When it comes to cricket the women are standing up and being counted. The White Ferns are number two in the world, the domestic women’s league is well under way and one female umpire continues to show the men how it’s done.
Kathy Cross from Wellington has been an umpire for 10 seasons, deciding to become the woman in the middle after retiring from playing. Although umpiring is male dominated, Cross loves the challenges umpiring brings. “Sure it can be hard being in a male environment, but the challenges are good and I enjoy them.”
She’s umpired domestic one day games, both men’s and women’s leagues, and said she brings a woman’s touch to the officiating. She said, however that she doesn’t mind who she stands out in the middle with. “It doesn’t matter whether I stand with men or women. I’ve stood with more men, but I just go with the flow. I think I’m accepted as one of the lads,” she laughed.
Cross is currently the only woman on the regional panel for umpiring, but she pointed out more women are becoming interested in umpiring. “We’ve got a couple of women at club level and then there’s Nicky Sinclair in Wellington who is doing senior men’s cricket. She’s doing very well.”
Cross said if you want to get involved with cricket then call your local association. “We always warmly welcome new umpires and it would be great to have lots more females standing out in the middle.”
