Efficient & Experienced scorers are a boon to the game in general and the umpires in particular.

The 'scorers', as the term suggests, are required to keep a detailed score record of the match. Over a century ago, when cricket was predominantly a 'village-green' sport, the scores were counted by carving out cuts in the branch of a tree. At the end of the innings, these 'cuts' were counted and the scores written with a piece of chalk on a blackboard. Individual scores were not counted or considered.
 

Gradually, things started taking a more formal shape. The technique of scoring has developed by leaps and bounds. Computers have replaced the calculators. Earlier, only the 'time' was counted in addition to the score, but today, the number of balls faced, scored off, dot balls, etc can be counted and made available at the snap of a finger. Coloured pencils with different shades to highlight certain points, give an attractive feel to a scorebook. TV and radio commentators need a scorer and statistician to assist them. Very often, one person plays both roles.

In all international matches, there is one scorer-statistician in the commentary box and another in the press box, in addition to the two 'official' scorers who sit next to the main scoreboard. The umpires are directly concerned only with the official scorers. They are supposed to make their signals in the direction where the official scorers are sitting. The scorers are supposed to acknowledge their signals either by waving a flag, or flashing a light during day/night matches. If there is a discrepancy, the score displayed on the official scoreboard is considered as final.

When play resumes, the umpires signal to the scorers to find out whether they are ready. The scorers are expected to point out immediately if the wrong batsman is taking strike, or if the bowler is about to deliver two consecutive overs. Such incidents have taken place and the scorers have come to the rescue of the umpires.

In a one-day international between India and England at Gwalior in 1992-93, we discovered that the scoreboard was showing Chris Lewis as having bowled seven overs, whereas according to our (umpires') count, it was six overs. We summoned the scoreboard attendant on the ground and got the error rectified. The English captain Graham Gooch, relieved that one of his frontline bowlers had an extra over to bowl, thanked us profusely! Today of course, the umpires can contact the scorers on radio if there is an inconsistency, and vice versa.

While I was in Australia for the 1992 World Cup, I came across lady scorers who were very efficient. Although there were quite a few ladies who officiated in various matches in India, mainly in Mumbai, I hadn't seen any member of the 'fair sex' officiating in major games. Incidentally, it was in 1948-49, in a series between England and South Africa, wherein a lady scorer officiated in a Test for the first time.

During Test matches, I would always request the scorers to visit our dressing room in the mornings and evenings, to discuss any problem, or if they had missed out anything. I always asked the scorers to assist me if I happened to inquire about the number of balls bowled in an over. This happened on occasions, when even my colleague wasn't sure. The scorers at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, were very prompt in this regard. We had decided on a signal. The scorer would be seated next to the manual scoreboard, so that he could pick up the corresponding number-plate indicating the number of balls bowled and wave it out.

A funny incident occurred in a village game played somewhere in England. The two scorers were seated under the shade of a tree. A little later, two women spectators arrived and sprawled their mat on the ground, adjacent to the scorers. Whenever the umpires signalled to the scorers, the ladies started waving out to them! Initially, they found it quite amusing, but as the game progressed, they were perplexed. So one of them asked the other; "I wonder what those two fat fellows are trying to convey to us?"

For most of the 1930s, the England team had the services of Billy Fergusson, who acted as a baggage-man-cum-scorer on all official tours. It is said that he never lost a single item of baggage in his lifetime, nor did he miss recording a single run in the scorebook. He once plotted a graph showing where and how Don Bradman scored his runs. This piece of information was passed on to the English captain. Don't know whether it served any purpose!

The doyen of Indian scorers was Anandji Dossa, who has now settled abroad. He set a trend that was picked up by many. Today, India has several talented scorers.

- By Piloo Reporter