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Ill Remember This For As Long As I Can, Says Ben Treloar On His Ranji Trophy Umpiring Stint

New South Wales Cricket Umpires: Two Ranji Trophy matches, a handful of new friendships and a fresh taste for Indian cooking are some of the memories Australian umpire Ben Treloar will hold on for the rest of his life after wrapping up his maiden first-class cricket umpiring stint in the country. Treloar spent the second half of October in India before flying back to Sydney. He stood in two Ranji Trophy fixtures - the second-round Elite Group C clash between Delhi and Gujarat at the Palam Air Force B Ground, and then officiated in the third-round fixture between Mumbai and Haryana at the BKC ground in Mumbai. Treloar officiating in the Ranji Trophy games was possible due to the Umpire Exchange Programme between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). From India, umpire Parashar Joshi will be in Australia to stand in two Sheffield Shield matches and one One Day Cup fixture. Absolutely - Ill be remembering this for as long as I can remember. So its been an incredible experience and Id love to come back for sure to be either umpiring or just seeing the rest of India. Its an amazing place and one that I can hopefully be able to share with my family one day in the near future, a jet-lagged Treloar said in an interaction with IANS. Treloar, who learnt of his trip to India about six weeks before travelling, came with considerable experience of officiating in 107 mens matches across first-class, List A and T20 cricket, besides two womens ODIs and seven womens T20Is. Yet the Ranji Trophy umpiring debut tested him. He stood on the field for 318.5 overs across four days of a high-scoring draw at Palam. Four days before the game began, Treloar landed in New Delhi in order to adjust to the weather and time zone. He also spent close to 10 hours touring the city with a driver and guide just hours after checking into his hotel at 2 am. The following day, just driving around Delhi, seeing the sights, learning about the history of the city. So, for me, just really embracing the culture, being out in the city, seeing the people, eating the food, getting used to the weather, all those types of things really got me ready for the game that was to be in a couple of days time, he added. He admitted to butterflies on match morning, mostly from wanting to repay the faith of CA and the BCCI, but they eased after day ones play. It wasnt lost on me how prestigious the Ranji Trophy is and the history that competition has, and the players realise that as well, and thats why they play with so much passion in India. So, definitely some nerves, but they were good nerves. It was just about really looking forward to getting the game underway and getting this Indian journey started, added Treloar. Among his fondest memories are the performances he watched up close: a knock of 199 from Priyansh Arya and a double century from Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni. In Mumbai, seeing centuries from bats of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Musheer Khan, Nishant Sindhu, and Tanush Kotians figures of 8-81 will be forever etched in Treloars mind. Those types of things are really going to stick with me over the course of time. Being part of that and being able to be there and witness it, that was pretty special. The other things that really stuck out to me and quite obvious were how close our officiating team was. My colleagues, Vinod (Seshan) and Sadi (Sadashiv Iyer) and then the match referees as well and their contribution to the team across the two games. I didnt feel like I was coming from the outside or just joining them for a couple of games. All of them made me feel really welcome, part of the team. We just shared all of our responsibilities. So for me, thats what Im going to take out most from these games, just the teamwork that the umpires showed for each other. I made some pretty good friends for the rest of my life there, he added. As the game progressed in Palam, Treloar stopped feeling like he was officiating in a foreign country. The players, too, went out of their way. Oh yeah, a lot of the players, when they were standing next to me in the field or if we were seeing them in the morning before the game started, they just came over and said hello and asked my name and where I was from. So there was some genuine interest there around me, and I was part of that game for them. But they were very welcoming, very encouraging and just hope that I enjoyed my time in India. So it was really nice. On staying switched on through marathon batting innings from both teams at Palam, Treloar said routines honed over two decades kept him going. You fall back onto those routines, making sure youre doing the same thing every ball, and just reminding yourself where you are and bring yourself back in the moment. Were here at Palam, were umpiring Delhi and Gujarat, and were just doing the best job we can. So for me, six balls at a time, same routine, and we just umpire with what we see and hear at the other end and make decisions based on that. Asked if the low-flying aircrafts flying over his head were a distraction, Treloar stated, Yeah, it was. Weve got a similar ground here in Sydney called Drummoyne Oval, where weve got planes that come over quite regularly as well. So I kind of leant on that experience a bit, and Palam theyre a little bit closer, a little bit louder, but by the end of the game, I think, I didnt realise that they were coming over as often as they were. Treloar then drew the difference between the two venues:- on Delhis black soil, balls stayed low and slow, while Mumbais red soil helped the quicks early before breaking up. When youre in Mumbai, with the ball spinning and bouncing a bit, thats a challenge as well. The ball was bouncing higher at times than what you think, and spinning a bit more than you think as well. So youve got to catch up with tracking the ball, he said. Anticipating this, Treloar joined both squads for intense net sessions on similar surfaces two days before the game and on the eve of the clash. I did because when it started to happen during the match, it wasnt a surprise. So wed seen it beforehand and then just to give ourselves the best opportunity. Its not foolproof. Were not perfect, but you give yourself the best opportunity if you can do that practice before, he said of the preparation. Off the field, the food left a deep impression on Treloar - from rich Delhi fare of stuffed potatoes and capsicums, roti, naan and dal to lighter meals in Mumbai. On his first night back home, he cooked butter chicken, saffron rice and roti from scratch for his family. Being in India gave us a real understanding of the different flavour profiles and then being able to come here and then practise them at home and share some of that experience with my family was really special. So they loved it, which was great and thatll be the first of many different meals that well have together with that Indian flavour. Asked if he was now a cooking connoisseur, Treloar laughed. I dont know about a connoisseur, but I enjoy it. Its something away from cricket that you can lose yourself in and yeah, it makes your family happy. So thats great. I love doing it. Treloars journey began with playing cricket at 11. At 23, after three straight summers of club cricket in Australia, England and back home, he sensed his calling lay in umpiring. I did my first sort of umpiring Laws of Cricket course when I was about 16. I was still playing. I did that with my dad who came along and after we finished that, I kept playing for a bit and then I think I was about 23 or 24 when I made the decision to go into umpiring. I was playing cricket on Saturday and then I started umpiring on Sunday. I did that for a season and then once that season had finished, I think the love for umpiring and officiating took over. So, I stopped playing and then took up officiating on a more regular basis. He cleared his Level 2 accreditation through the New South Wales Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association, where he has worked full-time as an education officer for nearly six years and has been on the active umpiring circuit for 21 years. Next for Treloar are umpiring in Premier Cricket games in Sydney and a Sheffield Shield fixture, but a return trip to India remains firmly on his wish list - this time, he hopes, with his family. For now, gratitude runs deep in Treloar for the experiences the umpires exchange programme offered him for the rest of his life. Cricket Australia and the BCCI have got such a strong and positive relationship. I guess all the umpires from both boards are grateful for the investment that theyre making in umpiring and providing those opportunities for some umpires to experience conditions in different countries. Its a great opportunity for those that are involved to bring that experience back to the umpires in their home country and share those learnings and experiences from the games that theyve had. So any of that assistance that we can provide to our colleagues to help them be better in umpiring, and to help them here at home. Cricket Australia and the BCCI have got such a strong and positive relationship. I guess all the umpires from both boards are grateful for the investment that theyre making in umpiring and providing those opportunities for some umpires to experience conditions in different countries. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories Article Source: IANS