Bob Willis Trophy

[MWG14]

Does anybody know why there are three umpires officiating at each match in the Bob Willis Trophy competition rather than the usual two?

[Mamyalynne]

//2 Law 2 – The umpires
2.1 Law 2.1 (Appointment and attendance) shall be replaced by:
Two Umpires shall be appointed, one for each end to control the game as required by the Laws and
Playing Conditions with absolute impartiality.
Umpires will be appointed by the ECB. They shall report themselves to the Ground Authority by
10.00am at the latest on the first day of the match and, by mutual agreement with each other, one
Umpire shall report by 9.30am at the latest and the other by 10.00am on succeeding days. (These
timings shall be advanced by 30 minutes in respect of Bob Willis Trophy matches where the scheduled
first day is in September and adjusted accordingly for Day/Night matches).
Before leaving the ground after Cessation of Play, the Umpires shall ensure that the minimum
covering of the pitch and surrounding areas as laid down in the Playing Conditions, and any necessary
renovation of foot holes, have been carried out to their satisfaction.
2.2 Third umpires / TV Replays
For matches which are televised and for which a third umpire is appointed, the following shall apply in
addition to Clause 2.1//

https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2020/07/31/bec19c77-837a-4211-9660-7784bbca788f/Playing-Conditions_The_Bob_Willis_Trophy-vF.pdf

[MWG14]

Thank you but these games are not being televised. There are usually just two umpires at ordinary matches not on TV.

[Mamyalynne]

Not televised?

If you are there could you not ask someone?

[Mamyalynne]

//Given matches are to be played behind closed doors, how can I watch them?

The First-Class Counties are set to live stream the Bob Willis Trophy on their websites. You should visit your local county’s website and follow their channels to find out more information.//

https://www.durhamcricket.co.uk/news-and-media/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-bob-willis-trophy/

[angie55]

MWG, where is the 3rd umpire on the field?

[MWG14]

The names to the umpires are listed at the bottom of the individual scorecards on the BBC cricket website. These games are only live streamed on their own county websites, not on TV.

[Mamyalynne]

Apologies for my flippant reply @ 17.14.

If there is nothing in the links I have sent then I am not sure why.

[angie55]

Obviously they have a 3rd umpire for international cricket for TV reviews, etc. Could be something along those lines? On the BBC website, many of the current matches have 3 umpires names, but at least 2 matches only have 2 umpires names.