Keith Smith

Keith played league cricket for Hill Top in the East Riding Amateur League from 1973 until 1982 when he took up umpiring and joined both ERCUA (as then was) and ACU. He worked up through the Humberside Federation, Pennant Alliance, East Yorkshire Cup, East Riding Alliance and the Yorkshire League before moving to Northern Ireland in 2003. Keith's first international match was England U15 vs Barbados U15 in a three-day 'Test' match played at the Circle, home of Hull CC. He was partnered by Richard Elvidge. He officiated in two East Yorkshire Cup KO Finals and three Calypso Cup Finals at Headingley, one with Jack Yates and two with Malcolm Ripley. He also became a regular umpire at the Ampleforth College Old Boys festival weekend which he umpired for twelve consecutive years, and at the St. Peter's School festival in York.

In an administration capacity Keith was the ACU(&S) Deputy Regional Councillor under Laurie Coward and then became Regional Councillor in 1993. He served on the executive committee as PRO, deputy General Secretary and, in 2001 General Secretary. In ERCU&SA he succeeded Eric Whitton as Chairman in 1995, a post he held until 2003.

The move to Northern Ireland proved to be a good one and in 2005 Keith was nominated by the Irish Cricket Union (now Cricket Ireland) to stand on the ICC Europe panel. He was accepted onto the panel in 2006 and promoted to the ICC Europe Elite Umpires panel in 2011. (One of only 14.) and has now umpired in excess of fifty international matches in Belgium, Corfu, Guernsey, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Scotland and Spain.

Keith's career with ICC Europe almost came to an end in 2008 when he accepted an invitation to umpire in the (rebel) Indian Cricket League. He was there for six weeks and made many friends, including the recently deceased Tony Greig who, although a commentator, was a good friend to all six umpires there.

Around 1991 Keith became an ACU&S examiner and in 2004 an instructor. He is, currently, one of five ICC Europe instructors and has held courses in Germany, Isle of Man, Norway, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. He retired from 'standing' at the end of 2012 and is now an umpire assessor for his local association, the Northern Ireland Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (NIACUS).