Steve Randell
Encyclopedia
Stephen Grant Randell, is a former Australian Test cricket match umpire, the first to come from Tasmania
.
He umpired 36 Test matches
between 1984 and 1998 the highest number by an Australian umpire to that time. (The previous highest was Tony Crafter
’s 33 matches.). His first match was between Australia
and the West Indies
at Melbourne
on 22 December to 27 December 1984, a drawn match with Australia holding on in the final innings, thanks to a determined century by Andrew Hilditch
to deny the West Indies a 12th consecutive Test victory. Randell’s partner was Peter McConnell
.
In 1994 the International Cricket Council
introduced a policy of appointing one umpire to each Test match from a non-participating country. Ten of Randell’s matches were played outside Australia, and did not involve Australia. His last Test match involving Australia was against South Africa
at Adelaide
on 30 January to 3 February 1998, a drawn match in the visitor’s favour, with captain Mark Taylor
dominating the first innings with 169 and Mark Waugh
scoring a century in the second innings. Randell’s colleague was the New Zealander, Doug Cowie
. In this match, Mark Waugh was controversially given not out when his bat brushed the stumps and dislodged a bail, the umpire ruling that he had completed his shot.
Randell’s last Test match was between Zimbabwe
and Pakistan
at Harare
on 21 March to 25 March 1998. Randell umpired 88 One Day International (ODI) matches between 1984 and 1998. He umpired one women’s ODI in 1991. Altogether, he umpired 119 first-class matches in his career between 1980 and 1998.
At the club level, Randell was a left-hand batsman for the South Hobart and Sandy Bay clubs. Off the field he was a school-teacher with the Tasmanian Education Department. His cricket and professional careers ended when he was convicted in August 1999 of 15 separate counts of sexual assault against nine schoolgirls between 1981 and 1982. He was sentenced to four years jail with a two year minimum, but was paroled in May 2002.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
He umpired 36 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 1984 and 1998 the highest number by an Australian umpire to that time. (The previous highest was Tony Crafter
Tony Crafter
Anthony Ronald Crafter, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 33 Test matches between 1979 and 1992, the highest number by an Australian umpire to that time...
’s 33 matches.). 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 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 Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
on 22 December to 27 December 1984, a drawn match with Australia holding on in the final innings, thanks to a determined century by Andrew Hilditch
Andrew Hilditch
Andrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch is a former Australian cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 8 ODIs from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South Australia from 1982 to 1992...
to deny the West Indies a 12th consecutive Test victory. Randell’s partner was Peter McConnell
Peter McConnell (umpire)
Peter John McConnell, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire, from Western Australia.He umpired 22 Test matches between 1983 and 1992...
.
In 1994 the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
introduced a policy of appointing one umpire to each Test match from a non-participating country. Ten of Randell’s matches were played outside Australia, and did not involve Australia. His last Test match involving Australia was against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
at Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
on 30 January to 3 February 1998, a drawn match in the visitor’s favour, with captain Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (cricketer)
Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...
dominating the first innings with 169 and Mark Waugh
Mark Waugh
Mark Edward Waugh AM is a former Australian cricketer, who represented Australia in Test matches from early 1991 to late 2002, and made his One-Day International debut in 1988. Waugh is regarded as one of the most elegant and gifted stroke makers to ever play the game. His nickname is "Junior" as...
scoring a century in the second innings. Randell’s colleague was the New Zealander, Doug Cowie
Doug Cowie (umpire)
Douglas Bruce Cowie , was a New Zealander who umpired in international cricket. He officiated at New Zealand first-class level for over two decades, before a 10 years spell in international cricket which saw him officiate in 22 Tests and 71 ODIs. He umpired in the 1999 World Cup in...
. In this match, Mark Waugh was controversially given not out when his bat brushed the stumps and dislodged a bail, the umpire ruling that he had completed his shot.
Randell’s last Test match was between Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Cricket
Zimbabwe Cricket is the governing body for the sport of cricket in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Cricket is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and operates the Zimbabwean cricket team, organising Test tours, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals with other nations...
and Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
at Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
on 21 March to 25 March 1998. Randell umpired 88 One Day International (ODI) matches between 1984 and 1998. He umpired one women’s ODI in 1991. Altogether, he umpired 119 first-class matches in his career between 1980 and 1998.
At the club level, Randell was a left-hand batsman for the South Hobart and Sandy Bay clubs. Off the field he was a school-teacher with the Tasmanian Education Department. His cricket and professional careers ended when he was convicted in August 1999 of 15 separate counts of sexual assault against nine schoolgirls between 1981 and 1982. He was sentenced to four years jail with a two year minimum, but was paroled in May 2002.