?I made a mistake.?

In a stark break from the norm, Cup Match umpire Lester Harnett yesterday spoke out on one of the controversial elements of the annual cricketing showpiece, acknowledging that he erred at a crucial juncture on the second afternoon ? sending Somerset batsman Kwame Tucker back to the pavilion after initially adjudging him not out.

The change in the umpire?s decision came after St. George?s players ? aghast that Tucker was given ?not out? to a diving catch by Delyone Borden at silly mid-on ? appealed to square-leg umpire Jeff Pitcher who then called Harnett over to discuss the matter.

At issue was where the ball had hit Tucker ? bat, glove or arm ? and after the umpires conferred, Harnett returned to the non-striker?s end and raised the dreaded finger, plummeting defending champions Somerset, who were dismissed for 94, into further trouble at three for 56 in search of 121 runs for victory.

?I made a mistake by rescinding my original decision when Kwame Tucker was out on the second day and that was not right under any circumstance,? declared Harnett, adding that Pitcher should not have called him over either.

?I?m not apologising for the mistake I made. I?m simply saying I made a mistake and umpires? mistakes are unfortunately a part of the game.

?I think I owe it to the Bermudian community to admit my mistake. I?m a grown man and I?m not too big to say that I did make a mistake on that occasion.

?I tell you this, I will endeavour never to let such a thing happen again. I knew better than that.?

The 58-year-old disclosed that he talked to Pitcher about what transpired during the tea break.

?I spoke to Mr. Pitcher on my regret about the decision I made which was wrong. I didn?t wait for anyone to say ?Yes, you were wrong or you were right?.?

Harnett said his decision to come to the media was not influenced by reaction to events during the game but rather by his feelings in recent days.

?I?ve had some comments for and against and they were in good taste because those who think I faltered said ?Harnett, you?re a decent guy. We know you and we can understand you made a mistake?. I?ve not had any derogatory comments and I?m grateful for that but that did not influence me in calling the media to say what I?m saying.

?I thought the community deserved to understand what I was experiencing on the field in Cup Match.

?It ate away at my soul since the incident. I know this was one time in 31 years of being an umpire that things went wrong.?

The 58-year-old, however, pointed to certain factors which he thinks precipitated his error in judgement.

?What caused me to make such a mistake was the sort of corruption that came out of the game over the two days. I was totally mesmerised. I could not fathom the players behaving in such a bad manner.

?I was never subjected to anything of this nature in more than 31 years as an umpire. I tried to do my very best and I?m experienced but I?ve never seen such dirtiness. It was total corruption and at that time I rescinded my decision, I think I was just taken up by the dirtiness that was going on,? continued Harnett.

In fact, so concerned was he with the unsavoury direction the Wellington Oval match was taking that he summoned both team managers to the umpires? dressing room before play commenced on the second morning.

?I spoke with both gentlemen together and told them the previous day was totally out of character (for cricket) and I asked them to go back to their captains and remind them that they are responsible for their players and that their cooperation ? on and off the field ? would assist in how well we the umpires perform.

?Both managers agreed on that point,? he said. ?When we took to the field on Friday morning the situation was a bit calmer but later it went back to how it was the first day and got even worse than the first day.?

Highlighting players? intense appealing and certain remarks made to both umpires, Harnett stated he was ?very distraught, disappointed and frankly speaking ashamed at the behaviour in this year?s Cup Match?.

Regarding the allegations of excessive and xenophobic sledging made against St. George?s captain Herbie Bascome by Somerset players, he replied: ?That?s an integral part of the (match) report and it?s for the two clubs and the Board officials so I must refrain from discussing it.

?What I can say is that the spectators did see me go to certain players on two or three occasions and speak to them.?

As for unfavourable comments on this year?s Cup Match umpiring by the teams and public, he defended himself and Pitcher.

?If players are behaving in a nasty manner it?s obvious that officials are going to be pointed at but our portfolio is very limited.

?There are some things that we can tackle during the game and some things that we can?t. What Cup Match needed was a very stringent (Match) Referee which is something I mentioned to the clubs last year and which we have never had,? said Harnett, who has been resident here for almost 34 years.

?A Match Referee would have to know the game even better than we the umpires because he is expected to hand down discipline and suspensions right there and then.?

The umpire had no objection to the suggestion that Cup Match officials be brought in from overseas ? possibly from other International Cricket Council (ICC) Associate-member nations ? noting it could well be the answer to curbing the abuse which local umpires receive.

?I?m not against umpires coming here to do this match because I think the players take advantage of the fact that we?re a very small community and players know us on a one-on-one basis.

?For instance they would address us by our first names and this is not supposed to happen because during the game we?re not friends,? stressed the Jamaican-born umpire.

?Players think ?Oh, I know him. I can say anything to him? and they don?t have the level of respect that they should for umpires. If overseas umpires came here they wouldn?t know them at all so I think they would probably think twice before they displayed uncouth behaviour.?

Harnett, who does not agree with Somerset and St. George?s appointing Cup Match umpires, responded with an eager ?Oh yes? when asked if he would want to stand in the annual spectacle again ? once things are ?done in a cleaner manner?.