Published: Feb 03, 2017, 04:04 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 03, 2017, 04:04 PM (IST)
Former Australian umpire Lou Rowan passed away on Friday at the age of 91. Rowan, who officiated in the first-ever One-Day International (ODI), was Australia’s oldest umpire at the time of his death. Off the field, Rowan was a detective in Queensland drug squad. Rowan umpired in 26 Tests, which included a controversial run he had in The Ashes 1970-71. During the series, Rowan warned Jon Snow for bowling short and intimidating lines to Australian batsman Terry Jenner, following which the England bowler was grabbed by a member of the crowd while fielding at the boundary. Jenner was hit on the head off one of the bouncers, forcing the umpire to signal to his companion at square-leg, Tom Brooks, that he was serving an official warning.
The incident soared up further when England captain Ray Illingworth decided to walk off with his team in protest. It was the seventh Test, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), of The Ashes 1970-71. Rowan asked the England captain to resume play or forfeit the contest, which compelled the visitors to return to the field. Earlier during the second Test, Rowan had cautioned Snow for his hostile bowling at Perth. Snow sent down another snorter past Ian Redpath’s head and turned to Rowan saying “That’s a real bouncer”.
On his part, Snow felt that the Australians were not good enough to face his short deliveries and Rowan was confusing their shortcomings with intimidatory bowling. Interestingly, no Australian batsman was dismissed leg-before throughout the series.
Rowan went on to become the voice for those against alleged chuckers, and petitioned for such bowlers to be shown the exit doors.
In only his third Test as umpire, Rowan was placed at the bowler’s end when the square-leg umpire Col Egar called no-ball off Ian Meckiff for chucking in the series against South Africa in 1963-64.
