VCA Umpires and Scorers Association
Fellowship amongst Cricket Umpires and Scorers
The 2023/24 Committee of Management
Tony joined the CV panel in 1999 and has umpired 369 Premier matches over all grades. Tony also umpired in the Sub-District Association for one season before joining the CV panel. He also played for 16 years in the Jika Cricket Association (now Northern Metropolitan Cricket Association) for Preston Druids CC. He has been an Association committee member for several years in the roles of Vice-President and Committee Member. His major role on the committee has been the organisation of our social cricket matches. All members who still have their “competitive juices” flowing can still get involved. All you need to do is make it known and make yourself available. Tony is married (to Teresa) and has two children, one of each
Tony joined the CV panel in 1999 and has umpired 369 Premier matches over all grades. Tony also umpired in the Sub-District Association for one season before joining the CV panel. He also played for 16 years in the Jika Cricket Association (now Northern Metropolitan Cricket Association) for Preston Druids CC. He has been an Association committee member for several years in the roles of Vice-President and Committee Member. His major role on the committee has been the organisation of our social cricket matches. All members who still have their “competitive juices” flowing can still get involved. All you need to do is make it known and make yourself available. Tony is married (to Teresa) and has two children, one of each
President
Greg Azzopardi
Greg joined the CV panel in the 2013-14 season and has officiated in 189 games across all grades. Greg is part of the Premier First Eleven Panel and currently is appointed to the Victorian State Panel where he has been involved in WBBL, BBL and Second Eleven matches. Outside of cricket, Greg has recently celebrated 36 years at BQ Design, a soft furnishings manufacturing business and is a Director of the company. Greg, along with his wife Poppi, have 14-year-old twins, Chris and Zara, and two older children, Jake who has served in the Australian army now for nine years and Jessie, who is in
her fourth year as a Victorian police officer. Greg also has a musical background which stems from a very musical family. For over twenty years he worked in Melbourne’s pubs and clubs performing music and just recently, he has returned back to the stage.
This is Greg’s third year on the VCAUSA committee and he has been an Association member from the start of his CV career
Jamie Wyatt
Vice President
Jamie joined the VCAUSA and CV Umpiring Panel in season 2000-01 after umpiring in the Sub-District Cricket Association the prior season. After three seasons, and a change of work, Jamie ‘retired’ from umpiring and returned to playing, spending the next 11 seasons playing in the Bendigo and Mercantile Cricket Associations. In season 2014-15, Jamie re- joined the CV Panel and has now umpired 233 Premier matches across all grades. Jamie has been an enthusiastic participant in the Easter Crockett Shield matches, as 12th man in 2001 to playing in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
This is Jamie’s second season on the VCAUSA committee. He is married to Rebecca and has three children
Gerry Schembri
Secretary
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Gerry joined the CV umpires’ panel in 2006 and has umpired a total of 276 Premier matches. Prior to joining the CV Panel, Gerry spent one season umpiring in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association after a twenty-year absence from the game due to family and business commitments.
Gerry is a life member of the VCAUSA and has served on the Committee of Management as Treasurer for four years, President for two years, Vice-President for two years and as Secretary for the past five years. Gerry is also passionate about the biennial Easter Exchange with SACUSA and has been the Easter convenor since 2011. After 42 years of working life, he retired in July 2022 and now has more time for cricket and other interests. Gerry is married to Sylvie and has two children.
The 2022-23 season will again present plenty of challenges for cricket administrators and Gerry is confident that the committee of management is ready and willing to represent the members in the season ahead.
Jeff Diamond-Smith
Treasurer
Jeff's love affair with cricket started a long time ago. remembering waking up in the middle of the night and hiding under the bed to listen to the ABC broadcast of either the Ashes or the West Indies tour, on his transistor radio. Jeff had an underwhelming career on the field as a right-hand, opening batsman and a left-arm Chinaman bowler. and made a couple of centuries but J Grade on the mats isn’t exactly the MCG! When family commitments and a bad back curtailed a floundering career, Jeff decided that he wanted to stay involved and took up umpiring. He spent 11 seasons with the VTCA officiating in 10 Grand Finals and met such luminaries such as Paul Jensen and Bob Parry. At the end of the 2006-7 season Jeff decided to further his umpiring career and joined the Cricket Victoria panel and he is still enjoying it 15 years later. He gets great support from his wife, Leanne, and three children, who are all now in their 20s, and who know that their father won’t be around the house in Summer on a Saturday and the occasional Sunday. Upon retirement, Jeff took up volunteer work, under the guidance of Alan McCarthy, and tour guiding at the MCG. He is now hoping to use his experience to assist on the Committee of Management of the VCAUSA.
