Bermuda umpire Emmerson Carrington is now fully qualified after passing the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association’s oral and practical exams.

Carrington sat the umpire exams in Bermuda on December 15, administered at the same time throughout the region.

“The six on-field [practical] assessments were done during the season last year and then the oral exam in December,” explained Carrington who has been officiating for the last five years.

“I got a lot of support from our training officer Roger Dill who is on the ICC panel, and also Steven Douglas who has a lot of experience from doing matches internationally.”

Carrington has officiated in County games but the qualifications now enable him to umpire international matches as well as Cup Match.

“In October, when Bermuda was preparing for the World Twenty20 Tournament in Dubai, the Bermuda Cricket Board allowed me to go to the warm-up matches in Florida to get the experience,” Carrington said.

“I officiated in three matches and that helped prepare me for the exam. It’s one thing to have the confidence of doing it in front of a local crowd, but at international matches with TV cameras you really have to be on your game because any mistake you make is magnified.

“I have that much more confidence now. I have done Eastern Counties, Central Counties and Western Counties but not Cup Match, which is something I can now look forward to.”

Lloyd Fray, the BCB president, hopes Carrington’s success will inspire others to consider becoming umpires. A beginner’s umpires course will start next Tuesday.

Anyone interested can contact Dill on 532-7223 or e-mail rogerdill@northrock.bm to register.