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BATHURST umpire Tony Wilds has enjoyed the most active period of his career as an elite match official over the last six weeks and will now finally get a rest as the Australian women’s series against the West Indies concluded this week.
Wilds made his centre wicket debut at domestic level during the Matador Cup – Australia’s one day competition – and has since followed it with regular appointments through the women’s series.
It wrapped up on Tuesday at the Bradman Oval in Bowral.
“It has been great to be a part of both competitions,” Wilds said ahead of the final one-dayer.
“I was around the Matador Cup last year doing a few games in the box as third umpire but hadn’t done any of the centre-wicket stuff. I got the chance this time and it was sensational.
“I made my debut in the game between Tasmania and Victoria at Allan Border Field, and loved it. Even the third umpire games were great.
“One of them was a match between NSW and Queensland at the Gabba, there were five or so run-outs that I had to adjudicate on, so it was pretty intense.”
Wilds made his international debut last year during a winter series in the Northern Territory involving the Australian under 19s side, and did a women’s Twenty20 match at ANZ Stadium last summer along with a one-dayer in Hobart.
This time he was involved throughout the series as the Australians hosted the West Indies in four Twenty20s and four one-dayers.
Australia had won all seven matches going into the finale, but the quality of the matches had been high with a handful of last-over finishes.
“There has been some really good cricket to watch, some very close finishes,” he said.
“The West Indies are a good side, their men’s team is struggling but their women are ranked in the top three along with Australia and England and they’ve got quality players. They are coached by [ex-Windies Test opener] Sherwin Campbell.
“Meg Lanning hit a great hundred for the Aussies in the match on Sunday in Bowral and put on a massive stand with Ellyse Perry, it was great to watch.
“So far there haven’t been many mistakes, touch wood, but in one of the Twenty20 games that was televised from Adelaide I missed a caught-behind down the leg-side.
“I called it a wide, we didn’t have hot spot available for the game but the commentators had it, they could see that I got it wrong.”
For the time being Wilds’ schedule will be a little less cluttered as he returns to Bathurst.
In terms of umpiring, his duties will be limited mostly to grade cricket in Sydney.
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind month or so, I’ve been all over the place in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide,” he said.
“I was lucky enough to do one game in Bathurst at the Sportsground last month, that was fantastic and I enjoyed being around players I know quite well.
“I don’t think there’s going to be any Shield [Sheffield Shield] games in the middle or anything, but there might be a couple of fourth-umpire games in there over the next few months when the Big Bash League starts.”