Bill Sheahan would need a reliable counter to work out how many cricket matches he‘s umpired in more than 40 years in the game. He starts with his record 600 in the First XI, writes PAUL AMY.
The finger so familiar in Victorian cricket was raised just after midday.
Umpire Bill Sheahan was at square leg when Melbourne captain Blake Thomson tried to flick the ball fine in last Saturday’s Premier First XI match at the Albert Ground.
The ball eluded Thomson’s bat, but not the gloves of Greenvale Kangaroos wicketkeeper Bernard Kelly, who quickly broke the stumps and went up in a raucous appeal.
Kelly was sure Thomson had slipped out of his ground.
Umpire Sheahan was too.
And so he lifted his left hand and extended his index finger, sending the skipper on his way.
Many cricketers have seen that finger over the years, from hardened Test men to hopeful juniors.
Bill Sheahan, 69, would need a durable counter to add up all the matches he has umpired in a career that began more than 40 years ago.
He has stood the test of time, as well as in a record number of games.
Last Saturday, Sheahan reached a mighty milestone: His 600th Premier Cricket First XI or higher match.
It was also his 500th men’s First XI game.
The tally doesn’t include 107 fixtures in the lower grades of Premier, nor the many school, under-age representative, pathways and veteran’s matches he’s overseen.
Last week Sheahan umpired three junior matches. This week he is set to do another four, including the Under 15 Youth Premier League girls final on Friday.
If there is a game of cricket on, count him in.
He’s proud to say he’s done every level, from not-for-points in Under 11s to Tests and ODIs.
Last Sunday he even umpired in a T25 competition in Melbourne’s west.
“There are a million games to do if you want, and I always want to do ‘em,’’ Sheahan says.
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Bill Sheahan made his start in umpiring in the 1970s.
He was a foundation member of what was St Paul’s Old Boys Cricket Club. It was attached to the school in Altona North, which joined the Associated Catholic Colleges sports competition.
As club secretary, Sheahan was told the team needed an umpire for its matches on Wednesday afternoons.
Work in the public service brought the luxury of flexitime and he figured he could spare a few hours.
Off he went.
During one of those Associated Catholic Colleges games he came across former international umpire Bill Smyth.
Smyth, who officiated in four Tests in the 1960s, had some encouraging words for Sheahan and sounded him out about joining the Victorian Cricket Association.
“If we can knock a few rough edges off you, you might be all right,’’ Smyth had told him.
Sheahan joined the District Cricket panel in 1980-81, starting in the Fourth XI.
He says it was his lucky day when he met Smyth; if he hadn’t, he doubts he would have pursued umpiring.
“For some reason he saw something in me,’’ he says. “I’m greatly indebted to Bill. I would have been about 27 when he approached me about District cricket. I wanted to keep playing and chasing girls and drinking beer, as you do. He said, ‘Well, when you’re ready to have a crack, give me a call’. That’s how it all transpired.’’
By 1987-88, after deciding to get more serious and forego his annual January holiday to Perth, Sheahan was handling First XI matches, setting off at the old Glenferrie Oval, Hawthorn-East Melbourne against Melbourne.
In 1989-90 he was called up for his first Sheffield Shield game, Victoria against Queensland.
It was at the MCG; then, Shield umpires only officiated in “home’’ matches.
The 1993-94 season brought the biggest rise of all, to Test cricket.
These days international umpires travel all over the world. When he was picked for Tests, Bill Sheahan had never umpired outside of Victoria.
“It was a strange arrangement back then,’’ he says.
The first of his two Test matches came in Hobart, when Australia played New Zealand.
The rookie and colleague Darrell Hair saw centuries from Michael Slater, David Boon and Mark Waugh in an Australian total of 6-544 (dec) and then bags of wickets from Tim May (5-65) and Shane Warne (6-31) as the visitors tumbled to an innings defeat.
