Waringstown having been dead and buried had clawed themselves back into the match. With nine runs to win, three wickets in hand and two batsmen who were set it seemed that the Civil Service North challenge was over when Peter Hanna and Dave Cheater found themselves at the same end. Even then had one of them decided to run back they probably would have made it as the throw was unconvincing. That in itself, could tell you it was probably a run. However the previous over they had turned down an identical shot to the same player so why Peter Hanna set off only he can tell you.

But now a decision had to be made. Who was going to be run out? It was clear neither batsman wanted to go as the one who would set off back to the bowlers end would be the one to go. Hanna was in the team to bat, Cheater primarily to bowl. Both were in the twenties and Hanna the more experienced player, but Cheater had looked the more fluent and had crashed a huge six a couple of overs previously. Cheater had never left his crease so it was his call to stay there and Peter Hanna had to go. The very next ball was hit straight up in the air and the groans from the Waringstown faithful could be heard around the ground.

Just five runs to win with the last two batsmen at the crease. Stuart Kidd was facing Regan West bowling the last ball of his spell. There's a noise and a huge appeal goes up from the men around the bat. Surrey and Ireland wicketkeeper Gary Wilson has both hands aloft and looks very excited. The ball is clearly visible in his right glove as his first leap in the air brings him level with the stumps and the second leap level with the batsman. Slowly umpire Mark Hawthorne lifts the finger and the third leap doesn't get off the ground as Wilson is mobbed by his delighted team-mates. The old North stalwarts by the pavilion are leaping now as the cheers go up around the ground. CSNI have won the cup.

No-one could have predicted a finish like that. You simply could not have called who was going to win until the umpire's finger went up. It was one of those slow motion moments when everything is happening around you. The North supporters to my right had their hands in the air celebrating; the Waringstown players on the balcony had their heads in the hands. The North players were sprinting to the middle to leap into the swarm around Gary Wilson and Mark Hawthorne still had his finger in the air. Simon Stokes the non striker had turned to walk back to the pavilion and you could tell what he was saying was not complimentary and was not happy. Poor Stuart Kidd was still there in total disbelief.

Now here is the controversial part. If you have seen the movie ‘Groundhog Day' you will know where I am coming from. Instead of a whole day we are going to re-live one delivery. Imagine now that you have a tape recorder in your head and you've hit the pause button where the game has just ended. Earlier in the day Rob Arthur had missed a stumping when Jonathan Bushe had been batting and a couple of balls later a thick edge off Bushes bat had flown quickly into the grill of his helmet drawing blood. Jones returned to the field although clearly hampered and Gary Wilson took over the gloves. Rewind your imaginary tape and delete the injury to Rob Arthur so that he is the keeper when the last ball is bowled. Wind forward to the last ball.

West bowls to Kidd and a huge appeal goes up. Arthur the keeper has the ball in his hands and looks excited but from the sidelines I'm not convinced. Neither is Mark Hawthorne.

'Not Out.'

Five to win and West is finished. It's Horwood at the other end and his last over contained two wides one big one down the legside. But Arthur now has the gloves because we deleted his injury. The same delivery and it could be game over as it could be 5 wides not 1. But Horwood's bowling well and has 3 wickets to his name. How's it going to end? ........Who knows?

Confused yet? OK let's try another scenario. Arthur still has been injured and Wilson is keeping. Waringstown have lost nine wickets and need five to win but we rewind the tape and delete the dismissal of McCallan so McCallan and Stokes are batting at the end.

McCallan is still batting well despite running out of partners. He takes a single off the fifth ball leaving Stokes to face the last ball of West's spell. There's a noise and a huge appeal. The Surrey and Ireland keeper leaps in the air. The ball is clearly visible in his right glove. His second leap brings him level with the batsman and slowly up goes the umpires finger and CSN have won the cup.

Rewind.
Five to win, and the last two batsmen are at the crease. McCallan could have taken a single off the last ball and let Stokes take the strike but he has decided to see off West. It's the last ball of his spell. There's a noise. The close fielders go up and the Surrey and Ireland keeper leaps in the air. The ball is clearly visible in his gloves and his second leap brings him level with the Ireland captain. The World Cup hero and record cap holder is shaking his head. Is the umpire convinced it hit the bat?

'Not Out.' Five to win and its Horwood to bowl to Stokes. How's it going to end?....... Who knows?

By now everyone should see the point I am making. It was 20 odd years ago that I first realised that umpires either consciously or unconsciously are influenced by the person as much as the delivery. The bigger the name the more they are influenced. I was playing for Bangor and it was the fourth match of the season. We had won our first three games and former international Chris Harte had been in great form batting at number three. Peter McCall a great friend of mine from Queens University, and then unknown, opened the batting and the legendary Simon ‘Growler' Corlett was bowling. The fifth ball of the over struck the pad. Peter had got well forward and it looked high but Growler growled at the umpire. Out. Harte strode to the wicket. The first ball was just short of a length. Harte went back and the ball nipped back and didn't get up. HUGE appeal. Might have been going down leg but looked out to me. ‘Not Out. Over up.'

I am convinced that had anyone else in our team been hit on the pads it would have been out. I am also convinced that had Chris not been scoring runs he would have been out. In the following years I noticed Stephen Warke was rarely lbw in local cricket but the county umpires had no hesitation in giving him when he played for Ireland. Indeed the Ireland players will tell you that when they compete in the FP Trophy they need to take around 13 wickets to bowl the first class teams out and the counties only need 7 or 8 wickets to bowl out Ireland as they are helped along the way with a few generous decisions.

And its not just in Ireland this happens. Javed Miandad played Test cricket from 1976 to 1993 and was a fantastic batsman. In 124 Test matches he scored nearly 9000 runs and was NEVER given out lbw in Pakistan.

Ask any umpire about this and they will tell you that they are not in the slightest bit influenced by the person but will only call the delivery they see. And I don't doubt for one minute that is what they try to do. But as Gary Wilson leapt in the air with the ball in his hand and Stuart Kidd awaited his fate my mind went back to a sunny day at Ormeau when Growler growled at the umpire on consecutive deliveries with varying degrees of success.