Dan Bomford
Committee Member
Dan joined the CV umpires panel in 1979 and has umpired 667 matches across all Premier and VWCA grades. Dan is a member of the prestigious CV 200 Club and is one of three members of the Panel to have exceeded 600 Premier (or higher level) games although in Dan’s case these have all been Premier games, the majority of which have been in First Grade.
Dan has served the Association in the roles of Secretary (ten seasons, 1985-6 to 1987-8 and 2010-11 to 2016-17), Treasurer (12 seasons,
1983-84, 1984-85 and 1993-94 to 2002-03), Vice-President (five seasons, 2005-06 to 2009-10) and has been a Committee Member for the past five seasons. He was awarded Life Membership of the Association in 1989.
Dan and wife Bernadette enjoy their family life with three children and seven grandchildren and somehow Dan still finds the time for his “other loves,” running half marathons and goal umpiring during the “off-season.”
Jeff Diamond-Smith
Committee Member
Jeff's love affair with cricket started a long time ago. remembering waking up in the middle of the night and hiding under the bed to listen to the ABC broadcast of either the Ashes or the West Indies tour, on his transistor radio. Jeff had an underwhelming career on the field as a right-hand, opening batsman and a left-arm Chinaman bowler. and made a couple of centuries but J Grade on the mats isn’t exactly the MCG! When family commitments and a bad back curtailed a floundering career, Jeff decided that he wanted to stay involved and took up umpiring. He spent 11 seasons with the VTCA officiating in 10 Grand Finals and met such luminaries such as Paul Jensen and Bob Parry. At the end of the 2006-7 season Jeff decided to further his umpiring career and joined the Cricket Victoria panel and he is still enjoying it 15 years later. He gets great support from his wife, Leanne, and three children, who are all now in their 20s, and who know that their father won’t be around the house in Summer on a Saturday and the occasional Sunday. Upon retirement, Jeff took up volunteer work, under the guidance of Alan McCarthy, and tour guiding at the MCG. He is now hoping to use hisexperience to assist on the Committee of Management of the VCAUSA.
Jim Hamilton
Committee Member
Jim answered an advertisement in 1986 from the Richmond Cricket Club (RCC) for 3rd X1 scorer/manager and is still there 37years later! He scored in the 3rd X1 until being promoted to 1st X1 in 1990. Jim is a member of the prestigious CV 200 Club and at the end of the 2021-22 season, Jim had scored a total of 519 games for the Tigers – 444 in the 1st X1. In addition to that, he has scored 25 One-day Internationals, 47 Sheffield Shield matches (including the 2016- 17 Sheffield Shield Final at Traeger Park in Alice Springs between Victoria and South Australia, and four other Shield games in “The Alice”) and 68 others – World Cup, Domestic One-dayers, Future League games etc – a total of 671 matches.
Highlights include: Inaugural winner of Jack Cameron Medal in 2000-01; 2 x 1st X1 Premierships at RCC in 1999-2000 and 2011-12; Sheffield Shield Final in 2016-17 in Alice Springs; Women’s World T20 final at the MCG in March 2020; BBL final 2018-19; Men’s World Cup in 2015 (including Australia vs England at the MCG); Final of Indigenous Championships in Alice Springs 2018 and 2019, Marsh One-day Cup Final 2021-22; and Richmond CC naming the Scorebox at Central Reserve after him.
Jim is married to Liz with four adult children and 10 grandchildren.
Damian Herft
Committee Member
Damian joined the CV Umpiring Panel in 1999 and has served on the VCAUSA Committee since 2017. He umpired a total of 298 games; 239 of them in 1st Grade and is a member of the prestigious CV200 Club. Prior to joining the CV Umpiring Panel, Damian umpired one season in Sub-District Cricket and one in Dandenong District Cricket Association and before taking on umpiring, Damian also played local cricket for 20 seasons, primarily with Moonee Ponds Cricket Club, where he was elected to Life Membership in 1992.
Damian retired from on-field umpiring at the end of season 2016-17 and was a Cricket Australia Match Referee from 2017-2020, overseeing 52 Cricket Australia matches.
For the VCAUSA, Damian is primarily responsible for the maintenance of the VCAUSA Website. Outside cricket, Damian previously worked for Telstra for 38 years and now works for Cricket Australia with the National Teams, and also works for Cricket Victoria as a State Umpiring Coach and an Umpiring Selector.
