Yorkshire Cricket by David Warner

Umpire Dickie Bird could help shape the future of Yorkshire cricket after he is forced to hang up his white coat at the end of the season.

The retirement age for first class umpires is 65 and Bird started to draw his pension on April 17, but because the season had just started by his birthday the rules allow him to continue on the county circuit throughout this summer.

Now the former Yorkshire batsman, who was made an honorary life member of the club a few years' ago, is looking ahead and is determined to continue his close involvement in cricket next year by standing for the Yorkshire committee.

"I cannot just sit at home in Barnsley and do nothing when I retire and I would love to be of service to the finest cricket club in the world," said Bird, who was sacked as a player by Yorkshire soon after hitting a career-best 181 not out against Glamorgan at Park Avenue in 1959. "If I get elected I will attend all the games I possibly can both home and away and will be happy to report back on the form of our players."

Although Bird would undoubtedly bring a somewhat eccentric touch to the committee room at Headingley, his knowledge of the first class game and the people in it would be invaluable, and he would seem an automatic choice for a place on the cricket committee.

He would also be popular with the club's members and his election in South District would appear to be a foregone conclusion - although it should be remembered that both Geoff Boycott and Brian Close have failed to gain re-election at various times. If Bird goes through with his intention of standing, he could be involved in at least a three-cornered election battle with new committee member Stuart Anderson presumably wanting to continue to serve after only just one year and Sid Fielden possibly attempting a comeback.

Fielden resigned his seat earlier this year because he disagreed with the way Sir Lawrence Byford had been renominated as president and Anderson was elected for the 12 months which Fielden still had to serve.

Bird's last match as an umpire will be Yorkshire's final home championship game of the season, against Warwickshire, starting at Headingley on September 9, and Yorkshire over the next few weeks will decide on an appropriate farewell for the most famous umpire in the world.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire are now guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals of the Benson and Hedges Cup on May 29.

But to finish top of their group and gain a home tie they must beat Durham in the clash at Headingley tomorrow between two sides that each boast a 100 per cent winning record.

Yorkshire became certain of making the last eight when Durham beat Worcestershire by two wickets in a nail-biter at their Riverside ground yesterday - and the win was made possible by former Yorkshire all-rounder Michael Foster. He claimed three wickets as Worcestershire were bowled out for 161 and then opened the innings to score a crucial half-century.

Had Worcestershire been successful they would have ended their group programme with six points and if Durham had then gone on to beat Yorkshire tomorrow the three teams would each have had the same number of points with the two sides with the better run rate going through.

Yorkshire, who have been without a match since Monday when they gained an easy B&H win over Derbyshire, will choose from the same 12 they have used for their three previous games in the competition this season.

Yorkshire (from): McGrath, Vaughan, Byas, Lehmann, White, Parker, Blakey, Gough, Silverwood, Hamilton, Hutchison, Fisher.

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