DECEMBER 2021
A look back at the year that was.
Ocean Grove and Inverleigh were forced to split the points in their Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A1 Grade Round 3 match after a bizarre scoring blunder that resulted in days of speculation about the final result.
Ocean Grove thought it had won the game by one run with three deliveries remaining and three wickets in hand.
The final three balls of the innings were bowled anyway with Jake Taylor not scoring. Even so, the Grubbers thought they had won the game, but the scorebook revealed a tie and the iPad being used for live scores had Ocean Grove in front by one run.
The scorebook and iPad was investigated by the BPCA and it couldn’t be determined whether there was a clear winner, so both sides were told they would share the six points.
“We undertook an analysis ball by ball comparing both the iPad to the scorebook and there was more than one over where there was a discrepancy,” BPCA president Ian Caldwell said.
“Trying to determine which was correct was almost impossible.
“If there is a discrepancy between live scoring on an iPad to a scorebook, the precedent is that the bowling figures in the scorebook will take precedence.”
Ocean Grove captain Paddy McKenna said he was disappointed at the decision.
“I understand why they have come to that conclusion,” he said.
“But I just feel like the last three balls were played under the pretence that we had won.”
McKenna said he felt the iPad was the more accurate of the two options used to score on the day.
“It’s probably more accurate than a scorebook,” he said.
“If you said which was more accurate, the scorebook or the iPad, it’s (iPad) got to be the more right of the two.
“I know there might be an element of underlying bias, but that would be common sense.
“The last three balls were played under the pretence of the fact we had won.”
McKenna said the whole game was “a calamity of errors” after the designated umpire arrived at Winchelsea an hour late, having initially thought he was umpiring at Collendina. It meant Inverleigh, which batted first, had to umpire their own teammates.
However, McKenna said the game was generally played in good spirits with Inverleigh captain Lockie Platt agreeing to abide by a code of ethics without a designated umpire for the first hour.
“The start was a bit of a shemozzle,” McKenna said.
“I feel a bit sorry for the umpire. He made an honest mistake. It was just a weird day.”
Caldwell said the situation could be a learning experience for all teams, not just Ocean Grove.
“Don’t take it for granted that the scorebook will be correct – just get those few extra runs,” he said.