In his second Test a few weeks later at the SCG, Sheahan was at the bowler’s end as Fanie de Villiers memorably and brilliantly grabbed 6-43 and the Australians folded for 111 in their pursuit of 116.
De Villiers took 10 wickets in the match and Warne 12.
Almost 30 years later, he looks back and thinks he was fortunate to umpire cricketers of the calibre of Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ian Healy and Allan Donald.
“The Aussies had probably the best team I can remember,’’ he says.
“Look through those names … the best bowling attack, the best batting line-up and Healy was the wicketkeeper.’’
Sheahan quickly became aware the bigger stage brought greater scrutiny.
In the opening exchanges of the Sydney Test, he gave South African opener Andrew Hudson out LBW to McGrath.
In the Channel 9 commentary box, Bill Lawry thought it might have been a fraction high.
That night, alone in his hotel room, Sheahan was receiving messages about the decision, which was highlighted on Sports Tonight.
“When they showed it straight-on, it looked out. When they showed it side-on, you could see he (Hudson) jumped in the air and it was probably going over,’’ Sheahan says.
“So, anyway…’’
He’s never made the mistake of not owning up to mistakes. Every umpire makes them, he says.
A few weeks after the Test he received a letter from South Africa, with the writer suggesting he might want to do something other than umpiring.
“Mr Sheahan, with all due respect,’’ he recalls with a laugh.
Sheahan also served as the third umpire in five Tests, umpired five ODIs and stood in 28 Sheffield Shield matches.
In Victorian Premier Cricket he oversaw the 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 grand finals.
Premier players say Sheahan is a good decision-maker, firm when the occasion demands it, and good company on and off the ground.
“I just love how direct he is,’’ Ringwood coach and former premiership captain Sean Flynn says of Sheahan.
“There’s no bullshit. He’s straight to the point, and always in the rooms afterwards to have a chat.
“He’s got a good way with the players in that he doesn’t try to overtake the game. You know that he’s very firm and the boss, if you like, but he’s not bigger than the game. He’s part of the game.’’
Veteran Frankston Peninsula wicketkeeper Jacques Augustin says Sheahan is quick to pull a misbehaving player into line, but just as quick to share a laugh.
“He knows a lot of blokes by their first names, so he’s got that personal touch,’’ Augustin says.
He adds: “When you see that left hand slowly going up, you best start walking. He’s a beauty, Billy boy.’’
Responding to Flynn’s comments, Sheahan says he doesn’t want to be the boss, “but I do want the game to run smoothly’’.
He says he prides himself on working well with his partner and his understanding of the playing conditions.
“I don’t want to be making basic mistakes … I try to provide the best service I can to the game, at whatever level.’’
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When Bill Sheahan pulled up near the Albert Ground ahead of his milestone match last Saturday, he came across Greenvale Kangaroos coach Damian Shanahan in the car park.
Shanahan played a lot of Premier Cricket and saw Sheahan’s raised index finger plenty of times, gratefully when he was bowling, grouchily when he was batting.
“I think I had him in my first or second game, back in ’93,’’ Shanahan says.
“That’s a fair while ago now, isn’t it? Credit to him that he’s been able to umpire at this level for so long and pass on all that knowledge and experience to the next umpires coming through.
“I always thought he was a great umpire … he allowed the game to be played as it should be played. He’s nice and level with his communication, even in his approach, a calm influence out there. Always a bit of banter with him too.’’
After Saturday’s match, Sheahan answered a knock at the door of the umpires’ room.
It was Shanahan bearing a gift, a bottle of Scotch for the 600-game milestone.
Sheahan appreciated the gesture.
“I’ve always got on all right with ‘Shannas’,’’ he says. “He’s another one who’s probably hard but fair.’’
Sheahan stood in the match with Ron Birch, with whom he has umpired regularly umpired in the past decade.
“He was his impeccable self,’’ Birch says.
“He doesn’t have too many bad days, Billy.’’
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