure the umpire remains in firm control of the match and has the respect of the players. Jeremy says: “Dealing with very experienced cricketers who want to get inside your head in order to possibly influence your decisions is the main challenge I face when umpiring in the professional game.”
For Jeremy, one of the most rewarding aspects of his umpiring career has been observing the development of young players. He says: “I get to be a central part of cricket matches of a quality that I could never dream of playing in, which allows me to get a wonderful close-up view of the skills of very talented cricketers. I have watched the development of many youngsters who have gone on to play professional and international cricket.”
Out of all the cricket matches Jeremy has umpired, one in particular stays in his mind. It took place at Lord’s – the ground in London revered throughout the world as the home of cricket – and saw Jeremy umpire a match between the renowned Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the CCC (Club Cricket Conference).
“That day was one of the most memorable of my life,” recalls Jeremy.
“The grass on the playing area felt like walking on a giant cushion and is so beautifully maintained; the umpires’ changing room has its own dressing-room steward, who took my order for preferred drink and snack for after the match and found towels for me; the food in the player’s dining room is legendary within cricket and I now understand why; and it was my first time inside the Lord’s Pavilion.
“The game itself was very close and exciting. In the end, the MCC won by one run, with one ball left, and the match was ended by me giving the last batsman out LBW.”
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