David Archer (umpire)
Encyclopedia
David Myrton Archer was a West Indian cricket
er and umpire
. He played first-class cricket
for the Windward Islands
but is most well known for standing in 28 Test
matches between 1981 and 1992.
In his playing career Archer was a right hand batsman and slow left arm
bowler who made three first-class appearances for the Windward Islands. The first came against the touring Australians of 1964/65, batting at number eleven he scored 11 not out
and bowled 10 wicketless overs conceding 50 runs. He played a single match in both of the following two seasons without great success.
In February 1976 Archer umpired his maiden first-class game, a match between Barbados
and Jamaica
. Five years later he made the step up to international level when chosen to stand in a ODI between England and the West Indies. Later on during England's tour he stood in his first Test.
As well as umpiring in West Indian domestic cricket Archer also umpired ten matches in England during the 1982 season.
Archer was selected as the West Indian representative for the 1987 World Cup
staged in Asia, he stood in five matches in the tournament which was first major trial of 'neutral' umpires. His final international umpiring appearance came in April 1992 when he stood in South Africa’s first Test back after re-admission.
Archer died in hospital in Barbados following a short illness.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
. He played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for the Windward Islands
Windward Islands cricket team
The Windward Islands cricket team is a cricket team representing the member countries of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control. The team plays in the West Indies regional tournament....
but is most well known for standing in 28 Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches between 1981 and 1992.
In his playing career Archer was a right hand batsman and slow left arm
Left-arm orthodox spin
Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch...
bowler who made three first-class appearances for the Windward Islands. The first came against the touring Australians of 1964/65, batting at number eleven he scored 11 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
and bowled 10 wicketless overs conceding 50 runs. He played a single match in both of the following two seasons without great success.
In February 1976 Archer umpired his maiden first-class game, a match between Barbados
Barbados national cricket team
The Barbadian cricket team is the representative first class cricket team of Barbados.It does not take part in any international competitions , but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, and the best players may be...
and Jamaica
Jamaica national cricket team
The Jamaica national cricket team is the representative first-class cricket team of Jamaica.-History:The team's history lasts back to 1895, when they played three matches against a touring side from England led by Slade Lucas, but because of the distance to the other cricketing countries, Jamaica...
. Five years later he made the step up to international level when chosen to stand in a ODI between England and the West Indies. Later on during England's tour he stood in his first Test.
As well as umpiring in West Indian domestic cricket Archer also umpired ten matches in England during the 1982 season.
Archer was selected as the West Indian representative for the 1987 World Cup
1987 Cricket World Cup
The 1987 Cricket World Cup was the fourth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from October 8 to November 8, 1987 in India and Pakistan — the first held outside England. The format was unchanged from 1983 except for a reduction in the number of overs a team played from 60...
staged in Asia, he stood in five matches in the tournament which was first major trial of 'neutral' umpires. His final international umpiring appearance came in April 1992 when he stood in South Africa’s first Test back after re-admission.
Archer died in hospital in Barbados following a short illness.