The new women’s county structure is providing a stage to help female umpires to take the next step in their careers.
The ECB’s umpire pathway has been developed in recent years to the point there are now more than 300 female umpires officiating across six levels from W1 – W6.
Rehma Chandaria is one of seven umpires with W2 status and this season she is mainly officiating Tier 2 matches.
Rehma is in her seventh full season of umpiring, after starting with junior and local cricket in 2018, and last year the bulk of her appointments were Regional Academy fixtures.
This summer she officiated in the Vitality Blast opener between Middlesex and Sussex Sharks at Lord's and is set to umpire Gloucestershire v Kent on Sunday June 15.
“It’s been a step up for me. Standing with more experienced colleagues has been a big thing for my development,” said Rehma, who was appointed as a W2 umpire two years ago.
“There’s also having access to ECB coaches and getting more feedback from people watching. Having a cohort of peers, who all act as a support network, has also been really good.”
Like most umpires, Rehma started at W6 level before progressing through the ranks.
“When the ECB publicised the new umpire pathway, and explained what we needed to do to apply for promotion, I was immediately keen,” she says.
“I did all the observations and match reports, and then I was successful on an assessment day. At that stage, I’d done a couple of fixtures at W2 level – but I wasn’t operating at that level regularly. It’s something I developed into.”
This year, her W2 status means she’ll have opportunities to umpire at some of the top grounds in the country, stand with professional umpires, and be observed and supported by National Panel coaches.
“I’m lucky, because I’m based in north London, to have already had quite a few opportunities to umpire at Lord’s,” she said.
“That’s been amazing. And this year, the Tier 2 counties are playing at county grounds. That’s great, because you’ve got ground staff available and you can trust they’ll produce a good quality pitch, and they can also help with ground weather light decisions.
“When I’m standing with a more experienced colleague, or with someone on the professional team, just having the confidence to be able to lead conversations has been a big growth area for me.
“I’m still on the path forwards, but I’m definitely in a better place than I was even a year ago.”
The ECB continues to work with County Cricket Boards to attract even more female umpires to the sport and with the ACO to facilitate their progress through the umpire pathway.
Those who reach the ECB’s National Development Programme can also access additional development and support through the ECB’s regional officiating development officers.
“The coaches have been fantastic,” says Rehma. “I’ve had observations from a few different coaches, and they all have different styles and different things they look for.
“Some of the feedback I got at the start of last season, I was able to implement straight away – and improvements were noticed later on in the season. So the coaching is having an immediate impact.”
She adds: “Teamwork is another big thing I learned about last year. Managing players, too - being able to have conversations early on and nipping things in the bud, rather than letting them grow.”
Rehma’s message to other women and girls contemplating umpiring is clear.
“Obviously I’d encourage it,” she says. “Women’s cricket is growing and women are getting more opportunities than in the past, so it’s a great time to get involved.”
Interested in trying officiating? Find your next ECB Umpire Course today.