He enjoys photography and videography and is married to Caroline with one adult son
Committee Member
Paul Jensen
Paul's introduction to cricket came via listening to the Ashes Tests on the radio from England. His early playing days were with his local VJCA Club Newport ANA, and he was a batting all-rounder. He commenced umpiring in the VJCA in 1977/78 and commenced on what was then the VCA District Panel in 1978/79. He's been a member of the VCAUSA from 1978-79 to the present including seven seasons in the role of Secretary. Paul is a member of the prestigious CV200 Club, umpiring Premier Cricket from 1978-79 to 2010-11. His career total to date is 503 matches, including 319 Premier First XI, and 21 First Class and List A matches, plus the 1993/94 and 1994/95 1st XI Grand Finals. He has also umpired in Italy, France, Slovenia, Holland, Germany, Thailand, Burma, New Zealand, Austria and the UK. Paul has been Umpire Advisor/Mentor to Metropolitan Cricket League, VJCA/VTCA, VSDCA and CSB and he has been an Umpire Advisor/Manager since 1988 - umpire development is his passion. Paul recommences his Premier Cricket career this season as an on-field mentor in the lower grades
Vivek Kumar
Committee Member
Viv joined the CV umpiring panel in the 2014- 15 season, having previously been involved with Queensland Cricket Umpiring panel (2012-13), Dandenong District Cricket Association (2010 to 2012) and having played competitive cricket in India. Since joining the CV panel, Viv has officiated in 145 Premier matches, predominantly in the Men’s Thirds and Fourths. During this time, his achievements include: being appointed to the Men’s Fourths Grand Final in season 2020- 21 as well as the Women’s Thirds Grand Final in the same season.
Viv is currently Umpiring in Men’s Second XI and aspires to be the best version of the Umpire that he can be and hopefully to scale higher grades.
Outside of Cricket, Viv has a six-year-old son, Hritwaugh (Ritty), named after Steven Waugh. Viv loves facing up to his son’s leg-spin bowling, yoga and meditation, travelling and spending time with family during the cricketing off-season. Viv is lucky to have Amrutha by his side, who supports him by maintaining a great balance in that she absolutely dislikes cricket but takes care of the rest!. Vivek is looking forward to being part of the VCAUSA committee and to contribute with some fresh ideas.
Other co-ordinators
Trevor Finlayson
Law 43 Editor
Trevor joined the CV Panel in 2003 and has umpired 283 Premier matches, mostly in the Thirds, Fourths and VWCA. He has also been a Mentor in Fourth Grade for the past several seasons. Trevor has been a member of the Association since joining the CV panel. After three years as Social Organiser, he was President from 2008-2013, then Treasurer for six seasons, from 2013-14 to 2018-19, and has been Law 43 Editor from Season 2014-15 to the present. Trevor’s playing career included over 300 games for the Monash University Cricket Club of which he was elected to Life Membership in 1987. Upon retirement from playing, he undertook one season of umpiring in the Sub-District Cricket Association prior to joining the Premier panel. He was awarded Life Membership of the VCAUSA in 2017. Trevor is married (to Jill), has three children and seven grandchildren
Darrell Holt
Miscellaneous Appointments
Darrell joined the CV panel in 1980. Including First-Class appointments, he has umpired 715 CV matches, and is a member of the prestigious CV200 Club. He has umpired cricket matches in 24 countries, including officiating in the Hua Hin (Thailand) Six-A-Side tournament for ten years, alongside several other CV umpires. Darrell’s playing career extended across Garfield, Northcote & Preston and Heidelberg District (all now defunct). Currently he is the Umpiring Director for North-West Metropolitan CA, following 16 years as Director for Heidelberg District CA. He has been awarded Life Memberships of the VCAUSA, NWMCA, Heidelberg District CA and Diamond Valley/Northern Football Leagues.
In 1999 Darrell was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study cricket umpiring and scoring in the UK. He confesses to being married to a “long-suffering, cricket widow”, Heather, with one grown-up daughter. As the Association’s Miscellaneous Appointments Officer, Darrell has a large number of organisations regularly seeking umpires for a broad range of mid-week matches
Bill Ellemor
Historian
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Bill joined the CV Umpires panel in 1991 and umpired a total of 353 premier matches, prior to his retirement from umpiring in 2014. During that period Bill served on the Committee of Management from 1997 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2013, which included being President from 1999 to 2002. In 1996, Bill was awarded the Association’s Commitment Award (then called the Norwich Award, but since 1997 named in honour of Robin Bailhache). He was made a Life Member of the VCAUSA in 2003 after a long period of service both on and off the field. He has been involved in many Easter exchanges with SACUSA as scorer, umpire and participant. Since
1995 he has been responsible for maintaining the official records and updating the History of The Crockett Shield, (assisted in part by Kristen Thomas from SACUSA) - a mammoth task. In 2013 Bill was largely responsible for the updating of our Association rules to conform with the updated Associations Incorporation Act. Bill also acts as custodian for the Association’s medals, prepares all Life Member, Milestone and other Association certificates, and assists with the editing and publication of the Annual Report (as he did with Law 43 for 20 years to the end of 2012–13).