Amy Coyne, who initially completed her umpiring qualifications as a way of passing the time during the Covid-19 lockdowns, will officiate both Vitality Blast Women League 2 semi-finals tomorrow (on Saturday).
In the morning, she will first oversee Middlesex Women vs Leicestershire Women at the County Ground before repeating the task in the Yorkshire Women vs Glamorgan Women fixture. She will then act as fourth umpire in the final that evening.
“My gran always had cricket on the TV and I loved watching it with her,” says Amy. “She watches all the live streams and cheers me on. The first time I was on a county ground live stream, I came home and she gave me a massive hug. She said: ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this. It’s just amazing.’ She’s my biggest supporter and she’s so proud.”
Since beginning her umpiring journey, Amy has climbed to W2 status on the Women’s ECB Umpiring Pathway and now regularly controls Tier 2 fixtures.
“It’s a great environment to umpire in,” she says. “The first year I was umpiring, I must have done about three games a week for the whole season. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a meditative zone out there: I feel completely comfortable in the middle of a cricket field. For me, it’s a calm place.”
Amy will be supported at Saturday’s matches by her autism assistance dog, Lexi. “She’s literally changed my life,” she says. “Before I got her, I wouldn’t leave the house on my own. But she watches out for me, and everyone loves her. Teams say hi to her before they say hi to me.”
Amy adds: “She comes out and does the toss with me, and having her with me before the game helps me stay level. She keeps me grounded and it’s really important that people are aware that you can still do what you want to do when you have autism.
“Saturday is going to be a great finals day and I’ll be watching from the best place, which is fantastic. Every team is full of great girls. I’ll be cheering for all of them.”
The following day, at Wormsley, another female official will also take the next step in her rapid rise through the Women’s ECB Umpiring Pathway.
Preston-based Fiona Shone will oversee the Tier 3 Division 2 final between Oxfordshire Women and Shropshire Women, just two and a half years after first standing in a cricket match as a favour to her son’s team at Walton-le-Dale CC.
Fiona says 15 years of experience as a football referee has undoubtedly given her valuable transferable skills, but she sees far greater opportunities in cricket.
“I’ve come into this just as the women’s pathway has been put in place, and it’s opening up at exactly the right time for me,” she says. “A lot of it comes down to how much you’re willing to travel. And after every game, I deliberately sit down and reflect: what did I do well, and what do I need to work on?”
Remarkably, Fiona has overseen several fixtures alongside her son, Michael, who has qualified as a Young Official and will be travelling to support her at Sunday’s final. “He’s taken every opportunity to meet experienced officials, and this is a chance for him to see what it’s like at the next level.”
She adds: “I just want to see how far I can go. Getting to W2, maybe even W1, is a realistic ambition. I want to see how far I can get on the women’s pathway and support my son if he wants to pursue umpiring too. While he’s enjoying it, I’ll keep encouraging him.”
Both Amy and Fiona represent a growing umpiring interest among females. Almost a quarter of all 2,5000 attendees on the new ECB Umpire Course have been women or girls. More female tutors are also helping to deliver the course, giving a huge boost to female participation across England and Wales.
Interested in trying officiating? Find your next ECB Umpire Course today.