Marc Nickl - indoor to outdoor
NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association | June 16, 2023
Marc Nickl started umpiring indoor cricket at a young age and played NSW Premier Cricket for 10 years before the bug of umpiring couldn’t be resisted any further.
In this this interview Marc shares some interesting moments and experiences. We appreciate Marc taking the time to share his journey
What year were you born?
1973
Where did you go the high school?
Merrylands High School with first grade cricketers Keiran Knight and Corey Doyle (RIP).
Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?
Playing for Guildford Leagues as an 11-year-old I started the season with my top score of 27.
Did you play much cricket before you started umpiring?
I played 10 years of Premier cricket for Fairfield and 1 season in England in the Bradford League.
One memorable moment was in 2003 at Rosedale Oval when it was 48 degrees and after batting for an hour and then bowling 9 overs I ended up passed out in the sheds with green bile coming out – my teammates thought it was funny but it was rather scary having severe heat stroke requiring 4 saline drips at Liverpool hospital. Luckily a smart umpire Dr David Dilley could see the warning signs and advised me to get off the field before I collapsed!!
I remember when I arrived in Leeds to play and was picked up by the Chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Ground in his Mercedes and he took me to our ground which Sir Len Hutton played at and said we have had a few OK players from down your way. Martin Crowe and Mark Greatbatch batted alright and a couple of decent bowlers in Rod McCurdy and Simon Doull so hopefully you go OK!! Needless to say, they were disappointed with a slow lower grade player from Fairfield.
At what age did you start umpiring?
I started umpiring Indoor cricket when I was 16 and outdoor cricket when I was 32.
What was the attraction to become an umpire?
I enjoyed umpiring Indoor cricket and went to a couple of overseas world cups so figured there was no use taking a young kids spot bowling slow swingers in the lower grades so I gave into the great Arthur Watson who kept asking me to come and umpire in Sydney grade cricket.
Can you remember your first game as an umpire in Sydney Grade Cricket?
Yes, it was in 2005, I was 32 at Cahill Park with Gordon v Easts in 4th Grade. My partner was Gerry Forlaino and a couple of the players I recognized were Paul Byrom and Dean Goldsmith.
How long did it take to progress through to First Grade?
It took me a few years to progress and I made my 1st grade debut in 2007 at Manly Oval with Manly v Hawkesbury, my partner was the great Darren Goodger. There were a few quality players playing, Steve O’Keefe opened the batting for Hawkesbury with Peter Forrest, Scott Henry & Anthony Kershler also in their side. Manly had Cameron Merchant, Steve Phillips, Tim Cruickshank & Ryan Bulger.
Who were the umpires you admired most when you started out as an umpire?
I admired John Barnes, Graham Chudleigh, & Geoff Garland all quality individuals.
Do you know how many games you umpired in Sydney Grade Cricket?
241
What was your most memorable moment as a cricket umpire?
Walking out to umpire a Women’s National League game at the SCG with Terry Keel as a partner in 2008.
Most favorite ground in Sydney to umpire?
Bankstown Oval.
What’s the most intriguing ground you’ve umpired?
Bradman Oval at Bowral.
Who were the three batsman you admired most as an umpire in Premier Cricket?
Paul Maraziotis – A man with high standards, very elegant and compact defense.
Greg Mail – Played within himself generally but knew when to accelerate and was one of the most respected players with players and umpires.
Phil Wells – Underrated in his early career, peeled off consistent runs and was always friendly with the umpires.
Who were the three bowlers you admired most as an umpire in Premier Cricket?
Daniel Jackson – Massive ticker, always put in and was challenging but always very friendly off the field.
Shane Mott – Honest and skillful bowler, bowled plenty of overs in tough conditions and was smart enough to use his variety to get wickets with good full balls.
Robbie Aitken – Great bloke who has always understood his own game very well, bowls with great control and variation, rarely bowling bad balls.
Who were the three players you admired most over the years for their competitive spirit and the way they played the game?
Jarrad Burke – A tough competitor who loved a contest and could bring out the best in his teammates.
Anthony Clark – A long career, always bowled tight and placed a high value on his wicket.
Grant Lambert – A strong and skillful player with both bat and ball who dominated grade crickets for a couple of decades.
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?
Unfortunately, I have had 2 players of which I had to send off from indoor cricket games who then thought it would be a good idea to climb the umpires stand and try to attack me. The young fella from the Lords Taverners was from an intellectually disabled team and had a valid reason but I wasn't sure about a wild and large Scott Hookey.
Is there any particular game you’ve umpired that stands out above all others?
A young Usman Khawaja scored a crafty double century in a 2nd XL match in 2008 against a few handy bowlers from Victoria in John Hastings and Michael Beer.
Or some funny moments you’d like to share?
There was a 4 day 2nd XL match NSW v Tas in 2008 at Bankstown Oval that 30 wickets fell over 4 innings before lunch on Day 2, Blocker Wilson gave 9 LBW’s out and Josh Hazelwood, Mitch Starc & Steve O’Keefe loved it.
Who’s been the biggest influence in your involvement in cricket?
David Shepley who is in the Hall of Fame for Indoor Cricket after umpiring National Indoor Cricket finals in the 80’s has since been Indoor cricket Tournament Director for most National and International Tournaments ever since and has a very level head.
Who was the funniest umpire you’ve had the pleasure to umpire with?
Darren Foster
Who is your favourite all-time cricketer growing up?
Allan Border
Who is your favourite cricket commentator?
Jim Maxwell
What did you enjoy most about umpiring?
The challenge of staying in the moment and trying to get good outcomes for the game.
Who would you consider the top 2 umpires in the game today?
Rod Tucker and Richard Kettleborough
If you’re in the middle seat of the middle row of Qantas QF1flight to London which two umpires from any level would you choose to on your left and right?
Ian Gould and Paul Wilson
Did you have any superstitions?
Just like to be at the ground early. Preparation is the key to success.
Technology – good or bad for cricket from an umpire’s perspective?
Good - anything that can assist getting the correct outcome for the players is beneficial.
What piece of technology is most valuable to an umpire and why?
Hot Spot – very accurate and shows impact.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Do the simple things to an excellent standard
Do you like the modern game and what can the game do to make it better for umpires?
I am a traditionalist so enjoy the longer format games, although there is always something unusual occurring in T20 cricket. I believe technology ruling on front foot no balls would assist the umpires so they can concentrate more on the action down the other end.
What advice would you offer a young 20 year old who has the ambition of umpiring Test Cricket?
Be patient, cricket is a slow game by nature but because it is also so complicated and no two matches are the same experience is very important, don’t concentrate on outcome goals such as where you are ranked or how you are progressing but rather concentrate on how you can improve your own game.
What are your hobbies?
It is cricket related, either watching, reading or umpiring indoor cricket in the “off season”.
Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?
I think self-assessments is a good one, as there is always a better way to do things and we all need to be honest in our self-reflections in order to become better at what we do.
