Robin Bailhache
Encyclopedia
Robin Carl Bailhache, is a former Australian Test cricket match umpire.
He umpired 27 Test matches
between 1974 and 1988. His first match was between Australia
and England
at Brisbane
on 29 November to 4 December 1974, won by Australia by 166 runs with Jeff Thomson
taking 9 wickets. His partner was Tom Brooks
and together they umpired all six Test matches in that series.
Bailhache’s last Test match was between Australia and the West Indies
at Perth
on 2 December to 6 December 1988, won by the visitors by 169 runs, in spite of Merv Hughes
taking 5/130 and 8/87, including a hat-trick
spread over two innings and three overs. Bailhache’s colleague was Terry Prue
.
Bailhache also umpired 27 One Day International (ODI) matches between 1975 and 1989. He umpired one women’s Test match in 1991 and one women’s ODI in 1988.
He umpired 95 first-class matches in his career between 1967 and 1992.
Bailhache is remembered in particular for the controversial no-balling of New Zealand
medium pace bowler Lance Cairns
for bowling a bouncer to Australian tailender Jim Higgs
.
The Kiwis thought they had got the last batsman, Higgs, out by catching him behind off the short ball, which would have broken an annoying partnership with Doug Walters
. They were furious when Bailhache called no ball for intimidatory bowling, allowing Walters to go on and make a century. However, Bailhache revealed subsequently that Higgs never hit the ball.
Bailhache was elected a Life Member of the Victorian Cricket Association Umpires and Scorers' Association (VCAUSA).
He umpired 27 Test matches
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...
between 1974 and 1988. His first match was between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
at Brisbane
Brisbane Cricket Ground
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
on 29 November to 4 December 1974, won by Australia by 166 runs with Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...
taking 9 wickets. His partner was Tom Brooks
Tom Brooks
Thomas Francis Brooks OAM was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who was born in Paddington, New South Wales...
and together they umpired all six Test matches in that series.
Bailhache’s last Test match was between Australia and the West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
at Perth
WACA Ground
The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
on 2 December to 6 December 1988, won by the visitors by 169 runs, in spite of Merv Hughes
Merv Hughes
Mervyn Gregory Hughes is a former Australian cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he represented Australia between 1985 and 1994 in 53 Test matches, taking 212 wickets. He played 33 One Day Internationals, taking 38 wickets. He took a hat trick in a Test against the West Indies at the WACA in...
taking 5/130 and 8/87, including a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
spread over two innings and three overs. Bailhache’s colleague was Terry Prue
Terry Prue
Terry Arthur Prue, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire, from Western Australia.He umpired 9 Test matches between 1988 and 1994...
.
Bailhache also umpired 27 One Day International (ODI) matches between 1975 and 1989. He umpired one women’s Test match in 1991 and one women’s ODI in 1988.
He umpired 95 first-class matches in his career between 1967 and 1992.
Bailhache is remembered in particular for the controversial no-balling of New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
medium pace bowler Lance Cairns
Lance Cairns
Bernard Lance Cairns is a former all-rounder who played for the New Zealand cricket team, and is the father of New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns....
for bowling a bouncer to Australian tailender Jim Higgs
Jim Higgs
James Donald Higgs is a former Australian leg spinner who played in 22 Tests from 1978 to 1981.Higgs began his district cricket career at Melbourne University, where he studied civil engineering, before transferring to Richmond. He made his début for Victoria against Western Australia...
.
The Kiwis thought they had got the last batsman, Higgs, out by catching him behind off the short ball, which would have broken an annoying partnership with Doug Walters
Doug Walters
Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...
. They were furious when Bailhache called no ball for intimidatory bowling, allowing Walters to go on and make a century. However, Bailhache revealed subsequently that Higgs never hit the ball.
Bailhache was elected a Life Member of the Victorian Cricket Association Umpires and Scorers' Association (VCAUSA).