Challenging, but a lot of fun: Aussie umpire Treloar embraces Ranji stint

For Australian umpire Ben Treloar, the last week in India has been an enriching experience. The 44-year-old, as part of an exchange programme for umpires between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia, was in the national capital for the Ranji Trophy encounter between Delhi and Gujarat. Treloar will officiate one more Ranji game, between Mumbai and Haryana next week, before returning home.

“Incredibly challenging to come into a new environment, one that’s foreign to me, and umpire this high level of First Class cricket here in India,” Treloar said of his first Ranji game. “It’s been challenging, but a lot of fun as well. The great thing about this opportunity is being able to learn, being put under pressure in different conditions, and just learning more about yourself, the game, and umpiring as well.”

Though Treloar has stood in 30 First Class games in Australia, the docile strip at the Palam ‘B’ ground was very different to what he had encountered back home. It resulted in a lot of overs on the field in the first innings of both teams, with Delhi piling up a mammoth 648 for six declared in 136.4 overs and Gujarat responding with 479 in 174.1 overs.

“The main difference for me this week has been the type of pitch that we played on. In more recent times, there has been quite a bit of moisture, grass, and significant bounce on the pitches at the big stadiums around Australia,” he observed. “To umpire on a black-soil pitch this week, where it was a little bit slower as the game moved on and didn’t break up at all, was a really good challenge. It was the first time I’ve umpired an innings where a team scored 650 (sic). It might be flat, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy”.