Stephen Dionysius - ball by ball

Queensland Cricket | April 01, 2023

Stephen Dionysius is a Queensland Premier Cricket umpire who had the honour of umpiring the 2020/21 First Grade grand final between University of Queensland and Northern Suburbs.

Stephen also a Mortgage and Financial Advisor with Front Row Financial Management 

Let’s find out more about Stephen journey in the game

 

What year were you born?

1980

Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?

Wantima Junior Cricket Club, I was 11

Can you tell us about your playing days?

I played local cricket on Northside of Brisbane mainly in Warehouse A1- B3 and had a season with Norths but didn’t represent at a high level. Just loved turning up with my mates on a Saturday and having a blast. 

What was your highest score?

80 not out – against Pine Rivers at their home ground and I was playing for Grange.

What were your best bowling figures?

7/56 at Peninsula and was playing for Northside Dashers.

At what age did you start umpiring?

29

What was the attraction to become an umpire?

I love the game and one day just said I am going to give it a go. 

Can you remember your first game as an umpire in Brisbane Grade Cricket?

It was a 5th grade game at University of Qld on field number 7 – Souths Vs Uni

How long did it take to progress through to First Grade?

About 4 years to cement a permanent spot. My debut was at Toombul with Damien Mealey (former National Umpire and current mentor) I believe it was against Wests. I can’t recall the players – I was to fixated on trying to get through the game.

Damien Mealey

Who were the umpires you admired most when you started out as an umpire and is there anyone in particular you wanted to model your umpiring on?

The Queensland Umpires Association has been a massive supporter and without their support and opportunity to get on the park I wouldn’t have had the small wins. I will never take for granted. Mike Ralston, Dave Orchard and Rob Dunbar who over time have individually helped with my game. Damien Mealey was and still is someone who invests a lot of time in my game. I have found that I take bits from all umpires to add to my game. 

Do you know how many games you umpired in Brisbane Grade Cricket?

197

What was your most memorable moment as a cricket umpire?

I have a few. Umpiring the 1st grade final 2020/21 season, Umpiring the U19 National Championship final 2 years ago at the WACA with Steve Farrell (another QLD umpire)

Stephen Dionysius with Steve Farrell and former ICC umpire Darryl Harper

Most favourite ground in Brisbane to umpire?

Redlands

What’s the most intriguing ground you’ve umpired?

When I went to Imparja Cup in Alice Springs there was a ground that had a turf wicket and a concrete one close to it which was interesting

Who were the three batsman you admired most as an umpire in Premier Cricket? 

Steve Paulsen – Wests. Fantastic to watch, very smart with his shot selection and the way he just scores runs – and there have been plenty

Jack Clayton – University of Queensland. One of the most polite but talented players today. Will no doubt score heaps of runs and hopefully take the next step at state level

Michael Phillipson – University of Queensland. I have seen some remarkable innings which include saving games but his ability to turn a game with a fast-scoring rate truly has been great to watch

Steve Paulsen

Who were the three bowlers you admired most as an umpire in Premier Cricket?

Scott Walter – Univeristy of Queensland. Always in the game when umpiring at Scott’s end, from ball one to last ball of his innings. Loves an LBW and to be fair always in the zone

Nathan Rimmington – Sandgate Redcliffe. Could bowl all day with accuracy and swing

Andrew Gode – Valley. Loads of wickets and toils hard, great captain and top bloke

Scott Walter

Who were the three players you admired most over the years for their competitive spirit and the way they played the game?

Peter Dein – Sunny Coast

Andrew Gode – Valley

Nathan McSweeney - Norths

We can only assume there were quite a few characters in the game you had to keep an eye on in the field. Is there a particular moment or story you’d like to share about one of the characters? 

What happens on the field stays on the field

Is there any particular game you’ve umpired that stands out above all others? 

Umpiring the 1st grade final last season

Who’s been the biggest influence in your involvement in cricket?

My wife Karen is very supportive of this passion of mine and without her it would be difficult to do and experience the things I have achieved to date. My father is also a huge help and often sits under the tree at games close to home, which is nice. 

Who was the funniest umpire you’ve had the pleasure to umpire with?

I would say nobody is funnier than me

Who is your favourite all time cricketer growing up?

Glenn McGrath

What did you enjoy most about umpiring? 

Best seat in the house is a common saying

Who would you consider the top 2 umpires in the game today?

We are all top umpires

Did you have any superstitions?

Pack bag put in car night before

Technology – good or bad for cricket from an umpire’s perspective? 

Good – for more reasons than not

What piece of technology is most valuable to an umpire and why?

 Radio’s for communication purposes

What’s the best advice you ever received? 

Ball by Ball, what happened previously has gone now switch on

Do you like the modern game and what can the game do to make it better for umpires? 

The game of cricket has evolved and with the introduction to T20 cricket and now the Blast (male and female) different playing conditions relate to the specific game you are umpiring. I love red ball cricket though, it has different challenges.

What advice would you offer a young 20-year-old who has the ambition of umpiring Test Cricket?

Know the laws, prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. You need to stay patient, umpiring test cricket is the pinnacle and while it is good to have the ambition you do need to stay on a level playing field because it won’t happen overnight. 

You’re a mortgage and finance adviser, tell us a little about your business and how the cricket community can get in contact with you?

I have been in the finance industry for 20 years and the last 5 years running my own business. This has allowed me to focus more on work life balance. I am fortunate to be able to take my kids to school, then hit the gym and work throughout the day. When Summer season hits, managing cricket into the equation takes planning and an awesome team around you. 

Front Row Financial Management

What are your hobbies?

TV, Movies, spending time with family including beach visits of riding along the esplanade at Sandgate. Recently purchase 1.5 acres and am slowly getting my head around maintaining the property

Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general? 

Enjoy the game you are umpiring and don’t get too ahead of yourself. If it is meant to be it will be!