Almanac Cricket: ‘Why does he need a runner?’

Cricket Umpire John Gascoigne relates the story of courage and resilience of Karthik Balachandar who overcame horrific injuries to continue his cricketing career.

Almanac Cricket: The Prodigal Son

Cricket umpire John Gascoigne is impressed by the cricketing prowess of youngster Harish Salwathura.

Almanac Cricket: Joy in the Juniors

With observations finely honed and borne of years of umpiring experience, John Gascoigne knows a bit about cricket. This week he’s learned just a bit more thanks to the bat and ball exploits of twin sisters in the Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union’s annual carnival.

Almanac Cricket: Behind the wickets – an umpire’s view

Like cricketers, umpires also need practice as John Gascoigne recalls a recent intra-club practice match polishing up his umpiring skills.

Almanac Cricket (Umpiring): Age no impediment, or guarantee

A charming yarn from John Gascoigne about umpiring under-age cricketers, the perils of a flat hearing-aid battery, and the mysterious (temporary) disappearance of an old bat.

Waverley Car Parkers – Why don’t ya get a proper job!

John Gascoigne remembers his time as a carpark attendant at VFL Park Waverley.

Winter cricket

The old cricketers’ winter-only fitness-maintaining pastime of footy has morphed into the season-defying juggernaut that is the AFL, but as John Gascoigne shares, it’s far from a one-way process, with winter cricket more popular than ever before.

Almanac Cricket: Ducks, bees and the whole damn thing

Umpire John Gascoigne starts the summer with a new employer, but cricket’s charm remains.

Winter Cricket: Diplomacy wins the day

Umpire John Gascoigne reports on Melbourne’s cricket scene as players squish their way towards winter finals.

Local Cricket – Thwack, Thwack, Thwack

Umpire John Gascoigne continues his account of action – dramatic, comical and mundane – on the cricket grounds of Melbourne.

Cricket At Dog Poo Park

John Gascoigne is an umpire in the Mid Year Cricket Association. Elbows bent further than 15 degrees, bogan dressware and landmines left by dog walkers are plenty.

Cricket’s Uniqueness can never be Dismissed

John Gascoigne, a 29-year veteran of cricket umpiring on Melbourne’s parks, decided to test his belief that every day of every match produces an event, a moment, of uniqueness.

Cricket and conflict

Melbourne-based cricket umpire John Gascoigne on the stick he cops as an umpire.

Loneliness of the Long Distance Cricket Umpire

John Gascoigne debuts with a ripper yarn about the dramas, oddities and nuances of local cricket told from a unique perspective. He’s been an umpire for 25 years – so he’s seen it all (hearing it all was a different matter).