Howzat for a milestone: Bill Sheahan to umpire his 700th Cricket Victoria match

Bill Sheahan’s rise from a Wednesday afternoon school umpire took him all the way to international cricket. And he’s still going strong in Victorian Premier Cricket.

Umpire Bill Sheahan will do his 700th Cricket Victoria match on Saturday.

Of all the thousands of decisions he’s made, Bill Sheahan thinks answering his club’s call for an umpire was one of the best.

Before then he hadn’t given a moment’s thought to cricket umpiring.

Sheahan was a foundation member of what was St Paul’s Old Boys Cricket Club, and the school in Altona North joined the Associated Catholic Colleges sports competition.

As secretary, Sheahan was told the team needed an umpire to stand in matches on Wednesday afternoons.

Working in the public service, he had flexitime and figured he could spare a few hours.

Off he went to the school match.

And so began an umpiring career that took him all the way to international cricket.

On Saturday, amid many go-well wishes from past and present colleagues and players, it takes in the milestone of 700 Cricket Victoria matches (Premier Cricket and anything above).

He’ll do it at the Albert Ground, which he considers the home of Premier Cricket.

With a charming pavilion, trees ringing the oval and views of the city skyline, the Albert has great appeal to Sheahan, 68.

“I think it’s a beautiful setting, just a pleasant place to umpire cricket,’’ he said.

There’s another reason he likes it: despite traffic coming and going on either side of it on busy Queens and St Kilda roads, and despite helicopters sometimes flying overhead, it’s a good “hearing’’ ground for umpires.

Snicks don’t pass in silence.

“It always helps when you can hear well,’’ Sheahan said.

Umpire Bill Sheahan gives out Andrew Hudson LBW in the 1994 Australia-South Africa Test at the SCG.

Many years earlier when he was doing those school games on flexitime Bill Sheahan heard encouraging words from another Test umpire.

Sheahan stood in a match with Bill Smyth, who officiated in four Tests in the 1960s.

Smyth must have liked what he saw in his rookie partner that day. He asked Sheahan if he was interested in becoming an umpire with the Victorian Cricket Association.

“If we can knock a few rough edges off you, you might be all right,’’ he said.

Not long after Sheahan hurt himself playing basketball and decided to take Smyth up on the offer.

He winter to winter classes, listened to lectures, passed the entrance exam and joined the District Cricket panel in 1980-81.

Sheahan started in the fourths and gradually climbed the grades.

His first First XI game was at Glenferrie Oval, home of Hawthorn East Melbourne.

Elevation to the state squad came a couple of seasons later.

Two more steep rises were ahead: the national panel and then two Test matches, both in the 1993-94 season.

“I was pleasantly surprised every time I was promoted,’’ he said.

His first Test was in Hobart, when Australia played New Zealand and Shane Warne took nine wickets for the match, skittling the visitors with 6-31 in their second innings.

And in Australia’s first dig Michael Slater, David Boon and Mark Waugh all made centuries, giving the new chum plenty of work to do with his left arm in signalling boundaries.

In Sheahan’s second Test Australia folded in a second-innings run chase against South Africa, Fanie de Villiers claiming 6-43.

Umpire Bill Sheahan has stood in many matches. And he’s stood the test of time.

Sheahan said it had been a joy to umpire players of the calibre of Warne, Slater, Allan Border, the Waughs, Glenn McGrath and Ian Healy.

“You can look it up … Australia had the best team going around back then and it was great to be on the field with them,’’ he said.

“I mean, ‘Warnie’ went through New Zealand. And this was before his injuries, before the shoulder injury, and he could turn the ball all over the place.’’

Sheahan was also the third umpire in five Tests, umpired five ODIs and stood in 28 Shield matches.

“When I talk to people, someone will say, ‘Oh, Bill’s a Test umpire’,’’ he said.

“I always say, ‘No, I’m a former Test umpire’. But people then say, ‘No, you’re never ‘former’, you have done Test cricket so you are therefore a Test umpire’. That sounds OK.’’

During his time on the national panel the ICC introduced neutral umpires.

An Australian group of 14 was reduced to eight and Sheahan was among the six let go.

He could not complain.

He had handled Test cricket; not bad for a “western suburbs boys who played park cricket’’.

“To reach the heights that I did was amazing to me. I loved the ride and I was quite comfortable that I’d had my turn,’’ he said.

Bill Sheahan has overseen almost 500 Premoer Cricket First XI matches. Pic: Arj Giese, Cricket Victoria

All up he had 11 years on the first-class panel. Since then he’s contentedly continued in Premier Cricket, dispensing wise and encouraging words to his colleagues.

Mention his name to any of the leading players in the competition and they say the same thing: he’s a fine umpire, sound in his decision-making, quick to shut down any trouble, and good company on the ground and off it.

He’ll have a chat to a player. And, yes, he’ll own up to mistakes.

“We all make them over time,’’ he said. “You just get on with it. Umpires at whatever level they’re at should feel confident that they’re there for a very good reason and that is that someone has adjudged that they can perform at that level.’’

Sheahan is not a “reporting’’ umpire; he prefers to resolve things on the field.

“If not there, then in one of the rooms after the game,’’ he said.

“But I’d much rather nip it in the bud in its early stages. You can anticipate it sometimes, sense when a situation may be building. If you can’t prevent it you at least deal with it on the spot in an efficient manner. You don’t stand there arguing and pointing fingers.’’

Sheahan would need a durable counter to add up all the matches he’s umpired; when he’s not doing Premier Cricket, he’s off doing junior carnivals, school and Sunday senior games, and even social affairs.

In two weeks he heads to Echuca for the Over 60s series.

He points out he’s umpired from Under 11 games played for no points to international cricket, “where the best players in the world were playing’’.

“I’ll umpire anywhere,’’ he said. “If there’s a game of cricket that I can get to, I’ll get to it.’’

And he intends to do for some time.

Bill Sheahan, the umpire who rose from school to Test cricket, is not out yet.

Bill Sheahan with colleague Greg Azzopardi. Pic: Arj Giese, Cricket Victoria

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT BILL SHEAHAN

“He’s made a remarkable contribution, and not just to the high levels of all cricket. He’s dedicated more than 40 years of his life to cricket umpiring, and he’s such an amiable person, always willing to help up-and-comers. He’s such a valuable asset to umpiring.’’

Cricket Victoria umpires coach Damian Herft

“This is a great man. One of the good guys always had control in the middle but allowed players to be humans, not robots.’’

Former Victorian captain Darren Berry

“Amazing contribution. He umpires with personality and cheeky fun’’.

Prahran assistant coach and former Melbourne player Justin Graham

“Congrats on behalf of all at the MCC, Billy. Great contribution to the competition and the game. Best leftie in the business.’’

Melbourne Cricket Club